Garth Brooks just honored Steve Wariner with one of the biggest achievements of his career. It was Brooks who inducted Steve Wariner into the Musicians Hall of Fame, in a ceremony held in Nashville at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
“Not only is he talented, but he’s a fantastic artist,” Brooks said from stage. “We’re all lucky that he chose music. This is truly one of the most talented people and at the same time, one of the greatest human beings to be around.”
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Wariner performed his classic hit, “Holes in the Floor of Heaven,” as well as two instrumental songs, “Nashville Gent,” and “Four Bus Breakdown,” showing off his unmatched guitar skills.
“What an incredible night!” Wariner said of the honor. “Going into the Musicians Hall of Fame brings me full circle. I came to Nashville in ’73. So many people to thank! I’m still reeling! I can’t even describe what this means being inducted. I’m so proud my family was there to share this moment,”
Wariner had five No. 1 singles, and dozens of awards, including four Grammys, throughout his illustrious career, even though he acknowledges times were much different when he was all over the radio.
“It’s a totally different world. It seems like artists nowadays come right out and they’re touring with two huge buses and a huge band,” Wariner told Billboard. “They’re already polished with media training. I think back to when I first started, it was a simpler time. In my particular case, there was no such thing as any media training. It was what it was.
“In more cases that not, it was just an old country boy or girl that came out of the woods somewhere to Nashville and started making records,” he continued. “In my case, I was pulling a trailer behind a van, and we’d drive up to Maryland or Pennsylvania doing shows. We were only dreaming of getting in buses back then. Nowadays, it’s big business right from the start.”
Wariner was one of several musicians inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame, including Alabama. Wariner’s last album, All Over the Map, was released in 2016.
Brooks is nominated for two CMA Awards. The Oklahoma native is nominated for Musical Event of the Year, for his collaboration with Blake Shelton on “Dive Bar,” as well as the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. The 2019 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: Derrek Kupish / dkupish productions
