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Macon radio's "King Bee", Hamp
Swain, was inducted Saturday into the Georgia Music Hall of
Fame.
Also, continuing a tradition of recognizing
Southern rock with this year's induction of Widespread Panic, the
Georgia Music Hall of Fame changed its tune Saturday by welcoming
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as its first rapper.
Swain, only the seventh DJ to be inducted,
is widely regarded for helping break the careers of the
"Godfather of Soul" James Brown and the legendary Otis
Redding by being the first to play their records on air.
After Widespread Panic's two-song
performance at the Georgia World Congress Center had people
dancing in the aisles, Rolling Stones keyboardist and former
inductee Chuck Leavell introduced the band: "Widespread Panic
has proved you can be successful by doing things your own
way."
Singer-guitarist John Bell's long-winded
acceptance speech had the audience howling and screaming with
almost every story he told of the band's early history.
"For us it could have closed up as
innocently as the whole thing began but at that point in time, I
promise you, we were not looking to this day 20 years into the
future," he said.
Ludacris recognized his distinction of being
the first rapper to be inducted with an articulate speech thanking
all who have helped him along the way. But he began noting his
very humble beginnings.
"And just to think 10 years ago I was
trying to put pizzas through the oven at Pizza Hut to make sure I
didn't get fired," said Ludacris. "Now the only way I'll
get fired is if I fire myself, so that's a beautiful thing right
now for sure."
R&B singer-songwriter Keith Sweat
jump-started the show with an inspired performance before his
induction that followed the posthumous award to the "Queen of
Gospel" Dottie Rambo.
Swain and Fred and Dinah Gretsch, makers of
world-famous Gretsch guitars and drums, were the only two inducted
in the "Nonperformer" catagory.
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