Hall of Fame Songwriter and Author Steve Dorff to Speak on Campus

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Hall of Fame songwriter and author Steve Dorff will be on campus Friday, April 27, to share the stories behind his songs.

The University of Arkansas School of Law will host "An Intimate Conversation with Steve Dorff" at 9 a.m. Friday, April 27, in Waterman Hall, room 342. U of A alumnus Bruce Phillips, J.D.'93, will serve as moderator. The free event is open to all members of campus.

The event will be followed by a book signing, and the University of Arkansas Bookstore will have copies of Dorff's 2017 memoir, "I Wrote That One, Too: A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney" available for purchase.

Dorff's career as a songwriter spans five decades and includes more than 40 BMI awards, 20 Top 10 hits, 12 No. 1 hits and an American Music Award. The Grammy and Emmy-nominated songwriter and composer has had songs recorded by more than 400 artists from all genres of music, as well as 28 movie scores and countless theme songs and placements on TV series.

This June, Dorff will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization's 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner to be held in New York City. His fellow inductees include Alan Jackson, John Mellencamp, Bill Anderson, George Brown and James "JT" Taylor p/k/a "Kool & The Gang," Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, Jermaine Dupri, and Allee Willis.

Dorff's songs have been recorded by iconic artists such as Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Glen Campbell, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, George Strait, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield and many others. A few chart hits include Rogers' "Through the Years," Murray's "I Just Fall in Love Again," Strait's "I Cross My Heart" and Eddie Rabbitt's "Every Which Way But Loose" — the title track from Clint Eastwood's 1978 film.

He has composed TV music for shows such as Murphy Brown, Growing Pains, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Reba, Spenser: For Hire, Just the Ten of Us and The Singing Bee. His film contributions include songs and scores for Pure Country, Bronco Billy, Rocky IV, Tin Cup and Honky Tonk Man. Branching into stage productions, he wrote the music for the theatre production Josephine.

Phillips is an entertainment lawyer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has also served as an adjunct law professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Dorff is in town as part of the Power of Music Festival, which will be held April 26-29 in Bentonville.