Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
5pm – Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Official Announcement of the New Permanent SGHOF Home (Main Stage)
Join Steel Guitar Hall of Fame President Michael Scott for an announcement and short presentation about the new SGHOF home. The SGHOF was established in 1978, and its plaques were eventually housed in the Millenium Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. When the hotel closed in 2013, the plaques were safely packed away and placed in storage, awaiting a new permanent home.
Following the presentation, the inductions of the three newest members of the Hall of Fame will take place. Junior Brown, Lucky Oceans and the late David “Feet” Rogers will join the ranks of more than 80 steel musicians who are members of the SGHOF.
Video tributes of each inductee will be followed by the presentation of an honorary plaque engraved with each musician’s likeness along with a history of their significant accomplishments.
A musical tribute to “Feet” Rogers will be performed by Bobby Ingano, one of Feet’s students, on Feet’s original Bakelite Rickenbacker. Bobby will be accompanied by musician Alan Akaka.
Inductees
Junior Brown
Born Jamieson Brown, June 12, 1952, Cottonwood, AZ
With wide-ranging musical influences from Country and Bluegrass to Blues, Swing, Hawaiian and Rock, musician, singer and songwriter Junior Brown has created a musical style that is unique and not easily replicable. He has performed with countless artists including Bo Diddley, the Beach Boys and Ray Price, and has released over 12 albums.
In the early 1980s, Junior designed the innovative “Guit-Steel,” a combination electric guitar and steel guitar, giving him the ability to seamlessly switch between the two, while singing, and establish himself as a front man introducing the steel guitar to generations of fans.
Lucky Oceans
Born Reuben Gosfield, April 22, 1951, Philadelphia, PA
As co-founder of Asleep at the Wheel, Lucky won two Grammys and inspired a generation of players to learn the steel guitar. His energized playing and stage antics helped lead the band’s Western Swing Revival. Incorporating jazz, blues and fearless improvisation into his playing, he blended the traditional with the contemporary in an unprecedented way.
Relocating to Australia, Lucky became an international steel guitar advocate, bringing the instrument into new genres. He continued broadening steel guitar’s cultural reach through performance, education, and radio broadcasting. His influence has expanded what the pedal steel guitar can be musically, culturally and artistically.
David Christopher Kekino “Feet” Rogers
Born February 14, 1935 to October 14, 1983, Kalihi, HI
Hawaiian steel guitarist David Christopher Kekino “Feet” Rogers was a member of the respected Rogers family of steel guitarists whose gentle, melodic phrasing directly influenced modern successors to carry forward the Rogers’ style, philosophy, and repertoire.
Feet was an original member of the band The Sons of Hawaii who spearheaded a revival of grassroots Hawaiian music. He was known for his unique style and significant contributions to traditional Hawaiian music and left behind a legacy of recordings. His playing inspired a new generation of steel guitarists, and his influence extended far beyond Hawaii’s shores.