LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Country superstar and of powerhouse duo will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Wednesday night at Nashville's Music City Center.
Urban, a four-time Grammy Award winning musician, is being celebrated at the 53rd anniversary gala for hits such as 鈥淏ut for the Grace of God,鈥� 鈥淲ho Wouldn鈥檛 Wanna Be Me鈥� and 鈥淒ays Go By."
Kix Brooks鈥� songwriting in Brooks & Dunn helped shaped the iconic 鈥�90s country music sound, with tracks like the Grammy-nominated 鈥淏rand New Man,鈥� 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Gonna Miss Me When I鈥檓 Gone鈥� and 鈥淥nly in America.鈥�
Other inductees include Casey Beathard and David Lee Murphy, in the contemporary songwriter category, and Rafe Van Hoy in the veteran songwriter category.
When asked to share the secret behind great songwriting in advance of the ceremony, over the phone: 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most elusive things. Some days it just flows and other days, there鈥檚 nothing. I just always hope it鈥檚 not a day where I show up to somebody important to write with and nothing comes in.鈥�
Urban says he's learned over the years that if the inspiration to write a song doesn't hit one day, it's best to be kind to yourself.
鈥淛ust be in the moment and flow. If it鈥檚 there, it鈥檚 there. If it鈥檚 not, it鈥檚 not. But there鈥檚 a real balance, I think, of inspiration and craft,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a blend of those two and then a whole bunch of mysticism all at the same time.鈥�
Simply put: There鈥檚 no equation.
"It鈥檚 alchemy. You鈥檙e making something where there was nothing," he continued. 鈥淚鈥檝e often said that I can鈥檛 physically bring a child into being, but I can bring a song into being. And that song didn鈥檛 exist before that day. And now it exists and now it will always exist. And that鈥檚 an amazing feeling.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
