International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame

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International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Company typeMusic Association
GenreBluegrass
Founded1991
Headquarters
311 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42301 Owensboro, Kentucky
,
Websitehttps://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. Roy Acuff, the first living artist to join the Hall of Fame, was elected in 1962. The most recent inductees (class of 2023) are Sam Bush, Wilma Lee Cooper, and David Grisman. 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.

Member selection[edit]

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[edit]

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. Deceased persons are not eligible for induction in the year following their passing. Eligible people and musical groups may include:

  • Individuals such as performing artists, songwriters, music business executives, promoters, and broadcasters. It is permitted to include multiple individuals simultaneously under one induction when those individuals are part of an influential collaboration. Examples might include musical duos, songwriting partners, record label owners, or similar collaborations. Hall of Fame recognition is given to the individual(s).
  • Performing groups that present exclusively as a “band,” without a named headlining personality. Hall of Fame recognition is given to the performing group as an entity, not to any of its individual members, and regardless of band configuration or time period.

Categories[edit]

The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inducts its members in one of three categories:

  • Open Category: Two inductions are selected annually for the Hall of Fame Open Category. Eligible candidates may be living or deceased and may include performing artists, bands, and industry professionals.
  • Early Contributor Category: One induction is selected during odd-numbered years for the Hall of Fame Early Contributor Category. Eligible candidates may be living or deceased and should include performing artists, bands, and industry professionals who first came to prominence at least 50 years prior to the induction year.
  • Non-Performer Category: One induction is selected during even-numbered years for the Hall of Fame Non-Performer Category. Eligible candidates may be living or deceased and should include those whose primary contributions to bluegrass music are apart from performing

Criteria[edit]

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[edit]

1990s[edit]

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000s[edit]

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

  • The Lewis Family
    • James Ray "Pop" Lewis
    • Blanche "Mom" Lewis
    • Nannie Lewis
    • James Wallace Lewis
    • Talmadge Lewis
    • Polly Lewis
    • Roy Lewis
    • Travis Lewis
    • Janis Lewis Phillips
    • Lewis Phillips
  • Syd Nathan

2007

2008

2009

2010s[edit]

Image Inductee Year Birth date Death date Notes Ref
John Hartford 2010 December 30, 1937 June 4, 2001 Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, steamboat pilot [2]
Louise Scruggs 2010 February 17, 1927 February 2, 2006 Talent manager, booking agent [3]
Del McCoury 2011 February 1, 1939 Singer, guitarist, bandleader [4]
George Shuffler 2011 April 11, 1925 April 7, 2014 Guitarist
Doyle Lawson 2012 April 20, 1944 Singer, bandleader [5]
Ralph Rinzler 2012 July 20, 1934 July 2, 1994 Mandolinist, founder of Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Tony Rice 2013 June 8, 1951 December 25, 2020 Guitarist, songwriter [6]
Paul Warren 2013 May 17, 1918 January 12, 1978 Fiddle player
Neil Rosenberg 2014 March 21, 1939 Author 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 2015 September 25, 1947 Singer, guitarist [8]
Bill Keith 2015 December 20, 1939 October 23, 2015 Banjo player
The Rounder Founders 2016 Ken Irwin (May 23, 1944)
Marian Leighton Levy (August 22, 1948)
Bill Nowlin (February 14, 1945)
Music executives, founders of Rounder Records [9]
Clarence White 2016 June 7, 1944 July 15, 1973 Singer, guitarist, member of The Kentucky Colonels and The Byrds
Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard 2017 Dickens (June 1, 1925)
Gerrard (July 8, 1934)
April 22, 2011
Musical duo [10]
Bobby Hicks 2017 July 21, 1933 Musician
Roland White 2017 April 23, 1938 April 1, 2022 Mandolinist
Vassar Clements 2018 April 25, 1928 August 16, 2005 Fiddle player [11]
Tom T. Hall and Dixie Hall 2018 Tom. T Hall (May 25, 1936)
Dixie Hall (May 26, 1934)
August 20, 2021
January 16, 2015
Singer-songwriter and author
Songwriter
Mike Seeger 2018 August 15, 1933 August 7, 2009 Musician
Allen Shelton 2018 July 2, 1936 November 21, 2009 Banjo player
Ricky Skaggs 2018 July 18, 1954 Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, bandleader
Jake Tullock 2018 July 23, 1922 June 18, 1988 Bass player
Joe Val 2018 June 26, 1926 June 11, 1985 Musician and singer
Paul Williams 2018 March 30, 1935 Singer, musician
Terry Woodward 2018 July 19, 1937 Volunteer leader
Mike Auldridge 2019 December 30, 1938 December 29, 2012 Dobro player [12]
Bill Emerson 2019 January 22, 1938 August 21, 2021 Banjo 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[edit]

Image Inductee Year Birth date Death date Notes Ref
Earl "J. T." Gray 2020 March 7, 1946 March 20, 2021 Owner 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
New Grass Revival 2020 Curtis 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
Earl "J. T." Gray 2020 March 7, 1946 March 20, 2021 Owner of the Station Inn
Alison Krauss 2021 July 23, 1971 Singer, fiddle player [14]
Lynn Morris 2021 October 8, 1948 Musician
The Stoneman Family 2021 Ernest "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 2022 March 10, 1938 Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter [15]
Paul "Moon" Mullins 2022 September 24, 1936 August 3, 2001 Fiddle player
Peter Rowan 2022 July 4, 1942 Singer-songwriter, musician
Sam Bush 2023 April 13, 1952 Mandolinist, singer-songwriter [16]
Wilma Lee Cooper 2023 February 7, 1921 September 13, 2011 Singer, musician
David Grisman 2023 March 23, 1945 Mandolinist, producer, songwriter, owner of Acoustic Disc records

Multiple inductees[edit]

To date, there have been six artists who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame more than once:

Name First Year Second Year
John Duffey The Country Gentlemen 1996 The Original Seldom Scene 2014
Tom Gray
Mike Auldridge The Original Seldom Scene 2014 Solo career 2019
Clarence White Solo career 2016 The Kentucky Colonels 2019
Roland White Solo career 2017
Sam Bush New Grass Revival 2020 Solo career 2023

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  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". 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.

External links[edit]