Alabama, Steve Wariner, Don Everly among inductees
By Preshias Harris
Vocalists might spend more time in the spotlight but it’s the musicians who create the unforgettable sounds that are an integral part of every song. It was the musicians’ night to take center stage at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Tuesday, October 22.
The Class of 2019 were honored with medallion presentations followed by a gala concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Downtown Nashville. Among the honorees were the legendary band Alabama, singer-songwriter and guitarist Steve Wariner, Don Everly, the Surfaris, renowned musicians from Muscle Shoals and more. See below for a full list of this year’s inductees.
‘The cream of the crop,’ says Teddy Gentry
I caught up with Teddy Gentry, founding member of Alabama, on the red carpet before the induction ceremony. Alabama was presented with the Musicians Hall of Fame’s first ever Lifetime Achievement Award. I asked Teddy what this special event meant to him.
“Being honored among this quality of musicians here is a little extraordinary. This is the cream of the crop and to be recognized in the same way as these guys is really a great honor,” said Gentry.
Alabama was formed in 1969 in Forth Payne, AL, by cousins Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen and Jeff Cook. Blending country, Southern rock, pop and even bluegrass elements, Alabama racked up more than 40 number one hits on the Billboard country charts, many of which crossed over into the pop charts. With sales of more than 75 million records, they are recognized as the most successful band in country music history.
Steve Wariner, Certified Guitar Player
Steve Wariner has enjoyed a successful career as both a singer and a songwriter having released eighteen studio albums and charted more than fifty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. But his induction honors his remarkable talent as a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was signed to RCA Records Nashville in 1976 by the iconic Chet Atkins who was the company’s vice president.
On the red carpet before the induction ceremony, I spoke to Steve Wariner. I reminded him that he is one of only four guitarists that Chet Atkins designated as a Certified Guitar Player (CGP) in his lifetime. I asked him if he could recall his thoughts and feelings when he heard that he would receive that honor.
“Chet surprised me with it,” recalled Wariner. “He asked me to come down to Café Milano. He used to play there on Monday nights. So I went down there, not knowing that he had just beaten me in the Grammys. We were both up for a Grammy and he beat me. So he said, ‘You’ve got to come to Café Milano tonight.’ He made me a CGP that night and I was like, ‘Oh my God! I can’t believe it!’ And then Chet reaches behind his amp and says, ‘Oh, by the way, I want you to have this.’ He gave me his Grammy! And that same night, he made me a CGP and gave me a Grammy! [laughs] So… an unbelievable memory.”
Steve modestly added, “I really feel there would have been a lot more CGPs, though, because Chet got really sick after that and he quit doing it. Chet loved his buddies and he would have done that periodically. But I was so honored.”
Chet Atkins received Walk of Fame star
There was another Chet Atkins/Steve Wariner connection earlier in the day when Atkins was the 88th star added to the Music City Walk of Fame. Also added were Lady Antebellum, Clint Black, Mac McAnally and DeFord Bailey. (Atkins and Ford were inducted posthumously.) Wariner was selected by Atkins family to represent Chet at the ceremony.
Former inductees include Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Hank Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town, Kenny Rogers and more.
The story behind the Surfaris ‘Wipe Out’
I spoke with Mike Connolly, brother of Pat Connolly who was the bass player and founding member of the Surfaris. Mike was at the ceremony representing his brother who was unable to attend. Mike and I have been friends for more than 25 years. I could tell how proud he was to accept the medallion on behalf of his brother. Mike told me some of the background to “Wipe Out” that became a massive surf music hit for the Surfaris.
“They’d recorded ‘Surfer Joe’ and the engineer said, ‘We need a B-side,’ so the drummer, Ron Wilson, started playing a cadence and they named the song ‘Wipe Out’ right on the spot,” said Connolly. “My brother went outside and got a piece of plywood and they broke the wood. It all happened like that,” he said snapping his fingers. They did this on the spur of the moment to sound like a surfboard breaking.
“The song was released on DFS Records, it started getting played on [radio station] KFWB. People started calling the station asking them to play the song. Three months later they were on the road with the Beach Boys. It was lightning-struck!”
The song went on to sell more than a million copies, earning a gold disc and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.
Don Everly’s unmistakable guitar riff
One of the aspects that set the Musicians Hall of Fame apart from other music institutions are its sometimes quirky categories. This year, Don Everly was recognized with the Iconic Riff Award for his opening guitar riff on the Everly Brothers’ hit, “Wake Up Little Susie.” The moment you hear that unique, uptempo riff, you instantly know that this can only be “Wake Up Little Susie,” even if you weren’t even born in 1957 when it first became a hit across pop, country and even R&B charts.
A personal note: some years ago, I was able to present a long-forgotten family photo to my cousins Don and Phil Everly. It had been in the possession of my late grandmother and showed them as very young boys performing in a radio studio. To mark the occasion of Don’s award, I am presenting another copy of the photo to the Musicians Hall of Fame.
The impact of Muscle Shoals
Some of the honorees’ names might be familiar but many of these highly influential musicians might be unknown to all but the most dedicated fans.
The small Alabama town of Muscle Shoals could have remained unknown to anyone apart from its own inhabitants had it not been for a small group of unlikely musicians that played a crucial role in the success of recording artists across pop, country, Southern rock, soul and R&B genres for more than three decades. Together they created what became known as the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ on countless hits still being played on the radio and streaming playlists today. The Musicians Hall of Fame honored the original members of the group in addition to members of the Muscle Shoals Horns. Mega stars from Mick Jagger to Aretha Franklin have acknowledged the role that these musicians played in their success.
Felix Cavaliere and the (Young) Rascals
As another example, inductee Felix Cavaliere was a founding member of The Rascals as keyboard player and vocalist on massive hits including “Groovin’,” “Good Lovin’,” “People Got to Be Free” and “A Beautiful Morning.” Their initial recordings were released under the name The Young Rascals, due to a dispute about the name from another group.
Even many fans of the Rascals’ songs may be unfamiliar with Cavaliere’s name, and now the Hall of Fame has turned the spotlight on his unique musicianship. Since his days with the Rascals, Cavaliere’s music career has continued to expand, including a stint with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band. In 2009 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is zalso a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Also on hand to pay tribute to honorees were artists who know how much these musicians have contributed to the world of popular music. Among the artists who were invited to appear: Jason Aldean, Mandy Barnett, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Zac Brown, Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’ and Paul Simon. Many of the honorees also performed during the gala.
Full list of Musicians Hall of Fame 2019 inductees
- Felix Cavaliere
- Steve Wariner
- The Surfaris (Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller*, Ron Wilson*)
- Don Everly, “Wake Up Little Susie” for Iconic Riff Award
- ALABAMA (Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen) will receive the first Lifetime Achievement Award
- Original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (David Briggs, Jerry Carrigan*, Norbert Putnam, Terry Thompson* and Friends: Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery, Joe South*, Reggie Young*)
- Muscle Shoals Horns (Harrison Calloway*, Ronnie Eades, Charles Rose, Harvey Thompson)
- “The Players” (Eddie Bayers, Paul Franklin, John Hobbs, Brent Mason, Michael Rhodes)
- Owen Bradley* (Owen’s medallion was accepted by grandson Clay Bradley)
- Billy Sherrill Engineer Award
- Bob Taylor Founder, Taylor Guitars
* posthumous family accepting award
For more information about the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, visit their website and check out their ‘Backstage’ videos. The HoF and Museum is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
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 at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com