Nashville.com Visitors Guide To Nashville, TN
The songwriting giants behind the hits “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” “Trip Around The Sun,” “Teardrops On My Guitar,” “The Dark End Of The Street” and “The River” will soon become the newest members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF).
David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers), Al Anderson, Liz Rose, Dan Penn and Victoria Shaw – the Hall’s Class of 2024 – will join the legendary body in November, according to an announcement made today by Rich Hallworth, chair of the organization’s board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director director at a luncheon held in Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A, part of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
“Gathering for this occasion – to recognize and welcome the members of our incoming class – is always one of the highlights of our year,” says Hallworth. “To this stellar group of songwriters, we say thank you for your songs and for your artistry. You are exceptional talents, and we will proudly honor you this fall, when you officially join your legendary peers in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
Ford introduced each member of the new class. Anderson and Rose were elected in the contemporary songwriter category with Penn and Shaw in the veteran songwriter category and Bellamy in the veteran songwriter/artist category. The top vote getter in the contemporary songwriter/artist category, Brad Paisley, is unable to attend this year’s ceremony due to a scheduling conflict and will be officially inducted next year as a member of the Hall’s Class of 2025.
This year’s five electees will join the 241 previously inducted members of the elite organization when they are formally inducted during the 54th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, November 6, at the Music City Center.
Al Anderson’s songwriter credits include “Trip Around The Sun” (Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride), “Unbelievable” (Diamond Rio) and “The Cowboy In Me” (Tim McGraw). Liz Rose’s resume is known for “White Horse” (Taylor Swift), “Crazy Girl” (Eli Young Band) and “Girl Crush” (Little Big Town). Dan Penn’s hits include “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” (Aretha Franklin), “The Dark End Of The Street” (James Carr) and “I’m Your Puppet” (James & Bobby Purify). Victoria Shaw is best known for “The River” (Garth Brooks), “I Love The Way You Love Me” (John Michael Montgomery) and “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” (Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera). David Bellamy recorded many of his own compositions, including “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” “Old Hippie” and “Crazy From The Heart.”
[Biographical information on each inductee follows.]About the NaSHOF Gala:
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala is one of the music industry’s premier annual events. A fundraiser benefitting the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation, the star-studded evening honors each inductee through humorous, heartfelt tributes and unplugged performances by surprise guest artists. In recent years artists such as John Anderson, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, The Del McCoury Band, Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Olivia Newton-John, Thomas Rhett, John Rich, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, The Isaacs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood have participated in the event.
About the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame:
Induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame is one of the nation’s most highly prized songwriting honors. Since 1970, the Hall has enshrined 241 of the greatest writers from all genres of music ever to put words to music in Music City, including such luminaries as Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Garth Brooks, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Johnny Cash, Don & Phil Everly, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Alan Jackson, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Bob McDill, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Paul Overstreet, Dolly Parton, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Ray Stevens, Keith Urban, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams. Operated by the non-profit Nashville Songwriters Foundation, the Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring Nashville’s rich legacy of songwriting excellence through preservation, celebration and education. More information is available at http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/.
Inductee Biographical Information:
AL ANDERSON [electee – contemporary songwriter category] “Big Al” Anderson was born in Windsor, CT. Raised by his piano teacher mother and a radio that would get WWVA in Wheeling, WV, late at night, he devoured all genres of music. He was a member of The Wildweeds in the late 1960s. From 1971 to 1993 he was lead guitarist in the Rock band NRBQ, also releasing several solo albums. He was recognized as one of the top 100 guitar players of the 20th Century by Musician magazine. In the 1990s, Al shifted his focus to Country music. In 1993 he celebrated his first major hit as Carlene Carter took their co-written “Every Little Thing” to #3 Country. Among Al’s best-known songs are “Should’ve Asked Her Faster” by Ty England, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” by The Mavericks w/ Flaco Jiménez, “Unbelievable” by Diamond Rio, “Powerful Thing” by Trisha Yearwood, “Big Deal” by LeAnn Rimes, “The Cowboy In Me” by Tim McGraw, “Trip Around The Sun” by Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride (also #1 Bluegrass in 2024 for Bronwyn Keith-Hynes w/ Dierks Bentley), “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” by George Strait, and “Loving You Easy” by The Zac Brown Band. Named BMI’s 2000 Country Songwriter of the Year, Al has had songs recorded by Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Loveless, George Jones and Sheryl Crow.
LIZ ROSE [electee – contemporary songwriter category] Dallas-born Liz Rose was raised in Irving, TX. A non-songwriter at that time, she moved with her songwriter husband to Nashville, where she found work as a songplugger. Encouraged by songwriters and other friends, Liz began writing songs at age 37, and by 2004 she had her first Top 20 single, “Songs About Rain,” by Gary Allan. By mid-decade, Liz’s co-writes with newcomer Taylor Swift yielded her debut hits “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops On My Guitar,” which was named 2008 BMI Country Song of the Year. Their collaborations span nearly 20 cuts, including “You Belong With Me” (2010 BMI Country Song of the Year), “White Horse” (2010 Grammy for Best Country Song) and the 2022 Grammy-nominated “All Too Well (10-minute version from the short film).” Other hits from Liz’s catalog include “Burn It Down” by Parker McCollum and the 2019 Grammy-nominated “It All Comes Out In The Wash” by Miranda Lambert. “Crazy Girl” by Eli Young Band was named 2011 ACM Song of the Year. “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Country Song, the 2015 CMA Song and Single of the Year, and the 2015 NSAI Song of the Year. Liz was the 2007 SESAC Country Songwriter of the Year. She is a 2018 inductee into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame and a 2023 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.
DAN PENN [electee – veteran songwriter category] Dan Penn was born in Vernon, AL. As a teenager in high school, he wrote his first hit, “Is A Bluebird Blue” by Conway Twitty. In 1962, he moved to Muscle Shoals, where he became FAME Studio’s first staff songwriter. In 1966, he relocated to Memphis, where his co-writes with Chips Moman yielded “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” — a #37 R&B hit for Aretha Franklin; later a #17 Country hit for Barbara Mandrell — and “The Dark End Of The Street” – a #10 R&B hit for James Carr (whose recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016); later a #24 Country hit for Archie Campbell & Lorene Mann. Dan’s co-writes with Spooner Oldham created hits such as “I’m Your Puppet” by James & Bobby Purify (#5 R&B/#6 Pop), “It Tears Me Up” by Percy Sledge (#7 R&B), “Cry Like A Baby” by The Box Tops (#2 Pop), “Sweet Inspiration” by The Sweet Inspirations (#5 R&B) and “Take Me (Just As I Am)” by Solomon Burke (#11 R&B). In the early ’70s, Dan moved to Nashville, where he wrote the Country hits “Hillbilly Heart” by Johnny Rodriguez (#5) and “Another Woman” by T.G. Sheppard (#14). Dan’s songs have also been recorded by Mickey Gilley, Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich, John Prine and Kris Kristofferson.
VICTORIA SHAW [electee – veteran songwriter category] Born in Manhattan, NY, Victoria Shaw moved with her family to Los Angeles at age five. She wrote her first song at age 11 and at 13 formed her own band. At 18, Victoria moved back to New York, where she managed a studio during the day and played in piano bars at night as she worked to launch her career as a singer-songwriter. After some encouraging success, Victoria began commuting to Nashville in 1983. In 1990 Gary Morris signed her to his publishing company, and by 1993, Victoria earned a CMA Triple Play award for three #1 hits: “The River” by Garth Brooks, “Too Busy Being In Love” by Doug Stone and “I Love The Way You Love Me” by John Michael Montgomery which was named the 1993 ACM Song of the Year (and was also an international Pop hit for Boyzone). In addition to hits such as “She’s Every Woman” by Garth Brooks and “We Don’t Have To Do This” by Tanya Tucker, Victoria’s songs have been recorded by artists such as Jim Brickman (“Fa La La” and “Sending You A Little Christmas”) and Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera (“Nobody Wants To Be Lonely”). Among four nominations, Victoria has earned two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Original Song: “This Is Our Moment” by Olivia Newton-John (1999 – from As The World Turns) and “When I Think Of You” by Victoria Shaw (2000 – from One Life To Live).
DAVID BELLAMY [electee – veteran songwriter/artist category] David Bellamy and his singing partner/brother, Howard, are natives of Darby, FL. Their father was a Country musician, and they followed in his footsteps. David first tasted songwriting success in 1974 when Jim Stafford made a major hit of his “Spiders And Snakes.” The Bellamy Brothers landed a recording contract the following year and began making their mark on the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts before finding a home in Country music. By 1979, the duo scored a monster hit with David’s classic “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” which was a Grammy nominee the following year for best country & western song. From there, David began to provide the team with a steady stream of hits, topping the charts with “Sugar Daddy,” “Dancin’ Cowboys,” “For All The Wrong Reasons,” “Redneck Girl,” “I Need More Of You,” “Kids Of The Baby Boom” and “Old Hippie” (named one of Rolling Stone’s top 100 greatest country songs of all time in 2014) — all written solo by David, as was “Drug Problem” (a 2008 Dove nominee for country song of the year). Over the years, he has also written or co-written songs sung by Carl Perkins, Clint Black, Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, Frankie Miller, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton and others. To date, more than 35 David Bellamy songs have been placed on the Country charts.
BEST Nashville Concert Tickets!Nashville.com
The Visitors Guide to Nashville!
