KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – This fall, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame will pay homage to six North Carolinians with their induction into its Hall of Fame. Those selected have left an indelible mark on the world of music. A ceremony to honor the inductees (presented by Visit Mooresville) will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The public may purchase their tickets at: NorthCarolinaMusicHallofFame.org. The event will not only commemorate the great musical artists to be inducted but will also celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the Hall of Fame organization.
The 2024 inductees are:
Petey Pablo (Greenville, N.C.) – Grammy-nominated platinum rap artist known for recording North Carolina’s unofficial anthem “Raise Up”. Other top hits by Petey Pablo include “Freek-A-Leek” and “Carolina Colors,” all which have become radio and sports stadium favorites. Musical collaborations with Timbaland, Black Rob, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne and Ciara have earned him multiple Billboard chart-toppers and platinum certifications by RIAA. He has appeared on the hit TV shows The Shield and Empire, as well as in the hit movie Drumline.
Clarence Avant (Greensboro, N.C.) – Spent over half a century in the music and entertainment business staying circ*mspectly out of the spotlight. Decades of trailblazing work in the music industry and a unique style of mentorship earned him the title of “The Black Godfather.” Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have all enjoyed the council and friendship of Clarence Avant. Honorary doctorate degrees have twice been bestowed upon Avant – from Morehouse College and North Carolina A&T University. Avant has received the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP, the Recording Academy’s Trustees Award, an award from the Jazz Foundation of America, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the prestigious Ahmet Ertegun Award, the President’s Merit Award as a Grammy Icon, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and numerous other music and civic awards.
Mary Cardwell Dawson (Madison, N.C.) – Founder of the National Negro Opera Company in 1941, the first African American opera company in the United States. As an educator, she trained countless young talents to sing opera and brought the splendor of opera to African American audiences across the nation with the establishment of guilds in Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, D.C., Newark, and New York. In 1961, Dawson was appointed to the National Music Committee by President John F. Kennedy.
Merge Records (Durham, N.C.) – Independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 1989 by Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, Merge is celebrating their 35th anniversary throughout 2024. McCaughan and Ballance started the label as a way to release songs by their own band, Superchunk, as well as the music of their friends. Since then, Merge has grown from a group of friends assembling 7-inch singles in Ballance’s bedroom to one of the most influential independent record labels in the world, releasing the work of artists such as The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lambchop, the Mountain Goats, Caribou, She & Him, Superchunk, and many more.
Tommy Faile (Charlotte, N.C.) – A prolific songwriter, radio and television personality, and baritone vocalist most well known for composing the 1967 hit “Phantom 309” and recording “The Legend of the Brown Mountain Lights.” Faile was a well known bass player and singer, starting out with the Hired Hands in 1949 before joining Arthur Smith and the Crackerjacks in 1951. He launched his own successful TV show in 1969 called The Tommy Faile Show, which aired on Charlotte’s WBTV and made Faile a familiar personality in North Carolina.
Bobby Hicks (Newton, N.C.) – Ten-time Grammy Award-winning fiddler and inductee of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Fiddlers Hall of Fame. His unparalleled contributions to bluegrass music span over five decades and include over 50 albums, leaving an indelible imprint on the bluegrass world. He has worked with several big names in the genre, such as Bill Monroe, Porter Wagoner, Jesse McReynolds, Carlton Haney, and Jim Eanes. Hicks also spent 23 years as fiddler with superstar bluegrass group Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.
The Ceremony & Celebrating 30 Years:
The 2024 Induction Ceremony, presented by Visit Mooresville, will also celebrate 30 years since the founding of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame (NCMHOF). The event will be held at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in downtown Mooresville, North Carolina. For the special anniversary, attendees will enjoy dinner and a show with performances by inductees. A reception to welcome inductees will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m.
