Duane Hitchings
INTERESTED IN HIT-WRITING APPOINTMENTS OR
HIT-WRITER COACHING WITH DUANE HITCHINGS?
[NOTE: Please contact us directly by TELEPHONE if you are interested in a Hit-Writer Appointment or Coaching session with Duane.]
Contact us at
HIT-WRITER COACHING WITH DUANE HITCHINGS?
[NOTE: Please contact us directly by TELEPHONE if you are interested in a Hit-Writer Appointment or Coaching session with Duane.]
Contact us at
877-WRITE-HITS (877)974-8344
A prolific songwriter, producer, and musician, Duane Hitchings has had a hand in almost every aspect of popular music since Dick Clark was a young man. He was brought up on a dairy farm outside Syracuse, New York and played in country and rock bands since 1957. After playing on the 1958 hit record ‘Heart and Soul’ at the tender age of 15, Hitchings toured with Del Shannon, Chuck Berry and Bobby Vinton on one of the Dick Clark Tours, He studied at the San Francisco and Philadelphia Conservatories of Music and Syracuse University majoring in piano and composition and studied with Oscar Peterson, the great jazz pianist. After school, he joined The Buddy Miles Express, which led to recording dates with some legendary artists of the '60s and '70s (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Jeff Beck), as well as his own band Cactus with drummer, Carmine Appice and bassist, Tim Bogart. He played keys on the last Runaway's album, the first all girl rock band from the 70s and later on, discovered and worked with a band called City Kidd who later collectively became the huge group Tesla. His last performing gig was playing keys with and writing with Alice Cooper for a couple of years.
The late '70s found Hitchings working closely with Rod Stewart, co-writing the massive hit ‘Do Ya Think I'm Sexy’, as well as helping pen ‘Young Turks’, ‘Infatuation,’ and ‘Crazy ‘Bout Her’. In the '80s, he focused some attention on films, writing themes for Rocky IV and Iron Eagle, and winning a Grammy for ‘I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is’ with Kim Carnes and Craig Krampf as his co-writers and Kim as the singer for the Flashdance soundtrack. Duane also had hits with Heart, Pat Benetar, Kim Carnes, Michael Bolton, Eddie Money and more. He had a hit on the R&B scene with Dennis Edwards of Temptations fame called 'Don’t Look Any Further'. The chords - and especially, his bass line – were sampled for rap and hip-hop and is featured on hits by TLC, The Lox, N-Trance, M People, Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Lil Wayne and, more recently, Snoop Dogg. Over 120 covers lay claim to the identifiable bass line.
On the Nashville side of the tracks, he has written with Pam Tillis, Don Goodman, and wrote songs with Kostas including 'Confidentially' which was the title track for David Frizzell's album. Duane, his godson Ladd Smith and Chesney drummer Sean Paddock are writing for Ken Chesney. And though he'll admit to missing gigs and touring (he has been known to go out with his one-man band plus a singer called Digital Hitch), the writing is his passion over all. Hitchings lives in the Nashville area (Hendersonville).
The late '70s found Hitchings working closely with Rod Stewart, co-writing the massive hit ‘Do Ya Think I'm Sexy’, as well as helping pen ‘Young Turks’, ‘Infatuation,’ and ‘Crazy ‘Bout Her’. In the '80s, he focused some attention on films, writing themes for Rocky IV and Iron Eagle, and winning a Grammy for ‘I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is’ with Kim Carnes and Craig Krampf as his co-writers and Kim as the singer for the Flashdance soundtrack. Duane also had hits with Heart, Pat Benetar, Kim Carnes, Michael Bolton, Eddie Money and more. He had a hit on the R&B scene with Dennis Edwards of Temptations fame called 'Don’t Look Any Further'. The chords - and especially, his bass line – were sampled for rap and hip-hop and is featured on hits by TLC, The Lox, N-Trance, M People, Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Lil Wayne and, more recently, Snoop Dogg. Over 120 covers lay claim to the identifiable bass line.
On the Nashville side of the tracks, he has written with Pam Tillis, Don Goodman, and wrote songs with Kostas including 'Confidentially' which was the title track for David Frizzell's album. Duane, his godson Ladd Smith and Chesney drummer Sean Paddock are writing for Ken Chesney. And though he'll admit to missing gigs and touring (he has been known to go out with his one-man band plus a singer called Digital Hitch), the writing is his passion over all. Hitchings lives in the Nashville area (Hendersonville).
Interesting Factoids:
Duane has visited England, China and Russia as Ambassador of the Arts on three separate trips representing the United States. Wanting to give something back to his community, he has been an Engine Captain/First Responder of the Number One Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department of Sumner County, TN. He also was Flotilla Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and is now an active member of the Tennessee State Guard, auxiliary to the Tennessee National Guard. Duane has been studying the Bible in Greek and Hebrew - a passion of his - looking for the real Truth. He is sponsored by Yamaha (Yamaha TYROS) and lives on his beloved boat/home/studio, Troubadour.