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The National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame inducted new members on August 22nd, 2003 in Muhlenberg County with a a grand musical celebration and hoopla including some real thunder and lightning. The event planned and attempted outdoors at Paradise Park in Powderly, Ky, had to be moved inside to the adjacent Convention Center as the thunderstorm grew, threatened, then opened up.
Kentucky's own Quintis "Tuck" Raisor was inducted into the Hall of Fame joining other deceased inductees and his mentors such as Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. Tuck was one of the founding members of the Kentucky Thumbpickers Club and president of the Club for many years.
Tuck was an ambassador of thumbpicking as he spread the word everywhere he went. Several of our members and others credit Tuck as the first person they saw live playing "Travis style" and it opened their eyes. Most folks remember Tuck's kidlike jovial smile and attitude most. So many people met Tuck through the Club and through the CAAS community and knew him as a fine picker and Christian man. I know of no other person who was not a "Star" or notable professional musician who influenced as many pickers as Tuck. Since I did not listen to Merle and Chet growing up, I have learned many of their great tunes from club members and friends like Tuck. Many Chet songs to me will always conjure up images of Tuck instead. I have not heard Poor People of Paris yet that I don't get a bit melancholy thinking of Tuck and his picking parties.
Eddie Pennington, Maurice Jones, Tommy Owen and Joe Edwards were all inducted this year into the Hall of Fame. All four new inductees were present and played for the sizable audience that braved the weather and persevered the change of venue. Joe play live along with his pre-recorded backup parts and was joined by his lovely wife Jan as vocalist. Tommy and Maurice played as Travis as ever and they are well known favorites in Muhlenberg County. Eddie and his son, Alonzo picked a quasi-medley that would probably be called something like "Dueling Travis Songs" with bits of Dueling Banjo licks linking various Travis tunes.
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