Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame reveals new inductees

Pictured (from left): Pat Alger, Buddy Cannon (representing the late Vern Gosdin), Jim McBride, Tim Nichols, Walt Aldridge and Mark Ford. Photo: Bev Moser

The class of 2017: Walt Aldridge and Tim Nichols, veteran songwriter Jim McBride and the late Vern Gosdin as songwriter/artist

Vern Gosdin, Jim McBride, Walt Aldridge and Tim Nichols will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October, according to an announcement made by Hall of Fame member Pat Alger, chair of the organisation’s board of directors. The four new inductees will join the 203 existing members when they are officially inducted during the 47th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Monday 23 October at the Music City Center.

“The quality of the songs that emanate from the legendary Nashville Songwriting community is most often the standard by which songwriters measure their success,” says Alger. “Iconic songs from its eminent songwriters help make this town the musical sanctuary it has become and in turn, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates the illustrious careers of those songwriters each year by inducting four new members, the highest honor that any Nashville songwriter can hope for.”

Walt Aldridge’s songwriter credits include (There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me (Ronnie Milsap), Holding Her And Loving You (Earl Thomas Conley) and Modern Day Bonnie And Clyde (Travis Tritt). Tim Nichols’ resume is known for I’m Over You (Keith Whitley), Heads Carolina, Tails California (Jo Dee Messina) and Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw). Jim McBride is the tunesmith behind Rose In Paradise (Waylon Jennings), Chasing That Neon Rainbow (Alan Jackson) and Chattahoochee (Alan Jackson). Vern Gosdin popularised many of his own compositions, including Set ’Em Up Joe, I’m Still Crazy and Chiseled In Stone.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists. In recent years artists such as Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Ronnie Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood have performed at or participated in the event. Fellow songwriter organisation, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, also participates in the evening by presenting its annual awards for the year’s Best Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist, as well as the Top 10 “Songs I Wish I Had Written” as determined by their professional songwriters division.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Gala are $250 each and benefit the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation. Find out more at nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com

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