NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 8, 2019 – Songwriter Jim Weatherly, whose compositions include “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” will be interviewed in the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s continuing series Poets and Prophets, which explores the careers of notable songwriters.

Set for 2 p.m., Saturday, May 25, 2019, in the museum’s Ford Theater, the program centers around an in-depth interview with Weatherly, illustrated with vintage photos, film and sound recordings from the museum’s rich collection. Weatherly will also perform briefly. Following the program, Weatherly will sign commemorative Hatch Show Print posters and copies of his newly published autobiography, Midnight Train, both available for purchase in the Museum Store.

Weatherly rose to songwriting fame in the 1970s when he wrote hits for Gladys Knight & the Pips, including “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)” and “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” Around the same time, Ray Price recorded Weatherly’s songs for the country market. Price’s version of “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” went to #1, and Weatherly was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1974.

Weatherly’s success in country music continued, as his composition “Where Do I Put Her Memory” topped the charts for Charley Pride in 1979. In the 1980s, Weatherly moved to Nashville and co-wrote country hits including “You Turn Me On (Like a Radio)” (Ed Bruce), “All Tangled Up in Love” (Earl Thomas Conley with Gus Hardin), “A Lady Like You” (Glen Campbell) and “Someone Else’s Star” (Bryan White). Weatherly was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.

Admission to the program is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and a program pass is required for admittance. The program will be streamed live at CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Streaming.

For 12 years, Poets and Prophets has honored songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music. Previous subjects include Al Anderson, Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, Gary Burr, Wayne Carson, Buzz Cason, Jerry Chesnut, Hank Cochran, Roger Cook, Sonny Curtis, Dean Dillon, Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Kye Fleming, Jerry Foster, Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, Dickey Lee, John D. Loudermilk, Shane McAnally, Bob McDill, Lori McKenna, Roger Murrah, Paul Overstreet, Dan Penn, Gretchen Peters, Curly Putman, Mike Reid, Allen Reynolds, Liz Rose, Mark D. Sanders, Don Schlitz, Whitey Shafer, Allen Shamblin, Billy Joe Shaver, Red Simpson, Jeffrey Steele, Sonny Throckmorton, Sharon Vaughn, Jimmy Webb, Billy Edd Wheeler, Norro Wilson and Craig Wiseman. Additional information about Poets and Prophets and videos of previous interviews can be found by visiting CountryMusicHallofFame.org.

Poets and Prophets is presented by SunTrust. 

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Contact Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:
Zoe Chichelo     615.577.7749     ZChichelo@CountryMusicHallOfFame.org

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The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and in both 2015 and 2016 welcomed over one million patrons, placing it among the ten most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio BTM, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive, and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at CountryMusicHallofFame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.