Gainesville native John Jarrard, a longtime country music songwriter, is set to be posthumously inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The announcement came in a release from the hall of fame Wednesday, saying Jarrard would join five other inductees in its Class of 2023. Executive Director of the Jarrard Burch Foundation, Jody Jackson, said he was thrilled to hear of Jarrard's inclusion.
"We've been campaigning for this and pushing for this because John was such a great guy and a great writer," Jackson said. "We were just ecstatic about it, I mean we were just doing flips. We truly had about given up, thinking, you know, John's been dead for 20 years."
Jackson spoke the morning after the announcement on WDUN's "Mornings on Maine Street" with Bill Maine. The Jarrard Burch Foundation is named for both John Jarrard and fellow Gainesville-native songwriter Bruce Burch. Jarrard passed away in 2001 with Burch passing in 2022.
Jackson said Jarrard was an inspirational figure for reasons beyond his songwriting.
"He fought Type 1 diabetes his whole life, lost his eyesight, lost part of his legs. Just so many things, and he never gave up," Jackson said. "We're just so delighted and it just gives us more things to celebrate."
Jarrard will be inducted into the hall of fame, along with other legendary country figures including Kix Brooks and Keith Urban, at the annual Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on October 11 at Nashville's Music City Center.
Jackson said there will also be a celebration of Jarrard's induction at the Jarrard Burch Foundation's annual Songwriters Show at The Lawn at Midland Social on Grove Street in Gainesville Saturday, September 9. Tickets to the event and more information are available on the foundation's website.
"This is our 22nd year and we're raising money for great causes right here in North Georgia," Jackson said. "It's going to be a great night."
