BMI will be hosting a showcase at LuLu's (200 E. 25 Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL). Scheduled to appear at 8:00 p.m. is Kate York, Trent Dabbs, Sam Ashworth and Betsy Roo.

For more information on the festival, click here.

BMI will be hosting a showcase at LuLu's (200 E. 25 Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL). Scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m. is Max T. Barnes, Wayd Battle, Tim James, and Kendell Marvel.

Another showcase will take place at Perdido Beach Resort (27200 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL). Scheduled to appear at 9:00 p.m. is Rodney Clawson, Bob DiPiero, Bobby Pinson, Jeff Stevens and Trent Tomlinson.

For more information on the festival, click here.

BMI will be hosting a showcase at the Sunset Cork Room (2200 East 2nd St. Suite E, Gulf Shores, AL).

Scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m. is Max T. Barnes, Tim James, Kendell Marvel and Trent Tomlinson.

Scheduled to appear at 9:00 p.m. is Rodney Clawson, Bob DiPiero, Bobby Pinson and Jeff Stevens.

For more information on the festival, click here.

Bob DiPiero, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs and Hank Williams, Jr. were honored for their songwriting contributions and welcomed to the esteemed ranks of the Nashville Songwriters Hall Fame during the 38th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony held Sunday, October 14.  Members of the Nashville songwriting and publishing community filled the ballroom of the Renaissance Nashville hotel to celebrate the musical contributions of the newest inductees.

During the evening's ceremonies, each new member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was inducted by a fellow artist, friend or family member, while star-studded performances highlighted their respective repertoires.

Bluegrass icons Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs were inducted by Marty Stuart, who joined Flatt's band at the age of 13.  The Grammy®-winning Del McCoury Band took the stage to perform the Flatt & Scruggs hits "If I Should Wander Back Tonight," "Earl's Breakdown," "Little Cabin Home on the Hill," "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'" and the Martha White jingle before Stuart joined them on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown."  Flatt's widow Gladys Flatt and granddaughter Tammy Brumfield joined Scruggs to accept the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Manny Award.  "It's been a wonderful ride," Scruggs said.  "Thank you all very much."

Hank Williams, Jr. was inducted in "family tradition" by his daughter, Holly Williams.  "It's a surprise that I'm inducting my dad tonight," she said.  "I'm a songwriter myself. It's my passion, and I am a true fan of my dad."  She then performed three of his songs-"Feelin' Better," "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" and "Blues Man"-before country chart-topper Gretchen Wilson took the stage to perform the Bocephus classic, "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down."  With his induction, Williams joins his legendary father as the only father/son members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.  As he accepted his award, Williams told the crowd that he had taken banjo lessons from Scruggs at the age of 19.  "I'm from the old school," he said.  "I know a lot of you are saying that these awards don't mean anything to old Hank, but this one is special.  I need this, thank you, and I need y'all."

Bob DiPiero's career began when he arrived in Music City in 1979 and found an early supporter in Amy Kurland, owner of the renowned Bluebird Café, so it was fitting that she presided over his induction.  DiPiero's friends in the Hit Men of Music Row-Craig Wiseman, Tony Mullins and Jeffrey Steele-performed a medley of his hits including "American Made," " Take Me As I Am" and "Blue Clear Sky" before Neal McCoy performed his #1 hit "Wink," which was named BMI Country Song of the Year in 1995. "Coming from Youngstown, Ohio, I thought I might be indicted, but not inducted," DiPiero quipped as he accepted his award.   "I definitely didn't get here by myself," he said, before acknowledging a long list of supporters, mentors and fellow writers.  "I love all of you.  Thank you for this honor."

In addition to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductions, the hall's sister organization, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), presented its annual Songwriter Achievement Awards.  The organization's professional songwriter members named "Bless the Broken Road," by Bobby E. Boyd, Jeff Hanna and Marcus Hummon, their Song of the Year.  BMI singer/songwriter Taylor Swift shared the Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor with Alan Jackson. 2007 was a breakthrough year for Swift, who wrote or co-wrote every song on her platinum-selling eponymous debut. Taylor is the youngest recipient of the award to date.

NSAI's Professional Songwriters Division also voted for their favorite songs of the year. Informally dubbed "The Songs I Wish I'd Written," members select 10 hits each year that fit the bill. Bobby E. Boyd, Jeff Hanna and Marcus Hummon's "Bless the Broken Road," recorded by Selah with Melodie Crittenden; Casey Beathard and Ed Hill's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are," recorded by Tracy Lawrence; Bill Anderson and Jamey Johnson's "Give It Away," recorded by George Strait; Luke Bryan's "Good Directions," recorded by Billy Currington; Bobby Pinson and Trent Tomlinson's "One Wing in the Fire," recorded by Tomlinson; Sarah Buxton's "Stupid Boy," recorded by Keith Urban; Merle Haggard's "The Seashores of Old Mexico," recorded by George Strait; and John Scott Sherrill and Shawn Camp's "Would You Go With Me," recorded by Josh Turner all scored the colleague-voted nods.

Pictured at the BMI booth are (l to r): Delmarva Broadcasting Station WXCY-FM's Bob Bloom, Rushlow Harris members Tim Rushlow and Doni Harris, Delmarva Broadcasting Station WXCY-FM's Dave Hovel and BMI's Dan Spears.

BMI offered the radio industry a hearty welcome to Nashville on Thursday, March 1 with "WCRS Live!," an intimate, in-the-round showcase hosted by hitmaking machine Jeffrey Steele. Songwriter/artists Sarah Buxton ("Stupid Boy"), Pat Green ("Wave on Wave"), Mac Davis ("Texas in My Rearview Mirror") and Steele himself ("What Hurts the Most") treated the audience to acoustic performances of country radio's contemporary hits and perennial favorites.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Mason Hunter, Jamie Lee Thurston with BMI's Margaret Vann, Glenn Brannen and Dan Spears.

The artists and songwriters featured on CRS's Friday, March 2 "New Faces" showcase bill may have be relatively new, but "auspicious" may better describe this year's round of participants. BMI affiliates snagged every coveted slot of the line-up, and Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Jack Ingram, Rodney Atkins and Trent Tomlinson gave the packed house at the Nashville Convention Center five strong reasons to feel good about country music's present and future.

Pictured before the WCRS Live! set are (l to r): BMI's Dan Spears, Pat Green, Mac Davis, Sarah Buxton, Jeffrey Steele and BMI's Jody Williams.

Pictured are (l to r): New Faces host Kix Brooks, Rodney Atkins, BMI's David Preston, Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Trent Tomlinson and Eric Church, with BMI's Jody Williams and Shelby Kennedy.

Photos by Jerry Bailey

Pictured are (front) Lyric Street Records' Doug Howard, Trent Tomlinson and Leigh Reynolds (back) Cal IV Entertainment's Daniel Hill and Cal Turner III, BMI's Perry Howard. Photo: Brian Tipton

]]> 2005-04-24T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234384 Artists, Boyd, Bobby E., Hummon, Marcus, LeVox, Gary, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The, Rascal Flatts, Tomlinson, Trent, Wells, Danny, Musical Styles, Country Rascal Flatts and BMI Award-winning songwriters Bobby E. Boyd and Marcus Hummon were center stage during a party hosted by BMI in honor of their #1 hit, "Bless the Broken Road." Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Jeff Hanna, who co-wrote the song, was recovering from the flu and unable to attend.

Pictured are BMI's Bradley Collins, Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, Marcus Hummon, Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus, and Bobby E. Boyd

The awards presentations also praised the contributions of publishers Careers-BMG Music Publishing and Jeff Diggs Music (Hanna's company), producers Mark Bright and Marty Williams, and Lyric Street Records. The single is included on the #1, platinum-plus album Feels Like Today.

Producer Mark Bright, RF's Jay DeMarcus, BMI's Bradley Collins, Marcus Hummon, Bobby E. Boyd, RF's Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox, and producer Marty Williams

In addition to celebrating their multi-week #1 (six weeks on Billboard and R&R charts), the creative team also shared congratulations on their 2005 Academy of Country Music nominations. "Bless the Broken Road" is up for Song of the Year (nods to Boyd, Hanna, Hummon, Rascal Flatts, Careers-BMG Music and Jeff Diggs Music) and Single of the Year (Rascal Flatts, Bright and Williams). Rascal Flatts also earned a Top Vocal Group mention; they have won the award the past two years.

Danny Wells, Trent Tomlinson, Lyric Street's Doug Howard and Randy Goodman

Collectively, Boyd, Hanna and Hummon have written two dozen songs honored with BMI Awards or Million-Air plaques, including "In Pictures" and "Working Man's Ph.D.," (Boyd); "Baby's Got a Hold On Me" and "Down That Road Tonight" (Hanna); and "Born to Fly," "One of These Days" and "Cowboy Take Me Away" (Hummon).

Famous Music's Glenn Middleworth, David Lee, Famous Music's Curtis Green

"Bless the Broken Road" was written in 1993 and recorded three times prior to the Flatts: by Hummon on his 1995 Sony album, All in Good Time; by Melodie Crittenden, who released it as a single and music video on Asylum Records in 1997; and by Christian group Geoff Moore & the Distance.

Helen Naylor, Careers-BMG's Karen Conrad

Scott Siman, Marcus Hummon, BMI's Paul Corbin

Hope, Bobby, Hallelujah and Stacey Harrison Boyd

Bobby E. Boyd, Bug Music's Dave Durocher (accepting on behalf of Jeff Diggs Music), Careers-BMG Music's Karen Conrad, Marcus Hummon, Careers-BMG Music's Michelle Berlin

photos by Kay Williams