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Members In The News
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson will serve as moderator of the inaugural Hank Williams Songwriting Workshop
County Music and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer and legendary singer/songwriter Whisperin’ Bill Anderson will serve as moderator of the inaugural Hank Williams Songwriting Workshop.
“Cowboy” Jack Clement To Be Inducted Into The Country Music Hall Of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame formally announced the inductees for 2013. The newest class includes Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member, “Cowboy” Jack Clement, Bobby Bare and Kenny Rogers. “Cowboy” has been included under the non-performer category, which is awarded every third year.
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Members to Host Festival to Benefit Foster Care Students
On Saturday, May 18th five of Nashville’s hit songwriters will come together at the Virginia Highlands Community College campus in Abington, VA for the Richard Leigh Music Festival.
More Members In The News
About
About The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with the Nashville music community. Its purpose is to educate, celebrate and archive the achievements and contributions made by members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame to the world.
The Foundation is governed by a 13 member board of directors. Each year the organization inducts a minimum of three songwriters, with an occasional special induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
It was announced in October 2012 that the future home of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will be permanently housed in the Music City Center, Nashville’s new 1.2 million-square-foot convention center that will open in Spring 2013. The Hall of Fame will be located in the lobby adjacent to Sixth Avenue (facing Demonbreun Street) and will consist of two elements. The actual Hall of Fame inside the Music City Center will feature graphic displays and artifacts as well as a state-of-the-art interactive, digital exhibit. Outside the Music City Center’s Hall of Fame lobby will be a “Songwriters Square” complex, consisting of an exterior plaza and stair-step walkway that will be engraved with the names of Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame members, the year they were inducted, and the title of their most well-known compositions.
A Brief History of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
[Note: Since the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation originally began as an entity of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, it is necessary to examine the common history of both organizations.]
The brainchild of songwriters Eddie Miller, Buddy Mize and Bill Brock, the Nashville Songwriters Association (NSA) held its first organizational meeting on Dec. 6, 1967, at the Old Professional's Club on 16th Avenue South. About 40 writers attended, including Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson, Clarence Selman, Johnny Scoggins, Rusty Adams, Eddie Sovine, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Liz & Casey Anderson, Tommy Floyd and Eddie Miller.
By October of 1968, the Nashville Songwriters Association was chartered by the state of Tennessee as a non-profit organization.The first official NSA board members were Liz Anderson, Boudleaux Bryant, Tom T. Hall, Ted Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Vic McAlpin, Bobby Russell, Glenn Sutton, Glen Tubb, Bob Tubert and John Bucky Wilkin. They elected officers Buddy Mize (President), Eddie Miller (Vice President), Johnny Scoggins (Treasurer), Marijohn Wilkin (Secretary) and Clarence Selman (Sergeant at Arms).
In 1970, the board voted to establish the Nashville Songwriters Association's Hall of Fame. A credentials committee unanimously selected the first 21 writers, who were inducted into NSA's Hall of Fame on Monday, October 12, at the Holiday Inn-Vanderbilt during the first annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Ceremony. With about 50 people in attendance, Biff Collie emceed as Gene Autry, Johnny Bond, Albert Brumley, A.P. Carter, Ted Daffan, Vernon Dalhart, Rex Griffin, Stewart Hamblin, Pee Wee King, Vic McAlpin, Bob Miller, Leon Payne, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, Redd Stewart, Floyd Tillman, Merle Travis, Ernest Tubb, Cindy Walker, Hank Williams and Bob Wills were inducted.
In April of 1976, NSA added “International” to its name to become NSAI. In June of 1977, NSAI opened a Hall of Fame in the lower level of the association's office building at 25 Music Square West. A "temporary" home until the day a proper Hall of Fame could be constructed, the office began a 30-year practice of housing Hall member artifacts and memorabilia, including original hit song manuscripts.
On April 11, 1986, the International Songwriters Foundation – established by charter to house the NSAI Hall of Fame, library, archives and museum – elected Chairman Joe Talbot and its founding board of directors at its inaugural meeting at BMI. On March 2, 1992, the ISF changed its name to the Nashville Songwriters Foundation (NSF). On Dec. 5, 2006, the NSF changed its name to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF).
Today, induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame is one of the nation's highest songwriting honors. Established in 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame boasts 188 members, including songwriting luminaries such as Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Bob Dylan, Don & Phil Everly, Flatt & Scruggs, Vince Gill, Harlan Howard, 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 October 2012 that the future home of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will be permanently housed in the Music City Center, Nashville’s new 1.2 million-square-foot convention center that will open in Spring 2013. The Hall of Fame will be located in the lobby adjacent to Sixth Avenue (facing Demonbreun Street) and will consist of two elements. The actual Hall of Fame inside the Music City Center will feature graphic displays and artifacts as well as a state-of-the-art interactive, digital exhibit. Outside the Music City Center’s Hall of Fame lobby will be a “Songwriters Square” complex, consisting of an exterior plaza and stair-step walkway that will be engraved with the names of Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame members, the year they were inducted, and the title of their most well-known compositions.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will become the first of its kind to emerge from a virtual existance to a physical location.
