Two-time Grammy winner Shawn Camp chatted with Markos Papadatos about his 2026 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and his latest album.
Most recently, on October 26th, Camp was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame at Music City Center in Nashville.
Camp’s latest album, “The Ghost of Sis Draper,” co-written with the late Guy Clark is on Grammy ballots now.
Congratulations on the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction! How did that feel?
Oh, man, that was just mind-blowing. What an honor! It’s probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced so far.
How did it feel to get inducted alongside other great songwriters?
What a mind-blowing experience! To get in there with Jerry Allison, who wrote “That’ll Be the Day” with Buddy Holly.
Jerry has passed on, but his widow was there, and she’s a really sweet lady. Also, Bruce Channel, who had his hits in the late ’50s and early ’60s. The Beatles used to open for Bruce, and he is such a sweet guy. He’s 85.
Not to mention Lee Thomas Miller, and I love it, and Taylor Swift. What a mind-blowing thing! Taylor is the biggest artist on earth right now. She is a very sweet young lady.
I had met her once before, but this was a great night for both of us. I think she was equally excited to be there. It’s such a special honor to be included in that club, and really shocking.
Can you tell us more about ‘The Ghost of Sis Draper‘ album?
Oh, man, it’s great. I’m glad to finally get it out. We started writing those songs back in 1998, so it has been a long process.
What’s your personal favorite song on there?
Well, probably “Magnolia Wind.” That’s the song that I used as my signature song for the induction the other night because it’s just such a special song. It’s not the biggest hit I ever wrote. I’ve made a lot more money on other songs, but it’s just a special song. I co-wrote that whole album with Guy Clark.
Guy Clark was a dear friend and a hero of mine. We wrote a lot of songs together.
What inspired you to write ‘The Grandpa That I Know,’ which is one of my favorite country songs of all time?
Oh, thank you, man. I wrote that with my buddy Tim Mensy. He is one of the greatest. My granddaddy was in the Veterans Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he had emphysema. I’ve never seen him when he didn’t have a clean-shaven face, and he asked me to help him shave.
It was Christmas Day, and he was in intensive care there. I stayed with him most of the day, but then he had company coming in. He didn’t want them to see him without his face being shaved. On the way back to Nashville, I wrote a couple of those verses. Then, I got with my buddy Tim Mensy, and we compared notes on our granddaddies.
Deepest condolences on the loss of John Anderson.
Man, thank you so much. He was such a hero of mine and everybody’s, he was my dear friend. I still can’t believe he is gone.
He was at the medallion ceremony for this year’s inductees, three days before he had passed. I just couldn’t believe it when somebody told me the news. I thought, “There’s no way this is possible.” I called his phone number because I thought it was fake. He didn’t answer, of course. Boy, that’s when the news started to hit me.
How does it feel now to be an artist in the digital age… now with streaming and social media being so prevalent?
Well, it’s kind of weird, but I don’t know. I guess that’s just where we are at in this moment in time.
I’m not really very savvy when it comes to promotion online or anything, or any kind of social media, really. I do a little bit, but it’s not really what I do every day.
So, I’m probably not getting the views that some of these young kids are, for sure. That’s just not the way I’m made up. I would rather be writing a song.
What are your plans for the future?
I am just staying in the moment. That’s what my plans for the future are: trying to stay in the moment, be creative, and just try to be positive and move forward as I go.
Advice for young and emerging country singer-songwriters… What would you tell them?
Just stay true to your heart, stay true to yourself, stick with it, be persistent, and if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen.
Who are your dream duet choices in music?
Oh, my goodness. Sierra Ferrell. I love Sierra Ferrell, and I would love to do some something with her. recorded a duet with Jamey Johnson. We did a duet that is coming out this week. It’s a Stanley Brothers tribute. It’s bluegrass and it’s called “Rank Stranger.” It’s a duet between me and Jamey Johnson, and it’s on Compass Records, a various-artists compilation.
We also recorded a duet song that I wrote with John Anderson, called “Maybe Somebody Ought to Lock Us Up for a While,” that me and Jamey Johnson recorded. I think that’s going to be a hit. I’m not sure when it’s coming out, but hopefully, in the near future.
What does success mean to you?
I think just enjoying life and happiness is success, but success is not happiness. That’s my opinion, my perspective of it.
What would you like to say to your fans?
Thank you for listening to me through the years, and I hope I’ve brought you a little bit of something that you have enjoyed musically.
Thank you for supporting me, and I hope to see you soon. Come back and see me. Come out on the road and see us perform.
What are your closing thoughts on ‘The Ghost of Sis Draper’ album?
Well, if you’re a Recording Academy member, please vote for it. Keep me in mind and vote for me, if you will, because a Grammy would sure do me good.
The album “The Ghost of Sis Draper” is available via Truly Handmade Records by clicking here.
To learn more about Grammy award-winning artist Shawn Camp, visit his official website.
