SONGWRITER • ARTIST • PRODUCER • WRITER
Kim McLean
It’s been over sixty years since Loretta Lynn first rose to stardom, transforming from a coal miner’s daughter to the Queen of Country Music. Loretta knew she was blessed—to record music, to sing her songs to such great crowds, and to write books.
In A Song and A Prayer, Loretta invited readers to join her in a very special kind of prayer meeting. Inspired by her songwriting sessions with Kim McLean (a fellow songwriter, music producer, as well as ordained minister and reverend doctor), this collection of devotionals combined with song lyrics deliver a unique form of worship. Loretta’s voice and God’s love are felt on every page of this book, and with inspiration from the Queen of Country Music, readers will learn to maintain an intimate one-on-relationship with God.
This volume will become a cherished companion for Loretta Lynn fans and readers everywhere as they strive to live each precious moment to the fullest and happiest. Through A Song and A Prayer, readers of all faiths and walks of life will have the opportunity to bask in a month’s worth of spiritual encouragement from Loretta Lynn. Loretta’s thoughts and lyrics not only capture the presence of God, but also capture a presence that transcends Christianity—the spirit of creativity. In a busy world often filled with upsetting news, Loretta’s lyrics and prayers remind readers that God loves them more than they could imagine.
A Song and A Prayer – on the list of Apple Books’ Most Anticipated Books for 2023!
Kim’s Education
Rev. Dr. Kim McLean holds an MA in Religion and Doctorate in Leadership from Trevecca University in Nashville. She has been an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene since 2009.
Meet Kim…
With over 400 songs recorded, Kim McLean has also garnered a Dove Award for Gospel Song of the year, ASCAP and NSAI awards, Grammy and Juno nominations, and as an indie artist won Song of the Year honors for best Americana/Folk song for the Just Plain Folk organization out of 800,000 entries.
Song Credit Highlights
Beautiful Goodbye – Jennifer Hanson – A co-write that was the number one video on CMT and the number one selling single upon release. Also recorded by U.K.’s talk show icon Cilla Black as a comeback single.
Count Your Blessing – A Kim McLean copyright recorded well over a hundred times including the most recent Cracker Barrel Gaither Collection title cut for this gospel song of the year. NSAI winner and Grammy nominee.
All We Ever Find – recorded by Tim McGraw on the Dancehall Doctors CD selling over 6 million units, touted on his website as Faith’s favorite song and used in entirety in the film Black Cloud as the love scene soundtrack.
Guess We Shouldn’t Talk About That Now – recorded by soul diva Bettye Lavette, becoming part of another of McLean’s inclusions on Grammy nominated albums. That began a relationship that has a Kim McLean song on Bettye’s newest album.
Elisabeth – Billy Gilman’s follow-up single to One Voice, the video was a chart topper on CMT.
Forever Everyday – Lee Ann Womack’s single following Something Worth Leaving Behind became the most added song in country upon release.
Harmless Heart – Trisha Yearwood’s recording on her Inside Out Album of the Kim McLean/Liz Rose song became a critic’s fav. Kim McLean has retained her publishing share on this song.
Hey Do You Know Me – co-written with Lisa Brokop, Kim McLean produced this song and album nominated for Album and Song of the Year Juno Awards. McLean also produced this song on indie artist Eve Selis which won top Americana Song at the Just Plain Folk Awards and a San Diego Music Award for best song.
Faith Hope & Love – this Brokop co-write was recorded by Lisa Brokop, gospel favorite Misty Freeman, and contemporary Christian’s Nicole Nordeman/Jim Wittier duet.
No Stone to Throw (The Maggie Song) – recorded by Sierra, this Contemporary Christian classic was performed on two consecutive Dove Awards as one of the most impactful songs of the year. It is still one of the top radio re-current plays in the genre.
Other Kim McLean songwriter highlights include songs on Kathie Lee Gifford’s Lullaby Collection, Mamie Van Doren’s music anthology, a Christmas copyright, Go Tell, that’s been recorded by everyone from Gaither Homecoming to the Air Force Marching Band, and some of the most used songs for tribute videos at life events for the Making Everlasting Memories Corporation.
Artist
Producer
Some artists she’s produced include:
Robin English (Sony), Lisa Brokop (Curb), Jennifer Hanson (Capitol), Misty Freeman (Daywind), Shana Morrison (Vanguard/Belfast Violet), Eve Selis (Proper/U.K.), Mamie Van Doren (indie) along with her own label projects.
Film / Television
Studio Musicianship
Kim McLean is a studio acoustic guitar player and background vocalist. Her studio chops have been used by Vanguard, MCA/Universal, Curb, Sony, Daywind, and a host of indie projects.
Publishing Company History
Kim McLean was signed as a staff songwriter one month after coming to Nashville with a new upstart called Little Big Town in 1986 and has been a staff songwriter until the present with an impressive array of companies. She has catalog retained at many of the major publishing houses and has a collection she has honed for her own publishing company that contains several gospel copyrights.
Here is a list of companies for which she has been a staff songwriter:
Little Big Town
New Haven
Centergy
E.M.I. Music Publishing
King Lizard
Jody Williams Music
Nick N Ash Music/Paul Worley
Skyline Music
Sony
Kim McLean Music
Catalog has been retained at Sony, E.M.I. (now Sony), and Ole’ Music (now Anthem) where Kim is listed as a Legacy Songwriter. For the past five years Kim McLean has been bolstering her own publishing catalog Kim McLean Music with her solo writes and developing writers.
Tour Dates
MY FRIEND LORETTA TOUR
As is the case with the accompanying book, A Song and A Prayer — a lovingly written set of devotionals inspired by her songwriting sessions with Kim McLean (a fellow songwriter, music producer, as well as ordained minister and reverend doctor) — music listeners of all faiths and walks of life will have the opportunity to bask in the spiritual encouragement from Loretta Lynn.
Loretta’s thoughts and lyrics not only capture the presence of God, but also capture a presence that transcends Christianity — the spirit of creativity. In a busy world often filled with upsetting news, Loretta’s lyrics and prayers remind readers that God loves them more than they could imagine.
Don’t miss these special shows — get your tickets now!
WRITINGS
Kim McLean’s Blog
Written by a master wordsmith, Kim McLean’s blog will make you think, laugh, possibly cry, and ponder the deep questions of life, all within the beautiful paradigm of love.
Bittersweet Miracles
It’s been an interesting year. They all are, I suppose, but this one has been unusually bittersweet. Becoming friends with Loretta Lynn in 2018 was such a gift to both of us, I think…
Angel In The Stone
There’s a story about Michelangelo finding the work of art in the stone. Yesterday I was at First Lutheran downtown Nashville where I will be leading worship tomorrow. The best way to prepare for worship is to worship and it was beautiful time of solitude with my Beloved…
Circles Around The Sun
This is a song of longing. I want to know God. I do know God with a certain unknowing. This is me. Sentences like that, about knowing and unknowing God. To some people it’s crazy psychic nonsense and philosophical play-dough, but its my happy place.
CONTACT
Please do reach out if there is anything you need or have a question about!