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Byron Zanos' 'Secrets and Lies' an American Idol Finalist

Byron Zanos and Drew Yowell's song "Secrets and Lies" was selected out of 25,000 entries as a Top 20 finalist in the first-ever American Idol Songwriting Competition.

Basically, the record Still in a Fight is a 55 minute pop opera, meant to be listened to from beginning to end

Ridgefield, NJ (Billboard Publicity Wire) May 24, 2007 -- Byron Zanos and co-writer Drew Yowell's song "Secrets and Lies" was selected out of 25,000 entries as a Top 20 finalist in the first-ever American Idol Songwriting Competition. Finalists in the contest were chosen by American Idol Executive Producer Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment.

"When the call came in from Jesse Albert (19 Entertainment), I almost hung up on him thinking it was a phone scam," Zanos recalls. "What an honor to have our song selected from so many entries!"

"I would love for either of this year's American Idol finalists, Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis, to record 'Secrets and Lies'," says Zanos with a smile, "but it wouldn't be a secret or a lie that I'd love for Daughtry to do the tune."

Zanos is no stranger to accolades. He has received songwriting honors from the 2006 We Are Listening Awards (Berklee College of Music), the 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest, and the Billboard World Song Contest. In demand as a performer, Zanos was selected to showcase at Deweyfest '06 (DE), MeanyFest (NY), 6-Points Music Festival (DC/VA), the NACA Mid-Atlantic Festival (PA), NJ Songwriters in the Round (NJ), Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition (NY), and was a speaker at a panel workshop "What Makes A Star" at New York University.

New Jersey's Byron Zanos' debut CD somewhere in the middle featured the acclaimed songs "Secrets and Lies" and "Pandora's Box." Somewhere in the middle, released in Spring 2005, was engineered, mixed and mastered by Grammy Award winning engineer/producer Daegal Bennett (Tony's son). Zanos completed the album under the tutelage of producer and "Secrets and Lies" co-writer Drew Yowell (Phoebe Snow, Sophie B. Hawkins, Herb Alpert).

Zanos' new release Still in a Fight will be released Summer 2007. "Basically, the record Still in a Fight is a 55 minute pop opera, meant to be listened to from beginning to end," says Zanos. "However, for those of us with time constraints, the disc is broken down to 10 tracks - each one a story or anecdote in itself - about the manic highs and depressive lows of a failed love. The end result is a rollercoaster ride of emotion in sound."

"'The Industry' says that 'The Album' is dead," Zanos asserts. "Well, if today's listeners want just another single on their iPod, I've got a few for them. But maybe… just maybe, 'The Album' isn't dead - it's just that nobody's making them anymore… at least not good ones." Look for that all to change when Still in a Fight is released this summer.

Byron Zanos is available for interviews.

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byron zanos drew yowell american idol songwriting competition secrets and lies

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