The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame announced that it will be inducting four deserving and well-respected bands/musicians into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. This latest class of inductees will be honored and presented their awards on the opening night (Thursday, April 10th) of the “Boys From Oklahoma” concert/event in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the Boone Pickens Stadium on the Oklahoma State University campus.
Stillwater is the perfect setting for the presentation being the birthplace of the Red Dirt music genre where many Oklahoma musicians and inductees began their music careers. Along with Turnpike Troubadours who have already been inducted, all four inductees will be on the stage for the 4-night event that sold out in a mere few hours. www.okmusichall.com
Musicians being inducted in 2025
Cross Canadian Ragweed-Formed in 1994, Cross Canadian Ragweed is a wildly influential indie country rock band from Stillwater who dominated the touring circuit for over a decade amassing millions in touring revenue and sharing bills with some of the biggest names in music. Known as one of the bands who helped start the “Red Dirt” music movement, the band consists of Cody Canada, Grady Cross, Randy Ragsdale and Jeremy Plato. They had a number of charting hits including “17,” “Alabama,” and “Anywhere But Here.” In May of 2010 they announced they were taking a break from touring and played their final show together in October 2010. In September of 2024 they announced a reunion show alongside other Oklahoma musicians and friends, Turnpike Troubadours, The Great Divide, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and Stoney LaRue appropriately called “Them Boys From Oklahoma.”
Jason Boland and the Stragglers – In 1999, with the release of Pearl Snaps, Jason Boland and the Stragglers became one of the most successful bands in the Red Dirt and Texas country music scene. They released their first “live” album, Live and Lit at Billy Bob’s Texas in 2004. High in the Rockies was another hit album that was recorded over four days of shows, and Live from Cain’s Ballroom was released in June 2024. Their concept album titled The Light Saw Me was produced by Shooter Jennings, son of country music artist Waylon Jennings. Recording ten studio albums and three live albums has helped to propel them to be one of the most sought-after bands working today.
The Great Divide –The Great Divide is one of the most iconic bands from the Red Dirt music scene that has inspired the new generations of musicians for many, many years. They were the first band to bring the Red Dirt sound to a national audience when they signed to Atlantic Records in the late 90’s. After a 20- year hiatus, the band reformed and recorded their first album together after two decades called Providence. The album garnered critical acclaim and boasted five consecutive #1 hit singles in Texas. The band made their Grand Ole Opry debut in 2024 and performed on the hallowed stage of the Ryman Auditorium. Turnpike Troubadours and young phenom Wyatt Flores cites The Great Divide as a key influence.
Stoney LaRue – For more than 20 years Stoney LaRue has traversed the country playing sold out shows featuring the styles that have helped to make Red Dirt music a well –known genre. He has sold out more than 200 shows per year almost continuously and has had albums chart on iTunes and Billboard and has had videos featured on CMT. To date Stoney has sold more than a million albums and singles. He has performed duets with many of the biggest names in country music such as Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack and has performed on the stage at the renowned Grand Ole Opry. During the early days in Stillwater, Stoney, Cody Canada, and Jason Boland were roommates working and living in the epicenter of the Red Dirt explosion.
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Tony Corbell, continually speaks often about the amount of musical talent in the state. “It’s almost overwhelming how many great musicians, singers, sidemen, support folks, songwriters, sound and recording engineers are here,” says Corbell. The president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, Mr. Boone Mendenhall, himself a popular singer and songwriter, says “I became a guitar player because of Jason Boland and Cody Canada as I listened to them over and over when I was young. It made me want to follow this passion for music.” He added how much all four of these artists being celebrated have inspired his and many other’s careers.
Since 1997 The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame has inducted more than 144 members. Friends of Oklahoma Music worked with the Oklahoma Legislature, and in 1999, lawmakers created the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, naming it a place to honor, recognize and pay tribute to Oklahoma musicians and our rich music heritage. Through the work of hundreds of volunteers over the years, the Hall has established a national and statewide reputation as a place to enjoy and experience music