Everly Brothers

Louvin Brothers

Homer and Jethro

Formal induction for the 12 new members will take place during special ceremonies at a dinner October 4 in Nashville. The honorees will also be recognized during the 35th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 7 on CBS-TV.

Sam Phillips

Webb Pierce

Bill Anderson

Don Gibson

The 10 individuals eligible for the special induction have all been final nominees for the Hall of Fame at least three times before. Anderson and Phillips were part of the regular induction process this year in the Open and Non-Performer Categories. All inductees were chosen by the Hall of Fame panel of electors -- more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the CMA Board of Directors.

"Since 1961, only 74 individuals, duos or groups have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. With the special induction of 10 members along with our regular inductions for 2001, we are able to significantly increase the breadth and range of honorees in the Country Music Hall of Fame," observed CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. "Recognizing them during a special celebration event affords us the time necessary to honor their extraordinary contributions to Country Music with participation from the entire industry."

Alabama natives Alton and Rabon Delmore began singing and picking together as children, quickly mastering a fast-fingered guitar style. They first recorded with Columbia in 1931, joining the Grand Ole Opry a year later. The Delmore Brothers went on to record some of their best-known songs for Bluebird in the late 1930s, including "Big River Blues" and "Nashville Blues." They scored a huge hit in 1949 with "Blues Stay Away from Me," and found renewed popularity with boogie and blues recordings for Cincinnati's King Records after World War II. The Delmore Brothers are considered one of the most popular country music brother duos. Rabon died in 1952, and Alton 12 years later.

Phil and Don Everly's career began early, performing with their parents, and later landing a contract with Cadence Records after high school. Publishers at Acuff-Rose introduced them to Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who would later write their smash "Bye Bye Love." The song topped the pop and country music charts, making it one of the biggest hits of 1957, and launching the Everly Brothers to teen idol status. The Everly Brothers' unique blend of country and folk scored them countless hits including "Wake Up Little Susie," "Bird Dog" and "All I Have to Do is Dream." The duo split in 1973, but reunited in 1983 to record several albums together. The Everly Brothers continue to tour, serving as a major country influence on generations of pop and rock 'n' roll musicians. Each has won the BMI Country Song of the Year award: Phil in 1976 with "When Will I Be Loved" and Don in 1990 with "Cathy's Clown."

North Carolina native Don Gibson got his start on WNOX radio in Knoxville. By the mid-'50s, he expanded his audience through a string of recordings for RCA, Columbia and MGM, becoming one of the area's most popular performers. Already a talented guitarist, Gibson gained notoriety as a songwriter when Faron Young hit the Top 10 in 1956 with the classic, "Sweet Dreams." His song "I Can't Stop Loving You" was a hit for both Ray Charles and Kitty Wells. His own version of the song in 1958 appeared on the flipside of "Oh Lonesome Me." This double-sided hit marked his first national success as a recording artist, paving the way for him to join the Grand Ole Opry that same year. Gibson continued to tour and perform on the Grand Ole Opry until the 1990s. A living legend, Gibson is considered one of the top record-sellers in country music history. He was named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year in 1967 and has earned more than two dozen BMI Country and Pop honors.

Henry (Homer) Haynes and Kenneth (Jethro) Burns teamed up in 1932 to become a new comedic/musical act, performing on Knoxville radio station WNOX with the Stringdusters Band. Though best known for their comedy, Homer was a phenomenal rhythm guitarist and Jethro was considered to be a great mandolin stylist. They made their first recording for King Records in 1946, subsequently signing with RCA in 1949. Homer and Jethro's many hits include the parodies "That Hound Dog in the Window," "Let Me Go Blubber," "The Battle of Kookamonga" and "Jam-Bowl-Liar." They were also sidemen on many hits by other artists, including Chet Atkins. Except for a brief time during Word War II, their career together spanned 38 years until Homer's death in 1971. Jethro went on to record several more albums before passing away in 1989.

A native of Littlefield, Texas, Waylon Jennings made his first musical mark as a bass player for Buddy Holly's band from 1958-1959. Jennings, who gave up his seat on Holly's fatal plane to J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, went on to pursue his desire to become a singer after Holly's death. Jennings moved to Nashville in 1965 when Bobby Bare helped sign him to the RCA label. His lean, bass-driven sound, long dark hair, and black attire in the 1970s helped define Jennings' image as an outlaw. His success continued with hits such as "I'm A Ramblin' Man" and "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way." In 1976, Jennings' work was part of country music's first platinum album Wanted: The Outlaws. Over the years, Jennings has scored countless hits with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Jerry Reed, Hank Williams Jr., wife Jessi Colter, and The Highwaymen (with Cash, Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson), and has collected more than 15 BMI Country and Pop Awards. He continues to be a major force in country music today.

The legendary quartet The Jordanaires was formed in Springfield, Missouri. Known for singing spirituals, barbershop numbers and Country tunes, they experienced their first major recording success singing backup for Red Foley on "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." The Jordanaires are probably best known as long-time, vocal backup for Elvis Presley and they were regulars on the Grand Ole Opry. They experienced enormous international success, often ranking alongside The Beatles and Rolling Stones on lists of the Top 10 Most Popular Recording Groups in the World. From the early days of "Hound Dog" and "All Shook Up," to the success of "Four Walls" and "Crazy," The Jordanaires have probably been heard on more recordings than any other vocal group in the world. They remain very active with personal appearances and recording sessions. The quartet's personnel has changed a number of times since the group's founding in 1948: Gordon Stoker (BMI), Ray Walker and deceased members Neal Matthews, Jr. (BMI) and Hoyt Hawkins will be the lineup that enters the Hall.

Don Law was born in the British Isles and rose to prominence as an executive with the American Record Corporation and Columbia Records. During Law's tenure, he conducted dozens of sessions and made many talent discoveries of his own. He eventually took over the Country division of Columbia, when his mentor Arthur Satherley retired in 1952. Law went on to produce many of the label's biggest stars including Carl Smith, Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Marty Robbins, Jimmy Dean, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Law also guided The Everly Brothers, Gordon Terry and Buddy Emmons through their first solo recordings. Law retired in 1965 after producing some of the biggest hits of his era including "El Paso," "Big Bad John" and many more. He died in 1982.

Born in Henegar, Alabama, Ira and Charlie Loudermilk each had their own talents: Ira, with his high tenor voice and mandolin abilities and Charlie, with his lead baritone and guitar playing. Together, as The Louvin Brothers, they formed a unique sound that would eventually position them among the most influential singer/songwriters in country music history. From 1951-1963, the brothers recorded for Apollo Records, Decca and later for MGM, under the supervision of Nashville producer Fred Rose. Rose later helped them secure a record deal with Capitol. By 1955, their radio work prepared them for a career-launching appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. During the 1950s, The Louvin Brothers rode high on such hits as "When I Stop Dreaming," "Hoping That You're Hoping" and "You're Running Wild," and they co-wrote five BMI Country Award-winning tunes. The Louvin Brothers were among the first country acts to do concept albums including "Tragic Songs of Life" and tribute albums to The Delmore Brothers and Roy Acuff. Charlie's career continued after Ira's tragic death in 1965 from an automobile accident. The Louvin sound lives on in Charlie's numerous appearances and performances.

Minnesota native Ken Nelson moved to Chicago as a small boy. At 12 he began his musical career with the Melrose Brothers Music Company, where he worked for five years. Nelson later became a radio announcer, followed by stints as music director for WAAF in Chicago, WJJD (also in Chicago) and WIND in Gary, Ind. In 1946, Nelson began working for Capitol Records, and six years later became the head of Capitol's Country division. There, he produced hit records by Tex Ritter, Hank Thompson, Buck Owens, Jean Shepard, Merle Travis, The Louvin Brothers and Merle Haggard. A major country music recording executive and a principal figure in establishing the Country Music Association, Nelson diligently pursued the expansion of country music. He served as a founding director and two-term president of CMA and as a trustee and chairman of the Country Music Foundation. Nelson was also instrumental in convincing the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to open a chapter in Nashville in 1964. At age 90, Nelson enjoys retirement in Southern California.

Louisiana native Webb Pierce was raised on country music, but got his own start in the music industry on local radio. In 1944 Pierce moved to Shreveport, the town where he made his debut on Louisiana Hayride on KWKH, and began his recording career with 4-Star Records. In 1950, Pierce started his own label, Pacemaker, with Louisiana Hayride director Horace Logan. Pierce moved to Decca in 1951, where he scored his first major hit "Wondering." Pierce went on to claim 13 No. 1 hits (including a remake of Jimmie Rodgers' "In the Jailhouse Now," which stayed atop the Billboard charts for 21 weeks) and earn nearly two dozen BMI Country Awards. His unmatched string of hits led him to Nashville, where he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1952. Pierce garnered more No. 1 records than any other artist in the 1950s. An astute businessman, he owned several radio stations and was part owner of Cedarwood Publishing Company. Pierce bowed out of the public eye -- with the exception of one chart single with Willie Nelson in 1982 -- enjoying his retirement from 1976 until his death in 1991.

Selected in the Open Category for 2001, South Carolina native "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson worked his way through the University of Georgia as a disc Jockey, sports writer and performer. Soon after Anderson recorded his own "City Lights" for TNT Records, Ray Price scored a No. 1 hit with the song in 1958. Anderson soon signed with Decca Records and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1961. He wrote many of his own hits including "Mama Sang A Song," "Still" and "Po' Folks," while penning classic songs for Connie Smith, Lefty Frizzell, Roy Clark and others. He ahs continued his songwriting successes into the new millennium with a new generation of artists including Steve Wariner and Brad Paisley. He has more than 40 BMI Country songwriting awards, winning his first in 1959 at BMI's debut Country Awards dinner and his latest two Citations in 2000. Anderson had his own syndicated TV show and has been a popular host for programs on ABC-TV and TNN.

Inducted into the Non-Performer Category for 2001, Sam Phillips ignited the rockabilly explosion of the 1950s. Phillips profoundly shaped the evolution of American Music. The Alabama-born producer recorded blues acts like B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf for R&B labels before establishing Sun Records in Memphis in 1952. Soon he launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison and others who drew from the roots-based, African-American sounds Phillips loved. He inspired other labels to sign young rockabilly acts and widened Country's Audience. He retired after selling Sun Records in 1969, but his influence still affects musicians in many fields.

Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is regarded as the ultimate recognition of outstanding contributions to Country Music. There are currently 74 individuals, duos or groups in the Hall of Fame including BMI President and CEO Frances W. Preston who was inducted in 1992. Established in 1961, the Country Music Hall of Fame is managed by the CMA, which conducts the annual election of members into the Hall of Fame.

Newly inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, Stuart tallied hits on major labels and crafted such ambitious projects as his critically acclaimed concept album The Pilgrim.

"My bedrock is all of the above, and what I'm doing at the moment," explains Stuart, whose state of the art moment is now writing songs. Although The Pilgrim didn't climb into the upper reaches of the charts, the ambitious effort earned two Grammy nominations and led him into new avenues of creativity. "I knew that was a commercial disaster" he says, "but I knew I had to do it because it would pull back in some of the credibility I had squandered. After that album, I made a conscience call . . . and wiped the board completely clean."

Marty and his wife, Grand Ole Opry great Connie Smith, then headed to Hawaii for a month. "When I came back and started following my heart, it turned into the busiest and most productive period of my life," notes Stuart. "You find out how much fire you've got left and where it really burns."

Recent creative highlights include scoring the Billy Bob Thornton movie All The Pretty Horses, writing and performing the end-title ballad and producing the soundtrack CD, which earned a Golden Globe nomination. He also worked with Faye Dunaway on music for her short film production of Tennessee Williams's Yellow Bird.

As a producer, Stuart has collaborated on two albums with Thornton. "We have that southern connection," advises Marty. "He's a man of vision and integrity. He fights, and lives and breathes for the same principles in Hollywood that I love here."

Marty's TV credits run from A&E's Biography to Austin City Limits. Journalist Marty has graced the pages of the prestigious Oxford American while photographer Marty has shot engaging images for books, magazines, album covers and gallery exhibitions. And songwriter Stuart has won numerous BMI Awards.

A leading historian of country music, Marty serves as President of the Country Music Foundation, and applauds the opening of Nashville's new Country Music Hall of Fame, which contains artifacts from his own collection. The multi-talented minstrel, who started touring at age 13 playing mandolin for Lester Flatt, appears destined to one day become a member of that elite group of country greats.

"When it's all said and done," he observes, "that's where we want to be. That's where our treasures go and our legacy lives."

Bill Anderson, Charlie Lamb, Brenda Lee, BMI's Patsy Bradley, Ralph Emery, Mayor Bill Purcell

Lamb was Nashville�s first Sales and Promotion executive for a national record company. He was the city�s first representative to the national trade publications Billboard and Cash Box. Lamb was on the founding boards of both the Country Music Association and the Nashville chapter of the Recording Academy. A hilarious master of �double talk,� he has been saluted on ABC-TV as one of America�s Funniest People.

Marijohn Wilkin and Brenda Lee

He was also the publisher of Nashville�s first music-industry periodical. The Music Reporter revolutionized the trade by inventing the �bullet� system on its popularity charts. That system remains in use today throughout the music world. As a show promoter, he worked with everyone from the cast of the Grand Ole Opry to Elvis Presley. As a character actor, he has been featured in Hollywood films, television commercials and country music videos. And to a generation of entertainers and executives he was affectionately known as �The Mayor of Music Row.�

Katherine Bradley with Frances & Charlie Lamb

This remarkable man was born 79 years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee. His parents were �show people� - mother was a trapeze artist and father was a magician, ventriloquist and animal trainer. Lamb�s first foray into entertainment was as a barker for the Beckman & Gherty Carnival, but World War II interrupted his career. Although only 5�6� and 105 pounds, he served as a military policeman during the 1940s. He also married his wife Frances during the war years. Back in Knoxville, Lamb worked as a reporter for the Knoxville Journal and as a disc jockey on WKGN radio.

Shelby Singleton and Jerry Kennedy

His career as a promoter began when he began running the artist bureau for WROL in Knoxville, booking such stars as Flatt & Scruggs and Carl Smith. He was next hired by Mercury Records to work in its then-new outpost in Nashville, the city�s first permanent record-company office. He promoted a roster that included Patti Page, Rex Allen and Frankie Laine and rose to a vice presidency.

The Harold Bradley Combo

The New York headquarters of Cash Box magazine wanted a Nashville representative. Lamb was hired as a $15-a-week columnist and sold ads and subscriptions to the publication by hanging around the Opry on weekends. He was soon working on commission as an ad salesman for both Cash Box and Billboard. In 1953 he helped organize the first Country Music Disc Jockey Convention as a way of celebrating the Grand Ole Opry�s birthday each year. That custom survives today as Country Music Week in Nashville each October. He was also a key figure in establishing the annual Jimmie Rodgers Day in Meridian, MS and Hank Williams Day in Montgomery, Alabama.

Charlie Lamb and Brenda Lee

He continued to work as a show promoter, playing a key role in the careers of such stars as Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb and Marty Robbins in the 1950s. He was a prolific album annotator, providing notes for packages by Bob Wills, Tex Williams, Spade Cooley and many others. In 1956 Lamb founded The Music Reporter to chronicle the growth of Music Row. The publication inaugurated the �Big 100� popularity chart, which was soon copied by its competitors in New York. So was Lamb�s �bullet� to denote a fast-rising single on the charts. The magazine also published Dick Clark�s weekly top-10 lists from his American Bandstand TV show. The Music Reporter was instrumental in focusing national and international attention on Nashville as a music center in the 1950s and 1960s.

CMA's Ed Benson with a photo of the first CMA Board of Directors, held by Brenda Lee and Patsy Bradley

In 1958 Lamb served as a founding board member of The Country Music Association. �He was probably the midwife at Nashville�s birth as a major recording center,� observes Brenda Lee. �I love him because he was there to help me, and others like me, when I was just starting out in this business.� Lamb�s protegees also included Jim Reeves, for whom he negotiated a star-making contract with RCA. He was Elvis Presley�s fan club organizer when the King electrified America on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. Lamb discovered Bill Anderson in 1958 and pitched the youngster�s �City Lights� to superstar Ray Price, launching Anderson�s career as one of the most successful songwriters in Nashville history.

In 1964 the Nashville chapter of the Recording Academy was established, with Lamb sitting on its inaugural board. In 1965 his liner notes for a Hank Williams LP were nominated for a Grammy Award, another �first� for a Nashvillian. By this time, Charlie Lamb was famous throughout the community as a master of �double talk,� which made him a popular convention speaker and media personality. A typical babbling might be, �Edistrada on the sidistay, another, you got it! Besides, doodisam moffan off there, if�n you can get it working for you.� His skill once drove prospective dictation secretaries to tears on the Candid Camera TV show, and won him the $10,000 grand prize on America�s Funniest People.

He sold The Music Reporter in 1964. He published a second trade publication, Sound Format, in 1966-73. During this same period his Charlie Lamb Agency managed country stars Connie Smith, Ed Bruce, Doug Kershaw and others. He also briefly had his own label, Doubletalk Records. In 1977-80 he operated The Charlie Lamb Country Music Museum of Stars on 17th Avenue South. Then he worked for Jim Reeves Enterprises when it created a museum for that entertainer in Madison, Tennessee.

In recent years Charlie Lamb has been featured in such music videos as Hank Williams Jr.�s �Young Country� (1988) and Ray Stevens� �Get Serious� (1995). His commercial work includes ads for Toyota, General Motors, Godfather�s Pizza, Chrysler, Dodge Trucks, Dollar General Stores, BellSouth, Frito-Lay and many others. He was a frequent guest on the TNN cable show Nashville Now during the 1980s. Lamb also had supporting roles in the Burt Reynolds movie W.W. & The Dixie Dance Kings (1975), the Bruce Willis movie In Country (1989), Jim Varney�s Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) and the Melanie Griffith/Jeremy Irons film Lolita (1997).

Lamb served as the founding chairman of ROPE (Reunion of Professional Entertainers) in 1983. He published his autobiography, The Country Music World of Charlie Lamb, in 1986. He became a familiar figure at Fan Fair throughout the 1990s as the talent coordinator for the Great Escape booth�s popular autograph sessions with vintage celebrities.

Belated recognition has finally been coming his way. Earlier this year at the annual Country Music Conference at Belmont University, an annual award was introduced in his honor: The Charlie Lamb Excellence in Country Music Journalism prize will be presented beginning in 2001 to deserving reporters in the print, broadcasting and internet fields. During Fan Fair�s Golden Voice Awards banquet in June, Bill Anderson presented Lamb with a Golden Circle Award.

As a journalist, promoter and publicist Charlie Lamb helped turn a lot of careers into legends, and in so doing, he became one himself. This event is his industry�s way of saying, �Thank you.� The Charlie Lamb Reception is a GIFT (Giving in Faith Together) benefit event.

Music for the gala was provided by The Harold Bradley Combo. Songwriter, performer and Great Escape Records owner Gary Walker and his wife Peggy headed an event committee that included Brenda Lee, Bill Anderson, Bill Denny, Jo Walker-Meador, Jerry Bradley, Richard Frank, Debbie Carroll, Buzz Cason, Joe Taylor, Stacey Harris, Jerry Strobel, Harold Bradley, Robert K. Oermann, Billy Self, Bob Tubert, Jackie Monaghan, Jay Orr, Ed Benson, and BMI's Frances Preston and Roger Sovine.

More than 700 people attended the brunch event at the Opryland Hotel, with proceeds going to The Performers Benefit Fund, which provides adequate health care for qualifying members of the Grand Ole Opry and is administered through a board of directors elected by Opry members.

Anderson presented the non-musician Golden Circle Award to Charlie Lamb for his contributions in furthering country music through his work as a journalist, publisher and promoter. Lamb, who was an early champion of the careers of Kitty Wells, Ed Bruce, Connie Smith and Anderson, was an innovator of the layout of modern sales charts as publisher of the trade magazine Music Reporter.

BMI's Golden Voice Awards Winners

Career Achievement Award
Jimmy Dickens

Golden Voice Entertainer
Ferlin Husky

Male Golden Voice
Gene Watson

Male Golden Legacy
Marty Robbins

Female Golden Voice
Skeeter Davis

Female Golden Legacy
Dottie West

Golden Group Legacy
Wilburn Brothers

Bluegrass Golden Voice
Mac Wiseman

Bluegrass Golden Legacy
Lester Flatt

Golden Musicians
Drums: Larrie Londin
Fiddle: Benny Martin
Lead Guitar: Leon Rhodes
Keyboards: Floyd Cramer
Steel Guitar: Buddy Emmons