Chet Atkins appears in...
Heart Monitor: Connie Smith

A good bit of contemporary country lyric-writing hinges on tangible detail. A song might, say, paint a picture of how the characters in it are dressed, what they’re driving, where they’re headed, what they’re going to do once they get there and what the weather’s like, all of which helps move the story along, and all of which the country listener is used to hearing. Which is exactly why it’s…
Hank Cochran Dies

Iconic songwriter Hank Cochran died Thursday morning at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The writer behind country standards including “Make the World Go Away,” “She’s Got You,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “The Chair,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me,” “Is It Raining at Your House,” “That’s All That Matters,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “This Ain’t My First Rodeo,” and many more, Cochran…
Musicians Hall of Fame Inducts BMI Pioneers

Industry admirers, peers, and contemporary stars gathered to salute the 2009 class of virtuosos inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame on Monday, October 12 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville. BMI legends Chet Atkins, Fred Foster, Charlie Daniels, Billy Cox, and band Toto all became members of the prestigious club that already includes…
2009 Inductees Announced for Musicians Hall of Fame

The 2009 inductees into the Musicians Hall of Fame include a slew of BMI legends: Chet Atkins, Fred Foster, Charlie Daniels, Billy Cox, and band TOTO will all become members of the prestigious club that already includes Booker T. & The MGs, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, Al Kooper, The Memphis Horns, The…
Sweet Dreams: Roy Orbison and the Birth of the Pop Masterpiece

BMI legend Roy Orbison - rock & roll's greatest singer, a crooning rockabilly Caruso who brought opera's high drama to the malt shop jukebox, broke the hearts of bobbysoxers, and pioneered the three-minute pop masterpiece - started out in a dust-covered oven called Wink. He was a West Texas sensation by the time he was 17, playing to crowds as big as 10,000 in 100 degree heat…
Musician and Actor Jerry Reed Dies at 71

Songwriter, vocal stylist, beloved actor and profoundly influential guitarist Jerry Reed has died after a long bout with emphysema. He was 71 years-old. Born Jerry Reed Hubbard on March 20, 1937, in Atlanta, Georgia, Reed first learned to play the guitar on a used model his mother purchased for him when he was still a young child. He developed his proclivity for funk-infused picking early, following his…
Prominent Publisher Al Gallico Dies at 88
Influential independent publisher Al Gallico passed away last month in Los Angeles. He was 88. Al Gallico began his career in the late 30's in New York City, running errands for classical music publishing corporation G. Schirmer. After many years with Leeds Music and Shapiro-Bernstein, Mr. Gallico opened independent publishing venture, Al Gallico Music Corporation. One of his first staff writers was the…
Jerry Crutchfield

He may be best known as a hit producer and Nashville music publishing and record company titan, but when Jerry Crutchfield started out 50 years ago, he was a songwriter/artist. “I had a pop/doo-wop kind of vocal group that signed with RCA Victor and our first record was released in 1956,” recalls Crutchfield. “It’s amazing to think I’ve been in this crazy business for 50 years!” Crutchfield’s…
BMI Songwriter John Hall Making Run for Congress
BMI Award-winning songwriter John Hall, best known for co-writing such hits as "Still the One" and "Dance with Me," is running for Congress in New York State. A former county legislator and school board president, Hall's musical career spans 35 years as an original member of renowned rock band Orleans. He has recorded 18 albums and has worked with other notable BMI artists…
Suzy Bogguss Signs with BMI
Award-winning songwriter/artist Suzy Bogguss has joined BMI for performing rights representation. Pictured in the Nashville office are BMI's Thomas Cain and Suzy Bogguss. photo by Doug Crider Bogguss's recent work includes her contribution of "Bouncin' Off the Bottom" to the
Recent Chet Atkins events
| Oct 12 2009 | The Musicians Hall of Fame Award Show: Nashville |
