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David Conrad To Be Presented With Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award

September 26 2011

David Conrad To Be Presented With Frances Williams Preston Mentor AwardAt Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony

Nashville, TN September 26, 2011 -- Legendary music publisher David Conrad will be presented with the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award during the upcoming Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony on October 16th, it was announced today by John Van Mol, Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. Conrad is one of the industry’s most influential and respected executives.

"David is everything a songwriter could want in a mentor: honesty and integrity, character and class,” Van Mol said. “As a music publisher, he loved the songs and he loved the writers, and served as their coach, teacher, psychologist, friend and business partner. Writers were always proud to have their work go out into the world represented by David Conrad, and this award is well-deserved recognition of his outstanding character and care for those in the songwriting profession."

Conrad receives the award named for Frances W. Preston, who influenced and nurtured the careers of thousands of songwriters, performers and publishers in all genres of music during her five-decade career at BMI. Previous recipients of the award are music publisher Bob Beckham (2008), music publisher Bill Hall (2009) and Preston (2010).

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony is one of the music industry’s foremost events of the year. The evening features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists. As previously announced, this year’s inductees are John Bettis, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin.

NaSHOF’s sister organization, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), also presents 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 the professional songwriters division.

The 41st Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony is presented by AT&T, and will take place at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Tickets for the event are $200 each. A limited number of seats are available to the public this year and may be purchased by contacting event director Mark Ford at 615 256 3354 or hoftix@nashvillesongwriters.com.

About the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame:

Established in 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame boasts 171 members, including songwriting luminaries such as Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Bob Dylan, Don & Phil Everly, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, Harlan Howard, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Bill Monroe, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb, Hank Williams, Sr. and Hank Williams, Jr. It was announced in September 2007 that the future home of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will be the historic building at 34 Music Square East, former home of the Quonset Hut, Columbia Studio A, Columbia and Epic Records and Sony Music Nashville. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will become the first organization honoring songwriters to emerge from a virtual entity to one with a physical location.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit foundation dedicated to honoring and preserving the songwriting legacy of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The NaSHOF’s principal purposes are to educate, archive and celebrate songwriting that is uniquely associated with the Nashville music community. More information is available at / .

David Conrad

David Conrad’s career spans more than 35 years in the music publishing business. He has played a major role in the development of Nashville as one of the world's primary songwriting capitols.

In 1973, he was hired as general manager for Charley Pride's PiGem/Chess Music, where he worked with coowner and producer Tom Collins. Conrad managed a staff of 15 songwriters and was involved in the development of such awardwinning tunesmiths as Kent Robbins, Dennis Morgan, Kye Fleming and Archie Jordan. He was also involved in the careers of and selected material for Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell and Steve Wariner.

In 1981, Conrad opened the Nashville office of Almo/Irving Music. Through his direction, the company became a leader in cultivating songwriting of all genres, having placed songs not only on the country music charts but those of pop, adult contemporary and R&B as well.

Through his publishing years at Almo/Irving, Conrad worked with a diverse roster of songwriters and artists that include Pat Alger, John Anderson, Max D. Barnes, Jimmy Buffett, Kye Fleming, Patti Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Wayland Holyfield, Waylon Jennings, Will Jennings, Paul Kennerley, Fred Knobloch, Mark Knopfler, Mike Reid, Kent Robbins, Annie Roboff, Don Schlitz, Thom Schuyler, Gary Scruggs, Allen Shamblin, Bruce Springsteen, Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, Paul Williams and Craig Wiseman.