NASHVILLE, TN (August 7, 2019) — Marcus Hummon will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in October of this year.
From the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Feature Article:
Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2019
Larry Gatlin, Dwight Yoakam, Marcus Hummon, Kostas, Rivers Rutherford and Sharon Vaughn will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October, according to an announcement made today by Sarah Cates, chair of the organization’s board of directors.
The six new inductees will join the 213 existing members of the elite organization when they are officially inducted during the 49th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Monday, October 14, at the Music City Center.
“Nashville has a rich history of iconic songs and deeply-gifted songwriters, making our community known around the world as THE song town,” says Cates. “The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates this history by inducting a new class of legends. It’s our great honor today to welcome our class of 2019: Marcus Hummon, Kostas and Rivers Rutherford in the songwriter category; Sharon Vaughn in the veteran songwriter category, Dwight Yoakam as our songwriter/artist and Larry Gatlin as our veteran songwriter/artist.”
Marcus Hummon’s songwriter credits include “Cowboy Take Me Away” (The Dixie Chicks), “Born To Fly” (Sara Evans) and “Bless The Broken Road” (Rascal Flatts). Kostas’ resume is known for “Timber, I’m Falling In Love” (Patty Loveless), “Blame It On Your Heart” (Patty Loveless) and “Ain’t That Lonely Yet” (Dwight Yoakam). Rivers Rutherford’s hits include “Real Good Man” (Tim McGraw), “When I Get Where I’m Going” (Brad Paisley w/ Dolly Parton) and “Ain’t Nothing ’Bout You” (Brooks & Dunn). Sharon Vaughn is the writer of “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” (Willie Nelson), “Y’all Come Back Saloon” (The Oak Ridge Boys) and “Lonely Too Long” (Patty Loveless). Dwight Yoakam popularized many of his own compositions, including “Guitars, Cadillacs,” “Fast As You” and “You’re The One,” Larry Gatlin recorded many of his self-penned hits with his brothers, Steve and Rudy (The Gatlin Brothers), including “All The Gold In California,” “Statues Without Hearts” and “Broken Lady”
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala is 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. In recent years artists such as Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Jimmy Buffett, Ronnie Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood have performed at or participated in the event.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame Gala are $250 each and benefit the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation. Select seating is available to the public and may be purchased as available by contacting Executive Director Mark Ford at hoftix@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com or 615-460-6556.
Inductee Biographical Information
Washington, D.C.-born Marcus Hummon has enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter, recording artist, producer, studio musician, playwright and author. A diplomat’s son, Marcus spent his youth in Africa and Italy. After several years playing in various bands, he found his way to Nashville. As a songwriter, Marcus has co-written hits such as “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Ready To Run” by The Dixie Chicks, “Born To Fly” by Sara Evans, “One Of These Days” by Tim McGraw, “Only Love” by Wynonna, “The Cheap Seats” by Alabama and “Love Is The Right Place” by Bryan White. “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts earned Marcus a 2005 Grammy for Best Country Song, as well as NSAI Song of the Year. A 2007 version by Selah w/ Melodie Crittenden, was a Top 5 Christian song and earned NSAI’s 2007 Song of the Year. Marcus has written an opera (Surrender Road, staged by The Nashville Opera Company in 2005) and six musicals, three of which were featured as part of the New York New Musical Festival in 2005, 2006 and 2011 respectively. Marcus has scored two films: Lost Boy Home and The Last Songwriter, a documentary that he co-produced.
