Hi, I’m James Tealy.
I’m a music industry leader, educator and songwriter.
About Me
Who is this James Tealy guy, anyway?
James Tealy is a charismatic educator and strategic music industry innovator who still believes in the transformative power of a great song. Tealy has dedicated his career in both the music industry and higher education to discovering and developing talented songwriters and recording artists toward their full potential and global audience. Tealy has over 20 years of experience as a professional songwriter and music publisher plus over 8 years of innovative leadership in music industry higher education.
James Tealy is a voting member of both the Recording Academy and Gospel Music Association and is often featured as a keynote, panelist and judge for music business, songwriting and worship workshops, contests, and conferences like GMA Immerse, Write About Jesus, Centricity Worship, Writing Worship and others.
In over 25 years of local church ministry, James has served in a variety of roles on staff’s in Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
As a professional songwriter, James Tealy’s deep list of cuts across several genres includes BMI award winners, chart-topping Christian radio singles and songs on Grammy and Dove Award-winning gold and platinum albums.
Tealy’s songs have been recorded by Lauren Daigle, Kari Jobe, Josh Wilson, Unspoken, Gold City, and more than 130 others. James’ songs have also been featured in both film and TV globally.
James Tealy earned a BBA in music business from Belmont University and an MA from New Orleans Seminary. He has served on the faculty at Belmont University, Lipscomb University, Trevecca University, Truett-McConnell University and Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute. He currently resides in Franklin, TN with his wife and two step-daughters.
Once people find out James writes songs for a living, the next inevitable question is, “have you written anything I would know.” In the sea of over 80 million songs available to stream, the safest answer is “that depends on what you listen to.” Below is a list of some of the songs James has written or co-written that have been recorded by others.
Writing Credits
Here are some of the songs James Tealy has written or co-written. They’re in alphabetical order by Artist with links to iTunes.
A – C
- Abandon – “Known” [VIDEO]
- Andy Needham Band – “You Are My Joy”
- Anthems Rise – “Come Rescue”
- Anthems Rise – “Great and Glorious”
- Anthems Rise – “No Turning Back” [VIDEO]
- Anthems Rise – “Overcome” [VIDEO]
- Chris August – “I Believe” [VIDEO]
- Rob Blackledge – “Your City My City”
- Aaron Blanton – “We Are the Hands” [VIDEO]
- Brad + Rebekah “The Heart of the Father” [VIDEO]
- Jim Brady – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- Carla Bragg – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- Branch – “Louder”
- Branch – “Up, Down or Inbetween”
- Branch – “Sink My Heart”
- The Bowling Sisters – “Higher Ground”
- Centric Worship – “All the Saints (Holy, Holy Holy) [VIDEO]
- Centric Worship – “Come Lord Jesus”
- Chris and Caleb -“Unstoppable”
- Chris and Caleb -“Yesterday’s Rain”
- Chris and Caleb -“How Great a Love”
- Church of the Highlands – “God Is With Us” [VIDEO]
- CityAlight – “Jesus Is Alive” [VIDEO]
- CityAlight – “God Is For Us” [VIDEO]
- CLife Worship – “Open Hands”
- Seth Condrey “Your Kingdom”
- Cortni – “God Knows”
- Crossing Worship – “Count it Joy” [VIDEO]
- Crossing Worship – “Power of the Cross”
D – K
- Lauren Daigle – “I Am Yours” [VIDEO]
- Jonny Diaz “Live Like He’s Alive” [VIDEO]
- Kevin Denton – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- Josh Fox – “King of Glory”
- Joe Frey “Whisper to My Heart”
- Gateway Devotions – “Glory Fall”
- Keith & Kristyn Getty – “Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done)” [VIDEO]
- Gold City – “Never Too Broken to Belong” [VIDEO]
- Grace Community Church – “Bless the Lord”
- Goup 1 Crew – “Best is Yet to Come”
- Ernie Halter – “Brave Enough”
- Imperials – “Wrap My Arms Around the World”
- Alexa James – “More Than More”
- Jaime Jamgochian – “God Unchanging” [VIDEO]
- Kari Jobe – “We Are” [VIDEO]
- Kari Jobe – “We Are” (acoustic sessions) [VIDEO]
- Kari Jobe – “Somos La Luz” [VIDEO]
- Kari Jobe – “What Love Can Do” [From the feature film “NOT TODAY”]
- Isaiah Johnson – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- KTunez Praise – “As Long As I Have Breath”
- KTunez Praise – “Come to Me”
- KTunez Praise – “Jeremiah 29:11”
- KTunez Praise – “Keep Alert”
L – O
- The LeBeaus – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- Shannon Labrie – “Then There’s You” feat. Gabe Dixon [VIDEO]
- Shannon Labrie – “Ain’t Just A Feeling”
- Shannon Labrie – “Some Kind of Rescue”
- Shannon Labrie – “I Remember A Boy” [VIDEO]
- Shannon Labrie – “Headlines”
- Shannon Labrie – “Homeland”
- Shannon Labrie – “Lion’s Cage” [VIDEO]
- Shannon Labrie – “Love Somebody”
- Shannon Labrie – “Muddy Water”
- Shannon Labrie – “My Snow Angel”
- Shannon Labrie – “Slow Dance” [VIDEO]
- Shannon Labrie – “The Way She Loves Him” [VIDEO]
- Amy Lambert – “Never Too Broken to Belong” [VIDEO]
- Chris Lee – “Braid”
- Adam Levy – “Jukebox”
- Lifeway Worship – “God Unchanging”
- Maisen – “A Different You”
- Me In Motion – “Yes We Can” [VIDEO]
- The Met Collective – Louder Still [VIDEO]
- The Met Collective – Goodness
- The MET Worship – “Awake My Soul (and With the Sun)” [VIDEO]
- The MET Worship – “Everything Can and Will Be Redeemed” [VIDEO]
- The MET Worship – “Never Get Over You” [VIDEO]
- The MET Worship – “Visible” [VIDEO]
- Stephen Miler – “O Say Among the Nations”
- North Point Live – “God Is With Us”
- Elijah Newman -“Ruined”
- Michael Olson -“If You Can Stop The World”
- Michael Olson -“God Is With Us”
- Michael Olson -“Tell Me Again” [VIDEO]
- Michael Olson -“Look Among the Lowly”
- Jeannie Ortega – “Everybody Somebody”
- Jeannie Ortega – “Makes Me Wanna”
P – S
- Matt Papa – “Keep Running”
- Matt Papa – “The Ocean” [VIDEO]
- Matt Papa – “The Ocean (Live)” [VIDEO]
- Matt Papa – “One Thing” [VIDEO]
- Matt Papa – “Open Hands” [VIDEO]
- Matt Papa and Matt Boswell – “Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done)” [VIDEO]
- People of the Earth “Wake Up My Soul”
- Wes Pickering – “Recreated”
- Wes Pickering – “Beautiful God”
- Wes Pickering – “One and Only”
- Wes Pickering – “The Way You Love”
- Dave Pittman (feat. Seth & Nirva) – “Different Kind of Love” [VIDEO]
- The Pomeroys – “Never Too Broken to Belong”
- Praize Jamz – “Everywhere”
- Praize Jamz – “Hallelujah Always”
- Cindy Cruse Ratcliff – “Always Only Love”
- Redemption City Church – “Return” [VIDEO]
- Redemption City Church – “O Bride of Christ” [VIDEO]
- Redemption City Church – “Faith of Our Fathers” [VIDEO]
P – S cont’d
- Redemption City Church – “Speak” [VIDEO]
- Redemption City Church – “The Power of the Cross” [VIDEO]
- Rhett Walker Band – “Murderer”
- Jeremy Rosado – “Clean”
- Jeremy Rosado – “No Ordinary Moments”
- Satellites & Sirens – “Break Through”
- Shane & Shane – “Hallelujah, Christ Will Come Again” [VIDEO]
- Alvin Slaughter – “Tell Me Again” [VIDEO]
- Seph Slueter – “Here At This Table”
- Songs of Redemption City – “All the Saints (Holy, Holy, Holy)” [VIDEO]
- Songs of Redemption City – “Come Lord Jesus” [VIDEO]
- Songs of Redemption City – “Have No Fear” [VIDEO]
- Songs of Redemption City – “My Refuge” [VIDEO]
- SonPower 2012 – “We Are” [VIDEO]
- Stand & Shout – “God Unchanging”
- Summit Worship – “Behold” [VIDEO]
T – Z
- Arkin Terrel – “Strength to Surrender”
- The Ridge – “Be Here Now”
- Nick Thurmond – “You Alone Can Save (Unrelenting Love)”
- Unspoken – “In Your Hands” (EP version) [VIDEO]
- Unspoken – “In Your Hands” (Album Version) [VIDEO]
- Unspoken – “Tomorrow” (Album Version and Radio Version) [VIDEO]
- Vineyard Cincinnati – “We Are”
- Rhett Walker – “Murderer”. [VIDEO]
- Rhett Walker Band – “Murderer” [VIDEO]
- Sammy Ward – “Right On Time”
- Heather Waters – “Jukebox”
- Waves of Grace – “Beautiful Redeemer”
- Josh Wilson – “Pushing Back the Dark” [VIDEO]
- Josh Wilson – “This Is the Day” [VIDEO]
- Josh Wilson – “Borrow (One Day At A Time)”
- Josh Wilson – “Self Less”
- Josh Wilson – “Undeniable” [VIDEO]
- Josh Wilson – “Revolutionary” [VIDEO]
- Josh Wilson – “Revolucionario”
- Worship Kidstyle – “We Are”
- Cammie York – “Down”
- Cammie York – “Parachute”
- Julianna Zobrist – “Always the Same”
- Julianna Zobrist – “Shatterproof”
- Julianna Zobrist – “The Dawn”[VIDEO][ACOUSTIC VID]
Recommendations
Here’s what artists and industry leaders are saying about James Tealy.
“I don’t know anyone who is better at pinpointing where the song is, what the song is, than James Tealy. I’ve written with hundreds of people over the years and James has a unique patience and selflessness to make whoever he’s writing with better, wiser, and more clear. Add to that the artistic presence to keep it all compelling to craft a great song. If you’re looking for someone to help give clarity to your songwriting career and your artistic voice, this is your guy.”
Matt Papa
Recording Artist and Songwriter
“James Tealy has worked from every angle in the Christian music business and is a trusted resource to many current labels and publishers. He knows when artists and songwriters are ready to take the next step, so much so, that each person he’s introduced to me we have signed (or tried real hard to!).”
Jonathan Mason
VP Christian A&R and Publishing at CURB Word Entertainment
“Tealy saw something in Emily that she didn’t see herself. He told her, ” Emily, you realize you can champion other people’s talent in the writing room, right? And you have what it takes to be a writer.” His insight was her “Aha!” moment.”
Emily Falvey
Staff Songwriter Smack Songs / Warner Chappell and member of the Belmont University Board of Trustees
“Regardless of your position or experience, everybody needs a coach, a mentor, an advisor to help take them from where they are to where they want to be. It was a great day for artists and songwriters when James Tealy announced his availability for this sort of work. It would be difficult to measure the positive influence James has had on the CCM and worship communities through his co-writing, producing and A&R guidance. From Lauren Daigle to Jason Gray to Jordan Feliz, I can speak personally to the growth and effectiveness that have come from those artist’s ministries because of their time with James. If its at all possible to work with him, do it, and reap the same rewards that so many in our community already have.”
John Mays
Senior VP of A&R at Centricity Music
“James Tealy brings decades of experience, wisdom, and expertise in both songwriting and record making. Not only has he written multiple chart-topping songs himself, but he has helped many successful artists navigate their song selection and recording processes. I’m so thankful for the artistic insight and advice he’s given me over the years, and I certainly wouldn’t be the artist I am without his help.”
Josh Wilson
Recording Artist
“James is an incredibly gifted songwriter and communicator, with years of experience, a great ear for talent, and a heart for the church.”
Chad Segura
VP Music Publishing at Centricity Music