Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inducts Six New Members At 54th Anniversary Gala

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Pictured (L–R): Jody White, David Bellamy, Liz Rose, Dan Penn, Victoria Shaw and Al Anderson. Photo: Moments by Moser

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) celebrated six new members during its 54th Anniversary Gala last night (Nov. 6) at Music City Center.

Al Anderson and Liz Rose were honored in the Contemporary Songwriter category, while Dan Penn and Victoria Shaw were welcomed into the Veteran Songwriter category. David Bellamy was recognized in Veteran Songwriter/Artist category, and the late Tony Joe White was inducted into the Legacy category, designed specifically to honor NaSHOF-worthy candidates who have passed away.

Tunes from their beloved catalogs blasted through the ballroom as each of them were introduced.

After a performance by The Wildcards and welcoming remarks from NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford and Board Chair Rich Hallworth, music historian and NaSHOF Board member Robert K. Oermann kicked off the presentations with a few words about White. Americana artist Nikki Lane united with Kenny Vaughan to perform White’s rock classic “Polk Salad Annie,” before his son, Jody, spoke on his behalf and shared stories of his father performing at his fraternity house at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, among other memories. He also informed attendees that the great songsmith had left behind a storage unit full of never-before-seen artifacts that he is now working on sharing with the public.

“When thinking about this I had to ask myself ‘What was it that made Tony Joe a great songwriter worthy of this Hall of Fame?'” said Jody. He went on to share the five traits that he felt made his dad worthy, using his favorite of the honorees’s lyrics as examples for each of them. The first was White’s “ability to confuse the listener or make them think.” The second was “his ability to show his true emotions,” followed by the way he infused humor into his work and made those around him feel cool, with the way “he wanted to stand for something” marking the final quality.

Next, NaSHOF Hall of Fame member Hillary Lindsey took the stage to honor Rose, referring to her as “a fire that can’t be put out,” alongside Little Big Town, who performed their Rose-penned hit “Girl Crush.” The inductee then made her way to the mic to emotionally express her gratitude.

“I still believe that the most important thing about this job and this love is that you never know everything,” she stated. “I still try to learn something in every write and every room, and I will always let the heart of the song lead the way. I’ll never give up on that.”

NaSHOF Hall of Fame member Sharon Vaughn was on hand to recognize Al Anderson and introduce fellow Hall of Fame member Vince Gill along with Glenn Worf and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, who performing a favorite album cut, “Some Things Never Get Old,” at the inductee’s request. Grammy-winning songstress Tia Sillers then accompanied Anderson onstage to accept the honor. Sillers summarized Anderson’s storied career and acknowledged his collaborators on his behalf, before handing him the mic.

“I’m blessed to be here, and I can’t tell you how fun it was writing with all of these people,” he shared. “It’s a beautiful thing to write songs. You just can’t beat it. It’s the shit.”

Pictured (L–R): NaSHOF’s Rich Hallworth, Jody White, David Bellamy, Liz Rose, Dan Penn, Victoria Shaw, Al Anderson and NaSHOF’s Mark Ford. Photo: Moments by Moser

A touching tribute was then made to the nine members who have passed since last year’s event: Wayland Holyfield, Mark James, Will Jennings, Toby Keith, Kris Kristofferson, Dave Loggins, Hugh Prestwood, Bill Rice and Billy Edd Wheeler. Their photos as well as the titles of their famous tracks flashed across the stage as fellow Hall of Fame members Gary Burr and Mike Reid performed a renedition of Kenny Chesney‘s “Wherever You Are Tonight” in their honor.

After a brief intermission, NaSHOF Hall of Fame member Gretchen Peters came to the front to talk about Penn and welcome Wendy Moten and Kevin McKendree, who performed his “The Dark End Of The Street,” which was originally popularized by R&B and soul singer James Carr.

“When you co-write with somebody, you have a good time and it ends up in a song,” Penn said as he stepped behind the podium. “Through the years, I’ve been blessed to have written with great writers—many of whom have been inducted [into the NaSHOF]. It was the community of writers, musicians and engineers in Nashville that made it possible for me to continue writing and recording after I moved here from Memphis. It’s been an incredible life.”

NaSHOF Hall of Fame member Larry Gatlin then praised Bellamy and introduced fellow member John Anderson, who treated the crowd to the Bellamy Brothers‘ “Redneck Girl” before the inductee gave his thanks, acknowledged his wife’s birthday and announced a forthcoming Bellamy Brothers world tour.

“This is a great honor. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is pretty much a dream come true for me,” Bellamy expressed. “Songwriting has always been my favorite part of the music business.”

Burr returned to the stage to salute Shaw alongside Garth Brooks, who performed of their co-written number “The River” as well as “She’s Every Woman” and “A Friend To Me.” The night’s final honoree was then given the floor, where she acknowledged her fellow inductees, specifically Rose, noting that there are “so many amazing women” who will one day be inducted as well. Shaw moved on to thank everyone who has been a part of her journey, including her newest collaborator, Jeannie Seely.

“I love writing with new artists and I love writing with classic artists, because I learn from all of you,” she stated. “I’m so appreciative, humbled and filled with so much gratitude to be here—it’s mind-blowing.”

Liza Anderson
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