Sally Tiven

Sally Tiven (nee Young) was a much recorded American songwriter/musician working mainly in the Blues and Soul genres. She played guitar on records by B.B. King (“All You Ever Give Me Is The Blues”) and bass guitar on Wilson Pickett’s IT’S HARDER NOW (1999), Don Covay’s ADLIB album (2000), & Sir Mack Rice’s THIS WHAT I DO (2001) participating in the writing of those records as well. Her songs have been recorded by Huey Lewis & The News (“He Don’t Know”), Buddy Guy (“Heavy Love”), Shemekia Copeland (“Married To The Blues,” “Big Lovin Woman,” “Has Anybody Seen My Man”), Irma Thomas (“Tryin To Catch A Cab In The Rain”), Australian Ian Moss (“Mr. Rain,” double platinum) as well as the double platinum “River of No Return” by the Jeff Healey Band.

Sally met husband-to-be Jon Tiven in New York in 1977, fell in love, joined his group The Yankees, and they were wed in 1979. Their musical relationship clicked from the get-go and they would work together in groups backing such diverse artists as Stephen J. Kalinich, P.F. Sloan, Ellis Hooks, Syl Johnson, Bettye Harris, Billie Ray Martin, Al Franken, Marty Brown. Howard Tate, Garnet Mimms, Willie Jones, Bebe Buell, Creed Bratton, Troy Turner and Little Milton.

In 1991 she gave birth to daughter Jacqueline Lucile Tiven, and became very involved as a school volunteer reading to children, which gave her great pleasure. When they moved to Nashville in 2002, Sally immersed herself in the Nashville Adult Literacy Program with gusto, spending much time teaching those unfamiliar with the English language how to write and speak it. It was her joy to be able to meet people from a wide variety of cultures eager to familiarize themselves with English. Although she found herself spending more time with her students than on music, she never shied away from writing with new collaborators.

Sally is survived by sisters Robin Young, Tracy Young & Susan Sandomirsky, nephew Nick and niece Robin as well as daughter Jacqueline Lucile (Lucy) and husband Jon. In lieu of flowers, please direct contributions to the Belmont United Methodist Church of Nashville ESL (English as a Second Language) Program.