International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Company typeMusic Association
Genre Bluegrass
Founded1991
Headquarters
311 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42301 Owensboro, Kentucky
,
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. The most recent inductees (class of 2024) are Katy Daley, Jerry Douglas, and Alan Munde. 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. People are not eligible for induction in the year following their death. 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, 1939Singer, guitarist, bandleader [4]
George Shuffler 2011April 11, 1925April 7, 2014Guitarist
Doyle Lawson 2012April 20, 1944Singer, 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, 1939Author 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, 1947Singer, 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, 1933Musician
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, 1954Singer-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, 1935Singer, musician
Terry Woodward2018July 19, 1937Volunteer 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
Alison Krauss 2011.jpg Alison Krauss 2021July 23, 1971Singer, fiddle player [14]
Lynn Morris 2021October 8, 1948Musician
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, 1938Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter [15]
Paul "Moon" Mullins2022September 24, 1936August 3, 2001Fiddle player
Peter Rowan (33621350423) (cropped).jpg Peter Rowan 2022July 4, 1942Singer-songwriter, musician
Sam Bush Mandolin.jpg Sam Bush 2023April 13, 1952Mandolinist, singer-songwriter [16]
Wilma Lee Cooper 2023February 7, 1921September 13, 2011Singer, musician
David-Grisman.jpg David Grisman 2023March 23, 1945Mandolinist, producer, songwriter, owner of Acoustic Disc records
Katy Daley2024Broadcaster, producer, voice-over at the IBMA Awards [17]
Jerry Douglas (26955774667).jpg Jerry Douglas 2024May 28, 1956Dobro and steel guitar player, producer, member of Union Station and The Earls of Leicester, co-director of Transatlantic Sessions
Alan Munde 2024November 4, 1946Banjo player, session musician, member of Country Gazette, music educator, author

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</span> Music museum in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures and personnel who have influenced its development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Monroe</span> American bluegrass musician, songwriter (1911–1996)

William Smith Monroe was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, and created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the "Father of Bluegrass".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Bush</span> American mandolinist

Charles Samuel Bush is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame a second time in 2023 as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhonda Vincent</span> American bluegrass singer

Rhonda Lea Vincent is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Wiseman</span> American musician (1925–2019)

Malcolm Bell Wiseman was an American bluegrass and country singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Franks</span> American actor, musician and author

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Osborne</span> American musician (1931–2023)

Bobby Van Osborne was an American bluegrass musician. He was the co-founder of the Osborne Brothers, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Osborne was a member of the United States Marine Corps, received a Purple Heart for his service, and was honorably discharged in 1953.

The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Douglas</span> American bluegrass musician

Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prolific". A fourteen-time Grammy winner, he has been called "dobro's matchless contemporary master" by The New York Times, and is among the most innovative recording artists in music, both as a solo artist and member of numerous bands, such as Alison Krauss and Union Station and The Earls of Leicester. He has been a co-director of the Transatlantic Sessions since 1998.

Larry Eugene Sparks, is an American Bluegrass singer and guitarist. He was the winner of the 2004 and 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year Award. 2005, won IBMA for Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year for his album "40," celebrating his 40th year(2003) in bluegrass music. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Skaggs</span> American musician, producer, and composer

Rickie Lee Skaggs, known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Nixon</span> American singer-songwriter

Michelle Nixon is a bluegrass and acoustic country music artist. Born Michelle Denice Thurston on December 10, 1963 she grew up in central Virginia where she became involved in music at an early age. Nixon joined her first band at the age of 14, embarking on a musical journey that found her singing a variety of gospel and classic country music with different Virginia based bands. Gathering inspiration and style from, among others, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, Nixon quickly developed her own powerful sound.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards is an award show for bluegrass music presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Awards are voted based on professional membership in the IBMA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Dillard</span> Musical artist

Douglas Flint Dillard was an American musician noted for his banjo proficiency and his pioneering participation in late-'60s country rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Tuttle</span> American musician

Molly Rose Tuttle is an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player, guitarist, recording artist, and teacher in the bluegrass tradition. She is noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. She has cited Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, Alison Krauss and Hazel Dickens as role models. In 2017, Tuttle was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's Guitar Player of the Year award. In 2018 she won the award again, along with being named the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year. In 2023, Tuttle won the Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree and also received a nomination for the all-genre Best New Artist award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Also in 2023, Tuttle and Golden Highway won International Bluegrass Music Awards for album Crooked Tree and the title track in the categories of Album of the Year and Song of the Year, respectively, while Tuttle won Female Vocalist of the Year.

Louise Scruggs was an American music manager and booking agent. Scruggs became the first woman manager in the music industry when she started managing American bluegrass band Flatt and Scruggs in 1955. She was posthumously awarded the Joe Talbot Award in 2006 and inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff White (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

Jeff White is an American bluegrass guitarist/mandolinist, songwriter, record producer and sound mixer. Jeff White has performed and produced albums with many artists including: Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, The Chieftains, Lyle Lovett, Tim O'Brien, The Travelin' McCourys, Michael Cleveland and The Earls Of Leicester. White won the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Bluegrass Album with The Earls of Leicester. One of Jeff's key mentors is award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland. Jeff and Michael have earned four International Bluegrass Music Awards for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year. Jeff produced several of Michael Cleveland's albums. Jeff has toured with banjo picking Earl Scruggs and Louise Scruggs. Jeff White has produced and released three solo albums: in 1996 The White Album, in 1999 The Broken Road and in 2016 Right Beside You.

Sister Sadie is an all-female American bluegrass, country, and folk band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2012. The band formed after the five original members Deanie Richardson, Tina Adair, Dale Ann Bradley, Gena Britt, and Beth Lawrence came together to play one show at the Station Inn in Nashville. They continued to play together as a band, eventually touring and releasing music. Since 2020, they have gone through a few lineup changes and the current band consists of: Deanie Richardson, Gena Britt, Jaelee Roberts, Dani Flowers, and Maddie Dalton.

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". Billboard . 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.
  17. "IBMA Unveils Bluegrass Music Award Nominees & Hall Of Fame Inductees". MusicRow . July 17, 2024.