North Carolina Music Hall of Fame announces 2025 inductees: See who made the list

Yahoo

05-05-2025

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame unveiled its inductees for the 2025 class on Monday – a list of musical legends that have left an everlasting impact across the state.
This latest group of honorees comprises six artists who will be formally enshrined in the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center on Oct. 16.
The induction ceremony is open to the public and will include appearances and live performances by inductees. Tickets are now on sale for $50 and can be bought online.
The six-person class and their achievements are as follows:
The Huntersville native is an 11-time Country Music Association, four-time Academy of Country Music and six-time Billboard Music Award-winner. Recently inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame, he became the first country artist to have two songs reach one billion streams on Spotify and earned his 19th number one single at country radio with his Grammy-nominated song, 'Ain't No Love in Oklahoma.'
Combs joined forces with Eric Church, Billy Strings and James Taylor to headline 'Concert for Carolina,' a special benefit show at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium that raised over $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
The two-time Emmy winner served as executive producer for many of Country Music's biggest nights, including 'CMA Awards' since 2007, 'CMA Fest' since 2004, 'CMA Country Christmas' since 2010, and 'New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash' since 2021. Raised in Fayetteville and lives part-time in Cashiers, Deaton is described as a passionate North Carolina Tar Heels fan.
A highly versatile musician best known as the founder of the Super Grit Cowboy Band and mentor to many musicians, Mattocks has mastered 'every type of string instrument' across 70 years and has produced numerous recording projects. Known as a talented steel pedal player, the Kinston native has played with several significant names in the music industry, such as Johnny Paycheck, Mel Street, Roy Drusky, Highway 58, Jimmy Capps, The Wilburn Brothers, Skeeter Davis, The Country Gentlemen, Carolina Yellowhammers, The Malpass Brothers, and many other Grand Ole Opry acts.
A singer-songwriter, poet and painter known for his gritty voice and vivid storytelling, he's released over a dozen albums over the course of his career, blending folk, rockabilly and country into his unique style. Childers, who originally resided in Mount Holly, collaborated with members of The Avett Brothers and performed on MerleFest's main stage.
The Charlotte native is regarded as one of the first Black women to ever become a radio disc jockey in the southern U.S. After gaining radio experience beginning at just 14 years old, Leeper established her own radio show only three years later, before producing music and writing liner notes for the likes of Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. She's also managed several music groups and began her own record label, which led to attaining Cashbox and Billboard #1 records. She was inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.
A defining figure of the Chapel Hill music scene, Romweber sparked a resurgence of rockabilly and the 'power duo' revival with his band Flat Duo Jets. The underground roots-rocker, known for his electric live performances and rockabilly styling, influenced generations of indie and roots musicians, including The White Stripes and The Black Keys. Jack White has publicly cited him as a major inspiration.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.