Reba McEntire to Receive Inaugural Award From Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Reba McEntire can add yet another special accolade to her awards trophy case. The country superstar has been announced as the first recipient of the Career Maker Award, which she will be presented with at the 2018 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala.
McEntire will be awarded for her support of the vast songwriting community in Nashville, cutting several songs by Hall of Fame members and turning them into legendary hits. The "Fancy" singer's longtime devotion to Nashville songwriters has helped many of them achieve Hall of Fame status.
In a press release announcing the honor, Pat Alger, chairman of the board for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, shares that McEntire has recorded nearly 80 songs that have been penned by members of the organization. Bryon Hill, Ed Hill and Bob Regan, three of the 2018 nominees for induction into the Hall of Fame, have all had cuts by McEntire. She also played an influential role in constructing the Hall of Fame Gallery inside Nashville's Music City Center.
“Her Hall of Fame career as an artist has in turn helped create so many other Hall of Fame careers for songwriters. Once she chooses your song and puts her inimitable stamp on it, you begin to understand why you became a songwriter in the first place," Alger says of McEntire. "She is indisputably a great singer who continues to transform a diverse catalog of songs into works of art of the highest order.
"Simply put, when Reba sings your song, it’s not likely to get any better than that.”
The 2018 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala is set to take place on Oct. 28. McEntire will receive another significant distinction as one of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipients alongside Cher, composer Philip Glass and jazz musician Wayne Shorter.
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