For Immediate Release

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum and title sponsor Rowan Regional Medical Center, will have its first annual “Rhythm & Run” 5k run on Saturday June 16, 2012 in Kannapolis, N.C. at 9:00 am.

The 5k run will begin downtown in the beautiful Cannon Village adjacent to the Hall of Fame Museum. The certified course runs through the N.C. Research Campus and continues onto the [...]]]>  

North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum Announces The “Rhythm & Run” 5k

For Immediate Release

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum and title sponsor Rowan Regional Medical Center, will have its first annual “Rhythm & Run” 5k run on Saturday June 16, 2012 in Kannapolis, N.C. at 9:00 am.

The 5k run will begin downtown in the beautiful Cannon Village adjacent to the Hall of Fame Museum. The certified course runs through the N.C. Research Campus and continues onto the scenic trails of the Kannapolis Parks and Recreation Greenway.

This one of a kind race will showcase music, for the duration of the event, by legendary artists who are inductees in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Participants are encouraged to register in advance. Registration is online at: www.sportoften.com or in person at: 109 West A Street, Kannapolis N.C. 28081. Awards will be given to top finishers in each category. All proceeds will go to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame which is a 501(C) non-profit organization.

For the non-runner…become a volunteer. Volunteers will aid in making this event a success.

For more information contact the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum at (704) 934-2320 or www.NorthCarolinaMusicHallofFame.org.

After high school, Michael joined the Singing Americans then, in 1982 joined the Goodmans then the Gospel Couriers before he rejoined The Singing Americans and [...]]]> Michael English is one of the premier solo singers in Southern Gospel and Contemporary Christian music. Born April 12, 1953 in Kenansville, North Carolina into a family gospel group, he was raised in North East, near Wallace, North Carolina. The family group, known as The Singing Samaritans, was led by his parents, Aubine and Grace English.

After high school, Michael joined the Singing Americans then, in 1982 joined the Goodmans then the Gospel Couriers before he rejoined The Singing Americans and recorded his signature song, “I Bowed On My Knees (And Cried Holy).”

In 1985 he joined The Gaither Vocal Band as lead singer while former lead singer Gary McSpadden moved to baritone. Bill Gaither encouraged him to pursue a solo career, which led to English singing with Warner Alliance in 1991. With his debut album, Michael English won Gospel Music Association Dove Awards for Male Vocalist and New Artist.

In 1994 English left the Gaither Vocal Band to concentrate on his solo career and at the Gospel Music Association Awards Show received four Doves, including Artist of the Year.

That same year he signed with Curb Records and pursued a career in mainstream pop. His duet with Wynonna Judd, “Healing” and “You Love Amazes Me,” his single from his 1996 album Freedom, showed him to be a premier pop as well as gospel vocalist.

Michael English kept his hand in gospel music, co-producing The Martins, who won Dove Awards for Southern Gospel Album of the Year in 1996 and 1997. He also produced albums on The Stamps Quartet, The Gaither Vocal Band and served as a background singer on several Christian albums.

In 1996 he reunited with Ed Hill, Rick Strickland, Dwayne Burke and Milton Smith and The Singing Americans sang at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion. He was invited by J.D. Sumner to perform with the Stamps on the Grand Ole Opry and the National Quartet Convention.

Michael English released the album Gospel on Curb Records, produced by Rascal Flatts member Jay Demarcus with Flatt’s lead singer Gary Le Vox singing background vocals.

Michael English appeared on the Gaither Homecoming show and his Curb album Heaven to Earth premiered on the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s “Praise the Lord” show. In 2009 English rejoined the Gaither Vocal Band, making it a quintet as he sang lead.

Michael English’s autobiography, The Prodigal Returns Home, was published in April, 2007.

Maceo also played with another pioneer of funk, rap [...]]]> Maceo Parker was the saxophonist in the groups that laid down the foundation of funk, rap and hip hop. He attended college in North Carolina but graduated from the University of James Brown. When he was on James Brown’s funky soul funk train James could be heard saying “Maceo, I want you to Blow!” when it came time for a solo. This band was the early pioneer of modern funk and hip-hop.

Maceo also played with another pioneer of funk, rap and hip hop: George Clinton and Parliament-Funcadelic as well as Bootsy Collins and Prince.

Maceo Parker was born in Kinston, North Carolina on February 14, 1943. In 1964 Maceo was studying music in college when James Brown stopped at a club where Maceo’s brother, Melvin was drumming. Brown offered Melvin a job and, a year later, Melvin took that job—after telling Brown that his brother Maceo played sax and needed a job. James asked Maceo if he owned a baritone sax; Maceo replied “yes” and then went out and bought one.

Maceo Parker was the musical lynch-pin of James Brown and his group for 20 years. He played on 13 James Brown albums, including Out of Sight (1964), Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud (1969), Sex Machine (1970), Gravity (1986), James Brown’s Funky People, Pt 2 (1988), Messing With the Blues (1991), Soul Pride: The Instruments (1960-1969) and Foundations of Funk: A Brand New Bag (1996). He then joined The Mothership, George Clinton’s Parliament group, and played on their albums The Clones of Dr. Funkenstine (1976), Mothership Connection (1976), Live: P-Funk Earth Tour (1977), Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977) and Major Booty Affair 1978).

For his work with those two groups, Maceo became the most sampled musician of rap and hip-hop artists.

Maceo played on Prince’s albums Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999), One Nite Alone…Live! (2002), Musicology (2004), 3121 (2006), Planet Earth (2007), and Indigo Nights (2008). In 2007 Maceo performed with Prince during the artist’s 21 nights at the O2 Arena in London.

A talented saxophonist who plays tenor, alto and baritone sax, Maceo Parker has performed on albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yvonne Jackson, Keith Richards, Living Colour, P-Funk All Stars, 10,000 Maniacs, Color Me Badd, Bryan Ferry, De La Soul, Ani DiFranco, and Dave Matthews Band in addition to James Brown, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton and Parliament.

Maceo Parker has been honored by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation with a Pioneer Award as a sideman and as part of the history of R&B. Since the 1990s, Maceo Parker has performed primarily with his own group, playing, in his words, “2% jazz, 98% funky stuff.”

Born March 31, 1934, John D. Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army and he was strongly influenced by church singing. His cousins were The Louvin Brothers, Ira and Charlie Loudermilk who changed their name to Louvin. He began his songwriting career as a teenager when he wrote a [...]]]> John D. Loudermilk, born in Durham, North Carolina, is one of the great songwriters in American music, writing hits in both the pop and country fields.

Born March 31, 1934, John D. Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army and he was strongly influenced by church singing. His cousins were The Louvin Brothers, Ira and Charlie Loudermilk who changed their name to Louvin. He began his songwriting career as a teenager when he wrote a poem, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” that he set to music. He worked as a handyman at a local TV station and the owners let him sing the song on the air, which led to George Hamilton IV recording it.

Loudermilk graduated from Campbell College in Buies Creek, North Carolina and recorded for Colonial Records under the name Johnny Dee but when Eddie Cochran had his first hit record with “Sittin’ in the Balcony,” a song written by Loudermilk, his career path was set.

Hit songs he wrote include “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” by George Hamilton IV (1956); “Waterloo” by Stonewall Jackson (1959); “Ebony Eyes” by the Everly Brothers (1961); “Top Forty, News, Weather and Sports” by Mark Dinning (1961); ”Sad Movies (Make Me Cry),” “Norman” and “Paper Tiger” by Sue Thompson (1961 and 1962); “Talk Back Trembling Lips by Johnny Tilloston and Ernie Ashworth (1963); “Tobacco Road” by the Nashville Teens (1964) (there were also hit version of this song by Lou Rawls, David Lee Roth and Edgar Winter); “Thou Shalt Not Steal” by Dick and Dee Dee (1964) (Loudermilk and The Newbeats also had chart hits with this); “This Little Bird” by Marianne Faithful (1965); “Then You Can Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” by The Casinos (1967)(this song was also a hit by Eddy Arnold, Glen Campbell, Toby Beau and Neal McCoy); and “Indian Reservation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders (1971) (a portion of that song was on Tim McGraw’s hit “Indian Outlaw” on Curb Records).

“Break My Mind” became a standard with recordings by Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, Roy Orbison, Gram Parsons and the Box Tops as well as a chart records by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Bobby Wood. Loudermilk wrote “Bad News,” a popular song for Johnny Cash and composed the instrumental “Windy and Warm” which became a Chet Atkins staple.

John D. Loudermilk wrote several instrumentals for Chet Atkins and during the period 1961-1970 and recorded seven albums for RCA, all produced by Chet Atkins. In 1971 recorded an album for Warner Brothers.

John D. Loudermilk is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

After high school, Craddock and his brother formed a band, The Four Rebels, and their first single, for a local record label in Greensboro, was “Smacky-Mouth.” His next single, on Colonial Records, was “Birddoggin’,” then he released “Ah, Poor Little Baby” on Date Records.

The young, handsome Craddock was signed by Columbia Records [...]]]> Billy “Crash” Craddock was born June 16, 1939 in Greensboro, North Carolina and earned the nickname “Crash” while he was a running back on his high school football team.

After high school, Craddock and his brother formed a band, The Four Rebels, and their first single, for a local record label in Greensboro, was “Smacky-Mouth.” His next single, on Colonial Records, was “Birddoggin’,” then he released “Ah, Poor Little Baby” on Date Records.

The young, handsome Craddock was signed by Columbia Records to compete with Elvis. During 1959 he had a number one record in Australia and was greeted by screaming crowds there when he toured that continent with Bobby Rydell, The Everly Brothers, Santo and Johnny and the Diamonds.

Craddock released records on King, Mercury and Chart, then dropped out of the music business for several years. In 1969 he signed with Cartwheel Records and had top ten country chart hits with “Knock Three Times,” “Dream Lover” and “You Better Move On” in 1971, “Ain’t Nothin Shakin’ (But the Leaves on the Trees),” and “I’m Gonna Knock On your Door” in 1972. He signed with ABC Records (which became ABC/Dot) and had number one singles with “Rub It In” and “Ruby Baby” in 1974 and “Broken Down in Tiny Pieces” in 1976. He had top ten chart records with “Till The Water Stops Runnin’” in 1973, “Still Thinkin’ ‘Bout You,” “I Love the Blues and the Boogie Woogie” and “Easy As Pie” in 1975; “Walk Softly,” and “You Rubbed It in All Wrong.”

In 1978 he signed with Capitol and had top ten chart records on “I Cheated On a Good Woman’s Love” in 1977 and “If I Could Write a Song as Beautiful As You” in 1979.

During his career, which has spanned over 50 years, Billy “Crash” Craddock has been a dynamic performer with 41 singles on the country charts and four on the pop charts.

Anthony Dean Griffey has performed leading roles at great international opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glyndebourne, the [...]]]> Opera tenor Anthony Dean Griffey was born in High Point, North Carolina and holds degrees from Wingate University, the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School and was a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists Program. He has won four Grammys and received both critical and popular acclaim for his performances.

Anthony Dean Griffey has performed leading roles at great international opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glyndebourne, the Opera National de Paris, and the Teatro Comunale di Firenze. He has performed as a regular guest of the orchestras in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal and Toronto and abroad in London, Paris, Munich, Tokyo, Glasgow, Amsterdam and Melbourne in addition to performances at popular festivals Tanglewood, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Saito Kinen and the Proms in London.

Mr. Griffey has collaborated with many pre-eminent conductors, including James Levine, Seiji Ozawa, André Previn, Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Andrew Davis, Esa Pekka Salonen, Alan Gilbert, Kurt Masur, Donald Runnicles, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, James Conlon, and Charles Dutoit.

Griffey sang the title role of Peter Grimes with the Houston Grand Opera and as Lennie in Of Mice and Men with Opera Australia. Other symphonic appearances include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Nashville Symphony, Britten’s War Requiem at Carnegie Hall with Seiji Ozawa and the Saito Kinen Orchestra as well as with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony, and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony.

Griffey’s 2008 performance of Peter Grimes with the Metropolitan Opera was broadcast live in HD worldwide to movie theaters, featured on PBS and released on DVD (EMI Classics.) Also on DVD is Mr. Griffey’s Grammy winning Los Angeles Opera production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Euroarts) which also aired on PBS. Griffey’s performance in the 1999 Metropolitan Opera Tristan und Isolde and the world premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire (Image Entertainment) with the San Francisco Opera are also available on DVD.

In 2004, Griffey, accompanied by collaborator and fellow North Carolinian Warren Jones performed his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall, performing a song composed by Andre Preven, who accompanied Griffey and Jones on piano during the performance.

Anthony Dean Griffey is Professor of the Practice at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.