The Nashville-based country singer/songwriter tandem of Steve Bogard and Jason Sever will perform in concert to benefit Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 on Friday, October 30, from 7 to 10 p.m.

Tickets costs for indoor seating are $125 in the Post’s Normandy Banquet Room and $100 in the Legion’s adjacent bar, and $75 for tented outdoor listing.  Ticket costs include beer and wine.  Cash bars will be open for other alcoholic beverages.

Blue, Red and White Sponsorships are available at only $500, $250 and $100, respectively, all of which feature website exposure.  The Blue and Red levels include quarter-page and eighth-page display advertisements in the event program, with White Sponsors are listed by name.

“The goal is to raise at least $10,000 in profit to cover the cancellation of the Legion’s annual Military Ball,” stated John R. Quigley, Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ECCI) President and CEO, and Nashville Songwriter Fundraiser Planning Committee member.

Illinois State Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-47th District) is sponsoring the Entertainment.    To date, Blue Sponsors included ECCI, Elmhurst Premier Childcare and Scott and Charity Ahlgrim, Red Sponsors include K&T Colors, Equity Property Investments and Weiss- Kunz & Oliver, Equity Property Investments, and White Sponsors include Lexington Square of Elmhurst.

HB Jones will have food available for purchase and donate 10 percent of the proceeds.

To register as a sponsor and/or attendee, visit the following event listing on ECCI’s website:  http://chambermaster.elmhurstchamber.org/events/details/2020-nashville-songwriter-fundraiser-16111.

The two artists typically perform concerts to benefit the United Service Organizations (USO) across the country and are close friends of Planning Committee member Kasindra Mladenoff, Co-Owner of Elmhurst Premier Childcare in downtown Elmhurst.

Bogard has written No. 1 singles for artists such Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Lee Greenwood, Jack Ingram, Dustin Lynch, Reba McIntire, Eddie Raven, George Strait and Tanya Tucker, along with hit songs for Trace Adkins, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Billy Ray Cyrus, Waylon Jennings, Tim McGraw, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley and Conway Twitty.

His 22 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC award-winning hits include George Straits standards, “Carried Away” and “Carrying Your Love With Me,” both No. 1 hits, Rascal Flatts’ career breakthrough No. 1 song, “Prayin’ For Daylight,” and Dustin Lynch’s 2017 No. 1 “Seein’ Red.” He has two Grammy nominations for Best Country Song with the No. 1 hit “Every Mile A Memory” and the top-10 “Long trip Alone,” both recorded by Dierks Bentley.

Bogard’s diverse discography includes songs written for and performed by Rita Coolidge, Mac Davis, Etta James, Tom Jones, Patty Loveless, Sinead O’Connor, The Four Tops and Andy Williams.

A 10-term President of the Nashville Songwriters Association (NSAI) Board of Directors, his advocacy accomplishments are historic.  Bogard stewarded the organization’s passage of the Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act, changing the U.S. Tax Code to allow songwriters to pay the lower Capital Gains rate on catalog sales.  He guided the purchase of both the historic Music Mill studios—now NSAI headquarters—and the legendary Bluebird Café.

Under his leadership NSAI helped craft and pass the history-making Music Modernization Act in 2018.  Bogard testified as a songwriter witness at both the 2006 and 2017 Copyright Royalty Board trials, the latter resulting in a 44 percent increase in streaming royalties for songwriters, the largest in history.

Sever arrived in Nashville from Texas in the fall of 2001 and immediately began singing demos for Nashville’s top writers and lending vocals to a number of songs recorded by the Music City’s top artists.  Meeting with the famous names behind many of his favorite songs, he ultimately fell into writing with them.

In 2009, Sever signed his first publishing deal with Little Champion Music, owned by John and Martina McBride.  His first cut, “Whatcha Gonna Do.” by Martina McBride, came later that year and many more have followed.

Sever’s first single, titled “Underdog,” as a songwriter came with the band The Lost Trailers in 2010 and it reached 34 on the Top 40 chart as a completely independent release.

His songs have been recorded by Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Martina McBride, Parmalee, Joe Nichols, Josh Kelly, Dylan Scott and Brad Cotter, as well as many international artists, including a single by Yannick Bovy on Warner Brothers Records titled “Enduring Love.”

Following his most recent success with the Billboard and Mediabase No. 1 song, Seein’ Red,” by Dustin Lynch, Sever recently signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Amped Entertainment and continues to write and record.

Also serving on the Planning Committee are Post 187 Commander John Scudder and Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Shanklin, Elmhurst City Council 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner, 1st Ward Alderman and The Beauty Lounge President Jennifer Veremis, Community Bank of Elmhurst President and CEO Rich Reichert and Joyce Slone, Owner of Slone Commercial and Co-Owner of Elmhurst Premier Childcare.

Since its charter in 1919 following the end of World War I, Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 has been welcoming veterans from all branches of our Armed Forces.  Today, Post 187 continues to welcome all qualified military personnel serving our country.  Joining Post 187 enables veterans to continue serving their “God, Country and Community.”

Post 187’s mission is to implement the goals, aspirations, dreams, peace and blessings for our country, friends and families embodied in its preamble.