September 19,1999 Tommy Collins, A.L. "Doodle" Owens, Wayne Kemp, Glenn Sutton Are Newest Additions To The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame NASHVILLE--Four of the most prolific hitsmiths in country music history were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Sunday (Sept. 19) during ceremonies held by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel. The news members are Tommy Collins, Wayne Kemp, A.L. "Doodle" Owens and Glenn Sutton. The celebrity-rich black-tie event was highlighted by performances by Collin Raye, David Ball, Thom Bresh, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Donna Ulisse, Mark Nesler, Kenny Beard and Jerry Salley. Each newcomer was inducted by a current Hall of Fame member. Tommy Collins recorded for Capitol an dColumbia Records during the 1950s and '60s, writing for himself the hits "You Better Not Do That," "Whatcha Gonna Do Now" and "It Tickles." The Oklahoma native was an early champion of Buck Owens, who played guitar on many of Collins' early sessions. His influence on Merle Haggard was so profound that Haggard wrote and recorded the song "Leonard" in his honor. Other Collins classics are "The Roots Of My Raising," "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and "Carolyn." Max D. Barnes officially welcomed Collins to the Hall of Fame, and Thom Bresh and Mark Nesler performed a sampling of Collins' songs. Wayne Kemp, a native of Arkansas, began performing professionally as a guitarist when he was 16. He moved to play lead guitar for George Jones, Patsy Cline, Red Sovine and Conway Twitty. Kemp recorded for a variety of labels from the late '60s through the late '80s, during which time he charted 24 singles. His best-known songs include "The Fireman," "Love Bug," "I'll Leave This World Loving You," "I'm The Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised)," "One Piece At A Time," "Tell Ole I Ain't Here He'd Better Get On Home" and "Your Wife Is Cheatin' On Us Again". Bobby Braddock inducted Kemp. David Ball and Kenny Beard sang selections from his catalog. Encouraged by Ray Price, A.L. "Doodle" Owens moved to Nashville in 1965 from his hometown of Waco, Texas. The following year, he teamed up with Dallas Frazier and the two went on to write more than 100 songs that became A-side singles. Owens' compositions helped boost the careers of Brenda Lee, Moe Bandy and, particularly, Charley Pride. He also wrote hits for Jerry Lee Lewis, Connie Smith, George Jones and Doug Stone, among others. His major works include "All I Have To Offer You Is Me," "(I'm So) Afraid Of Losing You Again," "Touching Home," "Just For What I Am," "Fourteen Minutes Old," "The Right Left Hand" and "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me." Dallas Frazier presided over Owens' induction. Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle and Carl Jackson performed a medley of his songs. Louisiana-born Glenn Sutton came to Nashville in 1964. Two years later, a ballad he co-wrote with Billy Sherrill--"Almost Persuaded"--became a No. 1 hit for David Houston and BMI's country song of the year. Sutton continued with a string of chart-toppers for Houston, Lynn Anderson and Tammy Wynette. These included "You Mean The World To Me," "You're My Man," "What A Man My Man Is," "I Don't Wanna Play House," "Take Me To Your World," "Singing My Song," "The Ways To Love A Man," "Bedtime Story" and "Kids Say The Darndest Things." In addition, he penned the Jerry Lee Lewis trademark, "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me)." Merle Kilgore inducted Sutton. Collin Raye, Carl Jackson and Donna Ulisse performed a selection of his hits. With these latest additions, there are now 130 members in the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame.  mail@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com