Jerry Douglas took the stage and stood proudly while being inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame during the 35th annual International Bluegrass Music Association awards show Thursday night in Raleigh.
“You don’t get here alone,” the 68-year-old Dobro legend told the audience at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. “I’ve covered a lot of ground in the last 51 years, and I look forward to whatever comes next.”
Douglas’ heartfelt sentiments not only touched upon his illustrious career, they also symbolized the current state of the IBMA and the greater scene itself when it comes to the “high, lonesome sound” — one foot firmly rooted in history and tradition, the other in a continual evolution of sound and scope.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway took home Album of the Year for City of Gold , marking the second year in a row the 31-year-old has received the honor. But the top prize, Entertainer of the Year, went to the Del McCoury Band. McCoury, the elder statesman of bluegrass music, now 85, represents the gold standard of the genre.