Nashville A Teamer Jerry Kennedy was one of the night's inductees. Music runs wild through the Kennedy bloodline: All of Jerry's three sons are hit songwriters, while Shelby Kennedy is also a Writer/Publisher Relations representative in the Nashville office. Pictured are (l to r): Gordon Kennedy, Jerry Kennedy, Bryan Kennedy and BMI's Shelby Kennedy.

The vast majority of 2007's inductees are BMI affiliates, veterans and virtual architects of the American popular music canon. Nashville's A Team lent their gifts to studio recordings by Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Brenda Lee, Marty Robbins and countless others. The Blue Moon Boys and the Tennessee Two helped shape the sounds of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, respectively. The Wrecking Crew's musicianship finessed legendary singles for The Ronettes, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters and more. Detroit's Funk Brothers were a tour de force in Motown, playing on Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It through the Grapevine," singles by Smokey Robison & The Miracles and a smorgasbord of others. The Memphis Boys picked, strummed and drummed through major hits for icons including Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson.

Pictured at the event are (l to r): host Creed Batton, the Musicians Hall of Fame's Joe Chambers, guitar legend Scotty Moore and BMI's Jody Williams.

Joe Chambers, gatekeeper of the Musicians Hall of Fame, took great care in organizing the event, which brought due recognition to behind the scenes virtuosos. Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Mandy Barnett, The Jordanaires, Dobie Gray, The Supremes' Mary Wilson, Amy Grant, Keith Anderson, Ray Scott, Garth Brooks, John Carter Cash and Rodney Crowell presented, performed and reiterated glowing praise. Actor/musician Creed Bratton, beloved character of the same name on The Office, proved an able host; before gaining attention for his television and film work, Batton played guitar in popular 60s group The Grass Roots.

Photos by Beth Gwinn

BMI recognized too that the emerging center of country music—Nashville—was to become one of the hubs of the music industry. An office was started there in 1958, and permanent facilities were constructed for BMI on Music Row in 1964 just in time for the emergence of some of “Music City U.S.A.’s” most legendary writers. That list includes writers like Willie Nelson, who before he became a star in his own right, created hits like “Crazy” for Patsy Cline and “Hello Walls” for Ray Price, and the late Harlan Howard, who penned a string of songs over more than five decades that many of country’s major stars recorded, including “I Fall to Pieces” and “Heartaches by the Number.” From that day on, BMI has assisted in the careers of many of country’s creative legends and recognized that this genre was no flash in the pan, but instead, an indisputable piece of America’s musical fabric. The fact that 87% of the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame are BMI songwriters attests to that fact.

BMI’s list of songwriters and composers also includes such country giants as Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lynn, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Maybelle Carter, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, the Stanley Brothers, Bob Wills, Bill Anderson, Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Buck Owens, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Alabama, Shania Twain, Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels, Don Gibson, Curly Putman, Bill Monroe, Brooks & Dunn, John Michael Montgomery and Alison Krauss.

Founded in l939 as a non-profit-making organization, BMI opened the door to performing rights representation for songwriters and composers of all types of music, many of whom were not eligible under the membership guidelines of the older American PROs. BMI offered first-time representation to songwriters of blues, jazz, r&b, gospel, folk, country and Spanish-language music, and as several of these musical trends converged to produce a new music called “rock & roll,” BMI became the preeminent performing right organization for songwriters of this new genre. The company quickly made reciprocal agreements with sister societies around the world.

The success of BMI’s songwriters and composers is unequaled, as evidenced by their dominance of the industry’s most prestigious awards and honors over the years, representing 51% of the Grammy Awards, 67% of the Country Music Association Awards, 69% of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, 87% of the R&B Foundation’s Pioneer Awards and 95% of the Blues Music Awards.

Poni - Drums

Jem - Bass

“Boredom is death!” declares Lindsay “Coco” Hames, lead singer/songwriter for THE ETTES.  “You’ll never see us bored… or boring.” That’s for sure.  Since their inception in early 2004, THE ETTES have taken the world by storm.  Drawing inspiration from early punk and beat bands, such as the Stooges, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as more melodic ‘60s country acts such as Patsy Cline and Nancy Sinatra, THE ETTES have developed a rock-and-roll sound all their own.

Moving west from NYC, Coco and Poni Silver met up in Los Angeles, California.  Stuck in a new town, they struck up an immediate and explosive musical relationship that quickly earned that ever-elusive “buzz” about town.  After a few evolutions, McCartney-esque Jem Cohen joined the show, and THE ETTES were complete.  Jem’s garage background—and Poni’s powerful punk rock beats—fused with Coco’s ‘60s country vocals to create a whole new rock-and-roll sound that has been blowing people away from the US to the UK and beyond.

Reviews on THE ETTES’ live show regularly comment on the high performance level and stage presence of the band.  All longtime performers, THE ETTES are right at home on stage.  Poni, on her violently powerful live drumming: “Sometimes it’s an accident”, she suggests. “Other times, I might be trying to attack you. You never can tell.” And with Jem’s melodic lead bass playing, THE ETTES have evolved even further, thrilling audiences with the talents that make them such a powerhouse.  “All we can be are ourselves,” shrugs Coco.  “And we’re good at it.”

THE ETTES’ sharp but good-natured sense of humor recalls the ever-present ribbing and creativity that flowed through early Beatles footage.  Individually and collectively, THE ETTES just have something about them, and the world has taken notice.  Presented by KCRW in NYC, a favorite of KXLU, WFMU and INDIE 103.1, THE ETTES have won over radio all over the place; even BBC Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq is a fan.  THE ETTES tour relentlessly, sharing the stage with such acts as THE BLOOD ARM, THE CONSTANTINES, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, THE MUFFS, and THE GO-GO’s to mention a very few.

On September 12, THE ETTES’ debut album “Shake the Dust” is available worldwide (Sympathy for the Record Industry), from stores like Amoeba, Virgin, Tower, and Rough Trade to online shops such as Amazon.com.  Recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London with Liam Watson (the White Stripes, Billy Childish, the Kills) “Shake the Dust” is pure ETTES:  energetic, electric, and totally new.  Even before its release “Shake the Dust” is blasted from radio stations and Podcasts (including from BMI and Music Plus), and with their appeal spreading to television, film and all over the Internet, there’s no telling what’s next for THE ETTES.  The sky is the limit.

THE ETTES’ “SHAKE THE DUST” FALL TOUR 2006

Filter-lauded buzz band THE ETTES hit the road in September supporting the release of their debut album “Shake the Dust” on Sympathy for the Record Industry (September 12).  Recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London with Liam Watson (the White Stripes, the Kills) “Shake the Dust” has the energetic three-piece flaunting influences from the Stooges to Patsy Cline, with a healthy dose of Stones for good measure. 

Catch THE ETTES live this fall with the Purrs (Sarathan) and the Village Green (Spinart) in a town near you.

The Ettes Tour Dates:

September

12 – Los Angeles, CA – Cinespace (Official Release Party!)

15 – Music Plus TV w/ Veruca Salt and The Spores

27 – San Francisco, CA - The Knockout

28 – Portland OR - Dunes

29 – Seattle, WA – The High Dive *

30 - Missoula, MT – The Loft *

October

2 – Minneapolis, MN – Lee’s Liquor Lounge *

3 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean *

4 - Detroit, MI - Lager House *

5 – Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn

6 – Akron, OH – The Lime Spider

7 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes

8 – New York, NY – Cake Shop

10 – Washington, D.C. – The Red & The Black *

11 – Atlanta, GA – Star Bar*

12 – Orlando, FL – Park Ave CD’s (In-store performance)

13 – Gainesville, FL – Common Grounds

14 – New Orleans, LA – The Circle Bar

15 – Houston, TX – Engine Room *

16 – Austin, TX – Flipnotics *

18 - Tucson, AZ – Vaudeville Cabaret *

19 – Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland *

20 – Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar

* w/ The Purrs and The Village Green

THE ETTES: http://www.myspace.com/theettes | http://www.theettes.com | theettesband@aol.com

LABEL: Sympathy for the Record Industry

Sympathy13@aol.com | www.sympathyrecords.com

Clint Black

BMI and A&E created an innovative on-air campaign to promote the series. Titled "Country Crossroads," the campaign features additional BMI writers sharing original anecdotes about the musical influences that the Biography subjects had on their work. The original campaign was shot on location in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville and featured a broad spectrum of BMI writers, including Clint Black, Isaac Hayes, Rosanne Cash, Lorrie Morgan, Shelby Lynn, Buddy Jewell, Julie Roberts and Louie Perez sharing their reflections on their personal musical icons. BMI contributed to the creation of the campaign concept and supplied talent relations, research services, archival footage and logistics support to the shoots. A&E Networks shot and produced the spots.

"Bio Country" can be seen on The Biography Channel Wednesdays at 8 ET/9 PT. Check your local listings for more information.

Isaac Hayes

Rosanne Cash

Shelby Lynne

Kylie Sackley

Shelly Fairchild
Her voice conveys the blues of her Mississippi Delta home and the soulful power of a passionate woman who has been "singing with everything I've got" since she began performing as a child. Her edgy style conveys the confidence of a small-town girl from Clinton, Miss., bold enough to head out on her own and earn lead roles in major musicals and national theatrical tours, yet sensitive enough to write heart-tugging stories about love and family as well as steamy tales about desire and living life to the hilt. Her dynamic stage presence conveys the experience of a stage actress and the live-wire energy and hot-blooded emotion of a risk-taker who can open the throttle and roar or slow down to caress a lyric with intimate conviction. Her Columbia Records debut, Ride, is a one-of-a-kind introduction that suggests this country singer won't be held back by preconceptions about Nashville or contemporary country music. Shelly co-wrote four songs on her album, including "You Don't Lie Here Anymore." Her influences range from Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton to Hank Williams Jr. and Travis Tritt.

Stephony Smith
BMI Award-winning songwriter Stephony Smith's list of accolades is unparalleled. An eight-time BMI Million-Air Award winner, she was named both Songwriter of the Year and her Faith Hill and Tim McGraw #1 hit "It's Your Love" was named Song of the Year at the 1998 BMI Country Awards. The song also earned a ACM Award for Song of the Year, as well as a Grammy and CMA nomination. She was named NSAI's Songwriter of the Year and has four NSAI #1 awards. Her other #1 cuts include "Back When" (Tim McGraw), "Sin Wagon" (Dixie Chicks), "Perfect Love" (Tricia Yearwood), "Yes!" (Chad Brock), "Big Star" (Kenny Chesney) and "How Was I to Know" (Reba McEntire). Smith has also written over 100 songs for artists such as Shania Twain, Wynonna, She Daisy, Barbra Streisand, Martina McBride, Shelby Lynne, Diamond Rio, Lonestar, Montgomery Gentry, and many others.

Lisa Carver
Lisa carver is a native Charleston, South Carolina girl, who has been part of the Nashville underground music scene for years. She is a songwriter first and foremost, but has always enjoyed entertaining audiences worldwide with her eclectic, three-dimensional story songs. However, over the last few years, after becoming a grand prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Fest, she began getting her collection of audial art cut by today's country artists ranging from Tim McGraw, Shelly Fairchild, Julie Roberts and Jessica Andrews, to Willie Nelson. Her vocal style is pretty much school of Prine, while her writing style lies somewhere between Kinky Friedman and Kris Kristofferson. Her irreverence and originality are refreshing in today's white-washed, politically-correct country music climate, and she's grateful for the chance to be making her mark on Music Row.

Starting out in the roadhouses and honky-tonks around his Central Texas hometown of Abbot, Nelson has been making music since his teens and writing songs even longer. "I started writing poems when I was about five, and then when I learned to play a few chords on the guitar, started putting melodies to them," says Nelson. "I was writing about things I had no idea about. There was no way a five- or six-year-old kid could write songs about broken hearts. So it has to come from somewhere else."

Even in his days as a working musician in the Lone Star State, he began developing his own idiosyncratic way of tackling a song. "I got tired of singing the same songs the same way," he recalls. "Every night we'd do 'Fraulein' or we'd do 'San Antonio Rose' or something like that, and I just started playing with it, and realized that I could do that. Then I started doing it more and more."

When Nelson moved to Nashville in 1960 with a few hits on small labels under his belt, he first found work as a sideman for Ray Price, whose Pamper Music also signed Nelson as a songwriter. Hits he wrote, like "Hello Walls" for Faron Young, "Crazy" for Patsy Cline and "Night Life" for Price, established a string of superb songwriting that continues until today. They also helped him win a deal with RCA Records, though his unique vocal phrasing and eclectic musical approach never found favor in Music City.

"I never did really fit into any of them, you know, the phases and stages and things that the music always goes through. It would be hard to quit what you're doing and try to conform to what's going on on the radio. It would be too much of a change," he says with a laugh.

After a decade in Nashville, Nelson moved back to Texas after his house burned down just before Christmas. It was back in his home state where he discovered an audience beyond the usual country fans when he played the Armadillo World Headquarters hippie haven in 1972 and brought down the packed house. "I wasn't surprised by the turnout that night," he notes. "I knew all along that kids would respond to what we were doing."

With his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger -- a three-day wonder that cost $12,000 -- Willie finally hit big on the charts with "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." He quickly rose to superstar and finally iconic stature, releasing countless classic songs and albums, collaborating with everyone from his country heroes and peers to punk rockers and even acting in movies. As a testament to his pervasive influence and respect, such stars as Eric Clapton, Steven Tyler, Ray Charles, Sheryl Crow, ZZ Top, Merle Haggard, Shania Twain and others gathered in April 2003 to help Nelson celebrate his 70th birthday in what was the most watched concert special in cable TV history.

Not bad for a country boy with a guitar. "I was always dumb enough to think I could do anything," concludes Nelson, "and got lucky and done it sometimes."]]> 2003-11-16T17:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233850 Artists, Beatles, The, Cline, Patsy, Crow, Sheryl, John, Elton, Stegall, Jen, Stegall, Keith, Musical Styles, Country Jen Stegall stopped by BMI Nashville to sign affiliation papers. Claiming a variety of influences including Patsy Cline, Sheryl Crow, the Beatles and Elton John, she is pursuing a Music Business degree at Belmont University and has studied theater and music in New York. Stegall is the daughter of BMI Award-winning songwriter and producer Keith Stegall.

Pictured are BMI's Paul Corbin, Stegall, and BMI's Harry Warner. photo by Brian Tipton

]]> 2003-09-16T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233843 Artists, Allen, Harley, Charles, Ray, Cline, Patsy, Evans, Sara, Howard, Harlan, Lonestar, Loveless, Patty, McDonald, Richie, Miller, Lee Thomas, Parton, Dolly, Smith, Stephony, Steele, Jeffrey, Tillis, Mel, Awards, Musical Styles, Country, Pop, R&B, BMI Pop Awards The Harlan Howard Birthday Bash, named for the late BMI legend who was known as the "Dean of Nashville Songwriters," is returning after a six-year absence. The concert, a fundraiser for the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, is set for Tuesday, September 16th in the parking lot of Off Broadway Shoes at 16th Avenue South and McGavock Street. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 p.m.  

Among those in the lineup are BMI talents Jeffrey Steele, Harley Allen, Stephony Smith, D. Vincent Williams, Sara Evans, Jeff Bates, Lee Thomas Miller, Richie McDonald of Lonestar, Merle Kilgore, Brenda Lee and Delbert McClinton.

In a career that spanned six decades, Howard penned more than 100 Top 10 hits, including such classics as "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down," "I Fall To Pieces," "Heartaches By The Number," "Tiger By The Tail," "Busted," "Why Not Me," "Above And Beyond," "Somebody Should Leave" and "Blame It On Your Heart." A BMI writer for over 45 years, Harlan Howard provided hit songs to several generations of stars, from Kitty Wells to Patty Loveless, from Patsy Cline to Reba McEntire, from Mel Tillis to Pam Tillis. A who's-who of the country music world has sung his compositions: George Jones, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, the Judds, Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price and Conway Twitty, to name just a few. But his songs have also enjoyed R&B and pop interpretations by a variety of artists such as Ray Charles, Joe Simon, Shirley Caesar, Brenda Lee, The Kingston Trio, Kay Starr and Burl Ives.

Howard was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and, in 1997, to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Among his numerous accolades were 45 BMI Country Awards, four BMI Pop Awards and two BMI R&B Awards. His presence on Music Row was such that that for a dozen years (1983-95) the community celebrated the "Harlan Howard Birthday Bash," an all-star concert staged in the BMI Nashville parking lot as a benefit for songwriter organizations. Declining health forced him to discontinue these events after 1995, but, with his wife Melanie, he continued to run his song publishing business. Howard died in 2002.

Tickets for the 2003 Harlan Howard Birthday Bash are on sale now at all Ticketmaster at 615/255-9600 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. General Admission tickets are $25. In addition, premium tables for $1,000 can be purchased through Harlan Howard Songs at 615/321-9098. The table for 10 includes a stainless steel flask etched with Harlan Howard's familiar face, Birthday Bash memorabilia journals, table service and commemorative poster signed by the performers. For more information, please visit www.harlanhoward.com.]]> 2003-09-14T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233082 Artists, Anderson, Bill, Charles, Ray, Cline, Patsy, Cochran, Hank, Evans, Sara, Howard, Harlan, Jennings, Waylon, Kristofferson, Kris, lang, k.d., Loveless, Patty, Nelson, Willie, Neville, Aaron, Parton, Dolly, Preston, Frances, Smith, Connie, Tillis, Mel, Wagoner, Porter, Williams, Hank, Awards, Musical Styles, Country, Pop, R&B, BMI Country Awards, BMI Pop Awards By Robert K. Oermann

Legendary BMI writer Harlan Howard, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, died suddenly on Sunday evening , March 3, in Nashville. He was 74.

photo: Beth Gwinn

In a career that spanned six decades, Howard penned more than 100 Top 10 hits. The man behind such timeless songs as "I Fall To Pieces," "Busted," "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" and "Heartaches By the Number" was once dubbed "the Irving Berlin of country music" because of the size of his catalog of classics. A BMI writer for over 45 years, Harlan Howard provided hit songs to several generations of stars, from Kitty Wells to Patty Loveless, from Patsy Cline to Reba McEntire, from Mel Tillis to Pam Tillis. A who's-who of the country music world has sung his compositions: ? George Jones, Buck Owens, Waylon Jenning, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, the Judds, Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price and Conway Twitty, to name just a few. But his songs have also enjoyed R&B and pop interpretations by a variety of artists such as Ray Charles, Joe Simon, Shirley Caesar, Brenda Lee, The Kingston Trio, Kay Starr and Burl Ives.

At the 1994 BMI Country Awards: Patty Loveless, Kostas, Sony/Tree's Donna Hilley, BMI's Roger Sovine, Harlan Howard, and BMI"s Frances Preston celebrate Song of the Year "Blame It On Your Heart"

Among his numerous accolades were 45 BMI Country Awards, 4 BMI Pop Awards and two BMI R&B Awards. BMI President & CEO Frances Preston, who met Howard almost 40 years ago, remembered, "When Harlan was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame several years ago, he said he was surprised he was being honored by people in New York when he so rarely crossed Tennessee’s Cumberland River. Harlan himself may have stayed close to his Nashville home, but his songs were his ambassadors to the rest of the world and the world loved him for it.

Greeting Roger Miller and Waylon Jennings at the 1990 Harlan Howard Birthday Bash

"He understood the spirit of creative collaboration and was willing to share his melodies and his words with other songwriters -- those who were his contemporaries and those who came to "the master" to learn the art. He was generous with his gifts and another generation of successful songwriters is grateful to him for showing them the way.

"Harlan was my friend and I will miss him," concluded Preston.

With co-host Tammy Wynette and Mark Knopfler at the 1990 Birthday Bash

Harlan Perry Howard was born September 8, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan. After a difficult childhood in a number of foster homes, he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and became a manual laborer. After military service, he settled in Los Angeles in 1955 and began driving a forklift in a printing factory.

At the 1961 BMI Country Awards: BMI's Frances Preston and Robert J. Burton, Harlan Howard, Joe Allison and Buck Owens

As a boy, he'd been captivated by the music of Ernest Tubb and had begun writing song lyrics. In California, he socialized with other country-music lovers; one of his early writing partners was Buck Owens. His first publishing deal came courtesy of cowboy stars Tex Ritter and Johnny Bond.

With Buck Owens at the 1998 Birthday Bash

Grand Ole Opry star Charlie Walker launched Howard's hit writing career in 1958 with "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down." The following year, "Heartaches B y the Number" topped both the country and the pop hit parades in versions by Ray Price and Guy Mitchell.

After writing for Kitty Wells, Warren Smith and Jan Howard (his wife from 1957 to 1967), Harlan Howard moved to Nashville in June 1960. Along with fellow BMI writers Bill Anderson, Boudleaux & Felice Bryant, Willie Nelson, Mel Tillis, Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin, John D. Loudermilk and Roger Miller, he was among the first full-time songwriting professionals in the city.

Working at Pamper Music, he collaborated on songs with Hank Cochran, with whom he cowrote Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces" and George Jones' "You Comb Her Hair." At one point in 1961 Harlan Howard had 15 songs on the country popularity charts at the same time , a feat not equaled since. BMI gave him 10 songwriting awards that year of the 39 songs on the "most performed" list and he was named Billboard magazine's songwriter of the year in 1962 and 1963.

Prominence as a writer led to recording his own albums in 1961, 1965, 1967 and 1971. But the finest collection of his songs came with a 1967 tribute LP by Waylon Jennings, titled Waylon Sings Ol' Harlan. During his career, Jennings recorded more than 40 of Howard's songs, far more than any other artist.

Howard was Jennings' songwriting mentor and his bonds with other artists were equally strong. Harlan Howard helped Bobby Bare obtain an RCA recording contract and lobbied for Conway Twitty's transition from teen pop idol to country superstar. He also opened doors on Music Row for current star Sara Evans.

Howard's peers began calling him "Mr. Songwriter" after Ray Charles won a Grammy Award with "Busted" in 1963. Originally recorded by Johnny Cash, that song is one of a number of Harlan Howard compositions that have been recorded multiple times. Others include "Life Turned Her That Way," "The Chokin' Kind," "Yours Love," "Above and Beyond," "I Fall To Pieces," "The Key 's In the Mailbox" and "Too Many Rivers."

In 1982, Opry star John Conlee revived "Busted" and introduced "I Don' t Remember Loving You" and "Nothing Behind You (Nothing in Sight)". Thereafter, a new generation of Nashville stars began singing his songs. Reba McEntire ("Somebody Should Leave"), The Judds ("Why Not Me"), Highway 101 ("Somewhere Tonight") and others extended Howard's hit streak through the 1980s.

In the 1990s Pam Tillis ("Don't Tell Me What To Do"), Doug Stone ("These Lips Don' t Know How To Say Goodbye"), Collin Raye ("All I Can Be") and more had hits with Harlan Howard songs. Trisha Yearwood and Aaron Neville won a Grammy Award for their 1994 revival of "I Fall To Pieces." At the 1994 BMI Country Awards banquet, Howard's "Blame It O n Your Heart," co-written with Kostas and recorded by Patty Loveless, was named BMI Country Song of the Year.

His presence on Music Row was such that that for a dozen years (1983-95 ) the community celebrated the "Harlan Howard Birthday Bash," an all-star concert staged in the BMI Nashville parking lot as a benefit for songwriter organizations. Declining health forced him to discontinue these events after 1995. He and fifth wife Melanie Howard continued to run his song publishing business, however, and they aided such developing writers as Jackson Leap and Bobbie Cryner.

Harlan Howard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and, in 1997, both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Survivors, in addition to his wife, Melanie Howard, are sons Perry Howard (BMI Nashville Associate Director, Writer/Publisher Relations) and Carter "Corky" Howard, daughters Clementine Howard and Jennifer Howard Carmella, granddaughter Michele Carmella, and brother Milton Howard.

Visitation at Nashville's Roesch-Patton-Austin-Bracey & Charlton funeral home (1715 Broadway) is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5 from 11am - 2pm and 6pm - 8pm and again on Wednesday, March 6 from 11am - 2pm. There will be a private family service on Wednesday.

A memorial service has been set for Tuesday, March 19th, from 2-4 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium.

The Howard family has requested memorial donations to The Harlan Howard Music Scholarship Fund, SunTrust Bank, 1206 17th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212. (reference account number 7021676536).

Harlan Howard's Hit Songs

1958: "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" ? Charlie Walker
1959: "Heartaches by the Number" ? Ray Price
"Heartaches by the Number" ? Guy Mitchell "Mommy for a Day" ? Kitty Wells
1960: "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache)" ? Buck Owens
"Above and Beyond" ? Buck Owens
"I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today" ? Warren Smith
"The One You Slip Around With" ? Jan Howard
"I Wish I Could Fall in Love Today" ? Ray Price
"The Everglades" ? The Kingston Trio
"The Key's in the Mailbox" ? Freddie Hart
1961: "I Fall to Pieces" ? Patsy Cline
"Heartbreak U.S.A." ? Kitty Wells
"Under the Influence of Love" ? Buck Owens
"Foolin' Around" ? Buck Owens
"Foolin' Around" ? Kay Starr
"The Blizzard" ? Jim Reeves
"Odds and Ends" ? Warren Smith
"Three Steps to the Phone" ? George Hamilton IV
1962: "Call Me Mr. In-Between" ? Burl Ives
"Second Hand Rose (Second Hand Heart)" ? Roy Drusky
"Mary Ann Regrets" ? Burl Ives
"Sally Was a Good Old Girl" ? Hank Cochran
1963: "Busted" ? Johnny Cash
"Busted" ? Ray Charles
"You Comb Her Hair" ? George Jones
"You Took Her Off My Hands" ? Ray Price
"Don't Call Me from a Honky-Tonk" ? Johnny & Jonie Mosby
"Another Bridge to Burn" ? Jimmy Dickens
"The Deepening Snow" ? Johnny Darrell
1964: "I Won't Forget You" ? Hank Snow
"Your Heart Turned Left" ? George Jones
"Go Cat Go" ? Norma Jean
"Keep Those Cards and Letters Coming In" ? Johnny & Jonie Mosby
"It Takes One to Know One" ? Jimmy Martin
"Life Turned Her That Way" ? Jimmy Dickens
1965: "Too Many Rivers" ? Brenda Lee
"I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" ? Buck Owens
"I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car from Him" ? Norma Jean
"Someone's Gotta Cry" ? Jean Shepard
"She's Gone, Gone, Gone" ? Lefty Frizzell
"What Makes a Man Wander?" ? Jan Howard
"Take Him Fishing" ? Tex Ritter
"Meanwhile Down at Joe's" ? Kitty Wells
1966: "The Hurtin's All Over" ? Connie Smith
"The Minute Men" ? Stonewall Jackson
"Evil on Your Mind" ? Jan Howard
"Streets of Baltimore" ? Bobby Bare
"Look Into My Teardrops" ? Conway Twitty
"Time to Bum Again" ? Waylon Jennings
"Green River" ? Waylon Jennings
"It's All Over But the Crying" ? Kitty Wells
"I've Cried a Mile" ? Hank Snow
1967: "Heaven Help the Working Girl" ? Norma Jean
"The Chokin' Kind" ? Waylon Jennings
"Life Turned Her That Way" ? Mel Tillis
"Any Old Way You Do" ? Jan Howard
1968: "It's All Over But the Crying" ? Hank Williams Jr.
"He's a Good Old Boy" ? Arlene Hardin
"Baby Me, Baby" ? Johnny Duncan
"California Sunshine" ? Waylon Jennings
"Yours Love" ? Waylon Jennings
"I Wish I Felt This Way at Home" ? Dolly Parton
1969: "The Chokin' Kind" ?Joe Simon
"Yours Love" ? Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton
"Thinking �Bout You Babe" ? Billy Walker
"Odds and Ends" ? Tompall & The Glaser Brothers
1970: "Watermelon Time in Georgia" ? Lefty Frizzell
"She's a Little Bit Country" ? George Hamilton IV
1971: "Sunday Morning Christian" ? Harlan Howard
"He Called Me Baby" ? Candi Staton
1972: "The Key's in the Mailbox" ? Tony Booth
1973: "Streets of Baltimore" ? Gram Parsons
1974: "No Charge" ? Melba Montgomery
"She Called Me Baby" ? Charlie Rich
1975: "No Charge" ? Shirley Caesar
1978: "Toddy for the Body" ? Bobby Bare
1980: "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" ? Hank Cochran
"She's Gone, Gone, Gone" ? The New South
1981: "All Fall Down" ? Kris Kristofferson
1982: "Busted" ? John Conlee
"I Don't Remember Loving You" ? John Conlee
"Nothing Behind You (Nothing in Sight)" ? John Conlee
1984: "I Don't Know a Thing About Love" ? Conway Twitty
"You're a Hard Dog to Keep Under the Porch" ? Gail Davies
1985: "Why Not Me?" ? The Judds
"Somebody Should Leave" ? Reba McEntire
1987: "Somewhere Tonight" ? Highway 101
"Too Many Rivers" ? The Forester Sisters
"Never Mind" ? Nanci Griffith
1988: "Life Turned Her That Way" ? Ricky Van Shelton
"I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today" ? Barbara Mandrell
"I'm Down to My Last Cigarette" ? k.d. lang
1989: "Above and Beyond" ? Rodney Crowell
"She's Gone, Gone, Gone" ? Glen Campbell
1991: "These Lips Don't Know How to Say Goodbye" ? Doug Stone
"Don't Tell Me What to Do" ? Pam Tillis
"The Key's in the Mailbox" ? Barbara Mandrell
"All I Can Be (Is a Sweet Memory)" ? Collin Raye
1993: "Blame it on Your Heart" ? Patty Loveless
1994: "I Fall to Pieces" ? Trisha Yearwood & Aaron Neville
1997: "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" ? Sara Evans
1999: "I Fall to Pieces" ? LeAnn Rimes