| Graduation Year | Class of 1971 |
| Date of Passing | Mar 14, 2011 |
| About | A Zanesville High School graduate who wrote songs for more than 20 years has died. Todd Cerney died, March 14, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee from melanoma, a disease with which he had first been diagnosed with in November 2010, following a brain seizure.Cerney was born August 8, 1953, in Detroit, Michigan, to Dr. Charles and Phyllis Cerney and graduated from Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio in 1971. He began his song-writing career after moving to Nashville, where he initially worked at Buzz Cason's Creative Studios as a sound engineer. Some of the earliest artists to record his songs include Brush Arbor ("Don't Play That Song Again"), Steve Carlisle ("I'll Fall in Love Again" and Levon Helm ("Blue House of Broken Hearts"). Cerney played guitar, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards and sang lead and backing vocals with various artists including the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and Thom Shepherd & the Nashville Songwriters Band. He also worked with three former members of the soft-rock band Bread, forming 'Toast' during the mid-1990's, recording a number of songs for an album release that remained unfinished. Todd Cerney, 57, was known for writing country hits such as "Good Morning, Beautiful" released by Steve Holy in 2001, and "I'll Still Be Loving You," recorded by Restless Heart. His songs have been recorded by Aretha Franklin, Cheap Trick, Etta James, Levon Helm and many others. Charles Cerney said his son was active, energetic and an emotional songwriter. "He was writing songs most all of the time. He had his own studio and did demos for many songwriters that didn't have the ability or equipment," said Charles, who lives in Zanesville along with his wife, Phyllis. "He was very active and still had songs to write and songs to sing, but the cancer cut him short." Todd's interest in music became serious while he was attending Earlham College in Indiana, Charles said. He graduated in 1976 and moved to Nashville to pursue his songwriting dreams. He could play guitar, keyboard, mandolin and harmonica, and was involved with writers' symposiums and songwriters' guilds. He collaborated with others in the music industry to write songs, such as Jon Bon Jovi, Brian May of Queen and Nashville songwriters such as Rivers Rutherford, Bill Lloyd and Buzz Cason. Charles describes his son's songs as lively, and said Todd had the ability to write different types of songs. "I think his best song is the one I commissioned him to write for me. It's called 'Each Man Needs An Island,'" Charles said. "I really love it. I think it's his best." The Cerney family moved to Zanesville from Detroit in 1955 so Charles could work as a doctor in the area. He practiced medicine for 50 years and then coordinated a diabetes clinic through the health department for many years after his retirement. Many Todd collaborated with -- as well as Restless Heart, Ty Herndon, Peter Noone and others -- gathered to play a six-hour tribute concert in Todd's honor at Nashville's Red Rooster Bar & Concert Hall in late February. Charles said his son was too sick to attend but was able to watch the concert via Skype video from home. Todd was cremated, Charles said, and his ashes will be spread out in the Gulf Coast this spring by friends. "Because he wrote a song some years ago called 'Let Me Stand in the Water One More Time,'" Charles said. Todd is survived by his wife, Kip Kirby, and three siblings; Cynthia Anderson, Jac Cerney and Brian Cerney. |
