Which Iconic Songwriters Are Joining the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024?

The newest members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) are the writers behind iconic hits like “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” “Trip Around The Sun,” “Teardrops On My Guitar,” “The Dark End Of The Street” and “The River.”

At a luncheon held in Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A, part of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, it was announced that David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers), Al Anderson, Liz Rose, Dan Penn, and Victoria Shaw are among the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. 

“Gathering for this occasion – to recognize and welcome the members of our incoming class – is always one of the highlights of our year,” Rich Hallworth, chair of the organization’s board of directors, shared.  “To this stellar group of songwriters, we say thank you for your songs and for your artistry.  You are exceptional talents, and we will proudly honor you this fall, when you officially join your legendary peers in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.” 

Anderson and Rose were elected in the contemporary songwriter category with Penn and Shaw in the veteran songwriter category and Bellamy in the veteran songwriter/artist category. A press release states that Brad Paisley, who received the most votes in the contemporary songwriter/artist category, won’t be able to attend this year’s ceremony due to a scheduling conflict. He will be officially inducted next year as part of the Hall’s Class of 2025.

This year’s five inductees will join the 241 current members of the prestigious organization when they are officially honored at the 54th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala, taking place on Wednesday, November 6, at the Music City Center. 

Previously inducted members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame include Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Garth Brooks, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Johnny Cash, Don & Phil Everly, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Tom T. Hall, Harlan Howard, Alan Jackson, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Bob McDill, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Paul Overstreet, Dolly Parton, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Ray Stevens, Keith Urban, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams. 

AL ANDERSON

“Big Al” Anderson, born in Windsor, CT, was raised by his piano-teacher mother and spent nights tuned into WWVA radio from Wheeling, WV, immersing himself in various music genres. In the late 1960s, he was a member of The Wildweeds, and from 1971 to 1993, he played lead guitar for the rock band NRBQ, while also releasing several solo albums. Musician magazine recognized him as one of the top 100 guitarists of the 20th century. In the 1990s, Al shifted his focus to country music and celebrated his first major hit in 1993 when Carlene Carter’s co-written “Every Little Thing” reached #3 on the country charts. Some of Al’s most notable songs include “Should’ve Asked Her Faster” by Ty England, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” by The Mavericks with Flaco Jiménez, “Unbelievable” by Diamond Rio, “Powerful Thing” by Trisha Yearwood, “Big Deal” by LeAnn Rimes, “The Cowboy In Me” by Tim McGraw, “Trip Around The Sun” by Jimmy Buffett and Martina McBride (also a #1 Bluegrass hit in 2024 for Bronwyn Keith-Hynes with Dierks Bentley), “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” by George Strait, and “Loving You Easy” by The Zac Brown Band. Named BMI’s 2000 Country Songwriter of the Year, Al has also had his songs recorded by artists such as Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Loveless, George Jones, and Sheryl Crow.

LIZ ROSE

Dallas-born Liz Rose grew up in Irving, TX. Initially not a songwriter, she moved to Nashville with her songwriter husband and began working as a songplugger. Encouraged by friends and fellow songwriters, Liz started writing songs at age 37, and by 2004, she had her first Top 20 single with “Songs About Rain” by Gary Allan. In the mid-2000s, Liz co-wrote several hits with a young Taylor Swift, including her debut singles “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops On My Guitar,” which was named BMI’s 2008 Country Song of the Year. Their partnership produced nearly 20 songs, including “You Belong With Me” (BMI Country Song of the Year in 2010), “White Horse” (Grammy for Best Country Song in 2010), and the Grammy-nominated “All Too Well (10-minute version from the short film)” in 2022. Other notable hits in Liz’s catalog include “Burn It Down” by Parker McCollum and the Grammy-nominated “It All Comes Out In The Wash” by Miranda Lambert in 2019. Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl” was named ACM Song of the Year in 2011, while “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town won the 2016 Grammy for Best Country Song, the 2015 CMA Song and Single of the Year, and the 2015 NSAI Song of the Year. Liz was named the 2007 SESAC Country Songwriter of the Year and was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2023.

DAN PENN

Dan Penn was born in Vernon, AL. As a high school teenager, he penned his first hit, “Is A Bluebird Blue” by Conway Twitty. In 1962, he moved to Muscle Shoals and became FAME Studio’s first staff songwriter. By 1966, he had relocated to Memphis, where his collaborations with Chips Moman produced hits like “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” — a #37 R&B hit for Aretha Franklin and later a #17 Country hit for Barbara Mandrell — and “The Dark End Of The Street” — a #10 R&B hit for James Carr, whose version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016, and a #24 Country hit for Archie Campbell & Lorene Mann. Dan’s songwriting partnership with Spooner Oldham resulted in hits such as “I’m Your Puppet” by James & Bobby Purify (#5 R&B/#6 Pop), “It Tears Me Up” by Percy Sledge (#7 R&B), “Cry Like A Baby” by The Box Tops (#2 Pop), “Sweet Inspiration” by The Sweet Inspirations (#5 R&B), and “Take Me (Just As I Am)” by Solomon Burke (#11 R&B). In the early ’70s, Dan moved to Nashville, where he wrote Country hits like “Hillbilly Heart” by Johnny Rodriguez (#5) and “Another Woman” by T.G. Sheppard (#14). His songs have also been recorded by Mickey Gilley, Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich, John Prine, and Kris Kristofferson.

VICTORIA SHAW 

Born in Manhattan, NY, Victoria Shaw moved to Los Angeles with her family at age five. She wrote her first song at 11 and formed her own band at 13. At 18, she returned to New York, where she juggled managing a studio by day and performing in piano bars by night while pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter. Victoria began commuting to Nashville in 1983, and in 1990, Gary Morris signed her to his publishing company. By 1993, she received a CMA Triple Play Award for three #1 hits: “The River” by Garth Brooks, “Too Busy Being In Love” by Doug Stone, and “I Love The Way You Love Me” by John Michael Montgomery, which was also named ACM Song of the Year (and became an international pop hit for Boyzone). Victoria’s songwriting achievements include hits like “She’s Every Woman” by Garth Brooks and “We Don’t Have To Do This” by Tanya Tucker. Her songs have been recorded by artists such as Jim Brickman (“Fa La La” and “Sending You A Little Christmas”) and Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera (“Nobody Wants To Be Lonely”). Victoria has earned two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Original Song: “This Is Our Moment” by Olivia Newton-John (1999 – from As The World Turns) and “When I Think Of You” by Victoria Shaw (2000 – from One Life To Live), among four nominations.

DAVID BELLAMY

David Bellamy and his brother and singing partner, Howard, hail from Darby, FL. Following in the footsteps of their Country musician father, the Bellamy Brothers began their music careers early. David first achieved songwriting success in 1974 when Jim Stafford’s hit “Spiders And Snakes” brought him recognition. The duo signed a recording contract the following year, making waves on the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts before establishing themselves in Country music. By 1979, they hit it big with David’s iconic song “If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” which was nominated for a Grammy the next year for Best Country & Western Song. David continued to provide the duo with a string of hits, including “Sugar Daddy,” “Dancin’ Cowboys,” “For All The Wrong Reasons,” “Redneck Girl,” “I Need More Of You,” “Kids Of The Baby Boom,” and “Old Hippie,” the latter being named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time in 2014. David also penned “Drug Problem,” which was a 2008 Dove nominee for Country Song of the Year. Over the years, he has written or co-written songs for artists like Carl Perkins, Clint Black, Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, Frankie Miller, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, and others. To date, more than 35 of David Bellamy’s songs have charted in Country music.