Tina Turner to Enter Memphis Music Hall of Fame

It's the eighth year that the Memphis Music Hall of Fame honors the city's world-changing musical legends and, in doing so, The Hall announced eight new Inductees. The 2019 class, which will bring the current Memphis Music Hall of Fame roster to 84 members, was unveiled today at a press conference held at the iconic Lafayette's Music Room in Overton Square. A full house cheered as each member of the 2019 class was revealed, which included icons of rock, blues, soul, opera and jazz. This year, seven of the eight Inductees announced are living or include living musicians, with many still recording and/or performing.

The 2019 Inductees into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame include the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," Tina Turner. Turner currently lives in Switzerland and her new Broadway production, "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" will open in New York City the night before the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Other Inductees include Steve Cropper, Stax writer and performer who is considered by many to be the greatest soul guitarist in history, Charlie Musselwhite, the blues harmonica wizard with 20 albums, 7 Grammys and 33 Blues Music Awards, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, whose four decade jazz and Broadway career includes both Grammy and Tony Awards. Also inducted will be The Memphis Boys, the legendary session band of American Sound Studios who helped American produce and release more hit records than any other Memphis studio, joined by Inductee Dan Penn, the songwriter and producer who also elevated American with hits written for everyone from Janis Joplin, Conway Twitty and Percy Sledge to The Box Tops, Ronnie Milsap, Dionne Warwick and others. Hi Records' ace songwriter and performer Don Bryant, who penned over 150 singles for Hi, will join his wife, Ann Peebles as a Hall of Fame Inductee. "The First Lady of Grand Opera" and "Queen of the Concert Stage," operatic soprano Madame Florence Cole Talbert McCleave, whose career began over 100 years ago completes the list of 2019 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Inductees during Memphis' bicentennial year.

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is administered by the Smithsonian-developed Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum. In 2012 it began paying tribute to many of the greatest musical legends of all time who helped make Memphis, Tennessee the most diverse and most significant world-changing city on the planet. Each year, Inductees are selected through a balloting process among a local and nationally recognized Nominating Committee of prestigious music experts. This year's music-packed, star-studded Induction Ceremony will be held on Friday, November 8, 2019 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets went on sale following the Inductee announcement.