Kix Brooks, Keith Urban, others among 2023 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees

Musician and songwriter Kix Brooks will tell you he's rarely at a loss for words.

But a recent phone call from Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Executive Director Mark Ford with news that Brooks would become one of the hall of fame's newest inductees silenced him.

"I could barely talk and say 'thank you' when Mark called," Brooks said Thursday during a press conference announcing the 2023 class. "I literally could not speak. That has never happened to me in my entire life. I was stunned, and I am still stunned. This is the honor of honors for me."

Brooks joins fellow artist nominee Keith Urban and songwriters Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy and Rafe Van Hoy as the hall's class of 2023. This group is responsible for penning such hits as "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," (written by Beathard and recorded by Tracy Byrd) "Living in Fast Forward," (written by David Lee Murphy and recorded by Kenny Chesney) "Golden Ring," (written by Rafe Van Hoy and recorded by George Jones and Tammy Wynette) "But for the Grace of God," (written and recorded by Keith Urban) and "Brand New Man" (written and recorded by Kix Brooks.)

While several of the inductees have songs and backstories in common, the one thing all five of them shared was the significance of getting "the call."

"It was a shock to get the call to find out I was nominated," Urban said. "It was surreal. It was beautiful because I was at the Sound Stage just a block away from here, and I said to Mark it was a perfect place to be because I was standing at the back of Sound Stage when I got the call looking across at where Shoney's (Inn) used to be on Demonbreun, which was where I stayed when I first came to Nashville in 1989."

Beathard said he assumed Ford was calling to say he didn't make the cut from the initial bank of nominees.

"I was in a writing room, and I said 'I've gotta step out and take this call,' he said. "I thought it'd be a short call. I thought, 'Hey Mark, let's just get this over with, it's ok.' What a great group of guys. I don't feel worthy anyway, so let's just get this over with."

Murphy said for most songwriters, getting the call is one of those "Ten-feet-off-the-ground moments."

"I'll never forget when I got the call: I was nominated and then when Mark called me and told me I was going to get inducted, I did back flips," he said. "It's a huge honor to be here. The songwriter community in Nashville is so tight-knit and is a special group of people."

Van Hoy relayed the significance of the moment by telling the group about something special that happened as he drove in for the inductee announcement press conference.

"My phone, without me touching it or anything, for some reason just started playing 'Til I Get it Right' by Tammy Wynette, which might have been recorded in this room," he said. "It was like my buddies Red Lane and Larry Henley going, 'Hey buddy, welcome.'"

The five writers will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during the 53rd anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at Music City Center. They will join the Hall of Fame's 235 members, which include Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Don Schlitz and Hank Williams.

Melonee Hurt covers growth and development at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Reach Melonee at mhurt@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 'Surreal moment:' 5 songwriters chosen for Nashville Hall of Fame