MusicRow Magazine: Musicians on Call Event Goes for the Gold

Recently the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame hosted a gala event where four songwriters were inducted into the prestigious organization. Rosanne Cash, Mark James, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman joined the elite group of songwriters who are already members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the Music City Center. These writers have written some of the most recognizable songs in music. Each writer was feted by performances of their songs by artists including Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Hunter Hayes, BJ Thomas and Ronnie Dunn, among many others.

Induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) is one of the nation's highest songwriting achievements. Since 1970, 196 of Music City¹s top tunesmiths from all genres of music have been enshrined by the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to honoring Nashville¹s rich songwriting legacy through preservation, celebration and education. In 2013, NaSHOF realized a long-held dream with the opening of its Hall of Fame Gallery, located in downtown Nashville on the first floor of the Music City Center (201 5th Ave S).
Photos by Bev Moser.
- See more at: http://nashvillelifestyles.com/partypics/nashville-songwriters-hall-of-fame-induction#sthash.iKnN3Gk0.dpuf

Recently the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame hosted a gala event where four songwriters were inducted into the prestigious organization. Rosanne Cash, Mark James, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman joined the elite group of songwriters who are already members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the Music City Center. These writers have written some of the most recognizable songs in music. Each writer was feted by performances of their songs by artists including Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, Hunter Hayes, BJ Thomas and Ronnie Dunn, among many others.

Induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) is one of the nation's highest songwriting achievements. Since 1970, 196 of Music City¹s top tunesmiths from all genres of music have been enshrined by the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to honoring Nashville¹s rich songwriting legacy through preservation, celebration and education. In 2013, NaSHOF realized a long-held dream with the opening of its Hall of Fame Gallery, located in downtown Nashville on the first floor of the Music City Center (201 5th Ave S). - See more at: http://nashvillelifestyles.com/partypics/nashville-songwriters-hall-of-fame-induction#sthash.iKnN3Gk0.dpuf

Craig Shelburne • October 22, 2015 •

Reba, Martina McBride and Kelsea Ballerini reached into the country gold category for the Musicians on Call benefit concert last night (Oct. 21) at Nashville’s City Winery. As the first stop of the Rock the Room Tour, the all-star concert honored Warner Music Nashville’s Shane Tarleton for volunteering thousands of hours for the organization, which brings live music into hospital rooms.
Reba relied on her 1980s catalog to lead her acoustic set – a treat for longtime fans who don’t often get to hear classics like “How Blue,” “One Promise Too Late” and “Somebody Should Leave” supported by just a guitarist and fiddle player. As a salute to those who benefit from Musicians on Call, she also performed “I’m a Survivor.” To conclude the night, she called up Tarleton to the stage, then traded verses with McBride on the dramatic “Does He Love You,” with the guest of honor beaming in the middle.

Charles Esten. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser

During her set, McBride joked that Tarleton only wanted to hear the miserable songs from her catalog. In addition to performing “Blessed” and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” McBride obliged Tarleton’s request by dipping into her 1992 debut album for a despondent heartbreaker, “That’s Me.”
Earlier in the night, Ballerini stretched back 50 years with a splendid, stripped-down performance of “Make the World Go Away,” written by Hank Cochran and recorded by Eddy Arnold. She complemented that with the sprightly “Love Me Like You Mean It,” her breakthrough debut single.

Reba and Martina McBride. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser

Tarleton, who is Warner Music Nashville’s Vice President & Creative Director, received a Golden Ukelele trophy for the Musician On Call’s Leadership in Music Award. He received video testimonials from Terri Clark, Kelly Clarkson, Ronnie Dunn, Brett Eldredge, Hunter Hayes, Jana Kramer, Taillight TV’s Chandra LaPlume, Blake Shelton and others. Warner Music Nashville President and CEO John Esposito brought Tarleton to the stage.
The event also honored Musicians On Call volunteers Harlan Pease and Sandra Morgan.

Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser

The Rock The Room Tour was created to raise awareness of the impact music has on healing, honor leaders in entertainment and philanthropy, and raise funds for Musicians On Call. Upcoming tour dates will take place in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., with a variety of honorees and musical guests.

Reba and Martina McBride perform “Does He Love You?” for Shane Tarleton. Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser

NASHVILLE.COM : Craig Wiseman, Rosanne Cash, Mark James and Even Stevens Inducted Into Songwriter's Hall Of Fame

Pictured L to R: Tim McGraw, KK Wiseman, Craig Wiseman, Ronnie Dunn, Bob DiPiero and Jeffrey Steele. Photo by Bev Moser

Big Loud Shirt Founder Craig Wiseman reached a bucket list milestone Sunday night (10/11) with his official induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside fellow songwriting greats Rosanne Cash, Mark James and Even Stevens at NaSHOF’s 45th Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala held in Nashville, TN.
“First and foremost I’m a songwriter. This is THE songwriter award of awards. I am honored beyond words,” shares Craig Wiseman. Adding with a smile, “And to have shared that night with my friend and writer Rodney Clawson, who won NSAI Songwriter of the Year, made it all the more meaningful. A huge after party with drag queens dancing around me didn’t hurt either.”
Wiseman was inducted by Hall of Fame songwriter Bob DiPiero and in celebration the sold-out industry crowd was treated to performances of Wiseman’s hits by Hall of Fame songwriter Jeffrey Steele, Ronnie Dunn (“Believe”) and Tim McGraw (“Live Like You Were Dying”).
The reveling continued well into the night with an all-out bash held at the Big Loud Shirt office headquarters to toast Wiseman and showed just how this team celebrates – Loud and Proud. Staff, friends and music industry insiders all gathered to congratulate Wiseman.
To date, Wiseman has had well over 300 cuts, 100 singles and 23 #1’s including Kenny Chesney’s “Summertime,” Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here,” and Chris Young’s “Voices.” Artists such as Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rimes, Three Days Grace, and more have recorded Wiseman’s songs.
Big Loud Shirt Industries is led by GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Craig Wiseman and is home to hit songwriters Sarah Buxton, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem and Chris Tompkins. The publishing house touts 36 No. 1 songs since 2003.

SESAC: Rob Hatch Honored at NSAI Awards Dinner

Published: 10/12/2015

Congratulations to SESAC’s Rob Hatch who won a prestigious “Songs I Wish I’d Written” award at the 45th Annual Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame (NSAI) event last night. Joined by fellow songwriters Lee Brice and Dallas Davidson, Hatch was honored for penning “I Don’t Dance,” which Brice took to the top of the charts last year. The NSAI Awards recognize the year’s 10 most popular songs from Nashville songwriters as well as inducting in several songwriters into the NSAI Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Pictured (left to right): NSAI’s Executive Director, Bart Harbison, Hatch, Brice, Davidson and NSAI’s Board President, Lee Thomas Miller. Photo: Bev Moser

Rolling Stone Magazine: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducts Four Legends

Mark James, Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman are honored for their timeless musical contributions

By Stephen L. Betts October 12, 2015

Mark James, Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman at the Nashville Songwriters Association induction ceremony. Photo Courtesy of the Nashville Songwriters Association / Bev Moser

Music City honored the artistry of four exceptional tunesmiths Sunday night, inducting Rosanne Cash, Mark James, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The 45th annual gala awards dinner at Nashville's Music City Center was attended by more than 1,000 music industry professionals and featured tribute performances to the new Hall of Fame members from Tim McGraw, Hunter Hayes, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn and more.
Cash, who enjoyed a string of chart-topping hits throughout the Eighties including "Seven Year Ache," "Blue Moon With Heartache" and the Grammy-winning "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me," has evolved into one of the genre's most sophisticated, confessional writer-performers. She continues, at age 60, to possess a strong, expressive voice, both literally and in terms of the material she's written and recorded recently, especially 2014's multi-award-winning The River and the Thread. She also remains an outspoken advocate on topics including gun control and fair compensation for songwriters. Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris both sang Cash's songs during the event, and her former producer and ex-husband Rodney Crowell did the formal induction.
"It means everything to me," Cash told Rolling Stone Country of the honor prior to the ceremony. "As an 18-year-old songwriter, [I] was really struggling to begin to write good songs and couldn't quite find the keyhole, but just kept soaking up those good songwriters around me. . . what they said and how they did it, deconstructing songs for myself to figure out why they worked. Then, here we are 40 years later and other songwriters are recognizing me? It's the best feeling in the world. I'm trying to take it in. I'm a little shocked."
Even Stevens was inducted by his longtime friend, Hall of Fame songwriter Hugh Prestwood ("Ghost in This House," "The Song Remembers When"), and celebrated with Loving Mary's performance of the 1980 crossover smash, "Drivin' My Life Away," which was just one of some 900 songs he and Rabbitt penned together. James recalled the hardscrabble early days living in Nashville and sleeping in his converted postal vehicle before striking gold with hits that also included "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," a worldwide hit for Dr. Hook, which was performed at the ceremony by American Idol alum Paul McDonald.
Mark James, who was responsible for, among other hits, the best-selling single in the phenomenal career of Elvis Presley, was inducted by BMI executive Jody Williams, and feted with Hunter Hayes' dynamic performance of the aforementioned hit, 1969's "Suspicious Minds." Singer B.J. Thomas then delivered a powerful rendition of "Hooked on a Feeling," which was twice a major pop hit; first by Thomas in Thomas in 1968, then a Number One blockbuster for Blue Swede in 1974. James was also a co-writer of "Always on My Mind," the Elvis hit that later came to life on the pop charts with two incredibly different versions, one by Willie Nelson, the other by English duo Pet Shop Boys.
The emotional highpoint of the night was the humorous and heartfelt acceptance speech from Craig Wiseman, introduced by his friend and fellow Hall of Fame member, Bob DiPiero. To cover just a few of Wiseman's many hit, Hall of Famer Jeffrey Steele performed a medley that included, among many other tunes, Kenny Chesney's "Summertime," Montgomery Gentry's "Hell Yeah" and "Boys 'Round Here," cut by Blake Shelton. Two powerhouse vocal performances followed, from Ronnie Dunn ("Believe") and Tim McGraw ("Live Like You Were Dying"). In his speech, Wiseman name-checked dozens of acts that have recorded his songs and also paid homage to his many co-writers and employees of his music-publishing company, Big Loud Shirt.
"This is kind of 'it," Wiseman told Rolling Stone Country before taking the stage. "I've got Grammys and all the Songs of the Years and all that stuff goes to the side. This goes dead center. This is the purest. It's by songwriters for songwriters."
Although the job description is neatly packaged in the title of songwriter, throughout his own career, Wiseman says he has found that several elements go into making one a songwriter.
"There's a little bit of cowboy, because of the long odds," he explains. "It's a weird mix because you have to be sort of self-reliant and self-contained. The thing I like about Nashville is there's so much community in it. It's a symphony of contradictions and you throw in several neuroses. A lot of obsessive-compulsive disorder helps. It's the ability to see what's going on [within the industry] and, at the same time, ignore all that shit and imagine where it's going to be in three or four years. But you're skatin' on ice. You're skatin' on ice that's warm water, waiting for it to freeze up."
Prior to the Hall of Fame inductions, another organization, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), presented its annual Songwriter Achievement Awards, recognizing the record-breaking Little Big Town hit, "Girl Crush" as its Song of the Year.
The three writers, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose (a/k/a the Love Junkies), performed a breathtaking rendition of the song after accepting their award.
Rodney Clawson was named Songwriter of the Year, recognized for the success of hits he co-wrote for Kenny Chesney ("American Kids"), Lady Antebellum ("Bartender,") Jason Aldean ("Burnin' It Down"), Florida Georgia Line ("Dirt," "Sippin' on Fire") and more.
For the seventh time, the Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor was presented (in a pre-taped piece) to Taylor Swift, who spoke of her continuing admiration for the Nashville songwriting community and its influence on her. The writers of NSAI's Professional Songwriters Division also singled out 10 songs and their writers for the organization's 2015 awards, informally dubbed "The Songs I Wish I'd Written," although a tie led to a field of 11 honorees. The recipients were: "A Guy Walks Into a Bar" (Melissa Peirce, Jonathan Singleton, Brad Tursi /recorded by Tyler Farr), "All About That Bass" (Kevin Kadish, Meghan Trainor /recorded by Meghan Trainor), "American Kids" (Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally/recorded by Kenny Chesney), "Diamond Rings And Old Bar Stools" (Barry Dean, Luke Laird, Jonathan Singleton/recorded by Tim McGraw w/Catherine Dunn), "Dirt" (Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins/recorded by Florida Georgia Line), "Girl in a Country Song" (Taylor Dye, Maddie Marlow, Aaron Scherz/recorded by Maddie & Tae), "I Don't Dance" (Lee Brice, Dallas Davidson, Rob Hatch/recorded by Lee Brice), "Neon Light" (Andrew Dorff, Mark Irwin, Josh Kear/recorded by Blake Shelton), "Raise 'Em Up" (Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele/recorded by Keith Urban and Eric Church), "Shake It Off " (Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift/recorded by Taylor Swift) and "She Don't Love You" (Eric Paslay, Jennifer Wayne/recorded by Eric Paslay).

CMT: Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame Inducts Four as Stars Sing Their Praises

by Edward Morris

Some of country music’s most beloved stars converged Sunday evening (Oct. 11) at Nashville’s Music City Center to sing Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens, Mark James and Craig Wiseman into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Among those paying musical tribute to the new inductees were Tim McGraw, Ronnie Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Hunter Hayes, B.J. Thomas, Jeffrey Steele, the band Loving Mary and American Idol alumnus Paul McDonald.

Prior to the inductions, the Nashville Songwriters Association International declared “Girl Crush” its song of the year and Rodney Clawson its songwriter of the year.

The NSAI also honored the writers of “The 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written,” an annual poll of its professional members. This year there was an 11th song, owing to a tie vote.

As is the wont of such omnibus undertakings, this event ran excruciatingly long, beginning with cocktails at 5 p.m. and wrapping up with Wiseman’s fulsome acceptance speech that ended at nearly 11.

Apart from this one blemish, the evening sparkled with great music and stories.

One of the sweetest moments came when the writers of “Girl Crush” — Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose — followed the acceptance of their award by singing the song, accompanied only by McKenna’s wistful guitar.

Artistically, it equaled Little Big Town’s more polished version of the song.

In presenting Stevens for induction, Hugh Prestwood, himself a Hall of Fame member, told of the circuitous route that led the Ohio native to Nashville, including attendance at a barbers college and serving in the Coast Guard.

He said Stevens’ “primary residence” after moving to Nashville was his International Scout mail truck. In time, however, he would partner in building the fabled Emerald recording studio and founding the DebDave publishing company.

As a songwriter, Prestwood reported, Stevens has earned 53 BMI awards.

Before Stevens came to the stage, Loving Mary performed his Eddie Rabbitt hit, “Driving My Life Away,” while McDonald served up “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman,” a chart scorer for Dr. Hook.

Looking dazzled by all the attention, Stevens joked that he thought he’d reached the pinnacle of fame when his naked body was chosen as a model for the much-maligned “Musica” statue that stands at the Music Row roundabout.

He spent most of his speech praising other people, particularly his long-time champion and mentor, recording engineer Jim Malloy.

He said he first became aware of the existence of songwriters while browsing through his dad’s 78 rpm recordings and noticing the names within parentheses that followed the song titles.

The first song he “fell in love with,” he recalled, was Stuart Hamblen’s “This Ole House.” He first encountered Eddie Rabbitt — the artist who would record so many of his songs — at a party, Stevens said. Seeing that he had a vehicle, Rabbitt asked him to help him move a cage in which he housed his pet monkey.

The joy of writing songs, particularly with other people, he said, is that “you walk in with nothing, and you come out with something.”

Jody Williams, BMI’s vice president of writer-publisher relations, introduced James and chronicled the high points of a career that began with his studying classical violin in his native Houston to providing a string of hits to Elvis Presley, including Presley’s last country No. 1 single before his death, “Moody Blues.”

Williams went on to recount James’ successes with such other songs as “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Suspicious Minds” and “Always On My Mind.”

“He’s experienced success over six decades,” Williams asserted. “Even Jay Z has recorded one of his songs.”

Following Williams’ preamble, Hunter Hayes, playing mandolin and backed by a three-piece band, blazed through “Suspicious Minds.”

Then B.J. Thomas, his voice still strong and agile, rendered a yearning interpretation of “Hooked on a Feeling,” the song that gave him a No. 5 pop hit in 1969. The crowd awarded him a standing ovation.

James mused about the format-crossing power of a great song. He remembered pushing buttons on the car radio in search of appealing songs as he traveled with his family from Houston to visit his grandmother in Longview, Texas.

“You didn’t put [music] into categories,” he stressed. “You said, ‘What a great song. What a great performance.’” It didn’t take him long, he said, to realize that his ambitions did not lie in the violin. He asked his parents to buy him a guitar, and they got him one for Christmas.

He said his parents kept urging him to aim for “a long and prosperous life,” not the momentary highs of pop music. But he said it occurred to him that you never know how long you will live, So why not live the life you want to?

“I love songs that are worth remembering,” he concluded.

Rodney Crowell, Cash’s former producer, husband and co-writer, summarized the life that had brought her to this moment of distinction.

He began by reciting a string of her self-penned hits, among them “Seven Year Ache,” “Blue Moon With Heartache,” “Hold On,” “Second to No One” and “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me.”

He remarked that, by her own account, she was a “taciturn” and “introspective” child. He said he first met her in 1976 at a party at Waylon Jennings’ house, where he spotted her sitting under a pool table.

In time, they would begin dating and marry, and he would become her producer.

He remembered accompanying her on a promotional tour in Germany just as she was launching her career as an artist. One stop on the tour was a “one ring circus — really just a tent” on the outskirts of Cologne.

He said that the tent would have seated 1,500 people but that only “about 80, including me” showed up. It was a bizarre situation, he said, in which she lip synched her songs for a radio show.

Even so, he said, when her performance was over, the people in the audience rushed the stage to meet her as though it had been a triumphant concert. He said that was when he realized her great appeal as a performer.

“Producing records for Rosanne was really a collaborative effort,” he said. “We were just two kids with a really expensive paint box.”

He noted that by the time she signed to Columbia’s country division in Nashville, this once-reclusive upstart had “purple, spiky hair and was incredibly fashionable.” At this point, Crowell surrendered the stage to Emmylou Harris, who, accompanied on piano by Cash’s husband, John Leventhal, sang the ineffably poignant “I Was Watching You” from Cash’s Black Cadillac album.

Vince Gill came next. He began by thanking Cash for hiring him in her band 34 years earlier.

Then he sang “Seven Year Ache,” Cash’s first No. 1 from 1981.

“I have so much history in this room,” Cash said when she took the spotlight. “I have so many circles that have come full here.”

She said she just realized while waiting to go on that she and her father, Johnny Cash, are the only father and daughter in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. (The elder Cash was inducted in 1977).

When she was just aspiring to be a songwriter, she said, she got an appointment to play her songs for a prominent Nashville publisher. She speculated that she was given this opportunity only because she was Johnny Cash’s daughter.

The publisher was less than impressed. He said she didn’t write or sing all that well but that she still managed to sound “commercial.” That was not the endorsement she was looking for.

“For 42 years,” she said, “I’ve been working to prove that publisher down on Music Row wrong.”

She credited Crowell with giving her the confidence she needed to press on. “He told me I was good before I was,” she said.

She pointed out that she had won Grammys via co-writing with both her husbands. With “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me,” a co-write with Crowell, she earned a Grammy in 1985 for best country vocal performance by a female. Then, in 2014, she copped the best American roots song Grammy for “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” which she composed with Leventhal.

From the outset, she continued, she regarded songwriting as “the most honorable profession in the world.” It’s an opinion she still holds, she said.

“This is the award I’ve always wanted,” she beamed, brandishing her newly acquired Hall of Fame trophy.

Hall of Fame member Bob DiPiero, clearly in the highest of spirits, traced Wiseman’s trajectory from a hard-working wannabe to his present status to “an eight-figure [publishing] mogul” who “burns hundred dollar bills in the backyard that are too wrinkled to deal with.” In a more serious biographical vein, he noted that Wiseman’s scored his first cut with Roy Orbison and had his first No. 1 — “If The Good Die Young” — in 1994 with Tracy Lawrence.

“Craig Wiseman is a nice bunch of guys,” DiPiero said, pointing to the various roles he has played in the music business.

He observed that Wiseman writes both serious songs that are “game changers” and “radio candy,” whose chief virtue is catchiness.

To demonstrate that range, Jeffrey Steele, a frequent co-writer with Wiseman, whirled through a manic medley of Wiseman’s hits, including “The Cowboy In Me,” “She’s Got It All,” “Hell Yeah,” “Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “Young,” “Voices,” “Where the Green Grass Grows,” “It’s Summertime” and “The Good Stuff.”

Ronnie Dunn, of Brooks & Dunn, was next in line with a near-operatic rendering of “Believe,” and Tim McGraw ended the musical hat-tipping with an equally impassioned “Live Like You Were Dying.”

Before launching into his appreciation for induction, Wiseman summoned his wife to the stage, where, without prelude or explanation, she recited “The Lord’s Prayer.” Wiseman expressed particular gratefulness for Dunn, McGraw and his “Hit Men” buddies, DiPiero and Steele. He was also lavish in praise of his mother, who, by his estimate, is always a bit too enthusiastic for the room when it comes to parties honoring her son.

Like DiPiero, Wiseman revisited the arc of his achievements, from being a $13,000-a-year staff writer for Almo Irving to encouraging and backing such new talents as Florida Georgia Line.

“I try to write with kids,” he said. “I do it because I appreciate the guys who did it for me. … I want to be there when the angels fly low.”

Looking out over the several hundred who remained, even as the evening slogged to an end, Wiseman said, “If you’ve ever written a song with me, would you please do me the honor of standing up?”

Dozens did.

NSAI’s 11 winning songs for 2015 and their writers are “A Guy Walks Into a Bar” (Jonathan Singleton, Melissa Peirce, Brad Tursi), “All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor, Kevin Kadish), “American Kids” (Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally), “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” (Jonathan Singleton, Luke Laird, Barry Dean), “Dirt” (Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins).

Also, “Girl in a Country Song” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Aaron Scherz), “I Don’t Dance” (Lee Brice, Rob Hatch, Dallas Davidson), “Neon Light” (Andrew Dorff, Mark Irwin, Josh Kear), “Raise ‘Em Up” (Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnson, Jeffrey Steele), “She Don’t Love You” (Eric Paslay, Jennifer Wayne) and “Shake It Off” (Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift).

Pat Alger, chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame board of directors, recited to the crowd the names of Hall of Fame members who had died in the previous year, a list that included Wayne Carson, Paul Craft, Wayne Kemp, Larry Henley, Red Lane, Don Robertson and Billy Sherrill.

NASH Country Weekly Magazine: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Welcomes Four New Members at 2015 Ceremony

Ceremony brings together the writers of “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Seven Year Ache” and “Always on My Mind.”

Vernell Hackett | Published: Oct 12, 2015

L to R: NaSHOF board chair Pat Alger; Inductees Mark James, Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman and NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford

photo by Bev Moser/Alliance

Rosanne Cash made an interesting discovery Sunday while preparing to attend the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony. The new inductee and her father, Johnny Cash, are the only father-daughter pair in the Hall of Fame.
“All I have wanted since I started writing songs was to be a member of this Hall of Fame,” said Rosanne, describing herself as a wife, mother and songwriter.
Rosanne, along with songwriters Even Stevens, Craig Wiseman and Mark James, was welcomed into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in Nashville Sunday evening (Oct. 11). The crowd of music industry VIPs was treated to tunes written by each of the new inductees, performed in between entertaining introductions.
Rodney Crowell—who was married to Rosanne from 1979-1992—welcomed his former wife into the Hall, saying he believed some of her best work as a songwriter was ahead of her. Rosanne credited Rodney with encouraging her and giving her confidence “before I was really good.” While looking over the crowd of her peers, she noted, “There is so much history in this room. Every one of the writers in here inspire me to be a better writer.”
Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill performed “I Was Watching You” and “Seven Year Ache,” respectively, before Rosanne was officially welcomed into the Hall of Fame.
Hugh Prestwood called Even Stevens “a Renaissance man,” adding that people have no idea how great a writer he is. In addition to writing such hits as Eddie Rabbitt’s “Drivin’ My Life Away” and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show’s “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman,” the songwriter was named one of BMI’s writers of the century. Even Stevens and Eddie Rabbitt were a hitmaking team who wrote tunes both for Eddie and folks like Kenny Rogers, who recorded the duo’s “Love Will Turn You Around.”
Stevens said his life took a right turn the day his friend and mentor Jim Malloy entered his life. It took another sharp turn when he offered a ride to author and songwriter Shel Silverstein, who in turn hooked him up with Dr. Hook’s producer, resulting in that act’s hit recording of “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman.”
“I am so thankful to be a songwriter in this town,” Even Stevens said. “I don’t know if it could have happened In any other town.”
Songwriter Bob DiPiero's introduction for inductee Craig Wiseman took the form of a personal roast of his friend and peer. After telling several funny stories, he said of his pal, “Craig has written songs that are game-changers, songs that will be here long after we are gone.”
Craig recalled his early days in Nashville, when he played at a bowling alley north of Nashville. “It has been a long journey," he said. After taking the audience through hilarious stories about his career, Craig told of meeting two young songwriters who showed up for the appointment wearing clothes covered in paint. Within days of that meeting, he signed Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line to his publishing company, Big Loud Shirt.
“I write with the kids who come to town,” Craig said. “I do it because of all the people who helped me early in my career.”
The songwriter asked all his company’s songwriters to stand up, and thanked them for writing with him. “I am the luckiest man alive. I am a songwriter and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
Performing Craig’s songs were Ronnie Dunn and Tim McGraw, who sang “I Believe” and “Live Like You Were Dying,” respectively. Pal Jeffrey Steele also did a medley of Craig’s hits.
Mark James was introduced with a story about his first cut, the 1968 B. J. Thomas pop hit “Hooked on a Feeling.” James went on to have cuts by Elvis Presley (“Suspicious Minds”), Willie Nelson (“Always on My Mind”) and numerous others.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International honored several members of the Nashville songwriting community during the event. Rodney Clawson was named Songwriter of the Year and Taylor Swift was named Artist/Songwriter of the Year. Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” written by Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose, was named Song of the Year.

American Songwriter Magazine: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Welcomes 2015 Inductees

Written by John Connor Coulston October 12th, 2015 at 12:13 pm

NaSHOF board chair Pat Alger; Inductees Mark James, Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman and NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford. (Alliance Media Relations / Bev Moser)

Songwriters Rosanne Cash, Mark James, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last night.
“Each year we honor a few undeniably exceptional songwriters and we are always amazed at the depth of talent that continues to blossom in this town,” said Pat Alger, Board Chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. “This year’s class takes its rightful place among the all-time greats that make up The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
Each inductee was given a devoted segment of the ceremony, which featured performances from some of country music’s biggest acts including Tim McGraw, Hunter Hayes, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and more.
Cash was inducted by fellow Hall of Fame songwriter Rodney Crowell and with performances of “Seven Year Ache” by Gill and“I Was Watching You” by Harris. Wiseman was also inducted by another Hall of Fame songwriter, Bob DiPiero, with Tim McGraw singing “Live Like You Were Dying,” Ronnie Dunn performing “Believe,” and Jeffrey Steele performing a medley of a dozen or so Wiseman-penned tracks.
James was inducted by BMI VP Writer Publisher Relations Jody Williams with Hunter Hayes performing “Suspicious Minds” and B.J. Thomas singing his 1968 hit “Hooked On A Feeling.” Even Stevens was inducted by Hall of Fame songwriter Hugh Prestwood with Loving Mary performing “Drivin’ My Life Away” and American Idol alum Paul McDonald singing “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman.”
The evening also featured presentations of the Songwriter Achievement Awards from Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Taylor Swift was awarded Songwriter/Artist of the Year for the seventh time in nine years, due to the success of her latest album, 1989. Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” (written by Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose) was voted Song of the Year, and Rodney Clawson was named Songwriter of the Year. Clawson is the co-writer of songs including such as Florida Georgia Line’s “Dirt” and Sippin’ On Fire,” Jason Aldean’s “Burnin’ It Down,” Lady Antebellum’s “Bartender” and Kenny Chesney’s “American Kids.”

(l-r) Back row NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison and NSAI president Lee Thomas Miller. Front Row (l-r) Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey and Lori McKenna (Song of the Year for “Girl Crush”) and NSAI Songwriter of the Year Rodney Clawson (Alliance Media Relations / Bev Moser)

NSAI also honored 11 outstanding tracks as “The Songs I Wish I’d Written,” including Swift’s “Shake It Off” and Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.” You can see out the full list of winning songs and songwriters below.

NSAI’s 2015 “The Songs I Wish I’d Written” :
“A Guy Walks Into A Bar” (Melissa Peirce, Jonathan Singleton, Brad Tursi / recorded by Tyler Farr)
“All About That Bass” (Kevin Kadish, Meghan Trainor / recorded by Meghan Trainor),
American Kids” (Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally / recorded by Kenny Chesney)
“Diamond Rings And Old Bar Stools” (Barry Dean, Luke Laird, Jonathan Singleton / recorded by Tim McGraw w/ Catherine Dunn)
“Dirt” (Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins / recorded by Florida Georgia Line)
“Girl In A Country Song” (Taylor Dye, Maddie Marlow, Aaron Scherz / recorded by Maddie & Tae)
“I Don’t Dance” (Lee Brice, Dallas Davidson, Rob Hatch / recorded by Lee Brice)
“Neon Light” (Andrew Dorff, Mark Irwin, Josh Kear / recorded by Blake Shelton)
“Raise ‘Em Up” (Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston, Jeffrey Steele / recorded by Keith Urban w/ Eric Church)
“Shake It Off ” (Max Martin, Shellback, Taylor Swift / recorded by Taylor Swift)
“She Don’t Love You” (Eric Paslay, Jennifer Wayne / recorded by Eric Paslay)

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Mark James, Rosanne Cash, Even Stevens and Craig Wiseman are honored for their timeless musical contributions

Ceremony brings together the writers of “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Seven Year Ache” and “Always on My Mind.”