Hillary Lindsey has spent decades behind some of country music’s biggest hits, and now the acclaimed songwriter is celebrating a major milestone of her own.
Lindsey, one of Nashville’s most respected songwriters, turns 49 on Aug. 11, 2026. Over the course of her career, she has helped write songs recorded by some of the biggest names in country and pop music, including Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan.
But Lindsey’s résumé goes well beyond the names attached to her songs.
She earned her first No. 1 hit in 2002 with McBride’s “Blessed,” according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. A few years later, she helped write one of Underwood’s signature songs, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” alongside Brett James and Gordie Sampson.
The song became a major career moment for Underwood, 43, and earned Lindsey and her co-writers the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Lindsey later won the same Grammy for Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” which she co-wrote with Lori McKenna and Liz Rose.
Lindsey’s work has also crossed well beyond traditional country music.
She co-wrote songs recorded by Lady Gaga, 40, including “Always Remember Us This Way” and “I’ll Never Love Again” from A Star Is Born. “I’ll Never Love Again” went on to win a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Her songwriting credits also include Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Sara Evans‘ “A Little Bit Stronger” and numerous other country hits. The Songwriters Hall of Fame currently credits Lindsey with 27 No. 1 songs.
Lindsey’s career has earned her some of Nashville’s highest honors, too. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022 and has received multiple ACM and CMA honors for her songwriting.
For a songwriter who has spent so much of her career helping other artists create career-defining moments, Lindsey’s 49th birthday is a fitting reminder of just how much music has come from behind the scenes.
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