The Musicians Hall of Fame inducted its ninth class during a sold-out ceremony at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, honoring (in alphabetical order by first name) Dann Huff; Dolly Parton, recipient of the Industry Icon Award; George Thorogood & The Destroyers; John Boylan, recipient of the Producer Award; Keith Urban; Leland Sklar; Michael McDonald; and Nicky Hopkins (posthumously).
The evening began with a private friends-and-family medallion ceremony held in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts’ Brad Paisley Ballroom. Inductees received commemorative Hall of Fame medallions and custom jackets presented by Linda Chambers, co-founder and CEO of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, with help from special guests, and 2016 inductees, Ricky Skaggs and Don Felder. Following the presentations and a group photo, inductees met with media along a 40-foot red carpet followed by a Champagne reception.
The main program was hosted by actor and musician Sam Palladio and featured the Musicians Hall of Fame all-star band, comprised of Brent Rader, Mark Beckett, Paul Franklin, Mark Hill, Chris Leuzinger, John Jarvis, Michael Rojas, Sam Levine, Eric Darken, Alicia Enstrom, and Gordon Kennedy, with background vocalists Marcia Ware Wilder, Brent Rader and Tania Hancheroff. (Mini bios are available, HERE.)
The evening featured tribute performances and presentations honoring each inductee:
Dweezil Zappa presented George Thorogood & The Destroyers (George Thorogood, Jeff Simon, Bill Blough, Jim Suhler and Buddy Leach) joining the band for their first song, “Move It On Over.” The band closed their set with performances of hits, “Who Do You Love” and “Bad to the Bone.”
Bernie Leadon presented John Boylan, with a tribute highlighting Boylan’s production work, including “More Than a Feeling,” led by Buck Johnson; “Love Has No Pride,” performed by Trisha Yearwood; and “Silver Threads & Golden Needles,” featuring Yearwood with Don Felder and Alicia Enstrom.
Leland Sklar was honored by Tony Brown, with performances including “Running on Empty,” featuring Wendy Moten; “Your Smiling Face,” and “How Sweet It Is,” joined by Garth Brooks.
Steve Lukather introduced Dann Huff. The tribute included “Here I Go Again,” performed by Buck Johnson; “My Heart Will Go On,” performed by Wendy Moten; and “Waiting on a Whisper,” performed by Huff on acoustic guitar.
Peter Frampton honored Nicky Hopkins with a tribute and medley including “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Revolution” and “Angie,” performed by Buck Johnson. Vince Gill followed with “You Are So Beautiful.” Hopkins’ widow, Moira Hopkins, accepted the honor on his behalf.
Sheryl Crow presented Dolly Parton, who shared remarks via a pre-recorded video message. A tribute followed with a medley of “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5,” performed by Steve Wariner. View Dolly’s acceptance, HERE.
Ricky Skaggs presented Keith Urban, who performed an acoustic version of “Long Hot Summer” before being joined by the all-star band for “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me,” and “When Summer Comes.”
Vince Gill presented Michael McDonald, who performed “What a Fool Believes,” “Keep Forgettin’,” and closed the evening with “Takin’ It to the Streets,” joined by fellow inductees, special guests, presenters, and the All-Star band.
Reflecting on the evening and the 2026 class, Chambers said, “After this evening, The Musicians Hall of Fame will have inducted 200 musicians, producers, engineers and industry icons to its prestigious family. Each new class of inductees reminds us why we do what we do — preserving and celebrating the legacy of the musicians who bring songs to life. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome these artists into the Musicians Hall of Fame.”
Chambers continues with a special note: “Tonight’s event was dedicated to a beloved, lifelong friend an Musicians Hall of Fame Induction producer, Cliff Downs, who we lost to cancer on Thursday, April 24th. He will always be remembered.”
About Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum:
Linda Chambers is CEO and Co-Founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and one of Nashville’s premier attractions and event venues. The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is the only museum in the world that honors musicians of all genres and exhibits original artifacts and instruments that were played on hit records. The museum has also been the home to the GRAMMY© Museum Gallery since 2016.
The museum, revered by artists including Keith Richards, Garth Brooks and Neil Young, recently added exhibits featuring Ringo Starr, Alan Parsons, Marshall Tucker Band and drummer, Stan Lynch.
The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting the actual instrument they used to record some of the most iconic songs in recorded history. Not only does the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum entertain local and international visitors but also educates them about the musicians who actually played on the “soundtracks of their lives.”
“Where else are you gonna get all the cats that are in this room?” — Keith Richards
“You can see the hood ornament on the car if you go to The Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
But, if you want to look at the engine and see what’s making it go, then you go to
The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum.” — Neil Young
“There’s so many things that an artist sings that aren’t his or her own creation. There’s so many things that you hear that make you love a record that, the truth is, ‘Joe Blow’ could have sang them. Because the song was so great and the signature licks were so identifiable that it didn’t matter who sang them. There are very few records that the artists made, but there’s a hell of a lot of them that the musicians made.” — Garth Brooks
Follow the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum’s social media for updates on exhibits, special events and performances:
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Group Photo Following the Musicians Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony
Back Row, L-R: Linda Chambers, Co-Founder and CEO of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum; Don Felder, Britt Chambers-Hawker, Artist Relations, Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum; Keith Urban, John Boylan, Moira Hopkins, Dann Huff, Michael McDonald,
Leland Sklar, Ricky Skaggs, Richie Owens
Front Row: George Thorogood & The Destroyers
L-R: Buddy Leach, Bill Blough, George Thorogood, Jeff Simon, Jim Suhler
(Photo by Royce DeGrie, Musicians Hall of Fame)
