Parton, Daniels, Tubb, Kid Rock to join Music City Walk of Fame

The honorees will be recognized officially with the unveiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, Nov. 8, in the Hall of Fame Park in downtown Nashville.

The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB), and is produced with the support of presenting sponsor Gibson Guitar and sponsors GAC, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks. Additional sponsors include Makers Mark and Hard Rock Cafe.

Created in the fall of 2006, the Music City Walk of Fame is a tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration. With the induction of this new class of honorees, there will be 42 stars along the Walk of Fame. Permanent sidewalk medallions made of stainless steel and terrazzo, with each honoree's name displayed in a star-and-guitar design, will be installed in the sidewalk along the Music Mile. The plaques for this class of inductees will be inlaid in Hall of Fame Park on Demonbreun, between 4thth Avenues South.

Hattie Louise "Tootsie" Bess was a well-known member of Nashville's music scene. She purchased Mom's bar in 1960. The bar backed up to the Ryman Auditorium. Tootsie credits a painter with helping to re-name the bar when he painted her place orchid...thus the name Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Performers like Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, Patsy Cline and Waylon Jennings played there. Willie Nelson got his first songwriting job after singing at Tootsie's.

Bess hired down on their luck writers and pickers so they could support their families, feeding them while they worked. A singer/comedienne herself, Tootsie performed with Big Jeff & The Radio Playboys led by her husband Jeff Bess. She recorded My Little Red Wagon and Tootsie's Wall of Fame.

Tubb was a honky tonk singer who died in 1984. Tubb became the sixth member to be inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1965, and in 1970, he was one of the first artists inducted to the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame.

Daniels is still going strong with the Charlie Daniels Band, having just released a Christmas album. Parton, who has enjoyed a long singing and acting career, is releasing a live CD/DVD next week. Kid Rock has enjoyed several country hits including Picture and All Summer Long.