(Photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville-Richard McLaren)

Toby Keith has been named as one of the 2015 honorees to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Since 1969 the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (SHOF) has enshrined and celebrated musical pioneers while serving as a bridge between music’s past and future.

SHOF President and CEO Linda Moran said in a statement about this year’s inductees: “Our 2015 lineup of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles – Rock, Country, Blues and Pop – that have captivated the world over the past six decades. Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognizable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless.”

Toby will join Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia (The Greatful Dead), Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry as newly inducted songwriters in the SHOF at a ceremony Thursday, June 18th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Toby has been writing #1 songs for more than 20 years including his first number one hit “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” in 1993 as well as “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Who’s Your Daddy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” “Beer For My Horses,” “I Love This Bar” and many more.

Toby told Rolling Stone: “I write songs every day. When someone writes their own things, to me they release their character in their music and that character shines through in all their songs. It is what I take the most pride in. I am honored to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. It means the world to me and it is the only award that I will display on my desk.”

Bobby Braddock will also represent country music in the SHOF. He has written some of country music’s biggest songs of all-time including “D.I.V.O.R.C.E,” recorded by Tammy Wynette, “Golden Ring,” the duet sung by George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Tracy Lawrence’s, “Time Marches On,” and fellow SHOF inductee Toby Keith’s 2001 hit, “I Wanna Talk About Me.” Bobby also penned what many label as the greatest country song of all-time, George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” More recently Bobby had a hit he wrote that Billy Currington recorded titled “People Are Crazy.”

Cogratulations to Toby Keith, Bobby Braddock and all of the Songwriter Hall Of Fame inductees for 2015!

By: Buck Stevens