Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

It was an honor and my distinct pleasure to be invited to attend the NSAI [Nashville Songwriters Association International] 37th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet which was held this year on October 22nd in the Grand Ballroom at The Renaissance Hotel in Nashville.

This major annual event on the NSAI calendar represents for all songwriters the true crowning glory of honor towards great icons of our professional craft and as such, it is always a very gratifying and deeply humbling experience for everyone who participates.

Presented by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, the dinner and ceremony features formal induction of writers into the Hall of Fame from two categories: Category 1 honors songwriters whose first significant work occurred 20 or more years ago and Category 2 honors Songwriter/Artists whose first significant work occurred 20 or more years ago. There are two songwriters inducted from a short list of selected nominees in Category 1 & one songwriter/artist inducted from Category 2. This year’s songwriter inductions were greats Hugh Prestwood & Jim Weatherly. Songwriter/Artist was Jimmy Buffett.



Music Row magazine has a complete scoop of the evening's entire proceedings and even mentions my name in its "who's who" review of notable songwriters in attendance. It was kind of the reviewer to note me among songwriters & industry icons such as Darrell Scott, Pam Rose and Mark Wright, but in all humility, they much more than I, truly deserve mentions for stellar careers which I cannot claim.

I'm just very happy and deeply honored to even be mentioned in the same sentence or article with these amazing talents and icons of our creative business.

Just click on the Music Row thumbnail image at left to enlarge the page and read all about it. Tricia Yearwood was there of course & sang Hugh Prestwood's classic The Song Remembers When, along with other stars such as Big & Rich, Michael Johnson, Skip Ewing and of course Jimmy Buffett.


The list of nominees from both categories eligible for Hall of Fame induction this year included legendary Songwriter/Artists John Hiatt, Tony Joe White and J.J. Cale [writer of After Midnight and Cocaine]. I figured it to be J.J. Cale's night when Eric Clapton emerged from an elevator in the lobby of the hotel just prior to our reception, but it turned out to be Jimmy Buffett's night instead.

On the personal front, it was fantastic to reunite again with many great friends and former colleagues such as Jim McBride whose famous hit songs include Chatahootchie [Alan Jackson] and a great Waylon Jennings favorite Rose In Paradise.

Also, Tony Hazleton, Wayland Holyfield, Richard Leigh, Bob Beckham, Jody Williams, Del Bryant, Manuel and many more.

Robert K. Oermann too, the music critic who once gave me a review in Music Row magazine with the following quote: "Sign me up for the fan club...a voice full of heart and an A+ for songwriting"... Robert K. Oermann is a country music historian, journalist /critic and once was a judge on Nashville Star.

All in all, the 2006 NSAI Hall of Fame dinner was a great event with many warm encounters between old friends and new including my tablemates for dinner, Dr. David Murph and his son Dan. David is on the advisory board of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation. David and Dan and I became fast friends. It was my honor to be seated with these distinguished gentlemen and I enjoyed meeting them both.

Stay tuned for more Nashville related stories and photos from my Music Row journey as the spirit moves and the tale unfolds.