Billy was among the original inductees in the NC Music hall of Fame, a valued member of its Board and a dedicated, supporting friend of the Hall of Fame. The music in Heaven surely sounded better the day that Billy joined the [...]]]> “The NC Music Hall of Fame’s Board and staff members extend their deepest condolences to Gail Scott and family and to the many thousands of loyal fans, upon the passing of their beloved one, Billy Scott.

Billy was among the original inductees in the NC Music hall of Fame, a valued member of its Board and a dedicated, supporting friend of the Hall of Fame. The music in Heaven surely sounded better the day that Billy joined the Heavenly band!”

Nantucket toured as an opening act for KISS, Styx, Boston, Mother’s [...]]]> The band Nantucket was formed in Jacksonville in 1969. The legendary beach music band, known originally as “Stax of Gold” and then as “Nantucket Sleigh ride,” was comprised of Tommy Redd, Larry Uzzell, Mike Uzzell, Eddie Blair, Kenny Soule and Mark Downing. They became a well-known and in demand cover band in North Carolina before they signed with Epic Records in 1977. Their debut album contained the hit single, “Heartbreaker.” 

Nantucket toured as an opening act for KISS, Styx, Boston, Mother’s Finest, Journey and The Doobie Brothers. In 1979 they released their album Your Face or Mine? There was a change in band membership with Pee Wee Watson replacing Mike Uzzell, who became the
band’s full time manager.

In 1980 the group released their album Long Way to the Top which included their cover of the AC/DC hit “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock’n’Roll),” This led to the group touring with AC/DC on that group’s “Back in Black” tour in 1980.

Nantucket disbanded in 1990 but reunited the following year and released a live album, Still Live After All These Years in 1995. The group continues to perform in the Carolinas and has seen their earlier albums re-released.

Foster worked in a record store in Washington D.C. and then joined Schwartz Brothers, a wholesale [...]]]> Fred Foster was born in Rutherford County, and became a legendary label owner when he formed Monument Records in 1958. The first release, “Gotta Travel On,” became a top five record in both the Billboard Hot 100 and Country charts in 1959. Foster and Monument went on to play pivotal roles in the careers of Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Stevens and Larry Gatlin.

Foster worked in a record store in Washington D.C. and then joined Schwartz Brothers, a wholesale distributor which led to a job in promotion for Mercury and then sales with ABC-Paramount. While working for J & F Distributors in Baltimore he was confronted and challenged by his boss, who told him he was doing a lousy job selling pop music. Foster countered that his boss was doing a lousy job as well, which led to the boss’s challenge to Foster: “If you think you can do better, then why don’t you?” Foster replied, “I will,” which led to the formation of Monument Records.

In 1960 Fred Foster moved to Nashville and produced the early hits of Roy Orbison, many of them recorded at RCA Studio B. Those hits include Orbison’s initial release, “Only the Lonely,” as well as “Dream Baby,” “Running Scared,” “Crying,” “It’s Over” and “Pretty Woman.”

Foster was the first label head to sign Dolly Parton to a recording contract and her first chart records, “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy” were released on Monument. Fred Foster signed Kris Kristofferson as a songwriter and artist and produced his first albums for Monument. Foster’s publishing company, Combine, published Kristofferson’s hits “For the Good Times,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and “Why Me, Lord.” Foster suggested the title “Me and Bobby McGee” to Kristofferson and is credited as a co-writer of that song.

Fred Foster sold Combine in 1986 and Monument in 1987. He has continued to work as an independent producer, producing Willie Nelson’s Grammy winning album The Songs of Cindy Walker and the album Last of the Breed, which featured Nelson, Ray Price and Merle Haggard.

In 2009 Fred Foster was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

After this release, Donald DeGrate, known as “DeVante,” recorded a song in Charlotte that Joel Hailey, known as JoJo, was performing. DeGrate and JoJo traveled to New York City with their brothers Cedric (known as K-Ci) and Dalvin, known as Mr. Dalvin to look for [...]]]> Jodeci got their start in Charlotte on Furious Black Family Gospel Songs, a compilation album. On that album were the DeGrates and the Haileys, two sets of brothers: Cedric and Joel Hailey with Donald and Dalvin DeGrate from Charlotte.

After this release, Donald DeGrate, known as “DeVante,” recorded a song in Charlotte that Joel Hailey, known as JoJo, was performing. DeGrate and JoJo traveled to New York City with their brothers Cedric (known as K-Ci) and Dalvin, known as Mr. Dalvin to look for a record deal. Hip Hop producer Heavy D, whose group Heavy D & The Boyz was signed to Uptown records, convinced the label to sign the brother group, who chose the name Jodeci from a combination of the names of the group’s original members: Jo-Jo, DeVante, and K-Ci.

At Uptown, Sean “Puffy” Combs, an executive with the label, was in charge of developing the act and created a hip-hop-based image. The group sang background vocals for recordings by Ralph Tresvant and Jasmine Guy and made their performing debut on an episode of “Soul Train” in June, 1991.

Jodeci has been influenced by new jack swing pioneers Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley, the group Guy, as well as legendary performers Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Bobby Brown and the New Edition. Jodeci has associated with and influenced artists such as Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Nealante, Ginuwine, Playa, Suga and Darryl Pearson.

Jodeci’s recordings have been sampled by Mariah Carey in “Forever My Lady,” “Makin’ It Last Night” and “Bring On Da Funk.” From their gospel roots in Charlotte to their bad boy hip hop image in new jack swing,  Jodeci has risen to become key members of the hip-hop community and influential African-American artists on the New York scene.

Stonewall (that’s his real name—he was named after Confederate General Stonewall Jackson) moved with his mother and two siblings to South Georgia after his father died when Stonewall was two. He enlisted in the Navy in 1950 and after his release moved to Nashvillein 1956 where Wesley Rose, president of Acuff-Rose Publishing, heard his demo tape and arranged an [...]]]> Stonewall Jackson was born in Tabor City. He is best known for his hits during country music’s honky tonk era of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Stonewall (that’s his real name—he was named after Confederate General Stonewall Jackson) moved with his mother and two siblings to South Georgia after his father died when Stonewall was two. He enlisted in the Navy in 1950 and after his release moved to Nashville
in 1956 where Wesley Rose, president of Acuff-Rose Publishing, heard his demo tape and arranged an audition with the Grand Ole Opry, leading Jackson to become the first artist to join the Opry before he obtained a major label recording contract.

Jackson toured with Ernest Tubb, then signed with Columbia Records. His first chart hit was “Life to Go” in 1958 and the following year his record “Waterloo” was number one on the Billboard Country Chart for five consecutive weeks and reached number four on the pop chart. Other hit recordings by Jackson include “Why I’m Walkin’,” “A Wound Time Can’t Erase,” “Old Showboat,” “B.J. the D.J.” “Don’t Be Angry,” “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water,” “Stamp Out Loneliness” and “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”

Stonewall Jackson continues to perform and remains a leading artist in traditional country music.

Donaldson has performed and [...]]]> Born in Badin, Lou Donaldson is a renowned jazz saxophonist. He spent his early years in the bebop era, influenced heavily by Charlie Parker. Playing alto sax, Lou made his first recordings with the Charlie Singleton Orchestra in 1950. In 1952 he played on recordings by Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk. Donaldson recorded a number of albums as a member of Art Blakey’s Quintet, including the landmark Night at Birdland album in 1954, recorded at the legendary Birdland nightclub in New York.

Donaldson has performed and recorded in the bop, hard bop and soul jazz genres. He has an impressive discography from 1962 to 2000 which includes a 1996 compilation album The Best of Lou Donaldson: The Blue Note Years. Other recordings include Lou Donaldson at His Best and albums with Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Art Blakey. With Jimmy Smith, Lou recorded A Date with Jimmy Smith Volume One and Two, A House Party, The Sermon!, Cool Blues and Rockin’ the Boat, all on the prestigious Blue Note label. 

As an alto saxophonist, Lou Donaldson is one of the premier sidemen in the history of jazz.

During the 1990s Tori Amos emerged as one of the premier female singer-songwriters, composing and performing on piano. Her chart singles include “God,” “Caught a Lite Sneeze” and “Spark,” she has been nominated for a Grammy eight times and has sold over 12 million albums.

As a child, Tori Amos studied piano [...]]]> Tori Amos’s birth in Newton was a fortunate gift to the state; the Amos family lived in Washington D.C. and Tori was born while her parents were visiting North Carolina.

During the 1990s Tori Amos emerged as one of the premier female singer-songwriters, composing and performing on piano. Her chart singles include “God,” “Caught a Lite Sneeze” and “Spark,” she has been nominated for a Grammy eight times and has sold over 12 million albums.

As a child, Tori Amos studied piano at the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Her father, The Reverend Edison Amos, was pastor of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church and the family lived in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area while Tori was growing up.

She began performing in clubs when she was 13 and her first single was “Baltimore,” written with her brother Mike Amos for a song contest by the Baltimore Orioles; that song won first place. She performed as “Ellen Amos” until a friend’s boyfriend suggested that “Tori” fit her better.

Tori Amos moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and became lead singer for the group “Y Kant Tori Read.” In July, 1988 the group’s debut album was released. After the group disbanded, Tori worked as a background vocalist for artists Stan Ridgway, Sandra Bernhard and Al Stewart and landed a solo recording contract with Atlantic, where she released the albums Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, Boys for Pele, From the Choirgirl Hotel, To Venus and Back and Strange Little Girls.

In 2001 Amos signed with Epic Records and released Scarlet’s Walk, a concept album. She then released the albums The Beekeeper, American Doll Posse, Tales of a Librarian, Fade to Red and the boxed set A Piano: “The Collection.” In 2008 she created her own label and released Live at Montreaux (1991/1992), a CD and DVD.

Tori Amos’s most recent albums are Abnormally Attracted to Sin, a seasonal album Midwinter Graces and From Russia With Love, recorded live in Moscow in 2010. Her autobiography, Piece by Piece, was written with journalist Ann Powers and released in 2005.

Tori Amos is co-founder of RAINN, The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, a toll-free help line that connects callers with their local rape crisis center.

By the mid-1930s “J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers” was comprised of Mainer on fiddle, his brother [...]]]> J.E. Mainer, born in Buncombe County in 1898 and went on to lead “J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers,” one of the leading Appalachian string bands during the 1930s. Growing up in the western part of the state, J.E. Mainer worked in the cotton mills and played the fiddle; during the early 1920s he settled in Concord NC and formed a band. In 1932 he was on WBT in Charlotte. 

By the mid-1930s “J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers” was comprised of Mainer on fiddle, his brother Wade on banjo, and Zeke Morris and John Love on guitars. During the 1930s the band split and Mainer hired Snuffy Jenkins, George Morris and Leonard Stokes.

J.E. Mainer worked for a number of radio stations during his career and recorded for Bluebird, a division of RCA until 1939. After World War II, Mainer’s group recorded for King Records in Cincinnati. During the urban folk revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s there was a renewed interest in Mainer and his music, which led to him performing at numerous festivals and recording for the labels King, Arhoolie, Blue Jay and Rural Rhythm.

J.E. Mainer was still actively performing at the time of his death on June 12, 1971.