Bill Deasy - Good Things Are Happening

'Good Morning America' ads prove to be good for local songwriter
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
First published August 25, 2001

If the guy singing on the new ads for "Good Morning America" looks familiar, that's because he's one of Pittsburgh's own.

Yes, that's Bill Deasy of The Gathering Field singing with images of Diane Sawyer, Charlie Gibson and other cast members superimposed behind him. The song "Good Things Are Happening," which Deasy wrote, is featured in national ads for "Good Morning America" in prime time and daily during the show.

"It happened pretty quickly," says Deasy, adding that his Nashville-based song publisher, Holly Greene, submitted the song for consideration.

According to Shelley Ross, "Good Morning America" executive producer, approximately 150 compostions were vetted during the search for a song to use in the campaign. About a dozen were brought to her for consideration, and Deasy's composition immediately stood out.

"It just had to feel like morning, feel like how we want to feel when we wake up, how we want to wake up in a perfect world," Ross says. "Some of the other songs that did not get to my desk were very literal, about can you smell the coffee, can you smell the bacon. ... But I think there's something about the way Bill writes that evokes that feeling. He makes you feel like it's a great morning."

Ross says a search was conducted to find a musician to perform the song, and that some national names were considered. But the more Ross heard Deasy sing, the more she realized his voice was perfect for the ad. After viewing some old performance videotapes of Deasy, she says, it was clear there was no other choice.

"Once we got through all that, what stood out was the character that's built into his voice," Ross says. "You can hear it in the lyrics. We think he's a real star."

Deasy himself is a bit more subdued about any prospects for stardom. Mostly, he's gratified the song's integrity was not compromised by the ad.

"I was really relieved when I saw it," he says. "I'm happy with the way everything turned out."

More exposure might be imminent for Deasy. Ross says the "Good Morning America" staff plans on having him on the show sometime in the near future to perform the full-length version of the song. And, she adds, Pittsburghers can stop wondering whether this truly is the same guy many of them have seen in local clubs.

\"We've been getting a lot of e-mails from Pittsburgh from people wondering could this possibly be the same guy they've seen there," she says. "I've been personally writing back to tell them, yes, that's him."

"And," Ross adds, "Bill may be from Pittsburgh, but he's also one of ours now."

- Regis Behe

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