Induction ceremony, concert honors music’s finest
By Preshias Harris
There’s no city on earth better qualified than Nashville to honor the men and women who create the music we love… and no better place in Nashville than the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
For me, it is still just about the best music-related museum I have ever visited because you can feel the love and respect with which every exhibit is treated, regardless of its size or fame. I was one of the first visitors to the Museum at its original location on 6th Avenue South and have enjoyed many visits at its current location. The Museum reflects the love and dedication of co-founders, the late Joe Chambers and his wife Linda who has now stepped into the leadership role as CEO.
The induction ceremony of the Musician’s Hall of Fame Class of 2022 was a star-studded night to remember.
Billy F Gibbons, Don McLean, Marty Stuart and The Fabulous Superlatives (Chris Scruggs, Harry Stinson, Kenny Vaughan, and Mick Conley), Ray Stevens, and Vince Gill — along with engineer George Massenburg and producer James William Guercio — were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum November 22, 2022.
Held at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium and emceed by award-winning recording artist Phil Vassar, the induction ceremony and concert featured performances by several Musicians Hall of Fame inductees including Vince Gill, Don McLean, Ray Stevens, Marty Stuart and The Fabulous Superlatives, special guest performers including Rodney Crowell, Mike Farris, Home Free, Steve Miller, Wendy Moten, Ryan Wariner, Steve Wariner, and Chris Willis, presenters Bergen White, Dave Pomeroy, Emmylou Harris, Kenny Passarelli, Ranger Doug, and Russell Ziecker.
Attendees were treated to a two-song set from Billy F Gibbons, who was presented with the Iconic Riff Award by Steve Wariner in recognition of the many contributions he’s made to music, including his signature riffs heard on ZZ Top songs like “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “La Grange.”
Danny Rader served as musical director for the house band, composed of Dann Huff, Chris Leuzinger, Steve Wariner, Gordon Kennedy, Mark Hill, Mark Beckett, Eric Darken, Paul Franklin, John Jarvis and Mike Rojas. The Horn Section featured Emmanuel Echem, Roy Agee, Max Dvorin, Mike Haynes and Sam Levine with Background Vocalists, David Wilder, Vickie Carrico and Marcia Ware Wilder.
“The Musicians Hall of Fame is strong and will stay strong because of the quality of inductees like we have tonight,” said Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum CEO and Co-Founder Linda Chambers, who stepped into the leadership role held by her late husband, CEO/Co-Founder Joe Chambers, who passed away on September 28, 2022.
See a gallery of photos here of the many performers (including my friend Chris Shupe/Honeysuckle Rose) taken by Tennessean photographer Andrew Nelles during the concert and presentations.
About Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum:
The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is a 501 (c) (3) charity organization. Joe Chambers was an accomplished musician and songwriter, and, as a couple, Joe and Linda Chambers opened a chain of guitar stores, Chambers Guitars. The couple co-founded and opened the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in 2006 on 6th Avenue South. They relocated to what is now known as the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium in 2013 and also houses the GRAMMY Gallery.
The museum, revered by artists including Keith Richards, Garth Brooks and Neil Young, recently added exhibits featuring Alan Parsons, Marshall Tucker Band and drummer, Stan Lynch.
The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting the actual instrument they used to record some of the most iconic songs in recorded history. Not only does the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum entertain local and international visitors but also educates them about the musicians who actually played on the “soundtracks of their lives.”
Find out more about the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at their website here and on Facebook and follow on Instagram.
“Where else are you gonna get all the cats that are in this room?” — Keith Richards
“You can see the hood ornament on the car if you go to The Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. But, if you want to look at the engine and see what’s making it go, then you go to The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum.” — Neil Young
“There’s so many things that an artist sings that aren’t his or her own creation. There’s so many things that you hear that make you love a record that, the truth is, ‘Joe Blow’ could have sang them. Because the song was so great and the signature licks were so identifiable that it didn’t matter who sang them. There are very few records that the artists made, but there’s a hell of a lot of them that the musicians made.” — Garth Brooks
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available here. Follow her blog and read her regular ‘Preshias On The Row’ news stories at Center Stage Magazine.