Grammy-nominated songwriter Karen Taylor Good, 56, and author and songwriter Stowe Dailey, 68, form the Nashville-based StoweGood. The duo will be in town this month to perform their songs-and-stories show Jan. 24 at Unity of Oak Park, 405 N. Euclid Ave. The suggested donation for the show is $25.
Good noted that although the show takes place at a church, it is not a church concert; she said it’s a very inclusive show with a spiritual undertone. The two have performed throughout the U.S. and in Canada, Ireland and Scotland. On Jan. 8, Good and Dailey answered a few questions for the Oak Leaves.
Q: Can you tell me about your backgrounds?
SD: We’ve each been in the music business all of our lives, pretty much.
KTG: In the early ’90s, we were put together to write a song for some country artist — that’s how it works when you’re a staff writer — and we had so much fun, but then we didn’t see each other for 20 years.
SD: We reconnected in 2011. That was just a miracle for me. My prayer was, “Give me somebody to write with.” Only a week later, I saw Karen again. … We’ve written well over 100 songs.
KTG: Although we each started out writing country music, that’s not what we write anymore. We write really amazing, powerful songs geared toward grown-ups.
Q: What’s a performance like?
SD: It’s a whole evening of original songs and personal stories. We kind of weave our stories between our songs. We have years of life experiences, stories and just fun. There’s a lot to share. Karen walked her sweet mother through eight years of Alzheimer’s. That is a story of love that she shares. She wrote the song “On Angel’s Wings” based on that, and it really resonates with people. I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer 10 years ago, and I almost lost my life with that. … I almost didn’t get to fulfill why I came here, which is the inspiration that you can live your dream. I talk about getting a second chance and moving through fear.
KTG: That’s one of the reasons that audiences connect with us so well. People say it’s like a rollercoaster ride: one minute they’re crying and the next, they’re laughing.
SD: Karen plays piano; I play guitar. A big part of what we do involves our rather intricate harmonies, and how we hear those harmonies and present them. We have very different voices and when we put them together, we’ve been told that they form a third voice, almost.
Q: This seems like a true passion for both of you.
SD: When you’re doing what you love, you can’t not do it. Karen had thought about retiring …
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KTG: The songs keep coming, and my voice is better and stronger than it ever was. I have more songs that are supposed to be written through me. People in the audience have more they need to accomplish. It doesn’t matter how old you are.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.