Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Country
Radio Broadcasters PR) - Country
Radio Broadcasters welcomed Joe Ladd and John Trimble into its Country
Music DJ Hall of Fame, and Les Acree, Larry Daniels and Bob Moody into the Country
Music Radio Hall of Fame in ceremonies held at the Nashville Convention Center on Feb. 27. Hosted by Dale Carter, Program Director, KFKF-FM/Kansas City, Mo., the induction ceremony served as the opening event of CRB's 38th Annual Country
Radio Seminar. CMA was a proud sponsor.
During the ceremonies, CRB also presented Charlie Monk with the President's Award and Kenny Rogers with the Career Achievement Award. Rogers joins past Career Achievement Award winners Alabama, Sonny James, Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap and Dolly Parton.
Accepting his President's Award, the usually loquacious CHARLIE MONK, the 'Mayor of Music Row,' was caught off guard when his granddaughter McKenna walked on stage to deliver his acceptance speech for him. The precocious 11-year-old proved to be a gifted public speaker and kept the crowd in stitches with stories of her grandfather's long and distinguished career.
LARRY DANIELS, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary in the radio industry, began his illustrious career in high school in 1957 at KGEN/Tulare, Calif., and soon moved to Bakersfield, where he began a long and successful association with Buck Owens. He spent much of his career at Owens-owned stations in Bakersfield and Phoenix. Daniels reminisced about his boyhood days in Tulare, where he 'picked cotton and learned to drive a tractor at the age of 8.' He went on to describe his career as 'a rewarding experience. How many people get to realize their dream and have it turn into a lifetime career?'
With a career that has taken him from his native Arkansas to stations in San Antonio; Denver; Detroit; Windsor, Ontario; Louisville; Shreveport; and Baltimore, BOB MOODY went right back home in his acceptance speech, thanking his grandmother for making him 'curious about the world outside of my small town horizons.' He went on to defend Country radio against various critics. 'We're in the entertainment business,' Moody said. 'Bookstores sell people books they want to read, and theaters sell people tickets to films they want to see. We broadcast – most of us free of charge – music that people want to hear. And we should never apologize for that.'
LES ACREE was introduced and inducted via a letter from Kenny Chesney thanking the broadcasting veteran for helping him with his career. In his remarks, Acree described his early conversion from Top 40 to Country. 'I was sitting there one day playing 'Paint it Black' by the Rolling Stones, and I said, 'What the hell are they talking about?'' Acree said. 'So that night, I went to a bar and I played the jukebox, just punched the first thing I saw. This song that came on was 'This is It' by Jim Reeves. I said, 'You know what? This is it.'' Acree began his radio career at KDKD/Clinton, Mo., in 1961 and has since worked at radio stations in Ohio, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Inductee JOE LADD has long been one of Houston's most visible and venerable radio personalities. Credited with breaking stars Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee and Gene Watson, Ladd remembered his fellow Country Music DJ Hall of Fame member, the late Pete Hunter for giving him invaluable advice. 'He said, 'Ladd, if you have nothing intelligent to say, shut your mouth and play the music.'' These days, Ladd serves as manager for Mark Chesnutt.
JOHN TRIMBLE brought his trademark booming voice and personality to his acceptance speech, reminiscing about his 50-plus year career and regaling the crowd with stories of his long-running 'Trucking Radio Show.' 'I feel like Ernest Tubb when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 1965,' Trimble remarked. 'Ernest said, 'I don't know if I deserve this award, but I'm certainly glad that somebody thought I did.' And that's the same way I feel. This is a tremendous honor.' Trimble has worked at stations in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Indiana, Virginia and Washington.
To celebrate KENNY ROGERS amazing career – including 20 Platinum albums, 22 No. 1 hits and more than 100 million albums sold – Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Don Schlitz performed some of his classic hits. Schlitz sang his composition, 'The Gambler,' Rogers' biggest hit, thanking Rogers by asking the question, 'How many careers has this man given to people like me? How many other guys have been lucky enough to have the freedom to write anything we wanted for the rest of our lives because of him?'
In accepting his Career Achievement Award, Rogers expressed similar sentiments to the radio executives in the audience.
'You've given me the gift of competing, because all I ever asked for was a chance to compete,' Rogers said. 'Radio has always said to me in so many words, 'Do a great song and we'll play it; if it's an average song, you're going to stand in line like everybody else.' And I can live that. Most importantly, while you guys are awarding me, it is you who have made this possible for me.'
