Culture
Legacy and history shine at 10th West Virginia Music Hall of Fame ceremony
By: Emily Votaw
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CHARLESTON, West Virginia (WOUB) – The 10th West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony lit up the Charleston Cultural Center Theater (1900 Kanawha Blvd E) Saturday with a moving celebration of the state’s diverse musical heritage.
This year’s inductees showcased the breadth of West Virginia’s musical legacy: Daniel Johnston, the alt-music icon known for his raw, confessional songwriting; Jeff Stevens, a country hitmaker behind chart-toppers for George Strait, Tim McGraw, and Luke Bryan; Cameron LaVelle Mullins, a versatile arranger and conductor who helped define the Nashville sound; and The Womacks—later The Valentinos—whose gospel-rooted blend of soul and rock-influenced generations of popular music.
Hosts cellist Juliana Soltis and Ray Benson led the audience through the night’s diverse programming, including Benson receiving the Spirit Award for founding the influential group Asleep at the Wheel. The band was formed in 1970 in the small West Virginia town of Paw Paw, and went on to win nine Grammys and the 2009 Americana Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Performance.
Randall Reid-Smith received the Crescendo Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-standing efforts to expand music education across West Virginia. Among his achievements, while serving as leader of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History from 2006 to 2024, Reid-Smith collaborated with VH1’s Save the Music program, ultimately making it possible for more than 150 West Virginia middle schools to receive over $6 million in musical instruments.
The night’s musical programming began with Greg Blake, the 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, joined by Tim O’Brien, a Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist and West Virginia Music Hall of Fame board member, performing Blake’s 2025 single Bluefield Mountain Wind. Charleston native and 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Ann Magnuson followed with a captivating, sequin-clad rendition of her danceable cryptid-themed tune Ghost Cat.
The first inductee was Cameron LaVelle Mullins, whose career spanned collaborations with artists including Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and Tammy Wynette. Country legend Charlie McCoy inducted the late arranger and composer with video tributes from stars like Dolly Parton and George Strait.
An emotional highlight came with the induction of The Womacks—later known as The Valentinos—a gospel-turned-soul group originally from rural West Virginia. The surviving member, Friendly Womack Jr., accepted the award, joined by the Womack Sisters—BG, Zeimani, and Kucha, daughters of Cecil and Linda Womack.
Industry veteran Dale Bobo inducted country music hitmaker Jeff Stevens. Notably, Stevens’ induction segment was rounded out with an appearance by country music superstar Luke Bryan, one of Stevens’ longtime friends and collaborators.
The final induction of the night honored Daniel Johnston, beginning with a video tribute from punk icon Patti Smith. Jeff Tweedy—known for shaping indie rock through Uncle Tupelo and Wilco—inducted Johnston, praising the enduring impact of his music.
Johnston’s siblings, Margie and Dick Johnston, accepted the award on his behalf. Margie recalled reading fan letters to her brother from around the world, many of which said his music helped them feel less alone and gave them strength to keep living in what Johnston himself knew to be a Cold Hard World— notably the title of one of his poignant songs. That track was one of three Jeff Tweedy performed in tribute to Johnston, alongside Walking the Cow and True Love Will Find You in the End.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting filmed the event for future broadcast.