Country Radio Hall Of Fame Inducts Six; Honors Barbara Mandrell

Pictured (l-r): Lawson, Morgan, Inexperienced, Willyard, Biondo and Wade Jessen’s nephew, Meagher McConkie (Photograph: Kayla Schoen)

Six broadcasters have been honored final evening (6/10) with induction into the COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME throughout a ceremony at NASHVILLE’s VIRGIN HOTEL. The honors went to TRISH BIONDO, PAM GREEN, WADE JESSEN, CHARLIE MORGAN, JOHN WILLYARD and DOLLAR BILL LAWSON, whereas BARBARA MANDRELL acquired the 2023 CRB Artist Profession Achievement Award, full with a musical tribute from shock visitors TRISHA YEARWOOD and GARTH BROOKS.

COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION CEO SARAH TRAHERN launched MANDRELL, calling her “really a groundbreaker for our format .. She taught generations of girls, together with myself, the sky is the restrict relating to balancing a household and a profession.” YEARWOOD then took the stage, telling MANDRELL “You’re a rock star, and you’re a pioneer and you’re a badass.” She additionally sang MANDRELL’s hits, “(If Loving You Is Flawed) I Do not Need To Be Proper” and “I Was Nation When Nation Wasn’t Cool,” joined midway by way of the latter by husband BROOKS, who instructed MANDRELL, “Your contribution to Nation music — huge. Your contribution to entertaining — immeasurable.”

Studying the room, MANDRELL tied her acceptance speech into her appreciation for radio broadcasters, and the entire methods that they had helped her profession. She recalled the annual OCTOBER Nation DJ conventions in NASHVILLE (which later morphed into COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR), saying, “A very powerful factor in Nation music was the disc jockeys,” later including, “The music enterprise comes from radio, and do not ever overlook how necessary you on-air personalities are … I maintain you on the high of the mountain in such excessive esteem. You made my profession.”

GREEN was inducted by fellow HALL OF FAMER ED SALAMON, her former boss at WHN/NEW YORK, and mentioned of her profession, “It has been the experience of a lifetime.”

LAWSON was inducted by TOM HANRAHAN, his former boss (or “handler,” as HANRAHAN put it) at WDXB/BIRMINGHAM, who mentioned LAWSON, “treats everyone with honor, respect and dignity,” and known as him “the best ambassador for Nation radio.” LAWSON then obtained the group laughing with tales from his profession, together with one about how he knocked himself out chilly within the studio twice in a brief time period whereas working in SELMA, AL. He in contrast his profession to a tune RASCAL FLATTS made successful, “Bless The Damaged Street,” and marveled at how in Nation radio, “the viewers helps you to into their lives.”

Advisor PHIL HUNT and WXBQ/TRI-CITIES PD NIKKI THOMAS inducted WILLYARD, the primary voiceover expertise to ever be part of the HALL OF FAME, who mentioned of his profession, “Understanding I touched the human coronary heart is golden, like no A.I. can do.” (Learn our 10 Questions interview with WILLYARD here.)

JESSEN, who died in 2015, was inducted by veteran broadcaster and shut pal BRIAN JENNINGS (now with the HARD ROCK CAFE in TULSA), and honored onstage by his husband, two sisters, a niece and a nephew.

AUDACY’s MARCI BRAUN did the honors for BIONDO, her very long time WUSN (US 99)/CHICAGO colleague. In her acceptance, BIONDO famous that as unbelievable as her radio profession has been, it should by no means rival the work of her father and brothers, CHICAGO firefighters who save lives.

TUNEIN’s BOB RICHARDS inducted present APPLE MUSIC government MORGAN, who joked concerning the poor selections of his profession, together with as soon as reserving a LEAR jet from NASHVILLE again to INDIANAPOLIS on then employer SUSQUEHANNA’s dime, with out asking permission first. MORGAN additionally paraphrased a line from the memoir of NBA legend KENNY “THE JET” SMITH, saying “anybody who describes themselves as a self-made man … [is] simply not paying consideration.”

SCOTT and JULIE DE VOS of DE LUX PRODUCTIONS acquired the 2023 CRB PRESIDENTS AWARD, introduced by CRB/CRS Board Pres. KURT JOHNSON of TOWNSQUARE MEDIA. The couple has managed behind-the-scenes manufacturing and dwell music occasions for COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR (CRS) for the previous 25 years.

WSM-A/NASHVILLE morning host and COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME member BILL CODY served because the night’s grasp of ceremonies.

Discover the bios of the six new Corridor of Famers here, and see extra about MANDRELL’s award and profession here.

Nominations for the following 12 months’s inductees are being accepted here. The Class of 2024 can be revealed at CRS 2024, to be held FEBRUARY twenty eighth by way of MARCH 1st, 2024 in NASHVILLE.