Tom Douglas To Be Saluted in ‘Poets and Prophets’ Series on May 18

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will honor songwriter Tom Douglas on May 18 as the subject of the Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songswriters series. Beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater, there will be an in-depth interview and performance. The program will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org.

Hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray, the 90-minute program will include recordings, photos and film clips from the museum’s Frist Library and Archive. Immediately after the program, Douglas will signed limited edition, commemorative Hatch Show Print Posters.

Douglas’ first big break came in 1994, when Collin Raye released “Little Rock.” Later successes include Tim McGraw‘s “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” “My Little Girl,” “Let It Go” and “Southern Voice.” Lady Antebellum found success with the Douglas-penned “I Run To You” and “Hello World,” and Martina McBride had a high-charting hit single with “Love’s The Only House.” Douglas has had songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood and others. What is perhaps his career-defining song is “The House That Built Me,” co-written with Allen Shamblin and recorded by Miranda Lambert.

Douglas was born in Atlanta in 1953. He graduated from Oglethorpe University in 1975 and earned his MBA from Georgia State University in 1977. He pursued an advertising career in Atlanta while he wrote songs. Del Bryant signed him to BMI in the late 1970s. In 1993, he signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. He has had more than 130 songs recorded and continues to write. He teaches a lyric writing class at Belmont University and regularly participates in songwriter showcases.