Music News (4/5/17)

Country Music Hall of Fame Names New Class

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced 2017 inductees, Wednesday, April 5. Recognized as the Songwriter inductee was Don Schlitz, alongside Veteran Era Artist Jerry Reed and Modern Era Artist Alan Jackson.

Schlitz has written 50 Top 10 singles, including 24 No. 1 country hits. He has won three CMA Song of the Year Awards, two Grammy Awards, and four consecutive ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year trophies (1988-91). Among those iconic titles from Schlitz’s pen, include “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” “The Greatest,” “When You Say Nothing At All” “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain,” “Forty Hour Week (for a Livin’), “Houston Solution,” “Deeper Than the Holler,” “One Promise Too Late,” “I Feel Lucky,” “Old School,” “Give Me Wings,” “Strong Enough To Bend.”

Schlitz was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.

For a full report, visit MusicRow.com.

ACM Reveals 52nd Annual Awards Winners

The Academy of Country Music was already naming early winners for the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on Saturday (April 1).

Lori McKenna made history as the first woman to win the Songwriter of the Year honor in the awards’ 52-year history. She earned the win for her solo write, “Humble and Kind,” recorded by Tim McGraw. The honor is the latest for “Humble and Kind,” which also earned McKenna Song of the Year at the 2016 CMA Awards and Best Country Song at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

During the 52nd annual ceremony, Thomas Rhett‘s “Die A Happy Man” won Song of the Year for Rhett and his co-writers Sean Douglas and Joe Spargur with publishers EMI Blackwood Music Inc (BMI), Cricket On The Line (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp (BMI), Eastman Pond Publishing (BMI), Music of Big Deal (BMI), Nice Life (BMI), Frederic And Reid Music (BMI), BMG Platinum Songs (BMI), Brodsky Spensive Publishing (BMI).

See a full winners list and event recap at MusicRow.com.

ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO Features Additional Nashville Songwriters

This year’s ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, slated for April 13-15 at Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, has added several Nashville songwriters to its lineup.

Opening day’s “We Create Music Panel” will bring together industry members including Ashley Gorley, film/TV composer Jeff Cardoni (Silicon Valley/CSI: Miami), Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), Sam Hollander (Fitz and the Tantrums “HandClap”), and James Fauntleroy (Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars).

On April 14 an EXPO Writers Jam will boast stories behind the songs and acoustic performances from J.T. Harding (Kenny Chesney’s “Bar at the End of the World” and “Somewhere With You”), as well as Dave Bassett (Elle King’s “Ex’s & Oh’s”) and Lindy Robbins (Jason Derulo’s “Want to Want Me”).

That same day, songwriter/producer Forest Glen Whitehead (Kelsea Ballerini, Brantley Gilbert) will also join as a roundtable session mentor.

As previously announced, on Thursday, April 13 the panel “You Should Be Here: A Peek Into The Country Music Market” will be led by songwriter Ashley Gorley, who recently earned his 30th No. 1 country hit. Also on the panel will be Matt Jenkins (Kenny Chesney/Pink, Old Dominion) and Zach Crowell (Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton). Also announced was Desmond Child, appearing in a feedback session and conversation with R&B star Aloe Blacc.