via Americana Music Association
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 24, 2024) — Today, the Americana Music Association announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees for its 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 18. This group of top-honor recipients includes Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Don Was and Dwight Yoakam. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium.
The Blind Boys of Alabama revolutionized Black gospel music in the 1940s and 1950s with an ecstatic performance style, charismatic audience engagement, and a break from the a cappella tradition – a grooving rhythm section. Established in Talladega, Alabama, in 1939, the group adapted to their times while never crossing over into pop. Several generations of singers and leaders inspired and preserved their approach, chiefly Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Sam Butler, and Jimmy Carter. They were signed by Peter Gabriel and produced by Booker T. Jones. They toured with Tom Petty and recorded with Lou Reed. They’ve won five Grammy Awards, performed at the White House three times, and earned numerous other honors.
Don Was has been the longstanding bass player in the Americana Honors and Awards house band, but of course he is so much more. Indeed his career stretches the words eclectic and accomplishedinto new territory. He grew up in Detroit on blues, rock and jazz and established the pop/rock band Was (Not Was) in the 1980s. As a producer, he went supernova with major collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and more. Since 2012 he’s been president of the historic jazz label Blue Note Records. He’s earned five Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year.