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Nashville, Tenn. – April 1, 2007 – Music City, Inc. announced the names of the second class of inductees to the Music City Walk of Fame presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar: The Crickets, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Wynonna Judd, Frances Preston and Michael W. Smith. The six honorees will be recognized officially with the unveiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, April 22, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. The public is invited to attend the induction ceremony, which is sponsored by Great American Country (GAC).
The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB), and is produced with the support of presenting sponsor Gibson Guitar, sponsor GAC, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks. "This class of inductees continues to showcase the diversity of the music that thrives in this city," said Butch Spyridon, President of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Each honoree has left an indelible mark on music worldwide and on our city's musical heritage. We're privileged to pay homage to their great success." The April 22nd inductees for the Music City Walk of Fame are: The Crickets
In a career that has spanned nearly five decades, and with millions of records sold, The Crickets are unquestionably "The American Rock and Roll Band." The group was formed in 1957 in Lubbock, Texas by Buddy Holly, J. I. Allison, Niki Sullivan and Joe B. Mauldin. After Sullivan and Holly left the group, Sonny Curtis joined to form the ever-popular trio. Their hits "That'll Be The Day," "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby" and "I Fought The Law" are rock classics considered by many to be primary lessons in how rock music should be written and played. In the mid ‘70s, the three moved to Tennessee where they continued their long association with Waylon Jennings and began touring and recording with him. Their latest release, The Crickets and Their Buddies, was partly recorded in Nashville and features Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Nanci Griffith, Waylon Jennings and John Prine, to name a few. This induction is a fitting tribute to a band who literally defined rock and roll music, and who today, after 50 years, continues to set the standard of excellence by which it should be judged. Emmylou Harris
Twelve-time Grammy Award winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris has been admired since her major label debut in 1975 with "Pieces of the Sky" for her talent as a musician and singer. But it was with her 2000 album, "Red Dirt Girl," that she revealed her gift for songwriting. Continuing the trend with her September 2003 album, "Stumble Into Grace," Emmylou wrote ten of the album's eleven tracks. Though Emmylou is the most admired and influential woman in contemporary country music, her scope extends far beyond it. She has recorded with such diverse artists as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ryan Adams, Beck, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Tammy Wynette, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, Roy Orbison, The Band, Willie Nelson and George Jones. With her crystalline voice and her restless creative spirit, Emmylou has been a part of many musical genres over the years, from bluegrass and traditional folk to contemporary folk and rock. Fittingly, Billboard Magazine called Harris a "truly venturesome, genre-transcending pathfinder ," A longtime social activist, Harris has lent her voice to many causes. She is active in cultural preservation issues, notably the Country Music Foundation and the Grand Ole Opry. As an animal rights activist , a dog foster mother running a rescue facility (Bonaparte's Retreat) and the owner of several dogs and cats, Emmylou also supports her local humane shelters, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Association and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) . Since 1997 she has been the most visible spokesperson for the Concerts for a Landmine Free World, drawing public attention and notable musical artists to the cause. John Hiatt
John Hiatt wrote his first top-40 hit, "Sure As I'm Sitting Here," while working as a songwriter for Tree-Music Publishing in Nashville. The song was covered by Three Dog Night, and in 1974 the band took the song to No. 16 on the Billboard chart. Since then, Hiatt's songs have been recorded by a number of artists including Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffet and Roseanne Cash, to name a few. Hiatt has released 18 studio albums and two live albums, and he has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards. His 1987 hit "Have a Little Faith in Me" brought him national attention and was covered by several artists, with the most notable versions being recorded by Jewel, Mandy Moore and Joe Cocker. Hiatt has written and recorded duets with respected vocalists like Bonnie Raitt ("Thing Called Love"), Emmylou Harris ("Icy Blue Heart"), Roseanne Cash ("The Way We Make a Broken Heart"), Suzy Boggus ("Drive South") and B.B. King & Eric Clapton ("Riding with the King"). A musician's musician, Hiatt has proven to everyone that he has what it takes to be an all-around great singer/songwriter. Wynonna Judd
As a child, Wynonna has said that her primary source of entertainment was listening to country music on the radio; so it naturally followed that after receiving a guitar as a gift, she began playing and singing harmonies with her mom, Naomi. In 1979, the family moved to Nashville to try their luck in the music business, and in 1983, Naomi and Wynonna landed a contract with RCA. The rest, as they say, is history. Within just six short years, the Judds sold more than 20 million records worldwide. They also won over 60 industry awards including five Grammys, nine Country Music Association Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards. In 1992, Wynonna signed her first solo record deal, and with classics like "Mama He's Crazy," "I Know Where I'm Going," "No One Else on Earth" and "Grandpa," she has gone on to enjoy 20 No. 1 hits throughout her career. A world-renowned singer and entertainer, Wynonna has been awarded Top Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music, and as a solo artist, has accumulated sales totals in excess of 10 million units. Frances W. Preston
Frances W. Preston has come a long way since her position as receptionist at WSM radio station, which she left in 1958 to open a southern regional office of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) in Nashville. There Preston issued performing rights licenses for songwriters and music publishers, and she quickly led BMI to a position of preeminence in the south. In 1964, the year the BMI building opened on Music Row, Preston became a Vice President. Quickly moving up the ranks, she served as President and CEO of BMI from 1986 to 2004, during which time the company's revenue more than tripled to over $673 million. Under her leadership, BMI enjoyed a consistent record of increasing revenues and royalty distributions to its more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. She has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the NARAS Heroes Award from the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy, the President's Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International, the President's Award from the National Music Publishers' Association, and the City of Hope "Spirit of Life" Award. She has twice received a Humanitarian Award from the International Achievement in Arts Awards in New York. Michael W. Smith
Starting out as a songwriter and keyboard player for Amy Grant, Smith has since enjoyed 31 No. 1 hits, three Grammys, an American Music Award, five platinum records, 16 gold records and 40 GMA Dove Awards. With record sales numbering more than 15 million throughout his career, Smith is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In 2006, he received an official White House appointment to serve as Vice Chair to the President's Council for Service and Civic Participation. Smith believes in affecting culture by getting involved and giving of yourself. He serves through his church New River Fellowship in Franklin, TN, and through the work of Rocketown, a teen club, coffee house and skate park which he founded in downtown Nashville whose mission is to foster vital relationships between disenfranchised adolescents and Christian mentors. He recently released his 19th studio album for Reunion Records titled Stand. Created in the fall of 2006, the Music City Walk of Fame on Nashville's Music Mile will be a landmark tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration. Permanent sidewalk medallions made of stainless steel and terrazzo, with each honoree's name displayed in a star-and-guitar design, will be installed in the sidewalk along the Music Mile, the roughly one-mile stretch of Demonbreun Street from 4th Avenue South to the Music Row Roundabout at 16th Avenue South. The plaques for this class of inductees will be inlaid in Hall of Fame Park on Demonbreun, between 4th and 5th Avenues South. Nominations, open to the public, were accepted in the categories of Artist, Musician, Songwriter, and Producer/Music Industry Executive. Application forms were reviewed by the Music City Walk of Fame selection committee, who chose the final six. "The outstanding second panel of inductees showcases the enormous talent which has its roots in Nashville, the world's true Music City," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "Gibson Guitar is honored to sponsor the Music City Walk of Fame, an extraordinary project which will give tourists and residents another reason to celebrate Nashville's rich musical heritage for many years to come." About the Music City Walk of Fame
The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc., the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau's 501(c)(3) foundation; Sandra Fulton, chair. The Music City Walk of Fame is produced with the support of Gibson Guitar, Great American Country, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks. Nomination forms are currently being accepted for future honorees, with the next induction ceremony set for November 2007. For more information, including submission guidelines and forms, please go to www.visitmusiccity.com/walkoffame. About the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVB's website at www.visitmusiccity.com. About Gibson Guitar
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Gibson's HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steingberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Baldwin, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson's website at www.gibson.com. About Great American Country
Great American Country is America's main street for the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. In addition to country music videos, GAC features original programming, special musical performances and live concerts, and is the exclusive television home of the Grand Ole Opry. GAC is available in more than 44 million households and online at www.GACTV.com . |
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