Craig Bickhardt’s first big break came in 1982, when he wrote and sang two songs for Robert Duvall’s Academy Award-winning film Tender Mercies, a movie with a similar theme to this year’s award winning Crazy Heart. Bickhardt made his move to Nashville where his songs found their way onto platinum and Grammy-winning recordings by legends such as Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Tony Rice, Kathy Mattea, Jonathan Edwards and Alison Krauss. His 800-tune catalog includes four No. 1 hits — “Turn It Loose” and “I Know Where I’m Going” (recorded by The Judds), “In Between Dances” (Pam Tillis) and “It Must Be Love” (Ty Herndon). In 2006 he left Nashville and returned to the concert stage. His latest CD is Brother to the Wind. SPONSORED BY FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY. Reservations required.
