This achy breaky singer, five others being inducted into Ky.'s Music Hall of Fame
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame will induct its latest class Friday night at a ceremony in a new location: its home in Renfro Valley.
The past several inductions, with members such as the Backstreet Boys and Montgomery Gentry joining the ranks of honorees, have been held in Lexington at the Lexington Center. Like those ceremonies, Friday night's Renfro Valley event will feature remarks and performances from the inductees.
In the past, the ceremony has led to moments like Backstreet Boys Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson performing some of their hits with bluegrass musicians who had been reimagining the boy band's tunes on YouTube.
Tickets are still available for Friday's ceremony.
Like previous classes, the six new inductees range from relatively recent chart toppers such as Billy Ray Cyrus to historical figures such as David "Stringbean" Akeman. Here's a look at who's coming in.
Billy Ray Cyrus, Flatwoods: Cyrus is, of course, best known for the iconic line-dancing 1992 hit "Achy Breaky Heart." The song took on a life of its own that was hard to equal, but Cyrus has remained an active and popular recording artist since with hits such as "Could've Been Me" and "She's Not Cryin' Anymore." He has also had an active acting career, most prominently playing dad to his real-life daughter Miley Cyrus on the hit Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana." Bradshaw said Cyrus will not be able to attend Friday's ceremony, but his cousin Bobby Cyrus will accept the honor for him and perform.
Dale Ann Bradley, Pineville: The Hall of Fame joins a long list of honors from the five-time female vocalist of the year in the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. She came to music relatively late, picking up the guitar at 14. But she was soon linked to Kentucky music history as a member of the New Coon Creek Girls, and she has released 10 solo albums since 1997, the latest being a self-titled effort in 2017.
Jason Crabb, Beaver Dam: Crabb first became known as the lead singer of the Southern Gospel Group The Crabb Family Singers before striking out on a solo career when the group disbanded in 2006, though it has reunited several times since then. He has released four solo albums, the latest being 2015's "Whatever the Road," and racked up nine Dove Awards and a 2010 Grammy for his self-titled solo debut.
Jackie DeShannon, Hazel: If the name doesn't ring a bell, hits like “What the World Needs Now is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” should. She first rose to prominence as an opening act for The Beatles on the band's first U.S. Tour and as a songwriter for groups such as The Byrds and The Searchers. One of her biggest hits as a writer was the Kim Carnes classic "Bette Davis Eyes." She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.
Bobby Lewis, Hodgenville: Bobby Lewis spent nearly two decades charting country sings from 1966 to '85, his most notable being “How Long Has it Been,” which peaked at No. 6 in 1966. He's also known as being the only country artist to perform with a lute live and in studio, which earned him the nickname “The Boy with the Lute.” Lewis is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and continues to release new music, the most recent being 2015’s “Here I Am Again.”
David "Stringbean" Akeman, Annville: Akeman was a prolific banjo player known for his comedic demeanor along with his tall, slim figure that led to his nickname, Stringbean. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and even performed with Bill Monroe, a member of the inaugural 2002 Kentucky Music Hall of Fame class, in the mid 1940s after meeting him while they both played semi-pro baseball. Akeman and his wife were murdered in November 1973, after returning to their Tennessee cabin following a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, where the killers had reportedly waited for hours.
If You Go
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame induction
When: 6 p.m. May 11
Where: Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, 2380 Richmond St., Mt. Vernon
Tickets: $50
Call: 1-800-765-7464
Online:Renfrovalley.com, Kentuckymusichalloffame.com
This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 1:43 PM with the headline "This achy breaky singer, five others being inducted into Ky.'s Music Hall of Fame."