Sheryl Crow Serenaded by Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Other Stars at BMI Troubadour Tribute in Nashville

On Monday night, BMI's Nashville office opened its doors for an invitation-only dinner honoring Sheryl Crow with the Troubadour Award. Roughly 200 music industry insiders gathered for the intimate affair, which featured a house band of seasoned Music City players backing a series of tribute performances. Among the artists reinterpreting Crow's catalog were Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Lauren Daigle, Eric Church, and Melissa Etheridge.

The Troubadour Award, which has previously gone to John Fogerty and Lucinda Williams, recognizes artists whose work leans into Americana and roots rock. Crow — often described as Nashville's most commercially successful non-country export — fits that mold precisely. Isbell opened the performance segment with "Run Baby Run," Etheridge followed with "If It Makes You Happy," Daigle delivered "Every Day Is a Winding Road," Church tackled "Leaving Las Vegas," and Stapleton brought the tribute portion to a close with a blistering "I Shall Believe."

The night's biggest surprise came when Rodrigo, who had flown in specifically for the occasion, took the stage to perform "Strong Enough." The 22-year-old pop sensation, whose 2021 debut album "Sour" earned her three Grammy Awards, shared a story about meeting Crow at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event where the two performed "Happy" together. Rodrigo recalled admiring a guitar that crew members had handed her, only for Crow to offer it to her right there. "I was like, 'Sure. I'm not gonna take Sheryl Crow's guitar,'" Rodrigo said. The following morning, the instrument arrived in a package. "It's my most prized possession," she added. The anecdote underscores Crow's long-standing reputation for generosity, a quality peers have highlighted for decades.

Video tributes from the Chicks, Brandi Carlile, and others were interspersed throughout the program. Jeff Trott, Crow's longtime co-writer and studio guitarist who rarely seeks the spotlight, delivered an extended personal speech. He recounted abandoning plans to join the Wallflowers when Crow called him to record material for her second album — songs they had written months earlier that he assumed had been shelved. Those sessions produced soon-to-be classics including "If It Makes You Happy." Trott admitted he felt conflicted about leaving the Wallflowers in the lurch but has never regretted the decision, given the three decades of collaboration that followed. Crow's 1993 debut "Tuesday Night Music Club" launched a career now spanning nine Grammy Awards and more than 50 million records sold worldwide, placing her among the most commercially successful artists to emerge from the roots-rock scene.

In her acceptance speech, Crow reflected on her musical beginnings. "My mom and dad were both musicians, and they were always playing music on our Magnavox, all the greats," the 65-year-old said. She described herself as a perpetual student of songwriting. "I don't ever want to think that I know what I'm doing because I think crafting sometimes can get in the way of just being lucky to be in the room when something divine happens," she said, explaining that such moments — whether in nature or when a melody seems to arrive from nowhere — are how she encounters her maker. Crow name-checked Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris for allowing her to "stand in their orbit," singled out Don Henley and Stevie Nicks for guiding her through difficult periods, and praised Stapleton as a collaborator. "When you work with the greats, it leaves an impact on you, and it makes you want to keep going in search of your best work," she said. "I'm 65, and I feel like my best work is in front of me."

Addressing the younger artists in the room, Crow said they fuel her desire to keep writing. She also drew laughter with a blunt remark about artificial intelligence: "It can't be underestimated — and fuck AI. Sorry, but it will never feel and, also, it will never play live." An emotional undercurrent ran through the evening as Crow paid tribute to Dolly Parton, who died earlier this year at 79, holding her up as someone who left the world better than she found it. The singer, who has sold out venues ranging from London's O2 Arena to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, grew tearful when discussing her mother, who now lives with profound memory loss. "The greatest gift I have been given is playing from the Great American Songbook for my mom," Crow said. Even though her mother no longer recognizes those around her, Crow noted, "I can play any great song from the Great American Songbook, and she would stand up and she would sing it." That, Crow concluded, proves music's capacity to outlast nearly everything else.