The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced that the inductees for its Class of 2021 are Amy Grant, Toby Keith, Rhett Akins, Buddy Cannon and John Scott Sherrill.

Akins’ songwriter credits include his own “That Ain’t My Truck,” as well as “Honey Bee” (Blake Shelton) and “It Goes Like This” (Thomas Rhett). Cannon’s songwriter resume is known for “Set ’Em Up Joe” (Vern Gosdin), “I’ve Come To Expect It From You” (George Strait) and “Give It Away” (George Strait). Sherrill’s hits include “Wild And Blue” (John Anderson), “The Church On Cumberland Road” (Shenandoah) and “How Long Gone” (Brooks & Dunn).

Grant popularized many of her own compositions, including “Baby Baby,” “That’s What Love Is For” and “Tennessee Christmas.” Keith also recorded many of his self-penned hits, including “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and “As Good As I Once Was.”

The five will be inducted into the Hall this November, according to an announcement made today (July 13) by Sarah Cates, chair of the organization’s board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director.

“Today is one of my favorite days of the year, as we begin our journey to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in November with the announcement of our upcoming class,” says Cates. “Nashville has always been the home of legendary songs written by the world’s finest songwriters – and this class is no exception. It’s our great honor today to welcome our class of 2021: Rhett Akins and Buddy Cannon in the songwriter category; John Scott Sherrill in the veteran songwriter category; Toby Keith as our songwriter/artist and Amy Grant as our veteran songwriter/artist.”

Pictured (L-R): Sarah Cates, chair of the organization’s board of directors, with inductees John Scott Sherrill, Amy Grant, Buddy Cannon, and Rhett Akins; Mark Ford, NaSOF’s executive director. Photo: Bev Moser

The five new inductees-elect will join the 213 previously inducted members of the elite organization when they are officially inducted during the “50/51” Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Nov. 1 at the Music City Center. Because the organization’s 50th Anniversary celebration was postponed last year, this year’s event will honor two classes in a special double-sized event that will also spotlight NaSHOF’s previously named Class of 2020: Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham.

For more biographical information on the 2021 inductees, see below:

RHETT AKINS
Valdosta, Georgia, native Rhett Akins began his professional music career as a performer at San Antonio’s Fiesta Texas theme park. In 1992, he made the move to Nashville. Initially a performer at Opryland theme park, he also worked as a demo singer, later signing a recording contract with Decca Records. As an artist, Rhett topped the charts in the mid-1990s with “Don’t Get Me Started” and his signature song, “That Ain’t My Truck.” By the later 2000s, Rhett was writing songs for other artists, including “Put A Girl In It” by Brooks & Dunn, “What’s Your Country Song” by Thomas Rhett, “All About Tonight” by Blake Shelton and “Boys ’Round Here” by Blake Shelton w/ Pistol Annies & Friends. Rhett also wrote “All Over Me” by Josh Turner (the 2011 BMI Country Song of the Year), “Honey Bee” by Blake Shelton (the 2012 ASCAP Country Song of the Year), “Take A Back Road” by Rodney Atkins (the 2012 BMI Country Song of the Year) and “It Goes Like This” by Thomas Rhett (the 2014 ASCAP Country Song of the Year). Rhett was named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year in 2011 and 2014. He was the 2017 ACM Songwriter of the Year and the 2019 ACM Songwriter of the Decade.

BUDDY CANNON
Buddy Cannon was born in Lexington, Tennessee. He began his diverse career as a songwriter/singer/musician/publisher/producer/label executive in the early 1970s as bass player in Bob Luman’s band, later making the jump to play in Mel Tillis’ band and write for his publishing company. During their 11 years together, Tillis recorded several of Buddy’s songs, including the chart-topping “I Believe In You.” Throughout his career, Buddy’s keen song sense has served him well in the studio, helping select and record hit songs for artists ranging from Shania Twain to Kenny Chesney to Willie Nelson, with whom he has written regularly since 2008. Buddy’s credits as a songwriter include “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore” by Billy Ray Cyrus, “Look At Us” by Craig Morgan, “I’ve Come To Expect It From You” by George Strait, the Vern Gosdin hits “I’m Still Crazy,” “Set ’Em Up Joe” and “Dream Of Me,” as well as the Sammy Kershaw hits “Anywhere But Here” and “If You’re Gonna Walk, I’m Gonna Crawl.” “Give It Away” by George Strait was named the 2007 ACM Song and Single of the Year and also the 2007 CMA Song of the Year.

TOBY KEITH
Oklahoma native Toby Keith received his first guitar at age eight. After high-school graduation, he worked in the oil fields by day and played with his band at night. In the early ’90s, one of his demo tapes found its way to producer Harold Shedd, who signed him to a deal with Mercury Records. In 1993 Toby’s solo-written debut single, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” reached No. 1 on the country chart and would go on to become the most played country song of the 1990s. As an artist, he has placed 45 self-penned Top 20 songs on the Billboard charts, including 16 No. 1s and 17 more in the Top 10. Among those compositions are “You Ain’t Much Fun,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This,” “Beer For My Horses,” “I Love This Bar,” “American Soldier,” “A Little Too Late” and “God Love Her.” “As Good As I Once Was” was BMI’s 2006 Country Song of the Year. Among his many awards, he was named BMI’s 2001 Songwriter of the Year, 2004 Writer/Artist of the Year and 2006 Songwriter of the Year. He was NSAI’s 2003, 2004, 2006 Songwriter/Artist of the Year, as well as that organization’s Songwriter/Artist of the Decade (2000-2009). He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2015.

AMY GRANT
Raised in Nashville, Amy Grant was signed to a record deal at age 16 and was a star by the late ’70s. Her singer-songwriter fusion of pop, rock, gospel and ’70s Jesus-music created a fresh, new sound that kick-started the contemporary Christian genre and led to the first Platinum-selling album in the new genre’s history — her 1982 breakthrough, Age to Age. By the mid-’80s, Amy was reaching pop audiences with hits such as “Find A Way” and “Lead Me On.” Her blockbuster 1991 album, Heart in Motion, generated the multi-genre hits “Baby Baby,” “Every Heartbeat,” “Good For Me,” “I Will Remember You” and “That’s What Love Is For.” Another song from this era, “Place In This World,” written with and performed by, Michael W. Smith, earned the 1992 GMA Song of the Year. Amy’s catalog also includes the hymnal mainstay “Thy Word,” as well as her signature holiday standard “[Tender] Tennessee Christmas.” As an artist, she has placed 36 self-penned Top 20 songs on the Billboard and Contemporary Christian music charts, including 12 No. 1s and 18 more in the Top 10. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003. Amy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

JOHN SCOTT SHERRILL
John Scott Sherrill was raised in Chappaqua, New York, and in Uganda and Bolivia by parents who were book and magazine writers. Drawn at an early age to folk, country and rock music, he played coffeehouses in Boston and spent time as a musician in Amsterdam. In 1975, on his way to California, John Scott decided to remain in Music City and soon signed a songwriting deal with Combine Music. By 1982, he had his first No. 1 hit – “Wild And Blue” by John Anderson (later recorded by Hank Williams, Jr., Alan Jackson and Lucinda Williams). Throughout the ’80s and into the 2000’s, John Scott enjoyed more No. 1 hits: “Some Fools Never Learn” by Steve Wariner, “That Rock Won’t Roll” by Restless Heart, “(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes” and “Cry, Cry, Cry” by Highway 101, “The Church On Cumberland Road” by Shenandoah, “No Doubt About It” by Neal McCoy, “How Long Gone” by Brooks & Dunn and “Would You Go With Me” by Josh Turner. Another popular song, “Nothin’ But The Wheel,” was a Top 20 country hit for Patty Loveless and was also recorded by the bluegrass band Special Consensus and the rock duo of Peter Wolf & Mick Jagger. In the late 1980s, John Scott was a member of the country group Billy Hill and wrote many of their songs.

Martin Johnson

Newly-signed Warner Chappell writer Martin Johnson has jumped 10 slots to No. 10 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week. Johnson is a co-writer on “Like A Lady” recorded by Lady A and “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” recorded by Elle King and Miranda Lambert.

Corey Crowder remains at No. 1 on the chart this week for the seventh consecutive week. He is a co-writer on “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” (Chase Rice feat. Florida Georgia Line), “Famous Friends” (Chris Young and Kane Brown), and “Minimum Wage” (Blake Shelton).

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

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