Riders In The Sky member Woody Paul Being Honored by National Fiddler Hall of Fame

Woody Paul is known as “King of the Cowboy Fiddlers.” He is lead singer/musician for Riders in the Sky, and has been selected as one of the 2012 inductees into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame. Paul says being inducted is an honor that is truly one of a kind. The induction gala will be held on Saturday, April 14th, at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Riders In The Sky will be taking center stage as headlining performers during the celebration.

Riders In The Sky are probably best known for their recording of “Woody’s Round Up” from “Toy Story 2.” Riders in the Sky are seven-time Western Music Association Entertainers of the Year and 2-time Grammy winners. Their latest CD, "Land Beyond The Sun", offers a collection of songs recorded in the Western tradition that Riders In The Sky fans have come to expect along with classic humor which has been their trademark for more than 30 years.

The National Fiddler Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that is committed to offering workshops, mentoring programs and educational community outreach. Its advisory board consists of notable fiddlers, celebrities, and entertainment industry executives.

Previous National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductees include: Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, Dick Barrett, Johnny Gimble, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Johnnie Lee Wills, Buddy Spicher, Rufus Thibodeaux, and Chubby Wise.

For more information, please visit the Riders In The Sky website at
RidersInTheSky.com

or the National Fiddler Hall of Fame website at
NationalFiddlerHallOfFame.org

The 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame Class

The Country Music Association revealed the 2011 inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame today.



Bobby Braddock, Jean Shepard and Reba McEntire will be the latest inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Bobby Braddock is inducted in the Songwriter category. He has been writing hit songs in Nashville for half a century. Some of his classics include "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and some of his more modern hits are "I Wanna Talk About Me" and the recent "People Are Crazy."

After moving to Nashville in 1964, Braddock became the piano player for Marty Robbins. He released three major label albums and also performed in Country Music-themed movies. He also added his talent as a producer, working on Blake Shelton’s first five albums.

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Jean Shepard is inducted in the Veterans Era.

She is often called The Grand Lady of the Grand Ole Opry, as she has been a member of the Opry for over 50 years. Jean had 44 charted hits between 1953 and 1978, including her first hit, "A Dear John Letter", which was a duet with Ferlin Husky.

Some of Jean Shepard's hits include: "Twice the Lovin’ in Half the Time", "Don’t Fall in Love With a Married Man", "The Root of All Evil (Is a Man)", and "The Other Woman". She also joined the cast of Ozark Jubilee on ABC TV.

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Reba McEntire is a Modern Era inductee to the Hall of Fame

Reba started out her career a bit slow, but things began to soar for the Oklahoma redhead by 1984, when she won the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award for the 1st of 4 consecutive years. Two years later, she joined the Grand Ole Opry and was also named CMA Entertainer of the Year. In her music career, Reba has sold more than 55 million albums worldwide, and to date has achieved 35 No. 1 singles. She has also received 6 CMA Awards, and 2 Grammy Awards.

Reba's talents broadened to acting on the big screen (Tremors), the small screen (her own sitcom, "Reba"), and even the Broadway stage (Annie Get Your Gun).

Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductees

The Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct six new members at the 42nd Annual Induction & Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 16th in New York City.




Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint will become the newest members inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Garth Brooks has been certified by the RIAA as the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history. He has sold more than 128 million albums and is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark. His songwriter credits include hits "If Tomorrow Never Comes," "The Thunder Rolls," "Unanswered Prayers" and more.

Leon Russell's classic songwriting credits include "A Song For You", "This Masquerade", "Delta Lady", "Tight Rope", "Bluebird", "Back To The Island", and "Hummingbird". Leon will also be honored with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first Award for Musical Excellence in March.

Other inductees include John Bettis, whose songwriting efforts have sold more than 250 million records worldwide; musician, songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint; and Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, a songwriting duo who co-wrote five No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including "Like A Virgin", "True Colors", and "Eternal Flame".