August 19, 2003

News, Country, Pop

Hank Cochran Inducted to Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame

Legendary BMI songwriter Hank Cochran was inducted to the Mississippi during ceremonies at the Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson on August 9. Hank joked with the exuberant crowd before serenading them with a medley of some of his best-known compositions: "I Fall To Pieces," "Make The World Go Away," "Little Bitty Tear," "Funny Way Of Laughing" and "Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me." NSAI Hall of Fame songwriter Red Lane accompanied him on guitar. Other inductees at the fourth annual Awards ceremony included Willard Palmer, Gerald Stanley Wilson, Little Milton, Willie Dixon, The Canton Spirituals, Lance Bass, Mary Wilson, Ola Dara, and Blackberry Records.

Red Lane, Little Milton and Hank Cochran. Photo: Martha Moore

From his early hits as part of The Cochran Brothers duo with Eddy Cochran (no relation) in the 1950s, through his five decades of hits as a songwriter and performer, Cochran is one of Music Row's most respected residents. He was inducted to the Country Music Association's Walkway of Stars in 1967 and to the Nashville Songwriters' Foundation Hall Of Fame in 1974. The recipient of 39 BMI Country and Pop Awards, he remains at the top of his game with recent cuts by Brad Paisley ("Is It Raining At Your House") and Reba McEntire ("If I Had Any Sense At All"). Three of his songs made CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music list: #7 "I Fall To Pieces," #24 "The Chair" and #39 "Make The World Go Away." "I Fall To Pieces" and "Make The World Go Away" have achieved BMI Million-Air honors for three million performances each.

In this story: Hank Cochran, Little Milton, Thalia, Mary Wilson

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