LOS ANGELES (AP) — Country superstar Keith Urban and Kix Brooks of powerhouse country duo Brooks & Dunn will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this year.
The organization announced its newest inductees on Thursday. They also include Casey Beathard and David Lee Murphy, in the contemporary songwriter category, and Rafe Van Hoy in the veteran songwriter category. They will be formally inducted on October 11 during the 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala held at the Music City Center.
Chair of the organization’s board of directors, Rich Hallworth, and Mark Ford, its executive director, made the announcement at Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A.
Urban, a four-time Grammy Award winning Australian country music superstar, is one of the greatest success stories of modern country music, winning awards and making a name for himself with both self-penned songs, and songs he made his own. Among his creations, “But For The Grace of God,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and “Days Go By," became smash hits.
Kix Brooks' songwriting in Brooks & Dunn helped shaped the iconic '90s country music sound, with tracks like the Grammy-nominated "Brand New Man,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” and “Only in America.”
Casey Beathard is known for writing such hits as Eric Church 's “Hell of a View” and Zach Williams and Dolly Parton 's “There Was Jesus.”
David Lee Murphy's best-known tracks include Kenny Chesney 's “Living In Fast Forward” and David Lee Murphy's “Dust on the Bottle.”
Rafe Van Hoy wrote the classics George Jones and Tammy Wynette 's “Golden Ring” and Deborah Allen's “Baby I Lied."
“Gathering for this occasion — to recognize and welcome the members of our incoming class — is always one of the highlights of our year,” Hallworth said in a statement.
