NC Music Hall Of Fame Announces 2017 Inductees

Kannapolis, NC – The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame has announced this year’s seven inductees.

The induction ceremony is held annually as the Hall of Fame’s premier event to commemorate the musical legacy of the state’s greatest music makers. The inductees are:

Anthony Hamilton of Charlotte, NC is an R&B singer/songwriter known for his rich and soulful voice, which allows him to connect with his listeners. Hamilton says that involvement in his church choir, at a young age, is how he was able to develop the rhythm and resonance in his voice. This experience played a huge role in Mr. Hamilton’s music career, leading him to win a Grammy and receive 16 other Grammy nominations.

Bucky Covington from Rockingham, NC gained popularity through Fox’s hit singing competition “American Idol.” Afterwards Covington went on to become the bestselling debut artist of 2007. Covington first took interest in music after seeing blues guitarist Jeff Healey in the movie “Road House.” That along with his love for Elvis, among other Rock ‘n’ roll stars, resulted in Bucky making a name for himself through his unique style of Rock influenced Country music.

Etta Baker (deceased), from Caldwell County, NC, was a legendary blues guitarist and singer, known for her unique chord playing technique and her hit single “Railroad Bill”. Despite having only started playing professionally at the age of 60, Ms. Baker won a plethora of awards throughout her musical career including: the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Award, and the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.Baker was born in 1913 in Caldwell County and learned to play the guitar at age 3 from her father, Boone Reid. She also played the banjo. She recorded her first record in 1956. Her best known song was “One Dime Blues.” Baker played with influenced other artists including Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. She stopped playing and singing for a while when one of her children died in Vietnam in 1967. Her husband died the same year. But she came back to the music, saying the blues gave her consolation.

Jim Lauderdale, from Troutman, NC, found success as a songwriter and musician with a collaborative nature that gave him the opportunity to work with a variety of artists within several different genres. Although Lauderdale grew up loving country music but this did not stop him from exploring and becoming successful with other styles of music. Lauderdale has been nominated for multiple Grammy awards and won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, as well as the Americana Music Association’s Wagonmaster Award.

Richard Lewis Spencer was born and raised in Wadesboro NC, but he later moved to Washington D.C. where he began his musical career with two other artists in Otis Redding’s band. That band would later, with the addition of two other members, became the very successful R&B/soul group “The Winston’s.” Mr. Spencer wrote and sang the Grammy award winning song, “Color Him Father,” for The Winston’s and has since returned to Wadesboro where he is teaching at a local high school.

The Sensational Nightingales, from Durham, NC, are a traditional black gospel quartet that reached its peak of popularity in the 1950’s. They performed in Europe for the first time in 1983. The Sensational Nightingales are one of the most beautiful and meaningful treasures of quartet singing and are acclaimed everywhere for their authenticity along with their beautiful voices and rich harmonies. Barney Parks, formerly of the Dixie Hummingbirds, formed The Sensational Nightingales in 1942 and they have been performing Gospel music ever since. They reached the peak of their popularity in the 1950s with Julius “June” Cheeks as the lead vocalists. “See How They Done My Lord” and “It’s Gonna Rain” are the songs The Sensational Nightingales are best known for. Other members of the group have included Charles Johnson Calvert McNair, Joseph “Jo Jo” Wallace, Larry Moore, Horace “Sug” Thompson, Darrell Luster, Carl Coates, Howard Carroll, Paul Owens and Ernest Jones. Bobby Bland, Wilson Pickett and other said The Sensational Nightingales influenced their music.

The Induction Ceremony will Oct.19 at the Kannapolis Performing Arts Center at 415 E. First St. The red carpet event is open to the public and tickets are on sale now. VIP and General Admission tickets may be purchased at the NC Music Hall of Fame Museum or online at 2017Induction.eventbrite.com

The 2017 Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday October 19, 2017 at:

Kannapolis Performing Arts Center
415 East First Street
Kannapolis, NC 28083

The red carpet event is open to the public and tickets are on sale now. VIP and General Reserved tickets may be purchased at the NC Music Hall of Fame Museum or online at: 2017induction.eventbrite.com.

VIP’s will enjoy a cocktail reception prior to the ceremony at:

The Laureate Center at Kannapolis City Hall
401 Laureate Way
Kannapolis, NC 28081

You don’t want to miss out on this wonderful moment in music history as we honor these great all time legends!