COUNTRY STAR PHOTOS
  • Home
  • CMA Fest
    • 2026 CMA Music Festival >
      • News
      • Stage Schedules
      • Fan Club Parties
      • Around Town >
        • Events by Day
        • Events by Location
        • Grand Ole Opry
        • Writer's Rounds
      • Contests
      • Downloads/Maps
    • CMA Fest Archives >
      • CMA Music Festival (2015 - Current)
      • 2025 CMA Music Festival >
        • News
        • Stage Schedules
        • Fan Club Parties
        • Around Town >
          • Events by Day
          • Events by Location
          • Meet and Greet
        • Artists Schedules
    • CMA Music Festival Tips
    • CMA Music Festival Photos
  • Festivals
    • United States >
      • By State
      • By Month
      • Bluegrass >
        • Bluegrass Festivals
        • Organizations
      • Songwriters
    • Canada and Mexico >
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • International >
      • By Country
      • Country 2 Country
  • Artists
    • Grand Ole Opry
    • Country Spotlight
  • Photos
    • Concert Photo Gallery
  • Travel
    • Nashville >
      • Live Music >
        • Concert Venues
        • Nashville Bars >
          • Broadway
          • The Avenues
          • Mid-Town
        • Writer's Rounds
      • Area Attractions
      • Museums
    • Museums
    • Hall of Fame (Other)
  • Contact

Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame
1980 - 1989

Picture
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame began in 1970 as an enterprise of the fledgling Nashville Songwriters Association. A credentials committee unanimously selected a charter class of 21 writers, who were inducted on Monday, October 12, during the first Hall of Fame Banquet and Ceremony held at the Holiday Inn-Vanderbilt. 

Sixteen years later, the Hall of Fame split from the songwriters association to form its own entity. The International Songwriters Foundation (ISF) was chartered on April 11, 1986, as a new organization to oversee the Hall of Fame. On March 2, 1992, the ISF changed its name to the Nashville Songwriters Foundation (NSF), then on Dec. 5, 2006, to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF).

Throughout its 40-plus years of existence, the Hall of Fame remained a virtual entity with no permanent location to call home until May 19, 2013, when NaSHOF realized a decades-long dream with the opening of its Hall of Fame Gallery inside the newly constructed Music City Center (MCC), Nashville’s 1.2 million-square-foot convention center. Located in downtown Nashville (directly across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Bridgestone Arena) the gallery features displays of songwriting memorabilia, as well as interactive touch screens that allow visitors to access audio, video and other digital information about the history of Nashville songwriting and members of the Hall of Fame. 
 To find out more about each member, click  on their name to be taken to their official page in the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame website. 
NOTE: If viewing on mobile device, swipe left to see Inductees hometown and other information.
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Leadbelly
Born:
01-23-1888
Died: 12-06-1949
Birthplace: Mooringsport, Louisiana
Picture
View Bio
 Mickey Newbury
Born:
05-19-1940
Died: 09-28-2002
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Picture
View Bio
Ben Peters
Born: 06-20-1933
Died: 05-25-2005
Birthplace: Greenville, Mississippi
Picture
View Bio
Ray Stevens
Born: 01-24-1939
Birthplace: Clarkdale, Georgia
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Bobby Braddock
Born:
08-05-1940
Birthplace: Lakeland, Florida
Picture
View Bio
Ray Whitley
Born:
12-05-1901
Died: 02-21-1979
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Chuck Berry
Born:
10-18-1926
Died: 03-18-2017
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Picture
View Bio
Billy Hill
Born:
07-14-1899
Died: 12-24-1940
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Picture
Picture
View Bio
W.C. Handy
Born: 11-16-1873
Died: 03-29-1958
Birthplace: Florence, Alabama
Picture
View Bio
​Loretta Lynn
Born: 04-14-1935
Died: 10-04-2022
Birthplace: 
Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
Picture
View Bio
Beasley Smith
Born: 09-27-1901
Died: 09-14-1968
Birthplace: McEwen, Tennessee
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Hal David
Born:
5-25-1921
Died: 09-01-2012
Birthplace: New York, New York
Picture
View Bio
Billy Sherrill
Born:
11-05-1936
Died: 08-04-2015
Birthplace: Phil Campbell, Alabama
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Bob McDill
Born:
04-05-1944
Birthplace: Walden, Texas
Picture
View Bio
Carl Perkins
Born:
04-09-1932
Died: 01-19-1998
Birthplace: Tiptonville, Tennessee
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Otis Blackwell
Born:
02-16-1931
Died: 5-06-2002
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Picture
View Bio
Dolly Parton
Born: 01-19-1946
Birthplace:
​
Locust Ridge, Tennessee
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Roy Orbison
Born:
04-23-1936
Died: 12-06-1988
Birthplace: Vernon, Texas
Picture
View Bio
Sonny Throckmorton
Born: 04-02-1941
Birthplace: Carlsbad, New Mexico
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Hoagy Carmichael
Born:
11-22-1899
Died: 12-27-1981
Birthplace: 
Bloomington, Indiana
Picture
View Bio
Troy Seals
Born: 11-16-1938
Birthplace: Bighill, Kentucky
Picture
Picture
View Bio
Rory Bourke
Born:
07-14-1942
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Picture
View Bio
Maggie Cavender
Born: 09-01-1918
Died: 03-24-1996
Birthplace: 
Nashville, Tennessee
Picture
View Bio
Whitey Shafer
Born: 10-24-1934
Died: 01-12-2019
Birthplace: 
Whitney, Texas
Picture
View 1970 - 1979 Inductees
Picture
View 1990 - 1999 Inductees
Picture
Emails will resume in early 2025 or whenever additional details become available.
NOTE: Country Star Photos has no affiliation and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with the Country Music Association, Inc./CMA Fest or any of  its subsidiaries. ​​​

Location

What Our Followers Are Saying

"Great source of information for CMA Country Music Festival. As a first time attendee in 2015, I found the information invaluable" - Nathan, Texas

​"WOW. So many artists in one place. Made it easy for me." Janice, Georgia

​"Never knew there were so many festivals in my area. Can't wait to try them out". Connie, Minnesota
All photos and content on these pages (except for Social Media pages) are the Copyright of ©Debbie Whitaker and ©Country Star Photos and may not be used or reproduced without the express written consent of the copyright owner.
  • Home
  • CMA Fest
    • 2026 CMA Music Festival >
      • News
      • Stage Schedules
      • Fan Club Parties
      • Around Town >
        • Events by Day
        • Events by Location
        • Grand Ole Opry
        • Writer's Rounds
      • Contests
      • Downloads/Maps
    • CMA Fest Archives >
      • CMA Music Festival (2015 - Current)
      • 2025 CMA Music Festival >
        • News
        • Stage Schedules
        • Fan Club Parties
        • Around Town >
          • Events by Day
          • Events by Location
          • Meet and Greet
        • Artists Schedules
    • CMA Music Festival Tips
    • CMA Music Festival Photos
  • Festivals
    • United States >
      • By State
      • By Month
      • Bluegrass >
        • Bluegrass Festivals
        • Organizations
      • Songwriters
    • Canada and Mexico >
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • International >
      • By Country
      • Country 2 Country
  • Artists
    • Grand Ole Opry
    • Country Spotlight
  • Photos
    • Concert Photo Gallery
  • Travel
    • Nashville >
      • Live Music >
        • Concert Venues
        • Nashville Bars >
          • Broadway
          • The Avenues
          • Mid-Town
        • Writer's Rounds
      • Area Attractions
      • Museums
    • Museums
    • Hall of Fame (Other)
  • Contact