His Steel Guitar Hall of Fame plaque reads:

TOURING WITH JIMMY DICKENS, WEBB PIERCE AND FERLIN HUSKY, HE WOULD ALSO RECORD SCORES OF RECORD SIDES WITH THE FOREMOST ARTISTS OF HIS DAY. AFTER 13 YEARS AS AN OPRY STAFF PLAYER, HE BECAME A MAJOR RECORD LABEL EXECUTIVE, PRODUCING OVER 300 ALBUMS AND COMPOSING OVER 25 SONGS DURING HIS 55 YEAR MUSICAL CAREER.

FROM BACKING PATSY CLINE’S “CRAZY”, TO PRODUCING 1974’S SONG OF THE YEAR, “COUNTRY BUMPKIN”, HE IS TRULY A STEEL GUITAR PIONEER.

BORN: DECEMBER 14, 1928 KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE
INDUCTED: 2003