It's always something of a spectacle when music's brightest stars, past and present, meet on a stage to discuss their beginnings and respective crafts, specially when those two stars happen to be Aloe Blacc and Mr. "He Done Shot Me In My Shoulder" himself Bill Withers. And while it's a rare thing, it should prove to be wildly insightful, particularly when you consider Withers' impact on soul music at large and how late in life he entered the industry, creating his first chart-toppers in 1971 at the ripe age of 31 with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands," subsequently winning a Grammy for the former that year and making a fairly swift exit from the industry by 1985, after gracing the world with even more soul standards like "Use Me," "Lean On Me" and "Lovely Day" (much too many to fit into these few hundred words.)

The keynote discussion is part of ASCAP's I Create Music EXPO, which will also play host to panels with No I.D., Santigold, along with some 200 other writers, producer performers, all gathering to discuss the craft and business of songwriting. The expo runs from April 30th through May 2nd at The Loews Holiday Hotel in Los Angeles and runs a pretty heavy penny or two at $445 for non-ASCAP members. But it if you're going for the full treatment (and you certainly should for that kind of coin) it could certainly prove to be worth it. Now let's just hope someone gets this thing on tape so we can all be privy to the immeasurable wisdom of Bill Withers. Hit the link below to register for the expo and get more info on all of the events.

>>>Register For ASCAP's I Create Music EXPO