Bluebird Cafe's Original Women in the Round Ashley Cleveland, Tricia Walker and Karen Staley became a part of Music City history when they performed in the first Women in the Round show at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe almost 20 years ago. The three singer/songwriters, who were joined by Pam Tillis for that Feb. 4, 1988, performance. The Bluebird Cafe has launched several musical careers and become a hotspot for songwriters to hone and display their craft. Owner Amy Kurland lists the first Women in the Round show in 1988 as one of the most memorable nights in the cafe's 25-year history.

"Tricia did I 'Met an Angel' and the other women put on their halos and sang angel parts," Kurland recalls. "It was hilarious!" And so began the unique combination of eclectic music and comedy that defines Women In The Round.

Cleveland is the first woman ever nominated for the Best Rock Gospel Album Grammy when she picked up the award in 1996 for Lesson of Love. She won again in 1999 with You Are There. She won Dove Awards in 1999 as part of The Jesus Record, which was named Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and in 1994 for Songs from the Loft for Praise and Worship Album of the Year. She received Dove Award nominations for Best New Artist, Rock Album of the Year and Best Recorded Album Packaging in 1994.

She hit the top of the Contemporary Christian Single chart with "He Is" and has performed with John Hiatt, Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Etta James, Patty Smyth, Amy Grant and many others.

"There is nothing prim about the way Ashley delivers a hymn... or any song, for that matter. She sounds the way most of us feel: full of grit, angst and passion," says superstar Grant. "I love hearing these timeless lyrics sung by her. Her voice captures the longing in us all."

East Tennessee native Cleveland's latest album, Men and Angels Say, is a collection of hymns that reflects her desire to keep these statements of faith alive for current and future generations. The classic hymns are infused with her own distinctive rock and blues styles. Check out www.ashleycleveland.com

When a back injury sidelined West Virginia native Staley's sports career, her high school choir director loaned her a guitar and taught her the chords to John Denver's "Annie's Song." Staley was hooked. She topped a field of 500 contestants from across North America to win a country talent contest, earning an opening spot at the world-famous Jamboree in the Hills Festival and a regular spot on the Wheeling Jamboree radio show, where she opened for artists such as The Judds and Reba McEntire.

Staley moved to Nashville in 1984 and landed a songwriting contract with a new company. She then went on the road singing backup and playing guitar for McEntire. She went on to release a solo album, Wildest Dreams, and over the next 10 years became a successful demo singer, background vocalist and acclaimed songwriter. Later she toured with Faith Hill as a singer and guitarist and showcased her songs during Hill's wardrobe changes. She then signed to Warner Bros Records and released the critically acclaimed Fearless.

Her songs have been recorded by Faith Hill, McEntire, Terri Clark, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea, Tracy Byrd, Lee Ann Rimes, Patty Loveless, Confederate Railroad, Trick Pony, Thyrd Time Out, Jeff and Sheri Easter, Ronna Reeves, Rick Trevino, Michael Martin Murphy and Holly Dunn. They include "Take Me As I Am" and "Let's Go to Vegas" (Hill), "Keeper of the Stars" (Byrd), "Face in the Crowd" (Murphy and Dunn), "Everytime I Cry" (Clark) and "On a Night Like This" (Trick Pony).

Staley is presently signed to Ann Wilson Music Group and has released several independent CDs including Farther Along-Classic Hymns, Me & Mahalia, The Story Of My Life, Phoenix Rising & Out of The Park- Greatest Hits.

Walker began performing in her own band at the age of 13 in Mississippi, taking formal piano lessons but also picking up tips from records and late-night rock and blues radio shows on WDIA in Memphis and WLAC in Nashville. She earned a degree in Music Education at Delta State University and while working on her master's she played clubs and festivals in Mississippi and Louisiana. She earned songwriting honors at the Mississippi and American Song Festivals in 1979, which prompted a move to Nashville the following year.

She became a staff writer at gospel label Word Inc. and had songs recorded by Debby Boone, The Imperials and Kathy Troccoli. She joined Polygram's stable and had songs recorded by Mel McDaniel, Moe Bandy, Karen Staley, Patty Loveless, Faith Hill and Alison Krauss. Her hits include "Ride This Train" (McDaniel), "Looking in the Eyes of Love" (Loveless and Krauss, for which the latter won a Grammy), "Keep Walkin' On" (Hill), "Love of My Life" (Troccoli), "No Regrets" (Bandy) and "I Need to Feel Your Touch Again" (The Imperials).

Walker has been a New Folk winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival, a featured performer at the Tin Pan South songwriting festival and showcased at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Texas and Crossroads Festival in Memphis. Check out www.bigfrontporch.com