Nashville, Tenn. November 2, 2007-Music City, Inc. today announced the third class of inductees to the Music City Walk of Fame presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar: Rodney Crowell, Bob DiPiero, Vince Gill, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Killen, Barbara Mandrell and Trisha Yearwood. The seven honorees will be recognized officially with the unveiling of commemorativesidewalk markers on Monday, Nov. 5, beginning at 3 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. The induction ceremony, which is sponsored by Great American Country (GAC), is free and open to the public.

The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB), and is produced with the support of presenting sponsor Gibson Guitar and sponsors GAC, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks.

"This class of inductees showcases the immense talent, creativity and diverse musical styles that make Nashville, Music City," said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Each honoree has left an indelible mark on our city's musical heritage and music worldwide. It is a privilege to pay tribute to their great success."

Created in the fall of 2006, the Music City Walk of Fame, on Nashville's Music Mile, will be a landmark tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration.

Permanent sidewalk medallions made of stainless steel and terrazzo, with each honoree's name displayed in a star-and-guitar design, will be installed in the sidewalk along the Music Mile, the roughly one-mile stretch of Demonbreun Street from 4th Avenue South to the Music Row Roundabout at 16th Avenue South. The plaques for this class of inductees will be inlaid in Hall of Fame Park on Demonbreun, between 4th and 5th Avenues South.

Nominations were open to the public and accepted in the categories of Artist, Musician, Songwriter, and Producer/Music Industry Executive. Application forms were reviewed by the Music City Walk of Fame selection committee.

"This outstanding third panel of inductees showcases enormous talent which has its roots in our great city, Nashville," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "We are honored to sponsor the Music City Walk of Fame and look forward to celebrating Nashville's rich musical heritage for many years to come."

The November 5th inductees for the Music City Walk of Fame:

Rodney Crowell
Although many of his songs became hits for other singers, Rodney Crowell was the first to record nearly all of them. His highly influential records have spawned dozens of classic country songs.

The Houston, Texas native became a musician in his father's band at the young age of eleven. He made the move to Nashville in August of 1972 with his college roommate and in 1977, Crowell formed his own group, The Cherry Bombs which included music greats Vince Gill and Tony Brown. In 1978 he released his first album.

A Grammy Award winner, ASCAP Lifetime Achievement award recipient and member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, Rodney Crowell has left an indelible mark on Nashville's music scene. He began his professional career as a musician playing guitar for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band." As a songwriter he has penned hits for Tim McGraw, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yokam, Keith Urban, Patty Loveless, Crystal Gayle, Lee Ann Womak, Waylon Jennings, Bob Seger and the Oak Ridge Boys, just to name a few. As a producer, Crowell produced the first five studio albums for Rosanne Cash and has produced other artists such as Guy Clark, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Chely Wright and others. As an artist he has recorded 11 solo records and garnered eight Top 10 singles, five of which were No. 1 songs all from his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt.

Bob DiPiero
For the past 20 years Bob DiPiero has helped define the best that is Music Row. He has been a musical ambassador and bridge-builder having written with legendary performers of all genres including Neil Diamond, Carole King, Johnny Van Zant and Delbert McClinton, among many others.

DiPiero's list of songs cuts a varied and impressive swath through modern country and speaks volumes about his versatility. Although his first cut, Reba McEntire's "I Can See Forever In Your Eyes," climbed into the country top 20, The Oak Ridge Boys' "American Made" put his name on the music map. Not only did the song win numerous awards, but it was also used in major ad campaigns for Miller beer and the Baby Ruth candy bar. Through the years he has crafted 14 No. 1 hits recorded by country giants including Vince Gill, Faith Hill, George Strait, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn, Travis Tritt, Martina McBride and others

He has received three dozen BMI Country and Million-.Air honors; CMA's Triple Play Award in 1995 and 1996. "Song of the Year" for "Worlds Apart" at the Country Radio Music awards in 1997 and Songwriter of the Year awards in 1998 at the Nashville music Awards and in 2000 from Sony/ATV Nashville. He is also a recent inductee to the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Vince Gill
Born in Norman, Okla., Vince Gill enjoyed acclaim in the bluegrass and pop worlds before actively pursuing a career in mainstream country during the 1980s.

In 1975 Gill joined the Bluegrass Alliance and moved to Kentucky. His brief stint there also allowed him to play in Ricky Skaggs' bluegrass band, Boone Creek. In 1976, Gill moved to Los Angeles where he eventually became the lead singer in the country-rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979. After a few years he returned to sideman work in the Cherry Bombs, backing Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash. During their tenure in the Cherry Bombs, Gill and keyboardist Tony Brown began a friendship that led to Gill being signed to both the RCA and MCA labels.

A move to Nashville in 1984 coincided with Gill's recording contract after Brown, an RCA executive, signed him to the label. Gill's output at RCA resulted in three Top 10 singles. However, Gill's early singles didn't to propel him to immediate stardom.

After leaving the RCA roster, Gill moved to MCA, where Brown was then a producer and label executive. His 1989 debut album for MCA, When I Call Your Name, sold 1 million copies and his breakthrough at radio came with the title track. It went on to win single of the year honors at the CMA Awards.

Gill's subsequent albums in the 1990s were huge hits providing a string of No. 1 singles including "I Still Believe in You," "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," "The Heart Won't Lie," "One More Last Chance" and "Tryin' to Get Over You."

Gill has sold more than 22 million albums. He has earned 18 CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1993 and 1994. He is tied with George Strait for having won the most CMA Male Vocalist Awards (five), and is currently second only to Brooks and Dunn for accumulating the most CMA Awards in history. Gill is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and has received 18 Grammy Awards to date, the most of any male Country artist. Besides being known for his talent as a performer, musician and songwriter, Gill is regarded as one of country music's best known humanitarians, participating in hundreds of charitable events throughout his career.

Last month The Country Music Association announced that Gill will become one the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame.

Jimi Hendrix
Perhaps no other rock-and-roll artist has been as original or as influential in such a short span of time as Jimi Hendrix, and Nashville was where he spent important formative years.

Hendrix moved to Nashville in 1962 after completing military service at nearby Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It was in Music City that he honed his stage craft and began performing professionally on a regular basis. Hendrix and army friend Billy Cox formed the band The King Kasuals which served as the house band at the Club Del Morocco on Nashville's Jefferson Street. During his time in the city he was mentored by local R&B guitarists such as Johnny Jones and George Yates and also made his first-ever television appearance in 1965 on Night Train, produced at WLAC-TV in Nashville.

In addition to clubs on Jefferson Street, Hendrix and Cox were also regular players in Printers Alley, located in the heart of downtown Nashville. For three years, he made a living on the Chitlin Circuit, performing in black-oriented venues throughout the South with both the King Kasuals and in backing bands for various soul, R&B and blues musicians.

Hendrix left Nashville and headed for New York City and eventually moved onto London. After initial success in England he achieved worldwide fame following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival.

In 1992 Hendrix was induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated in 1994. In 2006, his debut album, Are You Experienced, was inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board's National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone named Hendrix No. 1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time in 2003.

Buddy Killen
One of the music industries most diversified and enduring founders, Buddy Killen has literally left his fingerprints on every facet of the business creatively touching its entire spectrum while making his mark as a musician, song-plugger, songwriter, publisher and record producer.

Killen began his career by playing bass for two comedians which soon led to road show tours with such artists as Hank Williams, Sr., Jim Reeves, Ray Price and Eddy Arnold among others. After Opry manager Jack Stapp took notice of Killen's work ethic he offered him a job pitching songs for a new publishing company called Tree. In the beginning, neither of them knew what a music publishing company was all about, but by the time they had their first international hit, "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis, they had turned the corner to solid gold success. Killen's keen eye for talent brought such songwriters to the Tree family as Bill Anderson, Roger Miller, Harlan Howard, Bobby Braddock, Dolly Parton and countless others.

In 1959 the Tree family of writers were doing so well that one week they owned 7 out of the Top 10 hits on the country chars. In 1964 the company had its first million dollar year. Eleven successful years later Killen was named President. In 1980, when Stapp passed away, Killen purchased sole ownership of Tree and continued to nature its growth as Chief Executive Officer, until 1989 when he sold the company to CBS (now Sony/ATV) and began building what has become the Killen Music Group.

Today, the Killen Music Group (KMG) publishes music recorded by the multi-platinum sensation OutKast, as well as songs recorded by many country artists including Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Loenstar, Patty Loveless, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts, as well as many gospel artists.

Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell is a true star in the very best sense of the word. Born on Christmas Day in 1948, Barbara learned to read music before she could read words. Over the years, she added steel guitar, alto saxophone, bass, banjo, mandolin, and Dobro to her arsenal of instruments. At age 11, her father took her to a music trade show in Chicago where she performed and caught the attention of legendary country guitarist, "Uncle" Joe Maphis and became a regular cast member on the "Town Hall Party" TV show in California. At age 13, her first touring dates were with The Johnny Cash Show, which included Cash, Patsy Cline, George Jones and June Carter. Mandrell signed with CBS Records in 1969, debuting with Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," and unveiling her trademark blue-eyed soul style that was an instant hit with radio stations. In 1972 she fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Her first No. 1 hit, "Midnight Oil," came in 1973.

Barbara's music career, spanning nearly four decades, earned her over 75 major awards, including two consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year awards (1980 & 1981, making her the first artist ever to win two years in a row), CMA Female Vocalist of the Year (1979 and 1981), ACM Top Female Country Music Vocalist (1980 and 1986), NARAS Grammy Award for the Best Inspirational Performance (1983), Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance (1984), Dove Award for Gospel Album of the Year (1983) and nine People's Choice Awards (1983-1987). She is one of only six artists to have received the "Triple Crown" by winning all three of the most coveted awards, Top New Female, Top Female and Entertainer of the Year. Her NBC variety show, "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters" drew nearly 40 million viewers weekly and introduced a nation to country music. Her autobiography, "Get to the Heart: My Story" debuted on The New York Times Best Sellers list and remained there for six months. In the year 2000, the Academy of Country Music honored Barbara with their most prestigious award, The Pioneer Award. Her illustrious career was nothing short of stellar and is still making an impact on country music today.

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