Ronnie Dunn gets spot in songwriters hall
Former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, K.T. Oslin, Byron Hill, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Joe Melson will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October, according to an announcement made by Hall of Fame member Pat Alger, chairman of the organization’s board of directors.
The five new inductees will join the 208 existing members of the elite organization when they are officially inducted during the 48th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Oct. 28 at the Music City Center in Nashville, according to a news release.
“This time of year, as board chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, I am always reminded of the broad variety and high quality of the songwriting talent we are so fortunate to be able to celebrate,” Alger said in a statement.
“The musical trends might change through the years, but for us it always comes down to great songs and legendary songwriters — the bedrock of the town that continues to be hailed as Music City. This year’s nominees for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame were inspiring and impressive as always, each one deserving recognition for the impact they made.”
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2018 includes Hill and Kirkpatrick in the songwriter category; Melson in the veteran songwriter category; Dunn as songwriter/ artist; and Oslin as veteran songwriter/artist.
Half of the successful duo Brooks & Dunn, Dunn, who was born in Texas but made Tulsa his hometown, popularized many of his own compositions, including the Brooks & Dunn hits “Neon Moon,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Believe.”
Hill’s songwriter credits include “Pickin’ Up Strangers” (Johnny Lee), “Fool Hearted Memory” (George Strait) and “Nothing On But The Radio” (Gary Allan). Kirkpatrick’s resume is known for the Grammy-winning “Change The World” (Eric Clapton) and “Little White Church” (Little Big Town) and the Broadway musical “Something Rotten!”
Melson is the co-writer of the Roy Orbison hits “Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel),” “Crying” and “Blue Bayou.” Oslin recorded many of her self-penned hits, including “80s Ladies,” “Hold Me” and “Come Next Monday.”
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala is billed as one of the music industry’s premier events of the year. The evening features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists.
Oklahoma native and iconic entertainer Reba McEntire recently was named the recipient of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inaugural Career Maker Award. McEntire, who hails from Chockie, will be honored for her significant influence on the songwriting careers of hall of fame members during the Oct. 28 event.
“I love to record! Being in the studio is so creative and so much fun and very rewarding. That process starts with the songwriters and publishers sending me songs to listen to,” McEntire said in a statement.