Don Schlitz To Be Saluted as Poet and Prophet

Don Schlitz Photo:ACM/Getty

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz will be featured at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s quarterly programming series Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters on June 4. Schlitz is the writer of some of country music’s most iconic hits, including “The Gambler,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “When You Say Nothing at All” and “On the Other Hand.”

The 1:30 p.m. in-depth interview and performance, held in the Museum’s Ford Theater, is included with Museum admission and free to Museum members. The 90-minute program, hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray, will include recordings, photos and film clips from the Museum’s collection and some unique items on long-term loan to the Museum courtesy of Schlitz. Immediately following, Schlitz will sign autographs in the Museum Store. The program will be streamed live at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

Schlitz has received numerous industry awards and honors. He has written over 50 Billboard Top Ten singles, including 16 No. 1s. He was the first songwriter to win ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year for four consecutive years (1988-1991). In 2010, he received the Academy of Country Music’s Poet’s Award for lifetime achievement in songwriting and he released two albums—Allergic to Crazy, his first studio album in 30 years, and Greatest Hits. He still performs regularly, including monthly shows at the Bluebird Café in Nashville.