November 2022 - Nashville Music Line

Musicians Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2022

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 6^th 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.

2022 Musicians Hall of Fame Inductees (L-R): Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson, Mick Conley, (The Fabulous Superlatives), Marty Stuart, Chris Scruggs (The Fabulous Superlatives), Linda Chambers, CEO/Co-Founder Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, Vince Gill, Billy F Gibbons, Don McLean, Ray Stevens, producer James William Guercio, and engineer George Massenburg. Photo Credit: Royce DeGrie, Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

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.

Tracy Lawrence’s record-breaking Mission:Possible Turkey Fry & Concert

Helping people most in need

By Preshias Harris

A chilly morning didn’t stop Tracy Lawrence and around 250 volunteers from cooking up 1,200 turkeys at the seventeenth annual Tracy Lawrence’s Mission:Possible Turkey Fry two days before Thanksgiving.

*Tracy presents $250,000 check to Nashville Rescue Mission. (L-R): Shawn Parr, Rev. Glenn Cranfield, Tracy Lawrence. Photo: Caylee Robillard*

*Volunteers at work with one of the many turkey fryers. Photo: Tracie Moore*

Those 1,200 turkeys – the most ever in the annual event’s history – provided 9,600 meals to those in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, the Turkey Fry moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds from its original location at the Nashville Rescue Mission’s parking lot, allowing the team to set up even more fryers.

Tracy told me, “I’m just happy we haven’t set anything on fire today,” when I caught up with him as the first turkeys were coming out of the fryers. He admitted it was a big undertaking, but added, “We’re going to reach hundreds more people in need around the Greater Nashville area this year than we’ve ever been able to do in the past.”

Read the full story and interview here at CenterStageMag.com.

NAMM Oral History Program posts 5,000th interview

Kevin McGinty, Opry audio engineer, shares wit and wisdom

By Preshias Harris

It seems hard to believe, but NAMM has been around for more than a hundred and twenty years. The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) was founded in 1901 with a mission to strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music.

Since those early days, NAMM has achieved national (and now international) acclaim, not only for the stunning annual music industry trade shows, but increasingly for the development of relevant educational programs for NAMM members. NAMM also focuses on promoting music education as a right for all children in the face of cutbacks at school districts nationwide.

2000 saw the launch of the NAMM Oral History Program with the stated goal of preserving the rich history of the music industry through first-person accounts of the people with the hands-on experience in music product creation, pro audio, live sound, entertainment technology, recording artists and more.

The NAMM Oral History Program recently celebrated an amazing milestone: their 5,000^th interview. Think about that: it’s an achievement that would be the envy of any television network, but as a project produced with the sole focus on the music industry, it’s even more remarkable.

*Grand Ole Opry audio engineer Kevin McGinty*

In this special 5,000^th edition, the program features Kevin McGinty, famed audio engineer, and Front of House for the Grand Ole Opry that presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville.

Jeff Cook, Aug 27, 1949 – Nov 7, 2022

Founding member of Alabama

By Preshias Harris

Jeff Cook, one of the founding members of the iconic band Alabama, passed away November 7, 2022 as a result of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 73 years old. Alabama racked up an amazing forty-one No. 1 hits on the Billboard country charts and have sold over 75 million records.

The loss of Jeff Cook is a matter of personal sadness for me. My earliest memory of Jeff was from the early 1980s when Alabama was appearing at a show at the E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY. At the time, I was a very sick kid, undergoing dialysis while awaiting my first kidney transplant. I was standing in line to meet the band and get their autographs. My mom was trying to convince me – unsuccessfully – that it was too stressful on my health to stay in line, but I was adamant: I wanted those autographs! A WKU security officer went over to Randy Owen and whispered in his ear he looked up saw me and asked Security to bring me up directly to their table. Jeff was so gracious to that sick kid, as were Teddy Gentry and Randy, and I got my autographs.

As years passed and I came to Nashville, our “go to place” in Printer’s Alley was Barbara’s. This is where a lot of country music royalty would hang out away from the tourists. I have a picture of John Michael Montgomery on stage with Jeff to do an impromptu jam. It really was like a music family club.

Through the years I became friends with Jeff and Lisa and would see them there when they were in town. In 2008, I ended up working for Teddy and met up with them on occasions and attended their local shows whenever possible.

One of the last times I saw Jeff was when Alabama was inducted into the Musicians’ Hall of Fame. In fact, Lisa and Teddy’s wife Linda ended up sitting with me at the media table during the induction ceremony because all the chairs had been taken. It was a joy to see the recognition of Alabama’s musicianship and how their influence has been felt across the genres of country, Southern rock, bluegrass and pop music. I was honored to know Jeff.

Jeff and his wife formed the Jeff and Lisa Cook Foundation and the Jeff and Lisa Cook Children’s Home to house orphaned children worldwide. The family requested donations to the foundation here in lieu of flowers.

Carly Pearce, Marty Brown among inductees at KY Music Hall of Fame

Seven of Kentucky’s best in Class of ‘22

By Preshias Harris

Fans, friends and members of the music community came together, Friday, October 28, to honor the newest inductees into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. The historic event was held in the auditorium of the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center’s New Barn, Mt. Vernon, Kentucky.

*Carly Pearce reacts to introductory comments before receiving her award. Photo credit: Preshias Harris*

Read my full report of the star-studded Kentucky Music Hall of Fame show at Center Stage Magazine here.

*(L to R:) Marty Brown lifts up his award, Marty’s wife Shellie Brown, Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director Jessica Blankenship. Photo credit: Preshias Harris*

Darius Rucker celebrates TEN No. 1s and Diamond cert

“Wagon Wheel” biggest + “Beers and Sunshine” latest

by Preshias Harris

*Darius Rucker reacts to comments from UMG Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan. Photo credit: Preshias Harris*

Darius Rucker was the focus of a triple celebration October 27 as friends and peers joined him for a private party at the Electric Jane in Nashville, hosted by UMG Nashville.

During the event, Darius and record producer Frank Rogers were presented with an RIAA Diamond award for the hit song “Wagon Wheel.” The party also recognized Darius’ achievement of ten Number One singles. Particular focus was on his latest chart topper, “Beers and Sunshine” that he wrote together with Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne. Copperman also produced the hit single.

Read the full report, including my Q&A with Darius, under the “Preshias On The Row” tab at Center Stage Magazine here.

“Beers and Sunshine” apparently made history as the first Country No. 1 to have been not only written but also entirely recorded via Zoom. Darius told me that the process was ‘nervy’ for him.

“It was crazy and I love the song and it sounds great, but I never want to do it again!”
— Darius Rucker, on recording a song via Zoom

Brett Kissel’s new project touches all points of the compass

“Watch It” single available now

By Preshias Harris

Country music is alive and well north of the border. If there was any doubt about that, check out the dynamic Brett Kissel, whose boots carried him through the grass and mud of the family cattle ranch in northeastern Alberta, Canada, long before they took him onto a stage.

Amazingly, at the still-young age of thirty-two, he is already two decades into a music career, having released his first album, Keepin’ It Country, when he was twelve. Now he is gearing up for the release of his latest project, a four-part album set to drop in January 2023.

The new project will follow five albums released by Warner Music Canada, three of which (Started With a Song, Pick Me Up, We Were That Song) were certified Gold in Canada and included eight Gold and three Platinum singles. In 2020 Brett signed his first American record deal with Verge Records, the Nashville-based partner of ONErpm.

Fans both south and north of the border are getting a taste of what to expect from the new album with the release of the track “Watch It” (play / stream / download the track here).

“Watch It” follows the release earlier this year of the single “Ain’t The Same” featuring the American pop vocal group 98°.

Brett talked to me about the release of his new project in 2023 and the unique concept behind it.