Diverse class of honorees announced for 2016 induction
Stax Records star William Bell, garage rock legend Domingo “Sam the Sham” Samudio, iconic R&B house band the Hi Rhythm Section, and jazz saxophone great Charles Lloyd are among the latest inductees to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Opera star Marguerite Piazza and Delta-born bluesman John Lee Hooker round out the 2016 class, which was announced during an event Thursday afternoon at Overton Square’s Lafayette’s Music Room.
The 2016 inductees will be enshrined officially during ceremonies to be held Nov. 3 at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets will go on sale Oct. 1 through Ticketmaster.
The six-member class will join 54 previous inductees — including B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding and Justin Timberlake — bringing the total number of members to 60 for the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum-affiliated Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
“This year’s class shows, once again, the diversity of Memphis music,” said Hall of Fame executive director John Doyle. “It’s jazz, rock, blues, soul and even opera. It just shows what a rich pool of talent Memphis has to draw from. Not only this year, but for many years to come.”
Renowned soprano Piazza — who died in 2012 in her adopted hometown of Memphis — and Hooker, who was born in Tutwiler, Mississippi, launched his career in Memphis and died in 2001 — will be honored posthumously. The balance of the class recognizes a number of pivotal figures in Memphis music who continue to record and perform.
William Bell remains one of Stax Records’ most enduring figures. The Memphis native was the first major male soul singer at Stax, and his self-penned 1961 single “You Don’t Miss Your Water” was one of the company’s first big hits. His 1967 debut album, “The Soul of a Bell,” is