The Arkansas Country Music Awards are proud to announce Barbara Fairchild, Reggie Young, Albert E. Brumley and Irby Mandrell as the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. They will be honored at the annual awards show on Monday, June 5 at the Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Arkansas Country Music Awards President Nathan Hunnicutt said, “Each of these honorees for 2023, in their own way, have carved out a special part of Arkansas music history. This list solidifies the magnitude and importance of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the special ones that have received it, both past and present.”
Country music journalist and historian Charles Haymes added, “For an Arkansan in the country field, there is no greater honor in the Natural State than the Lifetime Achievement Award. The four individuals being honored in 2023 are a diverse mix of deserving Arkansans from various realms of the industry. From a hit-making female vocalist to one of the all-time great session guitarists to a pioneering songwriter to a keen music manager, this is another wonderful class.”
Fairchild is a native of Knobel (Clay County). She was signed to a major recording contract at the age of 16, and enjoyed a successful run of hits on Columbia Records throughout the 1970s. Her down to earth and humble personality quickly made her a fan favorite. Farichild’s hits include “A Girl Who’ll Satisfy Her Man,” “Kids Stuff,” “Baby Doll,” “Cheatin’ Is,” and “Let Me Love You Once Before You Go.” However, it was her 1973 smash hit, “The Teddy Bear Song,” that made her an international star. The song reached number one on the country charts and crossed over into the pop charts, reaching the top 40. The song’s success led to a Grammy nomination. Fairchild continued to place songs in the country charts through the 1980s and remains popular today on the music scene in Branson, Missouri.
When it comes to the topic of session guitarists, Young has to be near the top. He grew up in Osceola (Mississippi County), and started touring with various country and rockabilly bands. Later, he settled into being one of the staff musicians at the American Sound Studio in Memphis. playing on more than 100 hit singles in country, pop, rock and soul between 1967 and 1971. During that time, Young played on recordings by such artists as Elvis Presley, B.J. Thomas, and Dusty Springfield to name just a very few. He relocated to Nashville and was a signature part of major recordings by Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dobie Gray, the Oak Ridge Boys, George Strait and others. After playing on the highly successful album, “The Highwaymen,” in 1985, Young joined Nelson, Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson on tour. He was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019.
Brumley began writing songs after moving to Hartford (Sebastian County) in 1926 to attend the Hartford Music Institute. The influence that gospel music has had on the country genre and the impact that Brumley’s songs have had on the music industry are immeasurable. He penned such standards as “Turn Your Radio On,” “I’ll Meet You in the Morning,” and “Rank Stranger.” His most known composition, “I’ll Fly Away,” is one of music’s most iconic songs. It has been recorded by an array artists that include The Chuck Wagon Gang, Aretha Franklin, the Boston Pops Orchestra, Loretta Lynn and Alan Jackson. Brumley lived in Arkansas for a number of years, but he impacted the northwest part of the state much longer than that. Beginning in 1969, his ‘Sunup to Sundown Gospel Sing’ was a major event. Through 2001, it was held in Springdale before moving for four years to Fayetteville. Brumley was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Mandrell was born in Hot Springs (Garland County), and performed on local radio there. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy. After he and his wife, Mary, relocated to Texas, he was a police officer and this was where their three daughters were born. While living in California, he owned a music store. His oldest daughter, Barbara, learned to read and play music at an early age and was soon performing on local television and opening shows for country music stars. Much to Irby’s credit, she would go on to be one of the most successful artists in country music history. He guided her career and was a highly respected manager in the entertainment field. His second daughter, Louise, was also a successful recording artist. From 1980-1982, Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters was a highly popular show on NBC, starring Barbara, Louise and their younger sister, Irlene.
Fairchild, Young, Brumley and Mandrell join previous Lifetime Achievement recipients Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, The Browns, Ed Bruce, Wayne Raney, Conway Twitty, Kye Fleming, Patsy Montana, The Wilburn Brothers, Jimmy Driftwood, Charlie Rich, Wayland Holyfield, Levon Helm, Elton Britt, The Original Rhodes Show, Bill Carter, Lefty Frizzell, Floyd Cramer, Mark Wright and Bob Robbins.
Media contact: Charles Haymes (501) 850-2056