Dwight Yoakam Helps Induct Sturgill Simpson Into Kentucky Hall of Fame

Kentucky music savant Sturgill Simpson and country legend Gary Stewart led the 2024 inductees into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 26th at the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center in Mount Vernon.

They joined multi-instrumentalist “Apostle” Paul Martin previously of Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, bluegrass performers The McClain Family Band, Gospel singer Rodney Griffin, multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Mattingly, and country/bluegrass singer and songwriter Charlie Sizemore as 2024 inductees.

Hard rock band Black Stone Cherry, sound engineer Billy Moore, and the owner of Nashville bars Legend’s Corner, The Stage, and Second Fiddle in Nashville, Ruble Sanderson, were also inducted into the 2024 class.

“Hey Sturgill, it’s Dwight,” Kentucky native Dwight Yoakam said in a video recorded for the presentation. “I wanted to say congratulations … I hope you’re as honored as all of your fellow Kentuckians are that are in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame to have you join us in the Hall of Fame. It’s a much deserved honor for you. I’m very proud to have known you, to have worked with you over the years, and to call you a friend.”

Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Dan Auerbach, Josh Homme of Eagles of Death Metal, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Don Was, booking agent Jonathan Levine, Killer Mike, and thrice accused sexual predator Diplo were some of the others who chimed in with congratulations for Sturgill Simpson via video.

But it wasn’t a musician who formally inducted Sturgill Simpson in-person, it was actor and comedian Danny McBride, who worked with Simpson on the HBO series Righteous Gemstones.

“We’re here to celebrate an artist who has redefined what it means to be a musician, not just in Kentucky, not just in country music, but across the board,” McBride said. “Sturgill Simpson isn’t just talented, he’s one of a kind. The music industry has a habit of slapping a label on artists and shoving them into little boxes. But Sturgill didn’t play that game. He didn’t just step outside the box; he threw gas on it, he lit it on fire, he smoked pork on it, and then he left the box behind. He made his own road. Sturgill saw the rules and said, ‘That’s not for me.’”

After Danny McBride’s boisterous introduction, Sturgill himself took the podium, the day after selling out the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville—the venue he busked outside of during the 2017 CMA Awards. Simpson mostly ran through his biography of the last 14 years, and how he went from working for the railroad to becoming a Grammy-winning musician. He choked up when talking about his grandfather introducing him to bluegrass music.

“He spent his whole widower and retired years in a motorhome going to bluegrass festivals,” Simpson explained. “I remember when I was not much older than my oldest son—I was probably 3rd or 4th grade—and he was visiting home one day. He came into my room, and he had these cassette tapes, a big brown box of field recordings from all the bluegrass festivals. He lived and breathed it. It was The Stanley Brothers, Hot Rize. But I was too young. My palette wasn’t ready to absorb it. And he looked at me and he said, ‘One day … (choking up) … it’s going to get into you. And it ain’t ever gonna get out.”

Then Sturgill talked about his older cousin Mike who introduced him to rock and roll. It’s the fusion of bluegrass and rock that has influenced his unique approach to music. Simpson is currently on tour as Johnny Blue Skies, and regularly playing 3+ hour sets that mix country, bluegrass, and free form rock.

Tanya Tucker helped pay tribute to inductee Gary Stewart, saying in a prepared statement,

“Tonight you’re honoring Gary Stewart, really one of the greatest stylists of our generation. Not only was Gary a great singer. I loved his voice. A great writer. Got to write some songs with him too. He was just, on a more personal level, he was one of my best friends. And I truly treasure the time we got to spend together. I thank you for honoring my friend, because there are not enough honors for him. I love you Gary.”

Marty Stuart appeared in a video statement as well to help induct “Apostle” Paul Martin, saying in part, “Not only are you one of the finest people to ever walk the Earth, you’re also one of God’s most talented men. Thank you for everything you’ve ever played and sang, and arranged, and recorded and produced for me, and all of the Superlatives. We love you. You’re our brother.”

All the new inductees will now have displays in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame at 2590 Richmond St, Mt Vernon, KY. It is open daily 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and contains over 16,000 square feet of music memorabilia on display. Sturgill’s display includes his grandfather Dood’s Gibson J-50 guitar that Sturgill learned to play on, and his other grandfather’s mandolin.

“I saw the display cases earlier in the day,” Sturgill said. “I look to my right, and there’s Keith Whitley, and Bill Monroe. So this is heavy.”