When Kenny Chesney cut 'Better As a Memory' for his 2007 album 'Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates,' neither he nor his producer Buddy Cannon had any idea one of the song's writers was Chesney's former publicist. But once the No. 1 hit was cited by the Nashville Songwriters Association International as one of the organization's 2008 'Songs I Wish I'd Written,' the secret was out, and Nashville publicist turned songwriter Holly Gleason went public.

Listed as "Lady Goodman" on the song's credits (the real name of Kate Hudson's character Penny Lane in the film 'Almost Famous'), Gleason co-wrote the chart-topping tune with Travis Hill, who's credited as "Scooter Carusoe" on the tune. Hill won the award for Song of the Year from performing-rights organization SESAC earlier this month.

Gleason's part in co-writing the song was celebrated at the BMI offices on Music Row last week in an event that managed to take Chesney away from his Caribbean island retreat to join in the festivities.

"I've never been around somebody who's as passionate about music as Holly is," Chesney said of Gleason, who as a music journalist has contributed to Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications. "Being around her has definitely raised my SAT score."

Just prior to the celebration, Gleason spoke to reporters about her lifelong journalistic pursuits, and expressed her reluctance at including songwriting among those pursuits, "I grew up writing a lot of poetry in the margins of my notebook," she said. "I didn't want to be one of those people whose ego is bigger than their talent."

Encouraged by Hill to collaborate on something with him, Gleason walked into their session with the line, "I'm better as a memory than as your girl." Once the song was finished she took a copy of it to Chesney's tour bus and left it on his bed; something to relax him after coming off stage. But she never revealed to him that she was one of the writers.

"I wanted the song to be the story. I didn't want Kenny to do me a favor," she said.

Gleason revealed that she's continuing to write songs and has been collaborating with the likes of Rodney Crowell and Restless Heart's Larry Stewart.