Shawn Camp to Be Inducted Into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Shawn Camp will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 26th at Music City Center, joining the organization's Class of 2026 alongside the likes of Lyle Lovett and Taylor Swift. The Perryville, Arkansas, native has written songs recorded by Garth Brooks ('Two Pina Coladas'), Brooks & Dunn ('How Long Gone'), George Strait ('River of Love'), Josh Turner ('Would You Go with Me'), and Blake Shelton ('Nobody but Me'), building a songwriting career that has stretched into the mainstream while maintaining a reputation for intimate storytelling.

Last year, Camp released The Ghost of Sis Draper, a concept album co-written with the late Guy Clark. The songs are tied together by characters, narratives, and kernels of old-time fiddle tunes, drawn from a real-life traveling fiddle player who first appeared in Camp's world when he was seven years old. 'Guy said, 'Well, there's your song,'' Camp remembers. 'We wrote 'Sis Draper' that day. 'Magnolia Wind' came next. For years, we would work on other songs, then fall into 'Sis.' If we got stuck on something, we'd end up going to the Sis Draper project.'

The album, out now on Truly Handmade Records, features Arkansas fiddle player Tim Crouch bringing the legend of Sis Draper's fiddling to life, supported by Mike Bub on bass, Chris Henry on mandolin, Jimmy Stewart on dobro, Cory Walker on banjo, and Camp on guitar and vocals. Camp and Clark co-wrote every song on the album except one, which Clark wrote alone. Clark released six of the songs on his own albums over the years, but seven other tunes on the record are being released for the first time. 'It's partially fairytale and partially truth,' Camp says with a grin. 'We intentionally wrote songs that fit together.' 'That's part of my passion for putting it out,' says Camp. 'To try and keep him alive!'

Fans can stream or purchase The Ghost of Sis Draper in its entirety at this link. The album is on GRAMMY ballots now. Following his induction at Music City Center on October 26th, Camp will head to Rockport, Texas, on November 8th to honor Guy Clark. A full list of tour dates and information can be found at shawncamp.com/shows.

The Ghost of Sis Draper Tracklist

(all songs written by Shawn Camp and Guy Clark except where noted)

1. Sis Draper

2. Magnolia Wind

3. Soldier's Joy 1864

4. The Fiddlin' Preacher

5. Old Hillbilly Hand-Me-Down (by Shawn Camp, Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson)

6. The Checkered Shirt Band

7. Big Foot Stomp

8. Grandpa's Rovin' Ear

9. Cornmeal Waltz

10. New Cut Road (by Guy Clark)

11. The Death of Sis Draper, Hello Dyin' Day, The Ghost of Sis Draper

About Shawn Camp

Camp began playing guitar as a small child, growing up outside Perryville, Arkansas. Mandolin and fiddle followed, all before he could drive. Camp moved to Nashville at 20 and found early gigs playing with the Osborne Brothers, Jerry Reed, Alan Jackson, Shelby Lynne, and Trisha Yearwood. He released his first solo album, Shawn Camp, on the Reprise (Warner Bros.) label, but found his biggest success as a songwriter, penning hits for Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and many others. He became a trusted collaborator of John Prine, Loretta Lynn, and Guy Clark, with whom he wrote constantly and toured occasionally. When Clark won a Grammy in 2014 for his final album, My Favorite Picture of You, Camp took home a statue as one of the record's producers. In 2015, Camp took home another Grammy, this time as lead vocalist for bluegrass supergroup the Earls of Leicester.

About Truly Handmade Records

Truly Handmade Records is a division of Guy Clark LLC. The company was formed by Guy's grandchildren, Dylan and Ellie, to amplify and honor the legacy, cultivate and manage the intellectual property of Guy and Susanna Clark, and to support songwriters who live in the spirit of Guy Clark. Guy Clark LLC is managed by a board of directors, which includes Dylan Clark, longtime friends Rodney Crowell and Verlon Thompson, record label executive Scott Robinson, and biographer and producer Tamara Saviano. Saviano is the president and creative manager of Guy Clark, LLC, and Truly Handmade Records. Truly Handmade Records' inaugural artists include Sam Baker, Jedd Hughes, Lindi Ortega, Jack Barksdale, and Mike Delevante.

Photo Credit: Neilson Hubbard