Photo by David Leong.
Stanley Erdreich Jr. at his home in Mountain Brook.
At his Mountain Brook home, Stanley Erdreich Jr. turns poems into professionally recorded country songs, blending creativity with a lifetime of stories.
On a recent rainy Friday afternoon, the office in Stanley Erdreich Jr.’s home is filled with the melody of his newly written country-western song, “Chattahoochee.”
The song lyrics, written by the 90-year-old Erdreich, are an extension of him, his sharp and creative mind and his heart.
“I can’t say what the song is based off of exactly, but it holds a special place in my heart,” Erdreich said.
It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about many new hobbies or experiences for people who were stuck in the confines of their homes, that Erdreich decided to try something new: songwriting.
“I read a book about how poetry and songwriting are related,” Erdreich said. “I have always loved the written word and writing poetry, so I decided to sit down one day and write out a poem that I felt could be a song. I think when you get to be my age, you don’t find many people taking up a new hobby that challenges them, but I thought what better time to do so.”
It was through a family connection in the music business that set up the opportunity for some of Erdreich’s poems to be turned into songs.
“I had a cousin in the music business who had a friend with some connections to musicians in Nashville,” Erdreich said. “My cousin’s friend, John Heithaus, was able to help direct me to Kevin McKendree, who has five Grammy awards and a modern sound recording studio in his backyard in Franklin, Tennessee. The studio is fabulous, and the musicians in Nashville are truly wonderful people. I was able to send over a few songs, and they recorded them, and that is how it all started.”
Photo by David Leong.
Stanley Erdreich Jr. at his home in Mountain Brook.
At 90, Stanley Erdreich Jr. turns life experiences into country-western songs from his home office, a passion sparked during the pandemic and now professionally recorded in Nashville.
John Heithaus said his group is an artist-owned-and-operated record label called Qualified Records, which is run by a Grammy-winning musician/producer and a team of American Roots music lovers.
“Most of the work we do is for artists we have signed or established artists with which we partner,” Heithaus said. “We were introduced to Stanley via a professional contact in New York who is connected with his family. Projects like this are not commonly what our label does, but we were very impressed with Stanley’s spirit, his sense of humor and the persistent lyrical quality of his poetry.”
Now Erdreich has had seven songs professionally recorded which are available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
Gleaning inspiration from life experiences, memories and people he has met throughout the years, Erdreich takes joy in turning words into songs.
“Initially I started it as a challenge to keep my mind sharp because I want to stay as active as I can for as long as I can,” Erdreich said. “I have always loved the written word, and writing poetry has been something that has been enjoyable to me. When I tried turning poems into songs, I thought that was really fun, and now I enjoy coming up with different ideas that could be songs.”
Pieces of the heart
Erdreich said with his personal favorite, “Chattahoochee,” the idea came about when he thought the name was fun for creating something.
“Sometimes life takes many interesting turns, and you don’t always plan out what is going to happen, but you enjoy it when it does,” Erdreich said. “I would have probably never said I saw myself writing songs, but now that I do, I really enjoy it.”
Heithaus said they worked with Erdreich on turning his poetry into viable commercial songs of the “highest Grammy-level quality.”
“We took his lyrics, put them to music, arranged for first-class musicians to perform and record, produced the track and mastered it like any top-rate commercial product in Nashville,” Heithaus said. “We’ve produced several songs for him and enjoy each and every one for their own reasons.”
Erdreich enjoys professional musical artists such as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and he gravitates toward country-western songs when he writes.
“I have been a fan of country music for a long time, but I can’t sing, and I don’t play a musical instrument,” Erdreich said. “So, when I started writing the songs, I figured it was best if I sent them over to the people that do. Initially I sent some of my songs to larger artists, like Willie Nelson, but I didn’t realize that you don’t just walk into something new and immediately become recognized.”
Early career
Erdreich was born in Birmingham in 1934 where he graduated from Shades Valley High School and Washington and Lee University before serving in the U.S. Army. When he returned to Alabama, he worked at AmSouth Bank (now Regions), where he created and directed the international activities.
In 1986, Erdreich and other investors acquired Engel Realty Co., where he served as chairman for many years while also pursuing consulting activities based on his experiences in the Asia-Pacific region.
When Erdreich retired from Engel, he focused on consulting with Quest LLC.
He was a member of the Japan Societies of New York and Alabama and is the founder of the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission and its first chairman after negotiating Sister City agreements with Hitachi City, Japan, and Anshan, China.
A COVID-19 project was a book of poetry Erdreich published called “Swallow Path,” which he wrote alongside his grandchildren who helped with the illustrations.
Erdreich said he keeps a notebook close beside him at his home for when an idea comes to him for a potential song.
“It really doesn’t take that long for me once an idea comes to write it all down,” Erdreich said. “When you have a life as long as mine, you have so many experiences and friends. That definitely influences the things that you do and the words you use to put a song together.”
Erdreich said he plans to continue writing for as long as he can and looks forward to seeing what else he can create.
Heithaus said he hopes Erdreich will continue producing content for future songs.
“There is a spark in his wit and some magic in his pen,” Heithaus said. “He and his wife are lovely to work with, and Beverly provides feedback to us on the music as a ‘focus group of one.’ We love that. They say youth is wasted on the young, and he’s got a youthful joy of music that we want to see more of.”
The last few lines of Erdreich’s song “Chattahoochee” say “remember me when I am gone, and you can do that if you play my songs, and if you find a verse that sets you free, that is the part that remembers me.”
Erdreich’s goal for those listening to his songs is simple: to enjoy them. “I can confidently say I have had a wonderful time writing them.”
Erdreich’s songs can be found by searching Stanley Erdreich on streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify.
