Class of 2021

Rudy Moore

Influential Bluegrass Guitarist and Band Leader

As read by Brandon Moore, Son of the inductee
June 11, 2021

There wasn’t much to do in Finger, Tennessee when Rudy Lyles Moore was growing up in the 1950s. The sun up to sundown demands of farm life kept him busy most of the time, and an occasional Sunday afternoon baseball game in the pasture provided a welcome diversion. But, while Finger may have been a sleepy little midcentury town, there was something rather remarkable happening in the Moore household; something that brings us together tonight to honor Rudy Moore. That something was homegrown bluegrass music.

Before he could walk, young Rudy was exposed to the sounds of traditional music in his home. And it didn’t hurt matters that Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and Flatt and Scrugs, among other bluegrass greats, reached Finger through the Grand Ole Opry and other regional radio programs. Bluegrass was a constant, and Rudy was even named for one of Bill Monroe’s banjo pickers, Rudy Lyles. That should be enough to tell you that the music that resonated in their home was more than good foot tapping entertainment for the Moore family; it was a passionate pursuit.

Rudy’s father, Millard, was a good mandolinist who encouraged the Moore children’s interest in music, while Rudy’s mother, Maggie, joined in on vocals. The family often made music together and sought out opportunities for the kids to hear and play with others. In the mid 1950s McNairy County had one of the hottest local music scenes in the region and Millard was a frequent participant in musical jams, community dances and other live performances. Of course, Rudy was right there with him and took to music like a duck to water. When his hands were still too small to fret a guitar, he would snatch up a broom and imitate the pickers he saw at the local jams. He traded in the broom for the real thing by the time he was 5 or 6 years old and it didn’t take him long to get the hang of it.

Rudy listened closely to his musical heroes on the radio and played favorite recordings over and over, working out the chord changes and jotting down the lyrics on anything handy until he could memorize the tunes in full. He recalls literally playing until his fingers bled, but the dedication soon paid off. As his skills grew his devotion to traditional music became ever more apparent. His excellent technique and expanding bluegrass repertoire was getting him noticed outside the Moore family.

By the time he was a teenager, Rudy had caught the attention of one of McNairy County’s preeminent Bluegrass families, the Murrays, in nearby Bethel Spring—Murray Hill to be more precise. Inducted into the Hall of Fame 2019, Virgil, Tom and Bruce Murray were eager to put Rudy to work in their family band, The Murray Boys. He logged a lot of hours playing with the Murrays, and would later return to Murray Hill to play the Murray Hill Jamboree, but by the 1970s his hometown of Finger was suddenly in the local music spotlight.

In the 1970s the Finger Square Dance, anchored by 2015 Hall of Fame honoree, Ernest “Pappy” Whitten, was in full swing drawing traditional musicians and dancers from around the region. Rudy, of course, was right in the middle of it, playing with Pap’s legendary Chickasaw Ramblers. Pap’s bands had always attracted some of the area’s best pickers, but the younger generation of artists surrounding Pap in that period was especially noteworthy, producing a number of Hall of Fame inductees which now includes Rudy Moore. Pap’s two gifted sons, Ronnie and Wayne Whitten, were core members of the band, as was 2018 Hall of Famer, David Killingsworth. These younger pickers had a slightly different musical vision and soon began collaborating on a new project with a more contemporary direction. As The Whitten Brothers Band they became one of the region’s hottest young bluegrass acts attracting a devoted following of younger fans to festivals and local bluegrass shows like the Murray Hill Jamboree for the better part of a decade.

In response to a thriving regional bluegrass circuit in the 1980s Rudy formed the Bluegrass Pals. Rudy’s easy going personality, natural way with people and commitment to the bluegrass tradition made him a perfect bandleader. From the first day they got together until now, the Bluegrass Pals have traveled thousands of miles across the Southern states performing at weekend festivals and events, preserving the old tunes Rudy and the other band members learned as young McNairy County musicians. And what a list of musicians it is! Like his mentors, Pap Whitten and The Murray Boys, Rudy never seemed to run out of talented pickers. For more than thirty years now he has kept an impressive lineup of topflight musicians rounding out the Bluegrass Pals. Hall of Fame inductee David Killingsworth is former Bluegrass Pal. Notable member over the years include: Robert Taylor, Keith Taylor, Kevin Keen, Bobby Isbell, Scottie Baugus, Steve Killingsworth, and a number of others. Johnny Leatherwood, who passed away in 2013, was a mainstay of the Bluegrass Pals who deserves special mention for the lasting impact he made on the band and virtually everyone who heard them play during his tenure.

Home was never far from Rudy’s mind while he was entertaining at faraway festivals in neighboring states. He always dreamt of having a bluegrass festival here in McNairy County. So, in the 1980s and 90s Rudy rolled up his sleeves and went to work making the dream a reality. He was instrumental in organizing and playing for local festivals and shows in Eastview, Guys, and Big Hill Pond State Park. The Pals were also regulars at the popular Adamsville Bluegrass Jamboree for a number of years where they were always fan favorites.

Rudy has performed at countless benefits, fundraisers and church singings around the area. He was a regular at the popular Leapwood Dance and sang bass with the Harvest Quartet. He lent his talent to numerous other area bands and put in countless hours on a flattop guitar at back porch—and sometimes even front porch—pickin’ sessions. The truth is, it’s impossible to know how many times and places Rudy has performed in sixty-five years of music making, but a few things are certain: it always good pickin’; it was always true to his McNairy County roots; and it always came straight from the heart. By just doing what came naturally, Rudy Moore brought the local music tradition forward into a new generation and he is still getting it done today, as you will soon hear. He has done more than his part to keep traditional bluegrass alive and well in our part of the world, and for that, we owe him a debt of gratitude.

In 1960, Flatt and Scruggs recorded a song that seems appropriate for occasions such as this. The tune I’m think of is titled “Give Me My Flowers While I’m Living.” It speaks of honoring people while they are still around to know that they are deeply appreciated by their friends, family—and in this case fans—rather than heaping praise on them when they are gone. We don’t have a bouquet for Rudy tonight, but we do have hearts full of thanksgiving for the joy he has spread in lifetime of making music and making memories. And in our gratitude, we recognize him on this occasion with the highest honor McNairy County bestows for musical excellence.

It is my great privilege to induct, my dad, Rudy Moore into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.

Earl Latta

Entrepreneur, Musician and Music Promoter

As read by Christy Sills, Arts in McNairy President
June 11, 2021

Earl Latta name is, quite literally, set in stone.

As you come into this building from Court Avenue side, you will observe “LATTA” prominently carved into the facade above the main entrance. It is a reminder of who built a successful business in this beautiful art deco structure and many people still remember buying their first Ford Fairlane from Latta Motor Company, having their Galaxie serviced in the space were we now stand, or ogling those shiny Thunderbirds and Mustangs in the showroom window.

Great memories, one and all, but by inducting Earl Latta into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame, we solidify the entrepreneur’s reputation for something more than savvy business dealings. Tonight we honor him for significant, and perhaps lesser known, contributions to our regional music heritage.

Latta was one of the most influential figures in McNairy County for almost half a century. Born in the Gravel Hill community, he began working for the local Ford dealership as a young man before shipping off for active military duty in the Great War. Returning to McNairy County, Latta resumed his job and was successful enough to purchase the franchise in the mid 1930s, rebranding it Latta Ford Motor Company. The business operated on these premisses for roughly forty years. But for our purposes this evening, what set Latta apart from many other local business owners was his deep love and appreciation for traditional music and his willingness to use his resources to promote it.

A mandolin picker and guitarist from a musical family, Earl Latta was steeped in the old-time music traditions of the region. His mother was a gifted dulcimer player; one brother was a fiddler; another a banjo picker. In his growing up years, Earl’s family regularly participated in musical house parties, known locally as frolics or musical. McNairy County was a hot bed of such activity and there was no shortage of quality pickers to join in the fun. So it was quite natural when he decided to expand the concept to host a regular jam session in the garage of his Ford dealership. Little did he know a common pickin’ session would have an outsized impact on our region’s musical history.

It was a smart business move to invite the community into his place for an evening of quality music making, but it was far more than that. After the Second World War change was in the air. Mass media consumption was replacing many forms of traditional entertainment. Even in rural areas like McNairy County, radio and TV were widely available in the postwar period making homegrown entertainment options like the musical frolics seem quaint or antiquated to some. It was in this rapidly evolving cultural environment that Latta’s garage jamborees took shape.

What started as an informal jam with a few of his employees and friends quickly evolved into one of the largest and most anticipated regular live music events in Southwest Tennessee. The weekend jams turned into popular shows that were attended by hundreds of music lovers and attracted some of the region’s top talent. They reached their high-water mark in late 1940s through the mid 50s as they became an important breeding ground for emerging artists to rub elbows with the older generation of musicians who preserved treasured repertoires from a bygone era. Photos from that period capture moments when old-time masters such as hall of fame inductees Waldo David and Elvis Black played alongside up and coming artists like Pap Whitten and Arnold English. The mentorship that took place in that setting was vital to the preservation and continuity of local music traditions at a pivotal point in history.

Even as local music traditions began to die out in many communities they remained strong in McNairy County as others in the region emulated Earl Latta’s successful weekend events on various scales. While no one may have expressed it in these exact terms, traditional music making persisted for another generation or more in our region, at least in part, because Earl Latta intervened to offer a performance venue at a moment when live, local music making was imperiled by massive cultural and social shifts. Two of tonight’s talented inductees can trace the origins of their music back to mentorship and collaboration with the men and women who participated in the Latta jamborees.

By now it is well known that a young Carl Perkins frequented Earl Latta’s weekend jams in the late 1940s and early 50s. At the time he was just a hungry kid in search of his own sound and a desire to make a name for himself in the music industry. He found eager collaborators here. Several local pickers who played in the various iterations of Perkins’s earliest ensembles were undoubtedly first encountered at a weekend show in downtown Selmer. McNairy County musicians like Hall of Fame inductees Benny Coley from the McNairy community, Arnold English from Mud Creek, and Rob Richard of Selmer made live appearances and played radio gigs with Perkins before the Perkins Brothers Band was firmly established. Lindsey Patterson from Bethel Springs also sat in with Perkins from time to time.

Earl Latta’s house band The Latta Ramblers are also thought to have collaborated with Perkins on occasion. Tom McCormack and Paul Taylor, who formed the core of the Ramblers were employed at Latta Ford Motor Company and they, along with legendary bassist Rob Richard, served as the sessions band for Stanton Littlejohn. It is likely that Littlejohn made the first audio recordings of Perkins’s storied career. Some astute observers believe it was the Latta Ramblers who appeared on at least one of Perkins’s Littlejohn sessions. While it’s impossible to say that with certainty, one thing is sure: Perkins’s deep ties and long running association with local musicians began with encounters at Earl Latta’s legendary jam sessions.

Today, the name Latta is widely associated with the McNairy County Visitor’s and Cultural Center where Arts in McNairy continues the legacy of musical excellence that began on these premisses so many years ago with Earl Latta. Residents of the county and visitors alike enjoy live concerts and musical theatre performances in this space which fittingly bears Mr. Latta’s name. As this evening’s audience will attest, the Latta, as the building is now affectionately called, also serves as the venue for all McNairy County Music Hall of Fame events, as well as the trailhead for The McNairy County Trail of Music Legends. And we are proud to report that just this afternoon, The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development dedicated their latest Tennessee Music Pathways marker just a short walk away at Rockabilly Park. It details, in part, the role that Earl Latta played in preserving some of the history we have just covered, and features a period photo of the Latta Ramblers playing a weekend jam in this very room. If you haven’t seen it, or the latest Trail of Music Legends installations, put that on your list of things to do this summer. You’ll be amazed and delighted.

By providing a consistent venue for traditional musicians in a rural region that lacked a performance hall or concert stage, Earl Latta created an informal hothouse for musical cross-pollination. While he almost certainly did it for the sheer joy of music making and the positive associations the jams brought to his business dealings, the upshot was a rare and incredibly rich environment that bred fruitful musical collaborations, preserved locally treasured repertoires for another generation, and kept music at the forefront of social life in McNairy County at time when corporate media encroachment threatened to push it away for good. It is not overstating the point to say that it’s hard to know what the traditional music of the region, as we’ve come to know it, would sound like without Earl Latta’s influence.

It is only fitting that Earl Latta should be inducted to the local music hall of fame, here, in this building that bears his name and in a room that still resonates with the music of the past and present.

It is my honor to induct Earl Latta into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.

Robert Moore

Legendary Honky Tonk Owner and Music Promoter

As read by Shawn Pitts, Arts in McNairy Cultural Heritage Chair
June 11, 2021

If you were looking for an epic adventure story with a “home town boy makes good” flavor, you couldn’t do much better than the life of Robert Wayne Moore.

Robert was born in poverty but used his brains, and when necessary brawn, to become an admirable example of what we used to call the American Dream. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Robert was born on the 4th of July.

Robert has enjoyed a widely varied professional life as a successful inventor, entrepreneur, promoter, restauranteur and real-estate developer. As a philanthropist he used the resources from his successful business endeavors to directly address real life problems like urban poverty and homelessness on the Streets of Nashville. Robert says he once sparred with Muhammad Ali, trained a number of championship boxers and was, in his younger years, a formidable opponent in the ring himself. And you can well believe it.

Fascinating as all that may be, we honor Robert here tonight as the owner and developer of arguably two of the world’s most famous country music nightspots. To state it plainly, Robert Moore is a Nashville legend. He is credited with almost singlehandedly reviving interest in live music venues in downtown Nashville and reclaiming lower Broadway, and the precincts around the old Ryman Auditorium, for traditional country music. He has rubbed elbows with some of country music’s brightest stars and helped launch the careers of more than a few. It’s an epic tale that begins right here in McNairy County.

To the casual onlooker, Robert’s early years probably didn’t seem like they held the promise of fame or fortune. He was born and raised in Bethel Springs to a loving family, but his childhood was marred by the tragic loss of his father and fours siblings. It was far from a life of wealth and privilege that might have given him a leg up on the road to success. By the time he was a young teenager, Robert had already left home to help the family make ends meet. He lived with several local families earning his keep through hard labor, while trying to maintain his school studies.

While managing the Dixie Truck Stop in Selmer, Robert had an idea that would change his life. Through creative problem solving and a little practical ingenuity he developed a power steering system for lifts in the Dixie’s shop. Local partners Fred Thomas and Don Moore thought the prototype had promise and gave Robert the confidence to pitch the product to corporate investors in Nashville. They liked it too. Before long the kid from McNairy County had permanently relocated to Music City.

A young man in the big city with a pocket full of money might have spelled disaster for some people, but Robert had learned to fend for himself at an early age. He made a series of shrewd investments which might have seemed risky, but they paid off handsomely and put Robert at the vanguard of Nashville’s live music renaissance.

When you think of downtown Nashville today, you probably think of gleaming neon signs along Broadway, ranks of family-friendly restaurants, crowded nightclubs, touristy souvenir shops and shows at the renovated Ryman Auditorium. But when Robert Moore arrived in Nashville in the 1950s all of that was a distant dream. He found lower Broadway in a state of advanced neglect. There were more drunks and seedy dive bars than tourists and live music venues. When the Grand Ole Opry moved to the Gaylord complex in 1974, it might have signaled the end of the line for Broadway, but Robert Moore would have a thing or two say about that.

Robert’s first base of operation in Music City was the Merchant Hotel at the corner of Broadway and 4th Avenue. When he checked in for the first time the owner was having trouble paying vendors and keeping troublemakers under control in the hotel bar. Robert’s business acumen and boxing skills were the right combination to solve those problems and he quickly became part owner of the Merchant. Under his direction the Merchant, once again, became a respectable place to board and dine in downtown Nashville. Robert made a pretty good start on cleaning up the neighborhood too. Many Opry Stars including Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash were guests at the hotel.

Robert was among the first to recognize the talents of a young singer/songwriter named Dolly Parton. While her star was still on the rise, he wisely recruited her to play the hotel lounge. Years later, in a 2014 interview with the Independent Appeal, Parton noted, “I always like to thank people like Robert who gave me an encouraging word and helping hand early in my career.” The two were close friends and Dolly would often drop by to catch up with Robert when she was back in Nashville.

The Merchant was Robert’s first Broadway acquisition and his first brush with showbiz. The hotel—now a fine dining bistro and bar—claims to have one of the oldest continuously operating hotel restaurants in Nashville with more than 125 years of uninterrupted service to diners. That chain would almost certainly have been broken had it not been for Robert’s intervention. Robert was just getting warmed up with the Merchant Hotel, but it was an important first step in the reinvigoration of Broadway’s faded glory.

By the 1980s Robert had acquired the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge right on the cusp of Nashville’s booming downtown revival. Tootsie’s, in the shadow of the Ryman Auditorium, was once a popular venue for Opry after parties, hosting a who’s who list of country stars who frequented the establishment to relax, socialize and sometime even write songs. Years before he bought the place Robert remembers witnessing the collaboration between Willie Nelson and Faron Young that resulted in the massive country hit single, Hello Walls, in 1961. Tootsie’s was that kind of place.

Like the rest of the area, Tootsie’s had fallen on hard times by the time Robert acquired it, but he was instrumental in reviving interest in the nightclub’s storied history as well as making live music the centerpiece of the landmark property’s business model. It was a model that would serve him and Nashville well in his next endeavor.

When Robert sold Tootsie’s, he moved three doors down to what is now Robert’s Western World. As tourists and locals were beginning to return to the previously derelict district in the early 90’s, Robert opened Robert’s Rhinestone World. The western store catered to country music’s growing fandom, offering cowboy boots and flashy western wear. As the business took off, Robert again saw the opportunity to bring traditional country music back to its live performance roots. Having been a successful restaurant and honky tonk owner once, he knew the business well. A stage, bar and grill were added to the apparel shop and the place was rebranded Robert’s Western World.

Now, of course, Robert’s Western World is one of Nashville’s premier places to hear live music. It is revered by music industry elites and tourists alike as one of the last places in the city to have that authentic honky tonk experience. No visit to Broadway in complete without a beer, a fried bologna sandwich, and a great country band at Robert’s Western World. Robert’s helped launch the career of countless musicians and songwriters, and its stage has been graced by some of country music’s top names over the years. The Grammy nominated honky tonk band BR549 was the house band at Robert’s for many years. Their debut album, “Live at Robert’s,” testifies to the role the nightspot played in launching their careers. The current owner of the establishment—Moore sold it to Brazilbilly bandleader Jesse Lee Jones in 1999—has publicly said, “If it weren’t for Robert Moore, Lower Broadway in Nashville would not exist today.”

There are more stories about Robert’s adventures than we could possibly recount in one evening. He owned other successful businesses and music venues. A best-selling book about downtown Nashville’s renaissance devoted a chapter to Robert’s monumental contributions. His tenacity to bring live country music back to its honky tonk roots—often against the opposition of city planners who would have converted Broadway into a bland business and financial district—is widely credited with giving downtown Nashville the flavor and worldwide reputation it enjoys today.

It’s no exaggeration to say Robert Moore is a living legend and we couldn’t be more proud to call him a native son of McNairy County, Tennessee. It is my great honor to induct Robert Moore into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.

Martha Lynn Holt

Bluegrass-Gospel Musician and Educator

As read by Daniel Holt, son of inductee
June 11, 2021

Martha Lynn Kiser Holt’s story starts in downtown Selmer. She was born at Dr. Bud’s little medical office on October 29, 1956 to L.D. and Irene Miller Kiser.

Growing up, Momma was surrounded with good old time music. Her mother knew many of the old gospel and country tunes, and Momma learned many songs from her. Her father was a musician, but as the story goes, his mandolin hung up in the closet so long that the string that was holding it finally broke. However, Grandpa’s involvement in music changed when Momma started showing an interest. Her mom and dad showed her chords on the guitar, and in her early teens soon developed a love for playing music. Her early influences from professional bands were Flatt and Scruggs and the Lewis Family.

Momma graduated from McNairy Central High School in 1974 and then graduated from Freed Hardeman College with an education degree. Soon, Momma started picking up and learning to play other instruments. She first started learning the fiddle from William Kiddy, her mom’s cousin. Mr. Kiddy was married to one of her dad’s cousins, and they had pickings together from time to time. After learning the basics of fiddle music from him, Momma then learned a great deal from Pappy Whitten. Momma and Grandpa became members of the “Chickasaw Ramblers.” It was as a member of this group that Momma met her future husband, Danny Ray Holt. Soon Grandpa, Daddy, and Momma were all members of the “Chickasaw Ramblers,” with Grandpa on guitar, Daddy on electric bass or guitar, and Momma on banjo or guitar. Before Daddy and Momma were married, they and Grandpa left the group and formed “The Kiser Family.” When my parents were married in November of 1983, they officially became “The Holt Family,” and from 1983 to 2016, Daddy and Momma sang and picked at churches, benefits, festivals, and family gatherings. They were a team, and they played and loved bluegrass-gospel music, old time fiddle tunes, and bluegrass songs, too.

Daddy and Momma had their first child, Melody, in 1987, and then, I came along in 1989. As early as we wanted to, they let us on stage with them. In the mid-1990s, my parents started a monthly singing on the third Friday night of each month at their home church, Abrams Chapel, in eastern Hardin County, and this singing continues today.

Although Daddy and Momma had different people come and go through “The Holt Family” over time, they, my sister, and I were the main stays throughout many years of playing music. We had a lot of fun playing together. Though Daddy passed away in 2016, Momma has kept picking and singing with my sister and me as “The Holt Family.”

Throughout all the years of music, she also taught school in both McNairy and Hardin Counties. She started in January 1977 and continued until December 2018 as a public school teacher. Probably one of the most enduring legacies of Momma is how many students she taught to love music. She taught at Michie Elementary, Selmer Elementary, Hardin County High School, Whites Elementary (where she spent most of her teaching years), and Northside Elementary. Throughout most of these stops, Momma had her guitar close by. Although she never taught music “officially” through the school system, she definitely taught music. Honestly, I have no idea how many students have taken guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin lessons from her. Even when she was Principal at Whites Elementary for 11 years, she made time to teach music, lead programs, and provide after school music and clogging lessons. Some of the students went on to become great musicians, while others have dropped the music as they grew up, but the common theme that a person will hear when talking to former music students is that they loved Momma, and she taught them how to love music. As her son, I have seen this first hand.

Even though Momma taught a lot of kids music, she always made time to teach my sister and me, and she would make it fun and practice with us as long as we wanted to. While we have spent many wonderful times playing together as a family, this would not have been possible without her patient teaching. My sister, Melody, has gone on to follow in Mom’s footsteps, and she is the Creative Dramatics teacher at East Hardin Elementary in Savannah where she teaches music and art. Today, Momma still loves the old tunes, and she is one of few left with a connection to the legacy of the old style of music in McNairy County. Although Momma is probably known for being an old time fiddle player, she can also play the banjo, guitar (lead or rhythm), autoharp, mandolin, bass, harmonica, dulcimer, and piano.

When asked to comment on the significance of Momma’s induction, AiM’s Cultural Heritage Chair, Shawn Pitts, said, “Martha Holt is as gifted as any musician ever admitted to the Hall of Fame, but her induction marks the first time a woman has been honored primarily as a traditional instrumentalist. That’s significant in and of itself, but when you consider that Martha developed her earliest musical interests in the Kiser home, and honed her considerable skills with local masters such as Ernest Whitten, you begin to realize that integrating music into her teaching was much more than organizing school music programs and teaching a few after-school lessons. Martha represents an unbroken link to the depths of our region’s cultural heritage, and her impact on the preservation of McNairy County’s musical traditions can not be overestimated.”

I’m thankful to still have Momma, and I’m thankful she can still play her music. It is my honor to induct my mother, Martha Lynn Holt, into the McNairy County Music Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.