Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Announces 2016 Inductees

The 2016 group of inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame were announced this morning on Music Row, and four of the most renowned and respected tunesmiths in the format’s history were named to the Hall’s exclusive class in Townes Van Zandt, Bob Morrison, Aaron Barker, and Beth Nielsen Chapman.

Townes Van Zandt might be one of the biggest surprises of this years’ class – only because he has not been inducted as of yet. Born in Fort Worth, he was brought to town by Mickey Newbury in the late 1960s. Though his catalog includes such masterpieces as “Rex’s Blues” and “No Place To Fall,” he is perhaps best known for a pair of duets that personified the 1980s – “If I Needed You,” from Don Williams and Emmylou Harris, as well as “Pancho and Lefty,” a classic hit from Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Van Zandt died on January 1, 1997.

Bob Morrison’s first love – like so many Country artists – was athletics. He attended Mississippi State on a track scholarship. A one-time recording artist with Columbia Records in New York, Morrison’s true claim to fame was due to the songs he helped to create, such as Kenny Rogers’ powerful love song “You Decorated My Life,” and Johnny Lee’s blockbuster hit “Lookin’ For Love.” He also was one of the writers of The Dixie Chicks’ “Tonight The Heartaches On Me,” in addition to being a four time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year.

Aaron Barker began to make his name known for his involvement in military bands that played throughout the United States. His first major break as a songwriter came in 1988, when George Strait released “Baby Blue” as the second single from If You Ain’t Lovin,’ You Ain’t Livin. It was not the first time Barker would connect with Strait, also contributing such hits as “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “I’d Like To Have That One Back,” and the 1993 number one hit “Easy Come, Easy Go.” He also enjoyed hits by artists such as Clay Walker and Lonestar.

Beth Nielsen Chapman definitely qualifies as a double-threat in the business. Her hit tally stands as one of the most versatile in Music City history, with classics by Willie Nelson (“Nothing I Can Do About It Now”), Trisha Yearwood (“Down On My Knees”), and Alabama (“Here We Are”). She also was one of the writers of Faith Hill’s 1998 crossover smash “This Kiss.” In addition to her writing, Chapman also enjoyed such Adult Contemporary hits as “All I Have,” “The Moment You Were Mine,” and “Walk My Way.”

The four new inductees – which bring the total number of honorees to 203 – will be officially inducted on Sunday, October 9 in Nashville at the Music City Center.