Townes Van Zandt to join Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with songwriters Aaron Barker, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Bob Morrison. The 2016 inductees announced Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, will be inducted during a ceremony in October. The critically acclaimed Zandt wrote “Pancho and Lefty,” “To Live is to Fly,” “Waitin’ Around to Die,” and “Be Here to Love Me,” and influenced a generation of songwriters in Nashville. He died in 1997 at the age of 52. Barker has written several hits for George Strait, including “Baby Blue” and “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.” Chapman wrote Faith Hill’s hit “This Kiss,” and “Nothing I Can Do About it Now,” for Willie Nelson. Morrison wrote the Grammy-winning song “You Decorated My Life” for Kenny Rogers.