Belmont University graduate Ashley Gorley, who had a hand in penning Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This,” Brad Paisley and Keith Urban’s “Start A Band” and Darius Rucker’s “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” won the songwriter of the year award at Monday evening’s American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Music Awards.
Held at the Ryman Auditorium, the awards show also featured a tribute to Golden Note Award winner J.D. Souther, as well as trophies for songwriter/artist of the year Alan Jackson, song of the year “You’re Gonna Miss This” and publisher of the year EMI Music Publishing.

“The first time I heard ‘You’re Gonna Miss This,’ we were getting ready for my daughter’s wedding,” said Adkins. “I got choked up, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to say this for her, and for myself.’ ”

Gorley also performed “You’re Gonna Miss This,” which was named one of ASCAP’s five most-played songs. ASCAP writers Jackson, Don Sampson, Clay Mills and Tommy Karlas performed the other four top songs: “Good Time” (Jackson), “Waitin’ On A Woman” (Paisley), “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” (Rucker) and “Roll With Me” (Montgomery Gentry).

ASCAP Senior Vice President Connie Bradley and president and CEO Paul Williams served as co-hosts, with Williams also performing a medley of his own hits: He’s the author of “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “We’ve Only Just Begun” and many others.

Souther, who penned numerous hits, including The Eagles’ “Best of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight” and “New Kid In Town,” was cited as an architect of the Southern California country-rock sound and a chief influence on many Nashville songwriters. The native Texan now lives in Middle Tennessee, and late last year he released the critically acclaimed If The World Was You, his first album in a quarter century.

“J.D. is one of the most literate, expressive songwriters I’ve ever heard,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne, who arrived in Nashville Monday afternoon to support his longtime friend Souther. “He’s also one of the most influential writers in this whole genre of music.”

Souther’s tribute included performances of several of his best-known compositions. Lee Ann Womack offered a plaintive “Faithless Love,” Rodney Crowell sang “New Kid In Town,” Love and Theft sang a harmony-drenched “You’re Only Lonely” and Souther himself took the Ryman stage for a version of “Best of My Love.”

Womack was pleased to sing “Faithless Love,” a song once recorded by Linda Ronstadt, at the Ryman.

“To sing a song this good in this place, it’s incredible,” she said.

Martina McBride presented Nashville station WSIX’s Gerry House and the House Foundation with an ASCAP Partners In Music award in honor of the radio show’s longtime support of songwriters and artists. House, producer Richard Falklen and House Foundation members Mike Bohan, Al Voecks and Duncan Stewart received the award.

“I can’t imagine any artist in Nashville who wouldn’t want to give Gerry and the House Foundation this award,” McBride said. “I love Gerry’s sense of humor, and he’s done so much to support music here.”

Songwriters Bruce Bouton, Darrell Brown, Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, Richard Marx, Charlie Monk, Steve Nathan, Bob Regan, Leon Russell, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Adele Tyler, Dan Tyler, Paul Worley and Richard Young each received Silver Circle awards, in recognition of 25 years or more with ASCAP.

Much of the Ryman show was devoted to honoring the dozens of songs from ASCAP writers who received significant airplay on country radio in the past year.

ASCAP is a performing rights organization, which means the company collects and distributes money earned by performances of copyrighted works.