Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton and More Pay Tribute to Sheryl Crow at BMI Event
A star-studded tribute dinner in Nashville honored Sheryl Crow with the BMI Troubadour Award. Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Lauren Daigle, Eric Church and Melissa Etheridge performed covers of Crow's songs. The intimate event featured a house band and was attended by industry guests.
The invite-only dinner took place at BMI's Nashville headquarters, with a house band of Music City session players backing each performer. Crow's Troubadour Award places her alongside prior honorees such as John Fogerty and Lucinda Williams, a lineage emphasizing Americana and roots-inflected rock. Video tributes from the Chicks and Brandi Carlile were also woven into the evening's program.
Rodrigo recounted meeting Crow at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event, where Crow offered her a guitar and later shipped it to her, a gesture Rodrigo called her most prized possession. Crow's longtime collaborator Jeff Trott spoke about abandoning plans to join the Wallflowers after Crow summoned him to record songs for her second album, including "If It Makes You Happy." Crow joked about lobbying the Grammys for a "Best Old" category.
This tribute could reinforce Crow's standing as a connective figure between pop, rock, and Americana, potentially introducing her catalog to younger listeners through performers like Rodrigo. The event may also spotlight Nashville's broadening identity beyond country music, underscoring its role as a hub for diverse songwriters. Honors of this kind often prompt renewed streaming interest in an artist's back catalog, which could benefit Crow commercially while affirming the lasting cultural resonance of her songwriting.