International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame

Last updated
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Company typeMusic Association
Genre Bluegrass
Founded1991
Headquarters
311 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42301 Owensboro, Kentucky
,
United States
Website https://www.bluegrasshall.org/

For a professional in the bluegrass music field, election to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor the genre can bestow. An invitation can be extended to performers, songwriters, promoters, broadcasters, musicians, and executives in recognition of their contributions to the development of bluegrass music worldwide. The hall of fame honor was created in 1991 by the International Bluegrass Music Association and the inductees are honored annually at the International Bluegrass Music Awards ceremony. The Hall's first inductees were Bill Monroe, widely considered as the founder of the genre, and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, two of bluegrass music's most pioneering and influential artists. Roy Acuff, the first living artist to join the Hall of Fame, was elected in 1962. The most recent inductees (class of 2023) are Sam Bush, Wilma Lee Cooper, and David Grisman. The Hall itself is maintained at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. The institution received its current name in 2007, and was known prior to this as the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor.

Contents

Member selection

Each year a nominating committee creates a slate of 10-15 candidates. From these names, electors cast ballots to narrow the nominees to five finalists. There are over 200 electors who, themselves, must have participated actively in bluegrass for at least 10 years, and must merit respect and recognition for their accomplishments and/or knowledge in one or more aspects of the field. After the five finalists have been selected, the electors again vote to select the inductee(s) for that year. The name(s) of the newest Hall of Honor inductee(s) are made public immediately following the final stage of balloting and the formal induction takes place each year during the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show. The plaques are then displayed at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. [1]

Eligibility

Only people or performing groups are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. Companies, institutions, publications, radio stations, and other organizations – many of which significantly foster bluegrass music – are not eligible for Hall of Fame recognition. Deceased persons are not eligible for induction in the year following their passing. Eligible people and musical groups may include:

Categories

The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inducts its members in one of three categories:

Criteria

Candidates for the Hall of Fame are appraised by the Nominating Committee and Panel of Electors in accordance with the criteria below:

  1. Basic Standard - Candidates should be judged according to their contribution to the advancement of bluegrass music and the indelibility of that impact.
  2. Individuals Versus Performing Groups – Nomination of a performing band may take priority over its individual band members, unless the contributions of an individual band member to the greater whole of bluegrass music greatly overshadows the influence of the band. The Nominating Committee is encouraged to wait three years after a band induction before individual band members may be again eligible for the Hall of Fame. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Nominating Committee.
  3. Scope of Activity - Candidates may have excelled in a specific sphere such as songwriting, publishing, performing, recording, or producing; or they may have been active in several areas. Regardless of their focus, candidates must have achieved definitive leadership in their field(s) and must compete with all candidates in all fields.
  4. Span of Influence - The time factor of a candidate's impact on bluegrass music is completely flexible (except as provided for the Early Contributor Category). It may cover an uninterrupted span of many years or it may cover two or more distinct and separate time cycles. A candidate may earn Hall of Fame recognition by one transient act, momentary in time, providing the impact on bluegrass music is deemed significant enough. Longevity of involvement with bluegrass music, therefore, will not in itself warrant recognition in the Hall of Fame.
  5. Influence on Others – Inspirational effect on others is a most significant criterion in evaluating candidates; the degree to which their influence is multiplied through others to create an impact on bluegrass music far beyond direct individual contribution

Inductees

1990s

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000s

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010s

ImageInducteeYearBirth dateDeath dateNotesRef
Image-John Hartford playing at Merlefest, North Carolina (2000)-fls.jpg John Hartford 2010December 30, 1937June 4, 2001Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, steamboat pilot [2]
Louise Scruggs 2010February 17, 1927February 2, 2006Talent manager, booking agent [3]
Del-mccoury-fls.jpg Del McCoury 2011February 1, 1939–Singer, guitarist, bandleader [4]
George Shuffler 2011April 11, 1925April 7, 2014Guitarist
Doyle Lawson 2012April 20, 1944–Singer, bandleader [5]
Ralph Rinzler 2012July 20, 1934July 2, 1994Mandolinist, founder of Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Tony Rice RockyGrass.jpg Tony Rice 2013June 8, 1951December 25, 2020Guitarist, songwriter [6]
Paul Warren2013May 17, 1918January 12, 1978Fiddle player
Neil Rosenberg2014March 21, 1939–Author and music historian, banjo player [7]
The Original Seldom Scene 2014 Mike Auldridge (December 30, 1938)
John Duffey (March 4, 1934)
Ben Eldridge (August 15, 1938)
Tom Gray (February 1, 1941)
John Starling (March 26, 1940)		December 29, 2012
December 10, 1996
–
–
May 2, 2019		Band
Larry Sparks 2015September 25, 1947–Singer, guitarist [8]
Bill Keith, banjoist on stage at Cambridge Folk Festival, July 1985.jpg Bill Keith 2015December 20, 1939October 23, 2015Banjo player
The Rounder Founders 2016Ken Irwin (May 23, 1944)
Marian Leighton Levy (August 22, 1948)
Bill Nowlin (February 14, 1945)		–Music executives, founders of Rounder Records [9]
Clarence White 2016June 7, 1944July 15, 1973Singer, guitarist, member of The Kentucky Colonels and The Byrds
Hazel Dickens.jpg Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard 2017Dickens (June 1, 1925)
Gerrard (July 8, 1934)		April 22, 2011
–		Musical duo [10]
Bobby Hicks 2017July 21, 1933–Musician
Roland White (cropped) - Aug 3, 2014.jpg Roland White 2017April 23, 1938April 1, 2022Mandolinist
Vassar Clements, October 2004.gif Vassar Clements 2018April 25, 1928August 16, 2005Fiddle player [11]
Tom T. Hall.png Tom T. Hall and Dixie Hall2018Tom. T Hall (May 25, 1936)
Dixie Hall (May 26, 1934)		August 20, 2021
January 16, 2015		Singer-songwriter and author
Songwriter
Mike Seeger, 1964.jpg Mike Seeger 2018August 15, 1933August 7, 2009Musician
Allen Shelton 2018July 2, 1936November 21, 2009Banjo player
Ricky skaggs performing.jpg Ricky Skaggs 2018July 18, 1954–Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, bandleader
Jake Tullock2018July 23, 1922June 18, 1988Bass player
Joe Val 2018June 26, 1926June 11, 1985Musician and singer
Paul Williams 2018March 30, 1935–Singer, musician
Terry Woodward2018July 19, 1937–Volunteer leader
Mike Auldridge 31DEC2006.jpg Mike Auldridge 2019December 30, 1938December 29, 2012Dobro player [12]
Bill Emerson 2019January 22, 1938August 21, 2021Banjo player
The Kentucky Colonels 2019 Roger Bush (September 16, 1940)
Billy Ray Latham (January 12, 1938)
LeRoy McNess (September 19, 1940)
Clarence White (June 7, 1944)
Eric White (July 9, 1942)
Roland White (April 23, 1938)
–
August 18, 2018
–
July 5, 1973
June 7, 2012
April 1, 2022		Band

2020s

ImageInducteeYearBirth dateDeath dateNotesRef
Earl "J. T." Gray 2020March 7, 1946March 20, 2021Owner of the Station Inn [13]
Johnson Mountain Boys 2020 Dudley Connell (February 18, 1956)
Francis "Frannie" Davidson (September 29, 1958)
Richard Underwood (July 14, 1956)
Raymond "Tom" Adams Jr. (November 17, 1958)
David McLaughlin (February 13, 1958)
Edward "Eddie" Z'Mura (November 30, 1955)
Eddie Stubbs (November 25, 1961)
Gary Reid (October 2, 1956)
Mark Prindle (January 24, 1956)
Larry Robbins (April 25, 1945)
Marshall Wilborn (March 12, 1952)
Hugh "Earl" Yeager (November 2, 1953)		–Band
Ngr reunion2.jpg New Grass Revival 2020Curtis Birch (January 24, 1945)
Sam Bush (April 13, 1952)
John Cowan (August 24, 1953)
Béla Fleck (July 10, 1958)
Pat Flynn (May 17, 1952)
Courtney Johnson (December 20, 1939)
Joseph "Butch" Robins (May 12, 1949)
Ebo Walker (October 19, 1941)		–
–
–
–
–
June 7, 1996
–
–		Band
Earl "J. T." Gray 2020March 7, 1946March 20, 2021Owner of the Station Inn
Alison Krauss 2011.jpg Alison Krauss 2021July 23, 1971–Singer, fiddle player [14]
Lynn Morris 2021October 8, 1948–Musician
The Stoneman Family 2021Ernest "Pop" Stoneman (May 25, 1893)
Hattie Stoneman (September 28, 1899)
Patsy Stoneman (May 25, 1925)
Calvin Stoneman (August 4, 1932)
Donna Stoneman (February 7, 1934)
Oscar Stoneman (March 8, 1937)
Veronica "Roni" Stoneman (May 5, 1938)
Van Stoneman (December 31, 1940)		June 14, 1968
July 22, 1976
July 23, 2015
March 4, 1973
–
September 22, 2002
February 22, 2024
June 3, 1995		Band
Norman Blake 2022March 10, 1938–Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter [15]
Paul "Moon" Mullins2022September 24, 1936August 3, 2001Fiddle player
Peter Rowan (33621350423) (cropped).jpg Peter Rowan 2022July 4, 1942–Singer-songwriter, musician
Sam Bush Mandolin.jpg Sam Bush 2023April 13, 1952–Mandolinist, singer-songwriter [16]
Wilma Lee Cooper 2023February 7, 1921September 13, 2011Singer, musician
David-Grisman.jpg David Grisman 2023March 23, 1945–Mandolinist, producer, songwriter, owner of Acoustic Disc records

Multiple inductees

To date, there have been six artists who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame more than once:

NameFirstYearSecondYear
John Duffey The Country Gentlemen 1996 The Original Seldom Scene 2014
Tomgray.jpg Tom Gray
Mike Auldridge 31DEC2006.jpg Mike Auldridge The Original Seldom Scene 2014Solo career2019
ClarenceWhiteKralingen1970 (cropped).jpg Clarence White Solo career2016 The Kentucky Colonels 2019
Roland White (cropped) - Aug 3, 2014.jpg Roland White Solo career2017
Sam Bush Mandolin.jpg Sam Bush New Grass Revival 2020Solo career2023

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "IMBA Awards Handbook: Criteria and Process - IMBA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame" (PDF). 24 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "John Hartford". 2010.
  3. ↑ "Louise Scruggs". 2010.
  4. ↑ "2011 INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS REVEALED". 29 September 2011.
  5. ↑ "International Bluegrass Music Awards Presented for 2012". 2 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "The Gibson Brothers – for the Second Year in a Row – Named Entertainer of the Year at 2013 IBMA Music Awards | International Bluegrass Music Association". Ibma.org. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ "International Bluegrass Music Awards 2014 Winners Announced". 4 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "HERE'S YOUR FULL 2015 IBMA AWARDS WINNERS LIST". 2 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "2016 IBMA Award Nominees". 27 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "The 2017 IBMA Award Winners". 29 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Bluegrass Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees & Nominees". 25 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "2019 Bluegrass Music Awards: A complete list of winners". 27 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame artist inductees for 2020". 26 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "IBMA ANNOUNCES 2021 INDUCTEES TO THE BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME". 20 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "2022 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominees announced". 26 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2023 IBMA AWARDS NOMINEES AND BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES". 19 July 2022.
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