By Ken Paulson – Nashville’s a town full of awards shows where artists are honored and their songs are showcased. But the annual Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony is no awards show. It’s history.
Tonight, Brooks and Dunn, Ray Stevens and Jerry Bradley were inducted into the Hall of Fame in an evening filled with solemnity and joy, touching tributes and surprising guest performances from Country and Americana artists.
Brooks and Dunn went from an arranged marriage – Arista executive Tim DuBois teamed them up on a hunch – to becoming the most successful duo in country music history, recording 41 Top 10 hits.
Success came quickly, Brooks said.
“It was just weird” that the two could be teamed up and write their first two number one hits in their first week together, Brooks said.
Luke Bryan, talked about personal gestures from each of the men, and then unleashed an inspired “Red Dirt Road.” The Brothers Osborne performed “Brand New Man” and then Trisha Yearwood performed a stirring rendition of “Believe.”
Ray Stevens didn’t have extraordinary chart success in country – just three top 10 singles in the genre – but he has been at the heart of Music City for decades as a recording artist, songwriter, session player on classic records, producer, arranger, label head and entrepreneur.
Covering Ray Stevens’ comedy hits is daunting. but Keith Bilbrey and James Gregory made a valiant effort on “The Streak,” while Rickey Skaggs nailed Stevens’ 1975 bluegrass arrangement of “Misty.”
The best piece of trivia of the evening came after County Music Hall of Fame staff discovered that three of the McCrary sisters had been among the children singing on Stevens’ biggest hit “Everything is Beautiful.” A considerably taller group of McCrarys reprised their role with a stirring gospel rendition in Stevens’ honor.
Jerry Bradley had a bit of a head start in the music business. His father was legendary producer Owen Bradley and his uncle was the respected musician Harold Bradley, both of whom are already in the Hall.
With Jerry’s induction, it’s time for a wing. In his years running RCA Records, Bradley signed and launched the Hall of Fame careers of Alabama and Ronnie Milsap, and oversaw very successful recordings by Dolly Parton and Charlie Pride.
Bradley also found a way to repackage and market songs by Waylon Jennings, Jesi Colter, Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser as “Outlaw Music,” paving the way for a movement.
He was honored by Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt with their take on “Good Hearted Woman,” Old Crow Medicine Show (with Molly Tuttle and Jerry Pendergrast) performing “Dixieland Delight” and a show-stopping Yola covering Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”