Country Radio Hall Of Fame Inducts Six

Hall of Fame inductees (Photo: Kayla Schoen Photography)

It was an evening of celebration last night (6/19) when 350 radio, record and Country music industry executives packed a ballroom to capacity at a NASHVILLE hotel to welcome the newest inductees into the COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME: MAC DANIELS, BOBBY DENTON, JEFF GARRISON, GREGG LINDAHL, and air personality inductees CHARLIE MONK and KYLE CANTRELL. Music industry veteran and recently retired COUNTRY RADIO BROADCASTERS (CRB) Exec. Dir. BILL MAYNE was also honored with the 2019 CRB President’s Award.

BROKEN BOW RECORDS artist DUSTIN LYNCH kicked off the evening with a two song acoustic performance, and thanked Country radio for allowing him and his band to live a great life. Country artist CON HUNLEY, who charted 25 Country singles in the ‘70s and ‘80s,  also made an appearance to help induct DENTON posthumously, saying that DENTON had been instrumental in his career and those of many other artists. DOLLY PARTON, GARTH BROOKS and TAYLOR SWIFT contributed taped segments that were played through the evening.

In honoring MAYNE, TOWNSQUARE MEDIA SVPP KURT JOHNSON noted that, “10 years ago, CRB was in trouble … With CRB in debt and reeling, many on MUSIC ROW thought COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR’s time had passed.” Not MAYNE, however, who took over the organization and turned its fortunes around in his decade at the helm. JOHNSON also called MAYNE, “A MUSIC ROW treasure.” In an emotional acceptance speech, MAYNE focused on the importance of service and giving back to the industry, and encouraged everyone present to give back by staying involved with COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR.

A video introduction for MONK featured PARTON telling the honoree, “Whatever it is, you’ve always been all over it like a rash … You’ve earned your designation as ‘The mayor of MUSIC ROW.’” Taped kudos followed from BROOKS and from SWIFT, who called MONK, ”a person of integrity in this business.” In his brief acceptance, MONK joked, “75-80% of the people in this room thought I was already in this HALL OF FAME.”

In his acceptance, LINDAHL said, “I have always considered my career improbable,” noting that he didn’t pursue a life in radio, “it pursued me … I continue to receive more from Country radio than I ever gave.” He also thanked everyone who works to support “the art form of country music.” Striking a similar note, 40-year radio veteran CANTRELL called radio “a truly strange business,” but said, “This business has been so good to me … The Lord has allowed me to live out a calling only he could have thought of.”

DANIELS spoke about his love of radio that is “live, local and part of everybody’s lives,” as well as his love of Country music and love of “creativity and the passion to be better than I was the day before.” GARRISON humorously recalled the early part of his radio career where his first goal was to work in a market with an airport, later aspiring to an airport with jet service, and finally to a market with an NFL team.

Founded in 1974, the COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over at least a 20-year period, 15 of which must have been spent working in the Country format. 

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