COEUR d'ALENE - The tunes are familiar, but who's that person singing them?

No, this isn't karaoke.

"It is different," said Craig Heimbigner, on the inaugural songwriters music festival this weekend featuring song authors - not necessarily performers - singing the songs they wrote. "It's, 'Here's a song by Kenny Chesney, but it's not Kenny Chesney'."

Perhaps the music industry's not so dirty little secret is that music performers often don't pen their own lyrics. Beautiful looks and voices, yes, but the stage personalities often need some help crafting the words and rhymes they sing.

So the inaugural Coeur d'Alene Songwriters Festival Friday and Saturday will give the writers behind dozens of chart-topping hits a chance to take the stage for once.

"Everyone at this one is pretty darn good," said Even Stevens, songwriter with dozens of No. 1 hits to his credit, who's spearing heading the effort. "They're really accomplished songwriters, with hit after hit after hit."

Stevens, the muse behind "Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbit, and "Love Will Turn You Around" by Kenny Rogers among other hits, will perform with other writers.

Who else is on tap this weekend?

Grammy Award winner Paul Overstreet, who wrote "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis and "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" by Kenny Chesney, and "Some Beach" by Blake Shelton will be there too, as will writers Dustin Lynch, Leslie Satcher and others.

The achievements from the eight songwriters, who will come to town from across the country, include Billboard No. 1

hits, to Grammy and Songwriter Hall of Fame nominations. Similar festivals are in places like Key West and Martha's Vineyard. Stevens, who owns property in Bayview and wants to move here soon, said the country-loving Northwest is a perfect place to create a tradition of its own.

"It's not a new idea," said Heimbigner, who also helps put on the Cd'A Blues Festival each year, and wants the new festival to grow year after year. "But there's really nothing like this in the Northwest."

Storme Warren, host of an entertainment news show on the Great American Country channel will emcee the event. He's bringing film crews, so the first-time event could land on country music's most popular channel.

In addition to the songwriters scheduled to perform, each night of the festival will feature open mike nights on stages throughout The Coeur d'Alene Resort, along with mic time for up-and-coming artists. An opening weekend reception will be 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hagadone Suites at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. Broadcast Music, Inc., (BMI) is partnering with KXLY Radio in helping host the event.

Two days of musical talent

Friday night's concert is at 7:30 at the Celebration Garden at the Hagadone Event Center overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene. Tickets cost $20, or $10 for 12 and younger. Saturday, the concert will be 2 p.m. at the Rotary Band Shell in Coeur d'Alene City Park. That concert is free. Afterward, another concert will float away from Independence Point on a sunset concert cruise. Tickets cost $20. Concert goers must be 21 years of age for the cruise.

For concert or cruise tickets only, call The Resort Business Center at 765-4000, Ext. 21.

Info: www.cdasongwritersfestival.com.