Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductees Return to Belmont

Students in the Johnson Center Large Theatre before Hillary Lindsey and Ashley Gorley spoke. Photo by Reagan Sheedy.

Students filed into the Johnson Center Large Theater on Nov. 5 to listen to Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees and Belmont alumni Ashley Gorley and Hillary Lindsey speak.

Lindsey, who was inducted in June of last year, was the primary focus of the conversation.

She’s written 27 No. 1 singles, including Little Big Town’s 2014 hit “Girl Crush,” which broke the record for the most weeks a band with more than three members spent at No. 1 on the country charts. In recognition of her achievements, Belmont awarded Lindsey an honorary doctorate in songwriting in June.

With 81 number one songs, Gorley, who functioned as a monitor in the talk, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June with the most No. 1 country songs of any songwriter.

Lindsey described the beginning of her career in Nashville, interning as a tape girl at publishing company Patrick Joseph Music at age 19 where she listened to songs that were being cut or pitched.

She applied observations about the songs to her own writing and got a laugh from the audience while revealing she got signed after her roommate found cassettes with her original songs in her underwear drawer.

Lindsey recalled how Epic Records, who had signed her with intentions of being a pop artist with country roots, dropped her, but then found her passion for writing for other artists while co-writing her first No. 1 single with Brett James and Troy Verges, “Blessed” by Martina McBride.

Lindsey credited the community among writers in Nashville for her success. Gorley attributed Lindsey’s place in the songwriting community to her willingness to dive into the complexity of situations headfirst when writing.

“Girl Crush” was an unexpected hit, written in 35 minutes while Lindsey was half-asleep after co-writer and friend Lori McKenna thought of the title. They were shocked when the group Little Big Town fell in love with it. 

“We didn’t know what that song was about,” she said.

The talk was a hit among students who attended.

“Hillary Lindsey’s honesty and transparency about her songwriting journey was so inspiring. Her ability to speak on the struggles that all young songwriters face made the discussion engaging and highlighted the importance of resilience in the industry,” said Reagan Sheedy, a freshman songwriting major.

Lindsey and Gorley promptly rushed out at the end of the conversation, providing a glimpse into the busy lives of Nashville songwriters.

This article was written by Louise Geri