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ALAN JACKSON INDUCTED INTO NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

ALAN JACKSON INDUCTED INTO NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  (Oct. 17, 2011)   Country music superstar Alan Jackson received yet another honor last night as he was inducted into the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as a 2011 Songwriter/Artist inductee at the 41st Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction ceremony.
Jackson was officially inducted by Capitol Records Nashville President and CEO and long-time friend Mike Dungan.  Afterwards he addressed the audience, “Denise and I packed up a U-haul and moved to Nashville and I didn't know a publisher from a producer. I was stupid enough not to be scared. I have written songs about the ups and downs of married life, songs for the working man, a song about when my daddy died, when my first child left home - I just write whatever I feel.  I never wrote a song to get a Grammy or Country Music Award.   All of these things are just life and that is what country music has always been to me.”
Taylor Swift and The Wrights paid tribute to Jackson’s songwriting during the event, held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Swift performed “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” and The Wrights offered a medley of the hits “Good Time,” “Remember When,” “Chattahoochee,” “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” and “Here In The Real World.”
The Wrights, Jackson, Taylor Swift, Mike Dungan  Photo By: Bev Moser
Jackson is one of today’s most prolific songwriters – his straightforward, honest and sincere lyrics reflect the essence of country music and speak to the common man.  He has written/co-written 24 of his 35 #1 hit singles. This places him second only to Merle Haggard in country music history as artists who have written or co-written #1 songs they have also recorded. Jackson is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts.
Jackson’s songs are distinguished by straightforward, honest and back-to-basics Country sincerity.  Included in his 24 number-one songs for himself are “Remember When,” “Good Time,” “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” “Don’t Rock The Jukebox,” “Where I Come From” and the career highlights “Chattahoochee” and “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning).” “Chattahoochee” won a CMA Song of the Year award.  “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” won Song of the Year honors from the CMA, the ACM and the Grammys.  He was ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1993, 1994 and 1998; Jackson was ASCAP’s Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009; and in 2010 he was honored with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award.  Jackson was NSAI’s Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 1991, 1992, 2002, 2007 and 2008.  In addition, he has penned  or co-written hits for other artists, notably the #1 songs “A Better Class Of Losers” (Randy Travis) and “If I Could Make A Living” (Clay Walker). 
The Georgia native is a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and a member of the Grand Ole Opry – in fact, he’s one of the most-honored singer-songwriters of the last 20 years, with a total of two Grammys, 16 CMA Awards and 17 ACM Awards to his credit. Jackson’s songs span 13 studio albums, three hits collections, two holiday albums and a critically-acclaimed gospel album with combined global sales of nearly 60-million. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2001. One of country music’s most-prolific songwriters, Jackson’s latest hit is “Long Way to Go,” the first single from his forthcoming debut album on EMI Records Nashville and his own ACR (Alan’s Country Records) venture. Recent credits also include “You’d Be Lonesome, Too,” from the new Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams project, spearheaded by Bob Dylan. Jackson completed the song based on original unfinished lyrics by the legend.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducts Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, John Bettis, Thom Schuyler, and Allen Shamblin

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducts Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, John Bettis, Thom Schuyler, and Allen Shamblin

Country superstars Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson and hit songwriters John Bettis, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Fame during the organization's 41st Anniversary Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony, held last night at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Monday, October 17, 2011 | Admin


Country superstars Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson and hit songwriters John Bettis, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Fame during the organization's 41st Anniversary Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony, held last night at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Presented by AT&T, the event celebrated the musical contributions of the newest inductees through star-studded performances of some of their biggest hits before a capacity audience of 1,000 plus.
"We are honored to recognize extraordinary songwriting talent as personified by John Bettis, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin, and we are proud to salute the unique way each of them has brought their music to Music City and the world,” said John Van Mol, Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. “Our 2011 inductees now take their rightful place alongside the all-time greats of Nashville songwriting."

Garth Brooks was inducted by manager Bob Doyle and producer/Hall of Fame songwriter Allen Reynolds. "The greatest award in the music business is to be called a songwriter," Brooks said to the audience. Five songwriter friends performed a medley of songs they co-wrote with Brooks: Hall of Fame songwriter Pat Alger “The Thunder Rolls;” Kent Blazy “If Tomorrow Never Comes;” Stephanie Davis “We Shall Be Free;” Victoria Shaw “The River” and Jenny Yates “When You Come Back To Me Again.”

Alan Jackson got a laugh out of the audience by saying when he first moved to Nashville to pursue music, "I was just stupid enough not to be scared...but it's been going pretty good." He was inducted by Capitol Nashville label head Mike Dungan. The Wrights presented a medley of Jackson’s songs, including “Good Time,” “Remember When,” “Chattahoochee,” “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” and “Here In The Real World,” before four time NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year Taylor Swift took the stage to perform “Where Were You."

John Bettis, who called his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame "the greatest honor I've ever gotten," was inducted by co-writer Michael Clark. Brett James and Wayne Kirkpatrick performed a medley of the Bettis compositions “Heartland,” “Yesterday Once More,” “Slow Hand” and “Human Nature.” Country music legend Lynn Anderson ended the set with “Top Of The World."

In his acceptance speech, Thom Schuyler thanked Nashville "for receiving so many poets from around the world and making them feel at home." He was inducted by co-writer/Hall of Fame songwriter Don Schlitz. Schuyler co-writers Fred Knobloch, Tony Arata and Jelly Roll Johnson performed a medley of the Schuyler songs: "Love Will Turn You Around," "Long Line of Love," "Old Yellow Car” and “Years After You.” Following the medley, country artist Lacy J. Dalton walked the audience down "16th Avenue."

Allen Shamblin was inducted by co-writer/Hall of Fame songwriter Mike Reid. When thanking the audience, Shamblin said, "if I've done anything right in this town, it's because of the people around me. This means more than I can ever say." Country artist Lionel Cartwright performed a medley of Shamblin-penned songs, including “He Walked On Water,” “Don't Laugh At Me” and “The House That Built Me.” Wynonna closed out the set with " I Can't Make You Love Me."

In a special tribute alongside the Hall of Fame inductions, Rondor Music President Lance Freed presented the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award to legendary music publisher David Conrad. The publisher said he was both surprised and honored when he learned he was to be given the Mentor Award, adding "just to be on the safe side, I went out and mentored the heck out of people after I heard I was getting this honor."

In addition to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductions, NaSHOF's sister organization, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), presented its annual Songwriter Achievement Awards.

The organization's professional songwriter members voted "If I Die Young," by Kimberly Perry, as their Song of the Year.

The Songwriter of the Year prize went to Chris DuBois, co-writer of such hits as Brad Paisley’s “Anything Like Me,” “Old Alabama” and “Water.”

The Songwriter/Artist of the Year was presented for the fourth time in five years to Taylor Swift, who scored self-penned hits of her own, including “Back To December” and “Mean.”

Besides honoring the Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist, the writers of NSAI's Professional Songwriters Division also singled out 10 songs and their writers for the organization's 2011 awards, informally dubbed "The Songs I Wish I'd Written."

Recipients were:
“American Honey” (Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey, Shane Stevens / recorded by Lady Antebellum)
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" (Jim Collins, David Lee Murphy / recorded by Thompson Square)
“Hello World” (Tom Douglas, Tony Lane, David Lee / recorded by Lady Antebellum)
“Homeboy” (Casey Beathard, Eric Church / recorded by Eric Church)
“Honey Bee” (Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip / recorded by Blake Shelton)
“If I Die Young” (Kimberly Perry / recorded by The Band Perry)
“Mean” (Taylor Swift / recorded by Taylor Swift)
“Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer” (Troy Jones / recorded by Billy Currington)
“The Boys Of Fall” (Casey Beathard, Dave Turnbull / recorded by Kenny Chesney)
“Who Are You When I'm Not Looking” (Earl Bud Lee, John Wiggins / recorded by Blake Shelton).

PICTURED (l-r) are: Inductees Alan Jackson and Thom Schuyler, Mentor Award winner David Conrad and inductees John Bettis, Allen Shamblin and Garth Brooks.
Photo Credit: Bev Moser

Celebrity Picture Profile: Kenny Wormald

Celebrity Picture Profile: Kenny Wormald


"Footloose" Nashville Premiere held at the Franklin Theater.
"Footloose" Nashville Premiere held at the Franklin Theater. Bev Moser

Zac Efron may have been the coveted actor for the role but it looks like Kenny Wormald will be filling in those dancing shoes just fine as the new star of the remake of the 1984 classic Footloose. The movie, which is set to be released this weekend, stars Wormald in the role that Kevin Bacon made famous.  Playing opposite the beautiful Julianne Hough, this movie is sure to be one to go see. The question, however, is whether or not this movie will live up to its expectations…
Kenny started dancing at six years old, and with his talent, made it into a career for himself. Touring with artists such as Justin Timberlake and appearing in music videos of some of the biggest stars including Christina Aguilera and Chris Brown. If you have seen any of the trailers for the movie, there is no question that the kid has got some real dancing ability. It may be safe to say that he’s got a lot more moves than Kevin Bacon ever had, but will he have as an esteemed career? It definitely looks possible.
We will have to wait and see what kind of money Footloose rakes in at the box office this weekend, and what people will be saying about the new up and comer. But Kenny Wormald is definitely one to watch as he’ll be having us all kicking off our Sunday shoes at the theater.