Young honors Ben Keith at Music Awards

Written by Shar on 29 January 2014

Neil holds the late Ben Keith’s award up toward heaven.

“You’re in heaven…I’m workin’ “

Neil Young honored his friend and band mate Ben Keith at the Musician’s Hall of Fame induction concert, held Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

He appeared on stage with Keith’s grandson, DJ Tyson.

The Tennessean is reporting that Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young was among those accepting medallions in honor of posthumous inductees — in Young’s case, it was for pedal steel guitar master Ben Keith, who was one Nashville’s top session players before becoming a member of Young’s band for nearly 40 years until his death in 2010. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble attended and was set to perform on behalf of the blues guitar great, and members of Roy Orbison’s family

After a cocktail hour, the inductees and their friends, family and fans gathered upstairs at Municipal for a musical celebration of the songs they helped make famous – from “American Woman” to “Elvira.”

Retro rock crooner Chris Isaak opened the evening with a cover of Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” as the first of several well-known performers to salute the inductees, including ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the Oak Ridge Boys. Young didn’t perform on Tuesday, but took the stage to share his memories of Keith.

2014 Musicians Hall of Fame inductees

Randy Bachman, Jimmy Capps, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, Ben Keith, Will Lee, Barbara Mandrell, Corki Casey O’Dell, Velma Smith, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.

2014 Iconic Riff Award – Roy Orbison for “Oh, Pretty Woman”

2014 Industry Icon Award – Mike Curb