She is best known for writing a series of hit songs in the 1980s, making productive collaborations with artists Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell.
Presley players Jerry Scheff, Ronnie Tutt, and Glen Hardin heard her perform and were impressed with her songs.
A successful audition at The Bitter End night club in New York's Greenwich Village got Fleming bookings at coffee houses across the country.
At age 26, she had a period of fatigue or frustration in the pursuit of a career and decided to take a little break and spend a couple of weeks back home in Arkansas.
Within an hour of making that decision, her old friend (Jerry Scheff) just happened to call and said he was going to Nashville and had a meeting with a couple of publishers.
Fleming was in touch with Tom Collins almost daily and could create a song targeted by him directly to one of his clients, including Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Sylvia, and others.
At one point, Collins requested a song something like "Appalachian Rain" about the area of North Carolina where Ronnie Milsap was born.
[15] Her reputation now established, Fleming moved on to writing other types of music including pop, R&B, and contemporary Christian.
She co-wrote with successful singer/songwriter Janis Ian, including the hits "What About the Love" (Amy Grant) and "Some People's Lives" (Bette Midler).
She co-wrote with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Don Schlitz, creating the number one hit "Give Me Wings" (Michael Johnson).
"[3] An example would be her mentoring of the Arkansas group "Edens Edge" who impressed her when she was judging a song contest for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
[19] A major portion of the publishing rights to the Kye Fleming Song Catalog has been acquired by Hearts Bluff Music.