Sharon Vaughn
Biography
Sharon Vaughn’s versatility as a songwriter is exceptional. It’s hard, perhaps impossible, to find another person who has written both classic country songs and international pop hits, scripts and songs for musicals and even enjoyed success in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
As a studio singer Sharon Vaughn has worked with the legendary The Jordanaires (of Elvis Presley fame), Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Joan Baez, Bill Anderson, George Jones and countless others…performed at the famous Grand Ol’ Opry. But since the mid-70’s songwriting has been her first priority.
Her first hits as a songwriter were “Y’all Come Back Saloon” by the Oak Ridge Boys followed by “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”, recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1976, and four years later recorded by Willie Nelson for the soundtrack to Sydney Pollack’s film The Electric Horseman, starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Nelson’s recording topped the Billboard US Hot Country Songs for two weeks, and in 2021 the song was chosen by the Western Writers of America as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Sharon Vaughn’s songwriting is boundless, both geographically and musically. In 2021 she became the first songwriter ever to have three songs from three different countries in the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Estonia, Moldova and Greece. She has previously written songs for ESC for Ireland (Jedward’s Waterline, 2012) and the platinum-selling Russian artist Sergey Lazarev, who represented Russia in 2016 and 2019, when Sharon wrote the lyrics for his song Scream (3rd in the Contest). She has co-written several albums with the Canadian-Belgian artist Lara Fabian, among them the hit singles Papillion and Par Amour (nominated for Song of the year by the Canadian Gala Adisq 2020). Among other international artists she’s worked with are the Belgian singer Kate Ryan, Greek star, Stefania, the German artist Stefanie Heinzmann, Clay Aiken, the Japanese pop band EXILE, the Australian artist Delta Goodrem (whose album Delta topped the charts in Australia and sold triple platinum), and in 2010 she co-wrote the Irish band Boyzone’s platinum-selling album Brothers that topped the UK album charts.
In her successful career Sharon Vaughn has scored numerous Number Ones and Top Tens in country music. Her long list of the many artists she’s written songs for include Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Oak Ridge Boys, Tammy Wynette, Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless (the chart-topping Lonely Too Long), Trisha Yearwood, (Powerful Thing) Reba McEntire, Mark Chesnutt, Jimmy Buffett, Martina McBride, plus Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan whose duet ‘Til A Tear Becomes A Rose won the Vocal Country Event of the Year category at the Country Music Association award and was nominated for a Grammy.
In 2008 Sharon Vaughn moved to Stockholm, where she lived for seven years. During her stay in Sweden she co-wrote several songs for the Swedish popstar Agnes together with producer/songwriter Anders Hansson (Agnes, Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA fame, BWO, Cher, Victoria Beckham a.o.). The single, Release Me was a massive hit in UK and charted all over Europe, as well as in Australia and in the U.S, where the song topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
Sharon also worked with Per Gessle of Roxette fame, Carl Falk (One Direction, Madonna, Avicii a.o.), the ESC winner of 2015 Måns Zelmerlöv, Moh Denebi ("Loreen", winner om ESC 2012 and 2023), September, Malena Ernman (who represented Sweden in the ESC 2009), Helena Paparizou, and Robin Bengtsson (who represented Sweden in the ESC 2017).
Stating theatre as her passion, Sharon has been involved in numerous Theatrical Musicals both in composing and book writing. She co-wrote the music and lyrics for The Sweet Potato Queens, (book by Tony-Winning Rupert Holmes and Music and lyrics with Grammy Winning Melissa Manchester), lyrics for an original American musical, Breathe – (book by noted author Jodi Picoult and Tim McDonald) a streaming musical event about life during the pandemic, with Tony and Emmy nominated, Doug Besterman. (“an unprecedented musical about an unprecedented time”). Sharon co-wrote book and lyrics for Fighting Star, a show that ran for six months in Vaasa, Finland. At present, she is so very excited about the new musical with Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Rickey Martin a.o.) and Carolyn-Smith Bryant, based on the lives of iconic songwriters Boudleaux and Felice Bryant (composers of the majority of hits of the Everly Bros.) Sharon is co-writing book and music on a one-woman show presently in the works, CRUMBS, with award winning song writer, Madeline Stone.
Inducted into The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019, she is currently serving on the Boards of NSAI and The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, also active as part of the faculty of The Songwriting Academy, based in London…her commitment to the industry she loves is what motivates and drives her.
Sharon Vaughn has continued her successful career as a musical globetrotter. In the U.S., and in Europe. Nashville, London, Dublin, Copenhagen, Stockholm.
“I love my job!” Sharon says. “I just follow the music, and I don't want to get bored with myself. I don't want to get stale!”
“A couple of songs per day, six days a week” – and the beat goes on!