Cordle nominated for Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

NASHVILLE — A dozen people have been nominated for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, including Lawrence County native Larry Cordle.

Cordle was raised in Eastern Kentucky, where he began playing guitar and writing songs at a young age. He scored his first hit in 1983 when Ricky Skaggs topped the Country charts with “Highway 40 Blues.” Two years later, Cordle moved to Nashville and began creating a catalog that includes “Heartbreak Hurricane” by Skaggs, “Honky Tonk Crowd” by John Anderson, “Mama Don’t Forget To Pray For Me” by Diamond Rio, “Against The Grain” by Garth Brooks and “Hollywood Squares” by George Strait.

“Lonesome Standard Time,” by Cordle’s band of the same name, was the 1993 IBMA Song of the Year, as well as a country hit for Kathy Mattea. “Murder on Music Row,” also by Lonesome Standard Time, was the 2000 IBMA Song of the Year and the 2001 SPBGMA Song of the Year. The following year, the country version by George Strait and Alan Jackson was named the 2001 CMA Song of the Year. “If I’d Have Wrote That Song” by Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, was named the 2018 IBMA Song of the Year. He was named the 2001, 2019 and 2020 SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year. He was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

“We were forced to postpone our 50th Anniversary celebration last year, so this will be our ‘50/51’ party celebrating two years and two classes in a special double-sized event,” Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Executive Director Mark Ford said in a release making the announcement. “We congratulate all of this year’s nominees and look forward to next month, when we will announce those who will be inducted as members of the Class of 2021.”

The organization’s previously named Class of 2020 includes Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham.

All nominees experienced their first significant (Top 20) songs at least 20 years ago, the release said, and two songwriters and one songwriter/artist will be elected in these categories by their professional songwriter peers and members of the Hall of Fame.

In addition, two more will be named to the Class of 2021. A separate body of veteran voters will elect a veteran songwriter and a veteran songwriter/artist, both of whom experienced their first significant (Top 20) songs at least 30 years ago, the release also said. As part of that process, nominees in those categories are not announced.