Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Reveals Inductees

John Anderson leads quartet of writers to be saluted in October

July 8, 2014

Nashville Songwriiters Hall of Fame Board Chair and Hall of Fame member Pat Alger; inductees John Anderson and Gretchen Peters and Hall of Fame executive director Mark Ford, Inductees Paul Craft and Tom Douglas. Courtesy of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

The pens behind such songs as Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” and Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” are among those being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Music City institution announced this year’s class today: John Anderson, Paul Craft, Tom Douglas and Gretchen Peters will be honored in a ceremony on October 5th.

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Best known as an artist, Anderson has had such radio hits as the swaggering “Swingin'” and the haunting ode to his home state of Florida, “Seminole Wind.” Still actively recording and entertaining, the hard-touring Anderson recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Swingin’.”

Craft, meanwhile, has had success as a writer in the bluegrass genre, authoring songs for Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley, as well as country tunes for Bobby Bare and Moe Bandy. Douglas wrote “The House that Built Me” for Lambert and Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World,” and Peters is responsible for McBride’s “Independence Day” and Faith Hill’s “The Secret of Life.”

The honorees will be officially inducted during a special ceremony and dinner in the fall in Nashville. Last year’s class included Will Jennings, Layng Martine Jr., Jeffrey Steele and Alabama leader Randy Owen.