Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 30, 1993 TAG: 9309300262
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Gill, 36, received the entertainer of the year award, ending Garth Brooks' two-year reign, and the best male vocalist award.
His impassioned version of "I Still Believe in You" was voted song and album of the year, and he was among 11 country stars who shared the vocal event of the year award.
He took the honors in stride.
"I've always operated under the theory that I don't feel like I'm an entertainer," he said. "I just feel like I'm a musician, and I sing songs."
Nelson, who shunned his trademark T-shirt, jeans and bandanna for formal attire, received a prolonged standing ovation as he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
"I really thought you had to die to get here," he said. "So I went ahead and dressed up just in case."
Nelson, 60, sold Bibles and vacuum cleaners before his career as a singer and songwriter took off. On Wednesday, he became the 54th person inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Alan Jackson, who was nominated in seven categories, second only to Gill's eight nominations, won for best single and music video for "Chattahoochee" and was one of the 11 who shared the event of the year award.
"Winning for a song about a place where I'm from and that's from my real life was special," said the 34-year-old Georgia native.
Mary-Chapin Carpenter won her second straight award as top female vocalist.
Brooks, who was nominated in four categories this year, claimed only one honor, his share of the vocal event award.
The duo Brooks & Dunn, who have helped inspire the country dance craze with hits such as "Boot Scootin' Boogie," won vocal duo of the year.
Diamond Rio was voted best vocal group for the second straight year, and singer Mark Chesnutt was chosen Horizon Award winner for most promising.
Fiddler Mark O'Connor, whose repertoire ranges from classical to country, won instrumentalist of the year.
Others who shared the vocal event award for "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair," were Chesnutt, Travis Tritt, Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, T. Graham Brown, Patty Loveless and Clint Black.
Nelson, 60, joins such country music legends as Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl and Tennessee Ernie Ford in the Hall of Fame.
Nelson's first success as a songwriter came in the early 1960s with "Crazy" for Patsy Cline and "Hello Walls" for Faron Young. As a singer, his first hit was "Touch Me" in 1962, but it took 20 albums and 13 years before his next hit: "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain."
His most recent album, "Across the Borderline," enlisted the help of such diverse performers as Bob Dylan, Sinead O'Connor, Paul Simon and Bonnie Raitt.
by CNB