FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NC Dept of Natural and Cultural Resources Susi Hamilton Announces
2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
5 Announced for Induction into NC Music Hall of Fame
Kannapolis, N.C. – With the Doc Watson family in attendance, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary, Susi Hamilton announced the names of individuals that will be inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
The 5 announced were:
- Elizabeth Cotten – Grammy Award winning blues and folk musician born in Carrboro, North Carolina.
- 9th Wonder – Hip-Hop producer, record executive, rapper, and lecturer born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
- Merle Watson – Two time Grammy Award winning folk/bluegrass guitarist born in Deep Gap, North Carolina.
- Mitch Easter – Producer, musician, and songwriter born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
- Big Daddy Kane – Grammy Award winning hip-hop recording artist and actor from Wake Forest, North Carolina.
For the first time, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame also announced that inductees Pastor Shirley Caesar and Kellie Pickler will return to the Induction Ceremony as highlight inductees in October.
The announcement took place at the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum in Kannapolis. The announcement was closed to the public, however, inductees such as 2018 inductee Dolphus Ramseur and 1999 inductee Ken Knox of Chairmen of the Board were in attendance.
The official induction of the 2019 class will take place on October 17, 2019 at a red carpet Induction Ceremony in Kannapolis, NC. The Ceremony will be open to the public, will include a pre-ceremony reception for VIP ticket holders, and will host live performances by NCMHOF inductees. Tickets for the ceremony go on sale late Spring 2019.
North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Executive Director Veronica Cordle stated that “this was a very unique way for the Hall of Fame to announce its 2019 inductees. We are honored to have Susi Hamilton here to assist us in letting everyone know who the new inductees will be. We are so excited about 2019 and hope the press conference and partnership with Come Hear NC allows us to reach the public’s ear.”
The announcement of the 2019 inductees comes on the heels of Governor Roy Cooper making the proclamation of 2019 being the “Year of Music” in the state of North Carolina in November of 2018.
This announcement complements “Come Hear North Carolina”, the new comprehensive campaign from the North Carolina Arts Council and The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to celebrate the many musicians, songwriters studios, venues, instrument makers, labels, record stores, promoters, places, listeners and communities who create, support, and sustain music in North Carolina. The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education by doing daily web-stories, artist interviews, special commissions, North Carolina musician stages at major festivals, educational programming and performances.
“The partnership with Come Hear NC is bringing incredible attention to NC’s music especially through social media. Their support and focus on music throughout the state will really shine a big spotlight on NC’s talent. Through the partnership, our 2019 Induction Ceremony will be filmed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for livestream to showcase our inductee live performances. This will show the magnitude of talent from our state.” said Cordle.
About the NCMHOF:
The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its museum, located in Kannapolis, NC is open to the public Monday-Friday 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. For more information about the Hall of Fame or to purchase tickets to the 2019 Induction Ceremony go to the NCMHOF website: NorthCarolinaMusicHallofFame.org
