3rd Annual
Grand Mesa Songwriter Festival
June 5th - 7th, 2026
2026 Headliner
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is the songwriter’s songwriter and an icon among giants. Native Texan, Crowell is a multi-Grammy Award-winning troubadour with fifteen number one hits. Over the course of his career, Crowell has gracefully blended his own mainstream success as an artist with a prolific catalog of songs cut by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban and more, making him a master among his peers.
With more than 40 years of American roots music under his belt, Crowell has also been cited as the architect of Americana music, extending his genre reach, but owing to the distinctly universal, literary quality of his writing, he has also penned beloved songs for artists as diverse as Bob Seger, Etta James, the Grateful Dead, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett and countless others.
A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Crowell is also the author of the acclaimed memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks, and teamed up with New York Times best-selling author Mary Karr for Kin: Songs by Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell in 2012, with Karr saying of her collaborator, “Like Hank Williams or Townes Van Zandt or Miss Lucinda, he writes and croons with a poet’s economy and a well digger’s deep heart.” Crowell was honored with ASCAP’s prestigious Founder’s Award in 2017, and that same year released the album Close Ties, which spawned another Grammy nomination for “It Ain’t Over Yet” with Rosanne Cash and John Paul White in the category of Best Americana Song. 2019’s Texas was a collection of Lone Star-centric collaborations with Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Dunn, Steve Earle and more, and Crowell’s most recent album release is the 2021 set, Triage.
Crowell came up in Nashville’s songwriting heyday alongside Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle and has continued that legacy of camaraderie and kinship with his peers well into the iconic era of his career. As many say - “your favorite song was probably written by Rodney Crowell.” Crowell has four daughters and lives with his wife and dog in Tennessee. He writes every day and loves tending to his garden.
Hits & Awards
Rodney Crowell is a rare "double threat" in Nashville history, achieving massive success both as a solo performer and as one of the industry's most prolific songwriters. He is most famous for his historic 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt, which made him the first artist to ever score five #1 country hits from a single album.
Solo Chart-Topping Hits (#1 Singles)
All five of Crowell’s solo #1 hits came from his 1988 breakthrough album, Diamonds & Dirt:
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"It's Such a Small World" (Duet with Rosanne Cash)
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"I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried"
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"She's Crazy for Leavin'" (Co-written with Guy Clark)
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"After All This Time" (Also won a Grammy for Best Country Song)
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"Above and Beyond" (A cover of the Buck Owens classic)
Notable Hits as a Songwriter
Crowell has written or co-written a total of 15 #1 songs for other artists. Some of his most famous "penned" hits include:
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"Making Memories of Us" – Keith Urban
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"Please Remember Me" – Tim McGraw
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"I Ain't Living Long Like This" – Waylon Jennings
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"Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" – The Oak Ridge Boys
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"Til I Gain Control Again" – Crystal Gayle
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"Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
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"I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" – Rosanne Cash
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"Somewhere Tonight" – Highway 101
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"Song for the Life" – Alan Jackson
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"Shame on the Moon" – Bob Seger
Awards and Honors
Crowell’s transition from country star to Americana icon is reflected in his diverse trophy case.
Grammy Awards
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1990: Best Country Song – "After All This Time"
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2014: Best Americana Album – Old Yellow Moon (with Emmylou Harris)
Americana Music Honors & Awards
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2004: Song of the Year – "Fate's Right Hand"
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2006: Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting
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2013: Album of the Year – Old Yellow Moon (with Emmylou Harris)
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2013: Duo/Group of the Year (with Emmylou Harris)
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2016: Duo/Group of the Year (with Emmylou Harris)
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2017: Song of the Year – "It Ain't Over Yet"
Major Industry Honors
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Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2003.
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Music City Walk of Fame: Inducted in 2007.
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ASCAP Founders Award: Received in 2017 (one of the highest honors for songwriters).
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ACM Poet’s Award: Received in 2019 for his lyrical contributions to country music.
