Miranda Lambert: Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame New Inductee

Singer Miranda Lambert thanks her father for inspiring her love of country music.

Country singer Miranda Lambert performing onstage during the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 8, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. Jason Kempin/Getty Images

On Feb. 21, 2026, country star Miranda Lambert will be inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame. For 20 years, the singer-songwriter cultivated a catalog of original music that honors the roots of the country genre, as well as offers a contemporary perspective through song-stories full of raw honesty and fierce determination.

“Her words reflect the strong family roots and authenticity that have defined her career,” writes Jillian Sinclair for Cowgirl Magazine.

Lambert is one of country music’s strongest voices—so strong it sometimes appears to be downright unshakeable. Her artistic resolve is especially prominent on hit singles like “White Liar,” a cheeky, bluegrass-laden love-gone-wrong tune with a plot twist as its closer. For “Bluebird,” a pensive song co-penned with songwriters Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, Lambert lets the listener know she’ll stay hopeful even against great adversity.

And if the whole wide world stops singing And all the stars go dark I'll keep a light on in my soul Keep a bluebird in my heart

Released months before the COVID-19 lockdowns, the 2019 single took on a deeper meaning and dominated country radio.

Her grit and tenacity are no happy accident. The character traits were forged in East Texas where, as a little girl, the “More Like Her” singer would watch her father, Rick Lambert, play his guitar and sing. Their bond over music instilled within her both a love of country music and a love for songwriting. When she extended gratitude to the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame for her forthcoming induction, the first person she thanked was her first songwriting partner.

“My dad was my first co-writer. He taught me how to play guitar and is a huge part of the reason for my love of country music. I’m grateful for what music and songwriting has done in my life,” she said.

A Springboard

Lambert’s debut 2005 album, “Kerosene,” produced a top 20 hit. The title track climbed all the way to No. 15 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and was certified Gold. But an acoustic-based ballad on the otherwise boot-tapping record caught the attention of her fans.

The 20th Anniversary vinyl release of Miranda Lambert's debut studio album "Kerosene." Legacy Recordings

“Greyhound Bound for Nowhere,” a heartfelt song chronicling the end of a relationship, captivated listeners because of its image-driven lyrics and its raw emotional tone.

Bright lights of a city shinin' up ahead My heart’s analyzin' every word you said Did you take me for a fool, or did you really care? I’m on a Greyhound bound for nowhere

The tune was co-written with her father before she won a spot on the competition program, “Nashville Star.” But when she did make it far into the competition, placing third overall, she introduced the audience to “Greyhound Bound for Nowhere,” and the introduction represented a moment of arrival for a new generation of classic country songwriters.

Lambert was only 19 years old when she appeared on the show, but her artistic maturity was unmistakable. Her father served as a childhood springboard for her love of country music.

“My first musical memory is probably of my dad playing guitar in my house,” she shared with ABC News.

One song he’d play for her repeatedly was Guy Clark’s “Desperados Waiting for a Train.” The reflective classic became her favorite tune.

“Favorite song of all time,“ she says of the song. ”The one he would sing a lot to me as a little girl. That meant a lot to me. He was a singer songwriter so it just seems like I’ve always been hearing him downstairs or sitting around with him at a fire at a party or something with him playing guitar since I was born.”

‘Texas Pride’

Miranda Lambert poses with an award during the CMT Music awards at the Bridgestone Arena on June 6, 2012 in Nashville. Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Lambert is a proud Texan, and she loves working her Lone Star State pride into her repertoire. Even her earliest singles point to an artist beating a path to the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame door.

In the early days, her mother, Beverly, would accompany her on radio tours, bologna sandwiches in hand for the long drive from station to station. The first time Lambert heard herself on the radio was during one of those tours, with an upbeat anthemic number riding the airwaves.

“[The song] was called ‘Texas Pride.’ ... We had just left the station and they put my record on, and I couldn’t believe it, that I was seventeen and getting played on the radio. … It was just this homemade two-thousand-dollar record that my dad had somehow scraped up the money to pay for,” she told Garden & Gun magazine.

The playful tune is a lyrical romp, with mentions of enduring classic compositions from cowboy culture like “Home on the Range,” “T for Texas,” and “San Antonio Rose.” Since her “Texas Pride” release from 2001, she’s amassed one of country music’s biggest fanbases. The Grammy award-winning artist has come a long way from the girl in the song who admits, “I ain’t seen my fan club yet.”

‘An Unflinching Quest’

The Texas Heritage Songwriters Association hosts the hall of fame event each year. When the organization announced the 2026 inductees, Lambert was credited with “an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty, and conviction” regarding her career.

The “Heart Like Mine” co-writer will be joined by fellow new inductees Don Cook, Keith Gattis, and George Strait.

Texas Heritage Songwriters Association shared the four artists are being honored for their “incredible contributions” made to the field of country music.

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