Kristofferson Tapped for Country Music Hall of Fame

Kristofferson learned the news Monday morning (Aug. 30) during an appearance on CBS-TV's The Early Show. He was in New York City to assist The Early Show host Hannah Storm announce the nominations in several categories of the 2004 CMA Awards show.

Kristofferson, whose songwriting credits include such classics as "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Me and Bobby McGee" and "For the Good Times," appeared genuinely surprised by his impending Hall of Fame induction.

"What a dirty trick," he joked. Noting that he thought he was there merely to announce the CMA nominees, he added, “I’m feeling a whole let better than I did five minutes ago.”

Excellent, although with the backlog of deserving honorees why are they only inducting one artist (and one exec)?

Tom Russell is scheduled to be on Letterman on September 1st, which is Wednesday however depending on the whims of Channel Nine we could see it anytime from Thursday or Friday to sometimke next year to never. Further complicating matters is the tennis, but the TV guides still has Letterman at Midnight with the US Open starting right after. We shall see.

Back to the HOF, the only inductee is James Foglesong, Adjunct Professor Music Business at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. Some of his colleagues have much more impressive titles, like Adjunct Professor of Jazz Improvisation, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Fiddle and the Professor of Dulcimer, David Schnaufer who has a very impressive resume:

Winner, National Dulcimer Competition, 1976. Winner of local, state, and regional contests. Featured on albums by Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Holly Dunn, Emmylou Harris, the Judds, Kathy Mattea, Mark O'Connor, and Dan Seals. Solo recordings on SFL Tapes and Discs and Boy Howdy labels. Television appearances on PBS special, Hank Williams: A Man and His Music and on the Nashville Network. Workshops throughout the United States. Touring artist with the Everly Brothers, 1978-80. Author of dulcimer instruction books. Member of faculty: Denver Folklore Center, 1978-80; Appalachian State University (North Carolina), 1988-90. Blair School since 1995.

According to this "Texas-born David Schnaufer has almost single-handedly brought the mountain dulcimer back to country music, becoming Nashville's busiest (and only) dulcimer studio musician. "

So, hail the dulcimer.