From Tracy Lawrence to Eck Robertson: Four Join Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame

Four Arkansas musicians with careers spanning generations will be inducted into the Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2027.

Tracy Lawrence, Jim “Moose” Brown, Dave Gibson and Eck Robertson will be honored during the 10th annual Arkansas Country Music Awards on Monday, June 7, at the Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

“The Hall of Fame class for 2027 is four individuals that have certainly carved their own special place in Arkansas music history. Once again, these upcoming inductees solidify the magnitude and importance of the Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame and the ones that have been inducted, both past and present,” said Arkansas Country Music Awards President Nathan Hunnicutt.

“For an Arkansan in the country field, this is the pinnacle for there is no greater honor in the Natural State. The ‘Class of 2027’ is an undeniable mix of highly deserving Arkansans. This is another wonderful group of Hall of Fame inductees,” country music journalist and historian Charles Haymes added.

Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence, who grew up in Foreman, rose to country music stardom after moving to Nashville in 1990. His 1991 debut album, “Sticks and Stones,” produced four hit singles and launched a career that has included more than 40 country hits and 18 No. 1 singles.

Some of his best-known songs include “Alibis,” “I See It Now,” “If the World Had a Front Porch,” “Texas Tornado,” “Time Marches On” and “Paint Me a Birmingham.”

Jim “Moose” Brown

Nettleton native Jim “Moose” Brown has built an accomplished career as a musician, producer and songwriter. Brown has played on more than 40 No. 1 country singles and has worked with artists including Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, Jamey Johnson and Trace Adkins.

A three-time ACM Keyboard Player of the Year, Brown also spent years as a member of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band and currently tours with Vince Gill. In 2004, he won a Grammy for Best Country Song for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” recorded by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.

David Gibson

Born in El Dorado, David Gibson moved to Nashville in 1982 and became a successful songwriter, penning hits for artists including Steve Wariner, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, Alabama, Joe Diffie and Pam Tillis.

Gibson also pursued his own recording career, forming the Gibson/Miller Band with Blue Miller. The duo was named the ACM Top New Vocal Group or Duo of the Year in 1994.

Eck Robertson

Eck Robertson, born Alexander Campbell Robertson in Delaney in 1887, is considered a foundational figure in commercial country music. He began playing the fiddle at age 5 and went on to become a professional musician.

In 1922, Robertson traveled to New York City with fiddler Henry Gilliland to record for the Victor Talking Machine Company. His recordings of “Sallie Gooden” and “Arkansas Traveler” were the first-ever commercial country music recordings, predating the Bristol Sessions by Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family by five years. Robertson died in 1975 at age 87.

The four inductees will join a Hall of Fame roster that includes Arkansas music legends such as Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Conway Twitty, Levon Helm, Charlie Rich, The Browns, Patsy Montana and more.