Songwriters Tribute Reba During CMHoF Weekend Session

In honor of the Reba: All the Women I Am exhibit opening weekend, the Country Music Hall of Fame hosted a songwriter session on Saturday (Aug. 10) highlighting the songwriting prowess of Liz Hengber, Will Robinson, and Kellys Collins, from the re-launched Starstruck Publishing.

Hengber kicked off the Reba-themed songwriter round with the title track from the entertainer’s best-selling album to date, For My Broken Heart. The track, co-written with Keith Palmer, was inspired by a breakup Henber was going through. The idea for the song was furthered sparked by a line in the 1969 movie A Boy Named Charlie Brown, where Linus explained that “the world didn’t stop” while Charlie Brown was bemoaning having lost a spelling bee contest. The songwriter also offered “And Still” and the Reba and Trisha Yearwood Duets song “She Can’t Save Him” from her treasure trove of Reba cuts which also include “Forever Love,” “It’s Your Call.”

Robinson offered “I Know How He Feels,” a co-write with Rick Bowles, which was originally demoed with the pronoun, she. After a quick re-write, the title was recorded with a simple guitar-vocal and shortly thereafter, Reba’s version reached the No. 1 position on Country radio. Additionally, Robinson performed “Will He Ever Go Away,” a song from Reba’s 1992 It’s Your Call album. “Will He Ever Go Away” was co-written with songwriter and former Nashville WSIX-FM radio personality Gerry House.

Between songs, questions from the audience were fielded by the songwriters and Starstruck’s Cliff Williamson. Questions ranged from “Where do you find inspiration?” to “How do song royalties work?”

Collins sat out the first pass, but offered her vocal on “Goodbye Looks Good On Me,” the theme song she co-wrote for Reba’s 2012-13 Malibu Country ABC-TV season. The young singer’s outstanding vocal wrapped the morning session by accompanying the Hengber, Robinson and McEntire title “Somebody’s Chelsea.”

Stay tuned at MusicRow.com for highlight’s from McEntire’s afternoon interview, with over an hour and a half of insight into the Hall of Famer’s Country Music Hall of Fame life trajectory.