West Virginia Music Hall of Fame

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The nonprofit West Virginia Music Hall of Fame was established in 2005, to honor the legacies of the state's performing artists in multiple music genres. This hall of fame is the brainchild of its founder, musician Michael Lipton, who was inspired by a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The first exhibit was records from his personal collection. [1]

Contents

The organization is staffed and governed by volunteers, and also offers their Music Career Counseling Program. [2] Nominations for artist inclusion into the hall are currently submitted by the public, but the first class of inductees was selected by the hall of fame's board members. Criteria for selection is primarily the nominee's cultural impact on state and national levels. They must either have residency, or place of birth, in West Virginia. [3] The first ten honorees inducted were the class of 2007, and all six of the then-living inductees made a personal appearance at the ceremony. The number of inductees varies by year, but so far have been fewer than the initial class.

Biennial festive induction ceremonies normally take place as a live event at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, and are aired on television by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. During the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, that year's induction ceremonies were taped at Nashville, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California, and broadcast at a later date, as well as posted on the West Virginia PBS Facebook page. [4] The Hall of Fame takes its traveling museum across the state, [5] and works in tandem with the West Virginia Department of Education as part of a West Virginia music history curriculum for the state's elementary schools. [6]

Inductees

Class of 2007

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

Homer Bailes (1922–2013)
Johnnie Bailes (1918–1989)
Walter Bailes (1920–2000)
Kyle O. Bailes (1915–1996)
Grand Ole Opry performers who also helped launch the Louisiana Hayride. [26]

Class of 2011

Class of 2013

Class of 2015

Class of 2018

Class of 2020

Honey Davis (1926–2019) – Mandolin, vocals
Sonny Davis – Guitar, vocals, disc jockey
Edden Hammons, (1876–1995)
Pete Hammons, (1861–1955)
Maggie Hammons Parker, (1899–1987)
Sherman Hammons, (1903–1988)
Burl Hammons, (1907–1993)
Lee Hammons, (1883–1980)
Currence Hammons, (1898–1984)
Mintie Hammons, (1898–1987)
Dona Hammons Gum, (1900–1987)

Class of 2023 [64]

Ezra Cline
Charlie Cline
Curly Ray Cline
Larry Richardson
Bobby Osborne
Paul Williams
Jimmy Martin
Ray Morgan

Class of 2025

Friendly Womack Jr. (born 1941)
Curtis Womack (1942-2017)
Bobby Womack (1944-2014) founding member of The Womack Brothers of Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Cecil Womack (September 25, 1947 – January 25, 2013)
Harry Womack (June 25, 1945 – March 9, 1974) Vocals, bass, Singer, musician, instrumentalist

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References

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