Kent Blazy and Garth Brooks – Photo Credit Moments By Moser Photography
Mega hit songwriter and performer, Kent Blazy, was inducted into the class of 2020 Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame during the Golden Anniversary plus one during the special 50th And 51st Gala. The Kentucky native songwriter credits include “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Garth Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young). Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Garth Brooks took the stage to present inductee Kent Blazy and also perform their hit “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Blazy and Brooks met in 1987 and began writing together. This song was not only their first collaboration, but also became Brooks’ first #1 single. In 1989 it was named NSAI’s Song of the Year.
“November 1, 2021 will always be a life-changing day for me. Getting inducted to the NSHOF seems like a distant dream for a new songwriter in Music City. You see all the names of the legends and heroes who have been inducted, and you use them as an inspiration to write, write, write,” exclaimed Kent Blazy! “Then one day you get the call that says you will be one of the new inductees. It’s the highest honor a Nashville songwriter can have, and I am grateful for all the writers who helped me get there. At the same time, I keep pinching myself that the distant dream is truly a reality. This night will be a dream come true.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame welcomed ten new members into its ranks as the Classes of 2020 and 2021 were officially honored during NaSHOF’s supersized 50th and 51st Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala. The musical contributions of the newest inductees were celebrated through star-studded performances of some of their biggest songs for the capacity crowd at Nashville’s Music City Center.
The Class Of 2020 include Kent Blazy and Brett James in the songwriter category; Spooner Oldham in the veteran songwriter category, Steve Earle in the songwriter/artist category and Bobbie Gentry in the veteran songwriter/artist category.
Stay current with Kent Blazy on his website www.kentblazy.com . Follow him on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.
Music can be found on all digital music platforms for streaming and download at CD Baby, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Google Play.
About Kent Blazy:
Kent Blazy is an American country music songwriter from Lexington, KY who now calls Nashville, TN home. His credits include several singles for Garth Brooks, as well as singles by Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and Chris Young. Blazy has a total of seven number one hits to his credit. Kent Blazy was raised in Lexington, Kentucky. At an early age, he played rhythm guitar and sang in various local bands, citing The Byrds, Rodney Crowell and Joe Ely as influences. He later played for Canadian singer Ian Tyson. Later on, Blazy met former Exile member Mark Gray, who suggested that Blazy move to Nashville, Tennessee. Eventually, he signed to a publishing contract, but the publishing company closed; despite the loss of contract, Gary Morris sent Blazy’s “Headed for a Heartache” into the top 5 on the country charts. By the late 1980s, Blazy met with a then-unknown Garth Brooks, who gave him the idea for a song entitled “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” He and Brooks co-wrote the song, which went on to become Brooks’ first number one hit. Brooks continued to record Blazy’s material throughout the 1990s, including the singles “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” “It’s Midnight Cinderella,” “She’s Gonna Make It,” “Somewhere Other Than the Night” and the George Jones duet “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?).” He also co-wrote “That’s What I Get for Lovin’ You” by Diamond Rio and “Can’t Get Enough” by Patty Loveless in the late 1990s. Blazy, along with songwriters Pat Alger, Tony Arata and Kim Williams, recorded an album entitled A Songwriters’ Tribute to Garth Brooks, which included their renditions of songs that they had written for Brooks. This album was released in 2001 via VFR Records. Other songs that Blazy has co-written include “You Can Let Go” by Crystal Shawanda and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” by Chris Young from 2008 and 2009 respectively, as well as American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey’s debut single “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.”
About the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame:
Induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame is one of the nation’s most highly prized songwriting achievements. Since 1970, the Hall has enshrined more than 200 of the greatest writers from all genres of music ever to put words to music in Music City, including such luminaries as Bill Anderson, Bobby Braddock, Garth Brooks, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Johnny Cash, Don & Phil Everly, Harlan Howard, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Bob McDill, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Dottie Rambo, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, Don Schlitz, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams. Operated by the non-profit Nashville Songwriters Foundation, the Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring Nashville’s rich legacy of songwriting excellence through preservation, celebration and education. More information is available at http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/
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