Songwriters Hall of Fame Grows

CMA FOUNDATION DONATES $250,000 TO HELP CONSTRUCT THE NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME AT THE NEW MUSIC CITY CENTER NASHVILLE – The CMA Foundation is donating $250,000 to help construct the first-ever physical Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame at the new Music City Center. The announcement was made today by CMA Board Chairman and member of The CMA Foundation Troy Tomlinson during the annual CMA Triple Play Awards and Songwriters Luncheon at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. “Songwriters are an important constituency group for the Country Music Association,” said Tomlinson. “For the CMA Foundation to see fit to honor the songwriters in order to preserve the legacy of their work and creative impact on the format, speaks to the very heart of why the CMA Foundation was created.” The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame consists of two elements. The actual Hall of Fame inside the Music City Center will feature graphic displays and artifacts as well as a state-of-the-art interactive, digital exhibit. Outside the Music City Center’s Hall of Fame lobby will be a “Songwriters Square” complex, consisting of an exterior plaza and stair-step walkway that will be engraved with the names of Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame members, the year they were inducted, and the title of their most well-known composition. The project will be unveiled when the Music City Center officially opens this summer. “Honoring the accomplishments of our songwriting community is important to CMA,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “The CMA Foundation’s decision to fund this important initiative is just another example of our commitment to preserving the legacy and recognizing excellence in our songwriter community.” The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 and boasts 188 members representing all genres of music. For 42 years, the Hall of Fame has been a virtual one, until the announcement that it would occupy space in the Music City Center. Members include Bobby Braddock, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Hal David, CMA Board member Bob DiPiero, Bob Dylan, Don and Phil Everly, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, Harlan Howard, Alan Jackson, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Bill Monroe, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb, Hank Williams Sr., and Hank Williams, Jr. “As a past songwriter member of the CMA Board, it is so inspiring to have the CMA Foundation help honor the songwriters whose timeless songs are the bedrock of our Country Music industry,” said Pat Alger, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Board. “The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation is truly grateful for this generous contribution – it exemplifies the CMA Foundation’s commitment to enriching the heritage of all of its members.” “We are truly overwhelmed at this lead gift from the CMA Foundation as the ultimate show of respect and admiration for songwriters,” said John Van Mol, 2011-12 Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Board and CEO of DVL Public Relations & Advertising. “It is a big and important exclamation point as we continue to work on securing long-term operating funds so this Hall of Fame can be enjoyed for generations to come.” “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to outreach to this important constituent group and demonstrate our appreciation for the outstanding talent and undeniable contributions made by our songwriters to the popularity and vitality of Country Music,” said Kitty Moon Emery, Chair of The CMA Foundation Board of Directors. CMA created The CMA Foundation (a nonprofit 501c3) in 2011. The Foundation exists to provide financial support to worthwhile causes that are important to CMA and the Country Music community. The group places special emphasis on serving the needs of CMA’s core constituents and nonprofit organizations with initiatives that preserve the legacy of the format, support music education, and respond to other needs identified by CMA.