Luke Bryan, Jeff Tweedy & More Rock West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Ceremony

04-15-2025

(MPG) On April 12, the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame (WVMHoF) held its sold-out 10th annual ceremony in Charleston, WV, inducting its 2025 honorees Jeff Stevens, Daniel Johnston, Cam Mullins, and The Valentinos (a.k.a. The Womack Brothers).

Hosted by Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson and West Virginia's own Juliana Soltis, the evening featured show-stopping performances from Stevens, Benson, Luke Bryan, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Kathy Mattea and more. Additional special guests and performers can be found below.

An edited version of this year's Hall of Fame ceremony will air on West Virginia Public Broadcasting on May 3 at 7 p.m. ET and will be made available to stream on YouTube and PBS Passport the same day.

Highlights from the evening included Luke Bryan taking the stage to perform with Jeff Stevens. Alum Creek, WV native Stevens has penned No. 1 hits for artists including Bryan, George Strait, Tracy Byrd and Tim McGraw. Stevens' award was presented by Dale Bobo, catalog strategist for the Nashville office of Sony Music Publishing.

"Such a special night for me to come celebrate with my longtime producer and songwriting buddy Jeff Stevens," says Bryan. "From the moment we met, it just clicked and I never looked back, only forward. He has helped teach me how to do this business the right way by working hard and treating people good along the way. Congratulations on being inducted to the WV Music Hall of Fame."

Wilco co-founder Jeff Tweedy presented Daniel Johnston's posthumous award to the honoree's brother and sister, Margie and Dick Johnston. Johnston's songs are, by turns, sweet and innocent yet emotionally deep and have found a dedicated fanbase all over the world. Tweedy - who performed and recorded with Daniel - and his band performed three of his favorite Johnston songs.

Ray Benson, who founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, WV in 1970, received the WVMHoF's Spirit Award. He took the stage to perform with Kathy Mattea.

Elsewhere, Lionel Cartwright sang a pair of songs that inductee Cam Mullins famously orchestrated, with Juliana Soltis on cello and string players from The West Virginia Youth Symphony. Mullins' posthumous award was presented via video by Charlie McCoy, a 2008 WVMHoF inductee and musical virtuoso who has played on more than 15,000 records by a slew of country and rock artists. Cam's daughter Karen and son Cam Mullins II accepted.

Friendly Womack Jr., the last surviving brother of The Valentinos, was joined by his nieces The Womack Sisters and 2015 WVMHoF inductee John Ellison to perform three Valentinos songs. Friendly accepted The Valentinos' award on behalf of the group, presented by The Womack Sisters and Ellison. With deep roots in southern West Virginia, the five Womack Brothers, later known as The Valentinos, have influenced and informed the evolution of Black music in America. Collectively and individually, the five brothers have influenced generations of music on both sides of the Atlantic - from gospel, soul, R&B and funk to the highest echelons of rock 'n' roll.

Randall Reid-Smith, recently retired Cabinet Secretary for The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, received the inaugural WVMHoF's Crescendo Award for Lifetime Achievement. 2023 WVMHoF inductee, renowned classical pianist Barbara Nissman, presented the award and performed.

This year's Hall of Fame ceremony also included filmed congratulations from Dolly Parton, Patti Smith, George Strait, Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Connie Smith, Peter Wolf (J. Geils), Matt Groening and more. Additional special guests and performers included Tim O'Brien, Ann Magnuson, Larry Groce, Bob Thompson, Michael Cerveris and Greg Blake.