His Steel Guitar Hall of Fame plaque reads:
COMPOSER AND ARTIST WHO CREATED INNUMERABLE DRAMATIC RUNS. PEDAL EFFECTS AND RIFFS ("THE LAGGARD NOTE." "SPLINTED HARMONY." ETC.). DOMINATING SESSION RECORDING FOR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY. APPEARING ON THOUSANDS OF RECORD SIDES. WITH THE GREATEST VOCAL ARTISTS. HE ACHIEVED HIS UNIQUE MUSICAL INTEGRITY THROUGH TONE, TASTE AND STYLE. "MR. NASHVILLE SOUND"
BORN: OCTOBER 4, 1937 LEAF, MISSISSIPPI
INDUCTED: 1988