Sunday night (Oct. 7) the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame honored songwriters Larry Henley, Kim Williams and Tony Arata and songwriter/artist Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Garth Brooks made a rare appearance in Nashville to help welcome the new members.
Garth's wife, Trisha Yearwood, was also on hand and honored Larry Henley by performing his most famous song, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which Trisha noted had been covered by around 200 artists.
Garth then took the stage to honor Kim Williams, Garth’s co-writer on hits such as “Papa Loved Mama” and “Ain’t Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up).” Garth told the audience that it was like welcoming a brother to the hallowed Hall. “I met him in 1988,” Garth said. “Our careers started about the same time. He is definitely what a songwriter really is.”
Later in the evening, Garth returned to honor songwriter Tony Arata, who wrote Garth’s anthem “The Dance.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter humbly accepted her honor by acknowledging fellow writer Don Schlitz for his early support. “I’m a humble graduate of the Don Schlitz school of songwriting,” she said, “I’m so deeply honored to take my place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
Also during the evening, the Nashville Songwriters Association International presented its annual Songwriter Achievement Awards. The Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor went to Taylor Swift for the fifth time in six years. Dolly Parton received the award for Song of the Year for her timeless “I Will Always Love You,” which became a mainstay at radio again this year after the death of pop singer Whitney Houston, who took the song to No. 1 on the pop charts.
(read more at Country Weekly
)
