Ashley Gorley is the most commercially successful country songwriter of all time. Born in Danville, Kentucky, he moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University and graduated magna cum laude in 1999, with several internships at song-publishing companies under his belt. As one of the music industry’s most sought-after songwriters, Gorley has written more than eighty #1 songs, including “Last Night” and “You Proof” (Morgan Wallen); “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton); “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce); “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” (Cole Swindell); and “I Had Some Help” (Post Malone and Morgan Wallen). More than four hundred of his songs have been recorded by artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Bon Jovi, Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Weezer. In 2023, Gorley spent multiple weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songwriters chart as “Last Night” topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart for a record-breaking sixteen weeks. He has received eight Grammy nominations, is a ten-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, and is the most-awarded songwriter in the history of the CMA Triple Play Awards, which honors songwriters who chart three #1 songs within a twelve-month period. Gorley received the NSAI Songwriter of the Decade award for 2010–2019 in 2022 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025. The Museum’s Allison Moorer will host this program, which will be illustrated with photos, film, and recordings. After the program, Gorley will sign commemorative Hatch Show Print posters. Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

Members may reserve tickets here at 10 a.m. beginning on Wednesday, April 15.

Non-members may purchase Museum admission and reserve tickets here to the program at 10 a.m. beginning on Thursday, April 16.