2024 Inductees Announced
2024 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The names of this year’s inductees into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame have been announced by Hall of Fame President, Roger Bleasdale. “Again this year, we are proud to recognize an impressive and talented slate of individuals who are worthy of induction,” he stated. “The Board of Directors proudly welcomes singer Cecil MacDougall, builder and promoter Clayton Lewis, steel guitarist Bob McDonald and singer John Snyder into the hall. We thank each of them for their contributions to the preservation of country music.”
Cecil MacDougall of Dartmouth will be inducted in the Professional Singer category. Born in Halifax, he began his career at age 16 with a group called Short of Cash. For many years after that he toured Nova Scotia with various country groups. In 1981 he toured in Western Canada before joining a group called the Legends of Country Music based in Vancouver. In 1994 he went to Europe as a cruise ship lounge singer. In 1995 he stopped touring and came back home to Nova Scotia to develop, produce and promote local talent.
John Snyder of Enfield, Hants County will be inducted as a Semi-professional vocalist. Over many decades, John has developed a solid reputation as a performer and entertainer. In 1992 he won the Nova Scotia Bud Country Talent Search, advancing to the Nationals as Nova Scotia’s representative. For 21 years, with his band Fandango, John toured the Nova Scotia bar and cabaret circuit. Since 2010, he has performed at dozens of festivals and country shows throughout the province. John has recorded three CDs of classic country music and is working on a fourth.
Steel guitarist Bob McDonald will be inducted in the Instrumentalist category. Born in Halifax, Bob began playing steel guitar in 1971 under the talented tutelage of his late father and Hall of Famer Len McDonald. He has played with some of the best know names in country music including George Jones, George Hamilton IV, the Kendalls, Ronnie Prophet and many others. He has made numerous TV appearances on shows such as Maritime Country, Country East, and Gazette. He was inducted into the steel guitar players Hall of Fame in 2020 and is an integral part of the house bands for theNine Mile River Jamboree, the Fox Mountain Country Festival, and the monthly Acadia Hall show.
Clayton Lewis of Weymouth, Digby County is being inducted in the Builder/Promoter category. He is a multi-talented individual who plays several instruments, writes music and is a music producer and promoter. He started playing piano at age seven and by age 14 he was also proficient on mandolin. He has played in several groups and with David Coggins is co-founder of the popular band Bonded Stock. Clayton started a mail order business Claymar Record Sales with his wife Mary in 1979, selling strictly country and bluegrass recordings. He has been instrumental in organizing and supporting many benefit shows for worthy causes and providing young performers the opportunity to gain on-stage experience “It is people like these that keep classic country music alive and thriving in Nova Scotia,” President Bleasdale said. “They are all great ambassadors for the country music tradition and we applaud and congratulate them on behalf of audiences across the province.”
The inductions will take place at the Best Western Hotel in Truro on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Tickets for the dinner and concert are $60.00 per person. Doors will open at 4:00 pm, dinner at 5:00 pm. To reserve tickets contact Carol Penney at (902) 521-3690 e-transfer address: nscmhf2023@gmail.com
Media Inquiries: President Roger Bleasdale at (902) 275-4142 or (902) 499-1918