Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to Present Shane McAnally in Poets and Prophets Series

Hosted by museum editor Michael Gray, the interview will be illustrated with vintage photos, film footage, and recordings from McAnally’s career, as well as a performance.

After pursuing a recording career in Nashville and Los Angeles, Texas native McAnally emerged on the Nashville songwriting scene in 2008, as a writer of Lee Ann Womack’s “Last Call.” McAnally went on to write chart-topping songs for Kenny Chesney (“Somewhere with You,” “Come Over”), Jake Owen (“Alone with You”), the Band Perry (“Better Dig Two”) and Sam Hunt (“Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time”). McAnally also penned major hits for Luke Bryan (“Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”), Miranda Lambert (“Mama’s Broken Heart”), Lady Antebellum (“Downtown”), Thomas Rhett (“T-Shirt”) and Keith Urban (“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16).”  McAnally won the 2013 Grammy for Best Country Song, for Kacey Musgraves’ “Merry Go ’Round,” and earned the 2014 CMA Song of the Year prize for Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.” In 2014, ACM honored him as Songwriter of the Year, and in 2015 Billboard named him the Hot Country Songwriter of the Year.

The New York Times has described McAnally as “a songwriter of unusual versatility, with a skill for enlivening commercial material with eccentric flourishes,” and he continues to have creative impact with his moving personal story and unique perspective on traditional country music.

In addition to songwriting, McAnally has produced albums for Kacey Musgraves (Same Trailer, Different Park; Pageant Material), Sam Hunt (Montevallo), Old Dominion (Meat and Candy) and Jake Owen (American Love).

Poets and Prophets is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and passes are required for admittance. Museum members can reserve their program passes in advance by phone (615-416-2050) or via reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org. The program will also be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Following the program, McAnally will sign a commemorative Hatch Show Print poster, available for purchase in the Museum Store.

For nearly 10 years, the Poets and Prophets series has honored songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music history. Previous subjects include Al Anderson, Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, Wayne Carson, Buzz Cason, Jerry Chesnut, Hank Cochran, Roger Cook, Sonny Curtis, Dean Dillon, Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Kye Fleming, Jerry Foster, Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, Dickey Lee, John D. Loudermilk, Bob McDill, Roger Murrah, Dan Penn, Gretchen Peters, Curly Putman, Allen Reynolds, Mark D. Sanders, Don Schlitz, Whitey Shafer, Red Simpson, Jeffrey Steele, Sonny Throckmorton, Billy Edd Wheeler, Norro Wilson and Craig Wiseman.

Poets and Prophets is made possible, in part, by grants from the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and by an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.