Big stars and others highlight Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame's first class

Record store owners, a music producer, a music educator and two internationally known artists will headline the inaugural class of the Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday the full list of 2022 inductees.

Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson, both award-winning musicians already inducted in country music and songwriting Halls of Fame, highlight the inaugural class.

The two major stars will be joined by JB and Kathleen Lewis and Herman and Jean Dawson, who collectively owned J&K Records on Graham Street in Shelby; Bobby Rogers, a talented local musician and a prominent music educator; Hugh Dover, a local disc jockey who spent more than 40 years on the air at WOHS and WKMT radio stations; and Ron Feemster, a Kings Mountain native and Grammy award winning producer who has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Justin Bieber.

"We've researched for a year. We've met, we've gone through a lot of information," said Phil Weathers, president of the Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame. "We want to focus attention on local people who have contributed a lot to music, whether it's a record producer, a promoter, an artist, whatever."

Bobbie Gibson, Don Gibson's wife, and Grace Constant, niece of Scruggs, were on hand for Wednesday's announcements.

"I think it's very, very nice," said Gibson.

"We are honored to be a part of it. I just wish my uncle could be here to see it all happen in person," said Constant. Scruggs died March 28, 2012, at age 88, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Scruggs gets credit for developing a musical style that popularized the five-string banjo. He and Lester Flatts produced dozens of songs, including “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Flint Hill Special,” and “Earl’s Breakdown." They also first recorded the theme song to "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV show.

Gibson, who died on Nov. 17, 2003 at age 74, had a string of country hits in the 1950s through 1970s, including country standards such as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Oh Lonesome Me."

The inaugural class will be officially inducted into the Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony and live show Friday, Sept. 16 at the Don Gibson Theater. The show will feature tributes to those inducted and live musical performances honoring members of the class.

Announcing the inaugural class is the latest step in making the Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame a reality.

The hall was first announced in 2019, and in 2021, was gifted a permeant home in the old WOHS Radio building. Since then, Weathers said the hall has been working with architects on plans to turn the building into a repository for local music history, but work has been slow as the building needs some repair.

"It's been a slow start because of the way things have been. We have been doing some fundraising and are now going full steam ahead," said Weathers.

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County Music Hall of Fame announces inaugural inductees