Country star Ricky Skaggs, singer Dottie West and fiddler Johnny Gimble are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The three artists were inducted Sunday in a ceremony featuring performances from Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, Connie Smith and Dierks Bentley.
It was a night devoted mostly to musicianship in the form of Skaggs, who started his career as a child prodigy on mandolin, and Gimble, who played Western swing fiddle on numerous country records. West was recognized as a trailblazing female singer who helped many others succeed in Nashville.
Fellow Hall of Famer Brenda Lee invited several women on stage to help induct West, including Trisha Yearwood and Emmylou Harris. "We've waited a long time for this to happen," Lee said.
Skaggs first played Bill Monroe's famed Gibson F-5 mandolin when Skaggs was just 6 years old. He wowed audiences as a child on a syndicated television show hosted by bluegrass legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. In a rare moment, Skaggs was reunited with Monroe's mandolin, an instrument more than 90 years old that is normally kept under glass at the Hall of Fame Museum. Skaggs kissed the mandolin and played "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
'Indiana's favorite son' gets a museum
A planned museum will tell the story of basketball great Larry Bird and his Indiana roots. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Saturday that the museum will be part of a convention center being built in Terre Haute. Bird plans to donate personal items and memorabilia from his career with the Boston Celtics, Indiana State University, the U.S. Olympic team and beyond. Holcomb predicts the museum will be a global draw, describing Bird as "Larry the Legend — Indiana's favorite son."
Treasure trove of concert news
Two rare concert announcements arrived Monday: Mariah Carey confirmed her first-ever Twin Cities show — not counting two canceled dates — at the State Theatre on March 13. Also, Jeff Lynne's hitmaking '70s symphonic-rock band E.L.O. set their first Minnesota gig since 1981 at the X on June 26. More concert news for country music fans: Jason Aldean and Old Dominion were announced as the headliners, respectively, for the Winstock festival June 14-15 in Winsted, Minn. Other performers on the fest's 26th annual schedule include Brett Young, Midland, Diamond Rio, Kane Brown and Ashley McBryde. Also, country music vets Alabama are turning their farewell tour into a 50th anniversary trek coming June 26 to Target Center with openers the Charlie Daniels Band.
Staff and Associated Press
