• J.D. Crowe to be Inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame

    J.D CroweOklahoma City - Iconic Bluegrass banjoist, J.D. Crowe, will be among the 2016 inductees into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame.

    The induction ceremony will take place Friday, September 9, 2016 at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. The event will be open to the public and all are invited and encouraged to attend. Other events associated the Hall of Fame weekend are in the planning stages.

    "We're thrilled to be able to honor J.D. Crowe for his contributions to the banjo and evolution of Bluegrass music," stated Johnny Baier, executive director of the ABM.

    "As a second generation Bluegrass pioneer, J.D. Crowe took Bluegrass in a new and different direction, launching the careers of several notable iconic musicians in the process. Being able to recognize his contributions during his lifetime is very important to us and knowing that Mr. Crowe plans on being here in Oklahoma City for the Hall of Fame ceremony is very exciting."

    For background, Baier noted, "The American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame grew out of the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame, which was established in 1998 to honor jazz age four-string banjo pioneers as well as the contemporary artists, educators, manufacturers and promoters who carried on the traditions of their predecessors. In its infancy, the American Banjo Museum was an extension of that Hall of Fame.

    "Between 1998 and 2013, the Hall of Fame honored 71 individuals and entities in the four-string banjo world whose career accomplishments might have otherwise gone unrecognized. As the museum grew and evolved to embrace all types of banjos and playing styles, it became clear that the Hall of Fame should evolve as well. As such, in 2013, the ABM Board of Directors voted to establish an annual performance category to honor all styles of five-string banjo playing as well as opening the other previously four-string banjo exclusive non-performance categories to all types of banjos. With this move the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame was established."

    The first five-string honoree in the Hall of Fame was Earl Scruggs in 2014, followed by Pete Seeger in 2015. "We obviously have a lot of catching up to do in honoring both living and historic figures in the five-string banjo world. We are, however, delighted to have welcomed a deserved living legend such as J.D. Crowe as a member of our Hall of Fame," Baier commented. Other 2016 honorees will include Pat Terry, Jr. (Four-String Performance), George Formby (Historical), The Deering Banjo Company (Design & Manufacture), and Alfred Greathouse (Instruction & Education).

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