The South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame has announced four of the inductees who will be honored in a June ceremony. (Video above: Tuesday morning headlines) The induction show is set for 6:30 p.m. June 3 at the Greenville Convention Center. More inductees will be announced in the weeks to come. The first inductee announced is Dixiana, who will also perform at the induction show. The organization describes Dixiana like this: “Dixiana is an American country music group consisting of Cindy Murphy Orr, Randall Griffith, Colonel Shuford and brothers Phil and Mark Lister. The band evolved from a group formed in the late ’60s by Phil and Mark called The Country Masters, who hosted a weekly TV show, ‘Carolina Country,’ on WSPA in Spartanburg, SC, from 1972-1976. In 1982, the band changed their name to Dixiana and began commuting to Nashville where they landed a deal with Grand Prize Records. To read more click here. “The second inductee announced is Mac Arnold, who will also perform at the show. “Mac Arnold’s first band included James Brown on piano,” the organization posted on Facebook. “Mac moved to Chicago and Muddy Waters hired him on the spot. He toured and recorded with the Muddy Waters Band and recorded LPs with Otis Spann and John Lee Hooker. Mac moved to Los Angeles and produced Soul Train with his friend Don Cornelius. He even played bass on the Sanford & Son television show when he wasn’t playing bass for Otis Redding and B.B. King. He retired from show business to be an organic farmer. Mac is back with his own band and a “plate full” of CDs, building a new foundation in blues, soul and funk.”Video below: Greenville music legend spreads love of blues to South Carolina studentsThe third inductee for 2023 is Kerry Marx.Marx is the current music director at the Grand Ole Opry and has been since 2018. Before that, Marx was a guitarist at the Grand Ole Opry. He is from Aiken, South Carolina. For his full bio, click here. The fourth inductee announced is Bill Ellis from the Ellis and Bradley morning show. “Bill Ellis began what is to this date, a 48 year career in broadcasting in his hometown of Charlotte at WSOC FM and TV,” the announcement said. “In those first 11 years he wore many hats. Copywriter, Producer, Traffic Helicopter Reporter, Weekend Weather Anchor on WSOC-TV. His passion though was behind a radio microphone. In 1978, Bill took on the midday role at WSOC-FM which began his 6 decade span in country radio. Highlights of his time there included introducing the new group Alabama to new fans in the Carolinas to discovering Randy Traywick who came out to a weekly talent contest that Bill was hosting at Country City U S A in Charlotte. Randy won that night and from there with club owner Lib Hatcher, he became Randy Travis.In the Summer of 1987, Bill moved his family to Greenville to help build WSSL Whistle 100.”For tickets to the show and more inductees, click here. The show will include live performances for DIXIANA, Dr. Mac Arnold, & Country Rocker, Leah Seawright, with special guest drummer Mark Herndon from the country band Alabama.
The South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame has announced four of the inductees who will be honored in a June ceremony.
(Video above: Tuesday morning headlines)
The induction show is set for 6:30 p.m. June 3 at the Greenville Convention Center.
More inductees will be announced in the weeks to come.
The first inductee announced is Dixiana, who will also perform at the induction show.
The organization describes Dixiana like this:
“Dixiana is an American country music group consisting of Cindy Murphy Orr, Randall Griffith, Colonel Shuford and brothers Phil and Mark Lister. The band evolved from a group formed in the late ’60s by Phil and Mark called The Country Masters, who hosted a weekly TV show, ‘Carolina Country,’ on WSPA in Spartanburg, SC, from 1972-1976. In 1982, the band changed their name to Dixiana and began commuting to Nashville where they landed a deal with Grand Prize Records. To read more click here. “
The second inductee announced is Mac Arnold, who will also perform at the show.
“Mac Arnold’s first band included James Brown on piano,” the organization posted on Facebook. “Mac moved to Chicago and Muddy Waters hired him on the spot. He toured and recorded with the Muddy Waters Band and recorded LPs with Otis Spann and John Lee Hooker. Mac moved to Los Angeles and produced Soul Train with his friend Don Cornelius. He even played bass on the Sanford & Son television show when he wasn’t playing bass for Otis Redding and B.B. King. He retired from show business to be an organic farmer. Mac is back with his own band and a “plate full” of CDs, building a new foundation in blues, soul and funk.”
Video below: Greenville music legend spreads love of blues to South Carolina students
The third inductee for 2023 is Kerry Marx.
Marx is the current music director at the Grand Ole Opry and has been since 2018. Before that, Marx was a guitarist at the Grand Ole Opry.
He is from Aiken, South Carolina. For his full bio, click here.
The fourth inductee announced is Bill Ellis from the Ellis and Bradley morning show.
“Bill Ellis began what is to this date, a 48 year career in broadcasting in his hometown of Charlotte at WSOC FM and TV,” the announcement said. “In those first 11 years he wore many hats. Copywriter, Producer, Traffic Helicopter Reporter, Weekend Weather Anchor on WSOC-TV. His passion though was behind a radio microphone. In 1978, Bill took on the midday role at WSOC-FM which began his 6 decade span in country radio. Highlights of his time there included introducing the new group Alabama to new fans in the Carolinas to discovering Randy Traywick who came out to a weekly talent contest that Bill was hosting at Country City U S A in Charlotte. Randy won that night and from there with club owner Lib Hatcher, he became Randy Travis.In the Summer of 1987, Bill moved his family to Greenville to help build WSSL Whistle 100.”
For tickets to the show and more inductees, click =AT2Zsf_bqrKbgxOnEduuUxEsnau9qxOM6DzxcANRJJDNjgx2nzKrYpYPBBFIVb2NMC7oovrXkv3ce0z6sXzG-PSe_xgV8AU02DTqSkP95InBbdW3nrbzxTjZYCkKYyMvRd0rOTzNEQf1Y5yZeGfauK58a5L2tO8A6TgWK5p-6Pb71iIoUEWr_zmxwR4Ok3puWGy7f0VBjgUS” target=”_blank”>here.
The show will include live performances for DIXIANA, Dr. Mac Arnold, & Country Rocker, Leah Seawright, with special guest drummer Mark Herndon from the country band Alabama.