The Class of 2023 inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHoF) have been revealed, and includes songwriters such as Keith Urban, Kix Brooks, David Lee Murphy, Casey Beathard and Rafe Van Hoy.
NaSHoF’s Chair of Board of Directors Rich Hallworth and Director Mark Ford made the announcement at Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A on Music Row: “Gathering for this occasion—to recognize and welcome the members of our incoming class—is always one of the highlights of our year. To this stellar group of songwriters, we say thank you for your songs and for your artistry. You are exceptional talents, and we are proud to honor you this fall, when you officially join your legendary peers in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
Urban’s songwriting catalog is also contained mostly within his artist catalog; he shares of the honor: “It was a shock to get the call to find out that I was nominated — surreal. And then I was in the studio when I got the call from Mark. Really just honored to be here, so thank you very much who made this possible. Thank you.”
Kix Brooks is one-half of the duo Brooks & Dunn, and wrote many of the pair’s best and most famous songs. Brooks said: “If I had to pick one of anything I had to be recognized for — I came [to Nashville] as a fan of songwriters. It’s all I wanted to do,” naming Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Horton, Kris Kristofferson and Roger Miller as his influences. He added: “My heroes were not just artists, but artists that wrote their own songs. Man, to even think that I would be even recognized in the same sentence and the mention of their names. It’s one thing to be in that rotunda down the street there, but songwriters…I could barely talk and say thank you when Mark called.”
The 53rd annual Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala will take place at the Music City Center in Nashville on Oct. 11.
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