Legends Toast Hank Cochran at BMI

Posted in News on June 17, 2009

Living legends gathered to salute iconic songwriter Hank Cochran Monday, June 15 at BMI’s Music Row offices. Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Dean Dillon, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Gene Watson, Red Lane, and Whitey Shafer took turns delivering acoustic versions of Hank Cochran classics, while guests including Elvis Costello, Cowboy Jack Clement, Jeannie Seely, Dallas Frazier, Scotty Emerick, Shawn Camp, Jim Lauderdale and others listened intently. Willie Nelson couldn’t be at the reception, but he called and jovially addressed Cochran and the crowd via speaker phone.

The party was a well-kept secret from Cochran: He believed he was simply stopping by BMI to pick up numerous BMI Million-Air certificates, recognizing the millions of performances generated by hits including “Make the World Go Away,” “She’s Got You,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “The Chair,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me,” “Is It Raining at Your House,” “That’s All That Matters,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” and “This Ain’t My First Rodeo.” However, an intimate gathering of friends and family awaited him as well, and Haggard led the small crowd in greeting—and pleasantly surprising—the beloved troubadour.

SOURCENews TAGS Country Nashville Bobby Bare Shawn Camp Cowboy Jack Clement Hank Cochran Dean Dillon Scotty Emerick Merle Haggard Lee Johnson Jim Lauderdale Willie Nelson