Tears and cheers filled Nelson County High School’s auditorium Saturday night as hometown hero Jimmy Fortune gave his fifth consecutive concert to raise money for his alma mater’s music program.
But fans in attendance got more than two hours of Fortune’s smooth tenor as he crooned about his Virginia dreams, the far side banks of Jordan and a woman named Elizabeth.
They also watched as their hometown hero joined the ranks of Wayne Newton, Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Byrd, as he was inducted into the Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
“The Virginia Music Hall of Fame is represented by people … that are so important to our cultural heritage,” said Robert Hodge, on-air personality with Williamsburg radio station WMBG,who championed Fortune’s addition to the hall of fame.
“Jimmy is just as valuable for the contributions that he’s made and the songs he’s written.”
Fortune toured with the legendary Statler Brothers for 21 years, during which time he wrote several songs for the group, including three No. 1 hits.
He has continued to maintain a successful solo career since the Statler Brothers’ retirement in 2002, with recent accomplishments that include a 2016 Dove Award for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year.
Saturday’s modest ceremony was met with a standing ovation from the audience, most of whom, said the school’s music director Scott Belcher, had no idea about the concert’s special occasion.
“Just to have your own home state recognize the things that you have done in any career and realize that it’s not over yet, that I’m still kind of in it, is a great thing,” Fortune said Thursday on a phone call from Nashville.
“That I get to go back to Nelson County High School with some of my teachers and my family, a lot of my family will be there, it’s almost like it’s not just an award for me, but it’s also for them because they helped me. If it wasn’t for them, I know I wouldn’t have made it.”
During his acceptance speech, Fortune reflected on his own time in the school’s choral program, giving a special thank you to his music teacher Dolores Truesdale, who was in attendance.
“Years ago when I was about to join the chorus, I was scared to death,” he told the crowd in relating an anecdote of Truesday, who retired from teaching in 1991 after 33 years in the classroom.
“I had stage fright. I still have stage fright. … [Trusdale] always encouraged me to overcome your fears. To go ahead, step out there and do things you might not think you can do. But you never know until you step out there and try.”
He finished by encouraging the students in attendance to always remember to try, no matter how scared they feel.
After all, he said, he might not be accepting the honor if he hadn’t.
Fortune’s induction into the Virginia Music Hall of Fame makes him the only musician to have two mentions in the museum, said Buddy Parker, the museum’s president; he is also featured in the section dedicated to the Statler Brothers.
In addition to his space inside the Virginia Music Hall of Fame, Fortune has also been inducted into both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame along with the other members of the Statler Brothers.
“You work hard all your life and you wonder if anybody really gets the message that you’re trying to get out there through your music,” Fortune said after the concert, calling the induction overwhelming. “… I’m blessed and thankful and kind of humbled with all of it.”