The songwriter behind some of the biggest country hits of the past three decades is getting a major honor.
Jeffrey Steele will receive the BMI Icon Award at the 74th annual BMI Country Awards on Nov. 17, BMI announced on Oct. 7.
Steele has written more than 60 chart-topping hits, including Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most,” “My Wish” and “These Days,” Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy in Me,” Zac Brown Band’s “Knee Deep” and Montgomery Gentry’s “Something to Be Proud Of” and “My Town.”
He’s also behind Keith Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up,” featuring Eric Church, and Van Zant’s “Help Somebody.”
“Jeffrey Steele is a titan of modern storytelling whose catalog has shaped the sound of Country music over the last three decades,” BMI’s Nashville vice president of creative Clay Bradley said in a statement.
“When you hear one of his anthems that has become the soundtrack to millions of lives, you can feel the emotion behind every lyric,” Bradley continued. “As a two-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and an intentional mentor to the next generation of creators, Steele has earned a permanent place among the greats.”
Steele has been affiliated with BMI since 1981 and has received more than 34 BMI Country and Pop Awards. The seven-time Grammy nominee has also been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was honored as a “Poet and Prophet” by the Country Music Hall of Fame.
His songwriting credits stretch well beyond the artists behind his best-known hits. Over his career, Steele has written songs recorded by Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, LeAnn Rimes, Jimmy Buffett, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, .38 Special, Joe Cocker, Bob Seger and more.
“What Hurts the Most,” which became a major hit for Rascal Flatts in 2006, earned Steele a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for co-writing “I Thought I Lost You” from the 2008 animated movie Bolt.
The BMI Icon Award recognizes songwriters for their influence on generations of music makers, and Steele is joining some formidable company.
Previous country recipients include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith, Vince Gill, Clint Black and Hank Williams Jr. Other BMI Icons across genres include Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Brian Wilson, Janet Jackson, James Brown, Sting and Carlos Santana.
The BMI Country Awards will take place at BMI’s Nashville office on Nov. 17. The invitation-only ceremony will also reveal the Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Song of the Year and Country Publisher of the Year while honoring the writers and publishers behind the year’s 50 most-performed country songs.
Steele, meanwhile, isn’t slowing down. He released the single “A Voice” in January, which debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, and plans to follow it with a full-length album titled American Storyteller.
Related: King of ’90s Country Joins Elite List With Dolly, Willie & Loretta
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