Busbee

Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record executive, and multi-instrumentalist.^[1] He was known for his work in both pop music and country music, having written for acts including 5 Seconds of Summer, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Trisha Yearwood, Daughtry, and the Fray.

Busbee was born in Walnut Creek, California, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area.^[5] He began playing piano when he was seven years old and started playing jazz trombone in high school.^[6][7] Busbee marched with the World Class Drum Corps, Blue Devils.^{[citation needed]}

Busbee studied jazz at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, after receiving a scholarship to the school in 1995, but returned to the San Francisco Bay Area before graduating.^[7][2]

He moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and started working at a music studio, assisting rock producer Eric Valentine, and he began learning to play more instruments, including guitar, bass, and drums.^[5][7][2] After working and assisting others in music studios for a while, he began working on his own as a songwriter, producer, mixer, writer, and engineer.^[7][2] He started working on many pop songs, with many artists who had been on reality singing competitions like American Idol and The X Factor.^[5][7]

After five years of working in Los Angeles, he started working in Nashville, Tennessee, as well, at the recommendation of another writer. Musician and record producer Dann Huff then signed him to a publishing deal.^[6][2] Since then, Busbee wrote for and co-wrote with a broad range of artists including Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Shakira, Maren Morris, Timbaland featuring Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Jon Bellion, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, and Lady Antebellum.^[2][3][5] Busbee was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2017 for his work on Maren Morris' debut single, "My Church".^[8]

In December 2018, Busbee started his own music label, Altadena, in Los Angeles in partnership with Warner Bros. Records, Warner Chappell Music, and Red Light Management.^[6][7][9]

Busbee was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, during 2019 and died later that year on September 29, in Los Angeles.^[3] He had a wife and three children.^[10]

• Cris Cab – "The Truth", "The Sun Is Gonna Rise Again"
• Eliza Doolittle – "I'm in Love With You”
• Mickey Guyton – "Safe"
• Girls' Generation – "Chain Reaction"
• Danny Gokey – "I Still Believe"
• Jetta - "More (Demo)"
• Francesca Michielin – "Il più bell'abbraccio"
• Ryan Star – "Stay Awhile" Single'
• Westlife – "Get Away”
• Elliott Yamin -"In Love With You Forever", "The Bridge Is Burning"
• Dima Bilan & Anastacia - "Safety"
• Cale Dodds - "I Like Where This Is Going"
• P!nk - "More"

• The official website of Busbee^[usurped]
• Interview, HitQuarters 4 Apr 2011
• Busbee discography at Discogs as Mike Busbee
• Busbee discography at Discogs as Michael James Ryan