Thursday night, October 17, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inducted six new members in a special ceremony held in the Charles Mack Citizen Center in Mooresville, NC. Two of the inductees (Bobby Hicks and Tommy Faile), presented posthumously, had bluegrass ties to the Tarheel State.
Hicks was born in Newton, NC in 1933 and moved to Greensboro in 1945. Starting on a ¾ size fiddle that his dad bought, he entered the State Championship Fiddlers’ Convention and took first prize playing Orange Blossom Special. Honing his talent, Hicks eventually relocated to Nashville to become a full time member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. He played with Monroe at the Grand Ole Opry when he was just 21.
After his stint with Monroe, the King of the Double Stops went on to play with Porter Wagoner, Judy Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, and the Bluegrass Album Band. Traveling the world, Hicks performed in Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, and for two US presidents (both Bushes). In 1998, his album Fiddle Patch was named IBMA’s Instrumental Album of the Year. In 2017, he was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Hicks passed away on August 16 at the age of 91.
Hicks’ three children, Melissa, Tammy, and Joey, were present to accept their father’s award.
“We are honored to be here on behalf of our dad, Bobby Hicks. This is a very bittersweet moment for us. Dad was proud to be a North Carolinian, and was looking forward to being here this evening. One of Dad’s favorite things was to share his love for the music he made, and the lessons he had learned along the way. He believed that teaching the younger generation was part of his legacy. If you were willing to learn, he was ready to teach. He was always honest about what he observed. When he gave advice, people listened. Words cannot express how deeply we miss him, but we know that he will be forever remembered whenever music is played, and that we will be with him again.”
Hicks had intended to play at the NCMHOF Induction Ceremony with the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, alongside their young banjoist, Lincoln Hensley, whom he considered an unofficial grandson. The TBB performed during the ceremony in Bobby Hicks’ memory. As Hensley introduced the band, he also introduced Hicks’ beloved five-string fiddle that its player had fondly named “Golden Boy.” Michael Feagan, the band’s fiddler, played several of Hicks’ signature tunes including Cheyenne, Maiden’s Prayer, Texas Crapshooter, and Wheel Hoss featuring twin fiddles (with Tim Laughlin).
Built in 1976 by the late Harvey Keck of Burlington, NC, Hicks treasured instrument was the only one he played on stage and on records. He stated in a 2023 interview (that I conducted for Bluegrass Unlimited), “Harvey wrote (inside the fiddle): ‘Built to be the greatest instrument in the world in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.’ So it’s been anointed! That’s why it sounds so good. Amen. I’ve never seen another one even sounded close to it.”
Prior to the ceremony, Feagan expressed his pleasure in playing for Hicks’ induction on Golden Boy. “It’s an honor to play it. I’ve played it a few times at Bobby’s house, but never this much. This is the most I’ve ever played it.”
Another inductee with bluegrass roots was Tommy Faile. Born in South Carolina in 1928, he became guitarist for the Hired Hands that featured Snuffy Jenkins on banjo and Homer “Pappy” Sherrill on the fiddle. In 1951, Faile relocated to Charlotte when was invited to join Arthur Smith & the Crackerjacks. He appeared on their nationally syndicated TV show, Carolina Calling. In 1960, Faile appeared as a week-long guest on the Arthur Godfrey Time radio show. In 1969, The Tommy Faile Show debuted on WBTV in Charlotte. (In 1975, this writer and her band, the Happy Hollow String Band, were guests on his show.) Faile died of a heart attack in 1998.
A special group of North Carolina musicians (David Johnson and Eric Ellis on guitars, Ronnie Black on mandolin, and Scott Gentry on bass) were joined by Faile’s longtime banjoist, Bobby Denton. The ensemble performed two of Faile’s most famous numbers, Brown Mountain Light and Phantom 309. The latter being an original composition of Faile’s.
Tommy’s daughter, Lisa Faile-Jones, was present to accept her dad’s award in his memory.
“I think my dad was a huge inspiration to North Carolina musicians locally. For a ten-year old little boy who got his first guitar and found his passion for playing music has led us right here: the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is bittersweet. He’s been gone awhile and we miss him dearly. We love him.”
Denton shared, “I was with Tommy for a total of 25 years. I did the entire (TV) show for six years. We went on and had a duet. He was one of my best friends and he was family. He was a great talent.”
Other inductees for 2024 were Clarence Avant, Mary Cardwell Dawson, Petey Bablo, and Merge Records. Congratulations to all the honorees and their families for their impact on the North Carolina music industry.
The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is located in Kannapolis, NC and includes many other North Carolina bluegrass legends such as Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Tony Rice.
