Biography
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Shapiro trained in music at the University of Boston and helped launch a music school there. After moving to Los Angeles he performed with a jazz trio. His earliest compositions were cut by George Benson on “Never Give Up On A Good Thing,” Sister Sledge, and Smokey Robinson. Frank Sinatra recorded “Nobody Has A Better Dream Than Me,” though the track remains unreleased. Once he turned his focus to country music, Shapiro wrote more than fifty Top 10 singles. These include Conway Twitty’s “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet,” Ronnie McDowell’s “In A New York Minute” and “Love Talks,” Holly Dunn’s “Only When I Love,” Lee Greenwood’s “Touch And Go Crazy,” Janie Fricke’s “Your Heart’s Not In It,” Montgomery Gentry’s “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” and Brooks And Dunn’s “Ain’t Nothing ’Bout You.” He also co-wrote Lisa Brokop’s “Take That,” Lorrie Morgan’s “Watch Me,” and Neal McCoy’s “Wink.” Kathy Mattea’s “Walkin’ Away A Winner” later became a feminist statement, yet Shapiro drew the idea from the film Rocky, remarking, “I thought that was real cool - he lost, but he won.” He produced Dusty Springfield’s 1995 album A Very Fine Love. BMI named him Country Songwriter Of The Year in 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2002.