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“Ester Dean is a very unique artist,” said singer Brandy in 2009. “She’s a writer, a producer, she can sing—I’m in love with her voice.” Dean, left, produced songs for Brandy’s upcoming album, Two Eleven.
Though most of her success has come in pop and R&B, Dean says she isn’t limited to one or two genres. Last year, her first country song hit the charts, with American Idol winner Scotty McCreery’s debut single “I Love You This Big.” The song, cowritten with Brett James, who grew up in Cordell and Oklahoma City, was the highest debut single of any new country artist since 1990. Dean and James also cowrote Kelly Clarkson’s “Mr. Know It All” with former ACM@UCO student Dante Jones, who currently lives in Los Angeles. That song was a number-one single on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart before landing on the country charts. “Ester’s melodies are insane,” says Jones, who graduated from high school in
meeno Edmond. “She’s good at capturing exciting moments. It’s simple, but it’s a sophisticated simple. Her songs get stuck in your head.” Though some might not expect a song- writer with a pop resumé like Dean’s to pen Melody Maker country hits, Dean says she feels at home in either genre. Oklahoma native Ester snapshot of the top songs “I don’t believe in changing who I am Dean is one of pop music’s A on the 2011 Billboard Hot and where I come from for the sake of hottest songwriters, and 100 chart lists pop megahits: Katy somebody’s comfort,” she says. “I’m about her success continues with Perry’s “Firework,” Nicki Mi- as country as they get.” an upcoming album and naj’s “Super Bass,” and Rihanna’s Dean, whose great-grandmother was film role. By Ryan LaCroix “What’s My Name?” All three were Cherokee, never hesitates to tell people monster hits; all three were written she’s from Oklahoma. or cowritten by Ester Dean. “Same talent comes out of New York The Muskogee-born musician has that comes out of Oklahoma,” Dean says. become a force in the music industry. “Talented people are everywhere.” In May 2012, she was named the BMI Growing up, Dean and her siblings Pop Songwriter of the Year and awarded watched as their mother, Hester, starred BMI’s Pop Song of the Year for “Fire- in the touring gospel musical comedy work” along with cowriter Sandy Vee. Reverend, I’m Available. Ester’s first public “I love working with everybody singing appearance came in the play as a because they welcome me and they’re member of the backing choir. warm to me,” Dean said at the 2012 “My mother was always out there sing- BMI Pop Awards. “A little girl from ing, so we got to travel around with her as Oklahoma getting to write with all she went after her dreams,” Dean says. these big stars—it’s great.” While still a teenager, Dean saved some A list of artists Dean has written for money and called a Muskogee recording reads like a top-forty countdown— studio. Her plan? To sing to the man on the Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Christina Agu- other end of the phone. He was impressed ilera, Mary J. Blige, Usher, and Shakira. Continued on page 42
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