Bobby Karl Works The Nashville Songwriters HOF Induction Announcement

Pictured, (back row, L-R): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Board Chair and Hall of Fame member Pat Alger; inductees John Anderson and Gretchen Peters and Hall of Fame executive director Mark Ford. Front row, (L-R): Inductees Paul Craft and Tom Douglas.

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 462

One of the things I find most impressive about the voters for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame is that they so often choose quality over quantity and/or commerciality.

This year’s slate of inductees is a perfect example of that. There are songwriters who have larger catalogs and bigger hits than Gretchen Peters, Tom Douglas, Paul Craft and John Anderson. But you won’t find four writers with classier or better-written songs.

“The voters choose real songs,” observed Peter Cooper, who also heartily approved of this year’s inductees.

How true. The Peters catalog includes such superb creations as “Independence Day” (Martina McBride), “The Chill of an Early Fall” (George Strait), “The Secret of Life” (Faith Hill), “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” (Patty Loveless), “Let That Pony Run” (Pam Tillis), “My Baby Loves Me” (Martina McBride), “If Heaven” (Andy Griggs) and “On a Bus to St. Cloud” (Trisha Yearwood).

As for Douglas, his list includes “The House That Built Me” (Miranda Lambert), “I Run to You” (Lady Antebellum), “Little Rock” (Collin Raye), “Love’s the Only House” (Martina McBride), “Hello World” (Lady Antebellum) and the Tim McGraw hits “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” “My Little Girl,” “Let it Go” and “Southern Voice.”

Paul Craft, this year’s “veteran” inductee, has penned songs for practically every bluegrass band there is. Not to mention such gems as “Brother Jukebox” (Mark Chesnutt), “Come As You Were” (T. Graham Brown), “Dropkick Me Jesus” (Bobby Bare), “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life” (Moe Bandy), “Keep Me From Blowing Away” (Linda Ronstadt), “It’s Me Again, Margaret” (Ray Stevens), “Midnight Flyer” (The Eagles) and “Blue Heartache” (Gail Davies).

The 2014 writer/artist inductee is John Anderson, whose catalog includes such choice items as “Swingin,’” “Chicken Truck,” “I Wish I Could Have Been There,” “Goin’ Down Hill,” “Seminole Wind,” ‘Bend it Until it Breaks,” “I Wish I Could Write You a Song,” “If it Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It” and “Country ‘Til I Die.”

All four inductees appeared at the announcement ceremony on Tuesday morning, July 8, at the Music City Center. This is where their names will be engraved on Songwriter Square and on the MCC steps leading up from Fifth Avenue. It is also where the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame gallery is on display. And MCC will be the site of their induction banquet on Oct. 5.

Showing their support for the new “class” were such prior Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees as Jerry Chesnut, Jerry Foster, Allen Shamblin, Dickey Lee, Larry Henley, Kenny O’Dell, Wayland Holyfield, Pat Alger and Tony Arata. How cool is that?

NSHoF executive director Mark Ford introduced them all at a post-announcement luncheon. This was also attended by Amy Kurland, Jennifer Bohler, Erika Wollam Nichols, Troy Tomlinson, Mike Dye, Ken Paulson, Woody Bomar, Bo Thomas, Corky O’Dell and Bobby Roberts.

As I have mentioned before, the MCC catering can’t be beat. We lunched on chilled herb-chicken salad and chess pie with whipped cream.

Also in attendance at the event were R.J. Curtis, Bart Herbison, Barb Hall, Barry Walsh, Connie Bauer, Carol Ann Ford, Bob Paxman, crews from all three TV news stations and a number of curious fans, conventioneers and onlookers.

“Here in Nashville where the music industry has always been built on a foundation of great songs written by legendary songwriters, each year only a few are elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,” said Pat Alger, who is the chair of the organization’s board. This year’s “few” are truly the best of their breed.

These four will join the 192 existing members of the NSHoF. This is the 44th anniversary/ceremony of the organization.

Tickets for the Oct. 5 banquet, show and ceremony are $250 apiece. Some seats are available to the public. Contact Mark Ford for more information (markford@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com)