MEMPHIS, Tenn. \u2014 The first Black radio station owner in Tennessee, the first woman to start her own record company, and a blues legend were among six people inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame <\/span>Thursday night.<\/p>\n The new class of inductees was honored in a ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts that included special guests John Mellencamp, Martina McBride, and Eric Gales.<\/p>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony . WREG photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Inducteees<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Art Gilliam inducted in Memphis Music Hall of Fame<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n 2025 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n The 2025\u00a0Memphis\u00a0Music\u00a0Hall\u00a0of\u00a0Fame\u00a0Inductees included Art Gilliam, president & CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Memphis\u2019 WLOK Radio for over 45 years who became the first Black radio owner in Tennessee and the entire Southeast, Cordell Jackson, the \u201cRock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Granny\u201d who became the country\u2019s first female recording engineer and founder of Moon Records, Robert Johnson, who according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame became one\u00a0of\u00a0if not \u201cthe\u201d greatest blues\u00a0musician\u00a0of\u00a0all time despite only recording 29 songs.<\/p>\n Other inductees included Denise LaSalle, the late blues singer, songwriter and producer known as \u201cThe Queen\u00a0of\u00a0the Blues,\u201d Wendy Moten, whose first single hit the Top 10, recorded and toured wth other hit makers and finished first runner-up on\u00a0The Voice, and Johnnie Taylor, \u201cThe Philosopher\u00a0of\u00a0Soul\u201d who began his career in gospel with Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrer before creating million-seller hits at Stax Records.<\/p>\n Martina McBride was there to honor inductee Wendy Moten, and Mellencamp and Gales honored inductee Robert Johnson. Mellencamp was also presented with the Memphis Music Hall of Fame \u201cLegacy Award.\u201d<\/p>\n Cordell Jackson\u2019s son accepted his late mother\u2019s award.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Memphis\u00a0Rock \u2018n\u2019 Soul Museum launched the\u00a0Memphis\u00a0Music\u00a0Hall\u00a0of\u00a0Fame\u00a0in 2012 to pay proper tribute to the hundreds\u00a0of\u00a0legendary\u00a0musicians who helped place\u00a0Memphis, Tennessee, on the world map and, in doing so, created the\u00a0music\u00a0that changed the planet.<\/p>\n In 2015, the Memphis Rock \u2018n\u2019 Soul Museum also opened the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Museum.<\/p>\n\n
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