John Carroll O'Connor was an American actor whose television career spanned over four decades. He found widespread fame as Archie Bunker, the main character in the CBS television sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1979) and its continuation, Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983). He later starred in the NBC/CBS television crime drama In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995), where he played the role of police chief William "Bill" Gillespie. In the late 1990s, he played Gus Stemple, the father of Jamie Buchman on Mad About You. In 1996, O'Connor was ranked number 38 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. He won five Emmys and one Golden Globe Award.
Ralph Edmund Stanley was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. He began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of The Stanley Brothers, and most often as the leader of his band, The Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph was also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley.
David Hart is an American actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Sgt. Parker Williams on the television series In the Heat of the Night.
The Legend of Jake Kincaid is an independent Western film directed by Alan Autry, and released in 2002. The movie is currently available for streaming on Netflix under the title, Forgiven.
Ken Curtis was an American actor and singer best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the western television series Gunsmoke.
Howard Ellsworth Rollins Jr. was an American stage, film, and television actor. He was best known for his role as Andrew Young in 1978's King, George Haley in the 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the 1981 film Ragtime, Captain Davenport in the 1984 film A Soldier's Story, and as Virgil Tibbs on the NBC/CBS television crime drama In the Heat of the Night (1988–1994).
James Henry Martin was an American bluegrass singer and musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Randall Franks is an American entertainer known for his work as a film and television actor, author, and bluegrass singer and musician. He plays various instruments including the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and mountain dulcimer. Franks has received multiple nominations and awards throughout his career, including nominations for Inspirational Vocalist and Musician of the Year at the Josie Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House 2023 and 2024. He won Musician of the Year - Fiddle in 2024. He has been inducted into several halls of fame, such as the Tri-State Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2022), America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame (2019), and the Independent Country Music Hall of Fame (2013). The International Bluegrass Music Museum & Hall of Fame recognized Franks as a Bluegrass Legend in 2010. He has also received accolades from various regional organizations, including the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame Induction, Carolinas Country, Bluegrass and Gospel Hall of Fame Legend Award, Catoosa County, Georgia, which designated him as the "Appalachian Ambassador of the Fiddle" in 2004, and was inducted into the Chamber Business Person Hall of Fame In 2020, Franks was selected as the inaugural recipient of the AirPlay Direct Evolution Grant.
Anne-Marie Johnson is an American actress and impressionist. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Nadine Hudson–Thomas in What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988), Althea Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night (1988–1993), or her recurring role as fashion designer Donna Cabonna on That's So Raven (2006) during its final season. Johnson is known as a cast member of the FOX sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1993–1994) during its final season, and has had recurring or regular roles in Melrose Place, JAG, Girlfriends and The InBetween.
Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski, known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "Tennessee Waltz".
Josh Graves, born Burkett Howard Graves, was an American bluegrass musician. Also known by the nicknames "Buck," and "Uncle Josh," he is credited with introducing the resonator guitar into bluegrass music shortly after joining Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1997.
Jim & Jesse were an American bluegrass music duo of brothers, Jim McReynolds and Jesse McReynolds. They were born and raised in Carfax, a community near Coeburn, Virginia, United States.
The Whites are an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. They consist of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Sharon plays guitar, Cheryl is the bassist and Buck plays the mandolin. Formed in 1972, the trio has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are also known as frequent collaborators of country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs, who is Sharon's husband.
The Lewis Family is a family of gospel and bluegrass musicians from Lincolnton, Georgia. They are known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel".
Hargus Melvin Robbins, known by his nickname "Pig", was an American session keyboard player, having played on records for many artists, including Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Loretta Lynn, The Everly Brothers, Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, J.J. Cale, John Hartford, John Stewart, Mark Knopfler, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, David Allan Coe, Moe Bandy, George Hamilton IV, Sturgill Simpson, Conway Twitty, Ween, and Al Hirt.
Buddy Spicher is an American country music fiddle player. He is a member of The Nashville A-Team of session musicians, and is Grammy-nominated. He was nominated as Instrumentalist of the Year by CMA in 1983 and 1985. He was the first fiddler in the "Nashville Cats" series of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He recorded with virtually every major country star of the sixties, seventies, and early eighties, including Faron Young, Johnny Paycheck Little Jimmy Dickens, Reba McEntire, George Jones, Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel, Don Francisco, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Bill Monroe, David Allan Coe, and Emmylou Harris.
Robert Russell "Chubby" Wise was an American bluegrass fiddler.
The Marksmen Quartet of Murrayville, Georgia originated in 1967 as a Southern gospel quartet under the direction of Dr. Earle Wheeler. Through the years, the group's styles moved to bluegrass gospel and country gospel. Dove award nominees in 2008 for "God's Masterpiece" and 2010 for "Blue Ridge Mountain Memories," the group includes Earle Wheeler, Mark Wheeler, Darrin Chambers, Mark Autry and Davey Waller.
Dan Whitehurst, is a former California politician. Whitehurst started college at age 16 and law school at age 20. He practiced law briefly and then worked for a time at his father's funeral home before entering politics in 1975. He was mayor of Fresno, California from 1977 to 1985.
