Photo Credit: FOUR17 Entertainment

Country music star Buddy Jewell was inducted into the Arkansas Walk of Fame on Friday, May 26, 2023 along with five other recipients where he joined roughly 100 influential names in the fields of civil rights, wrestling, aviation, kickboxing and country music on the Walk of Fame. Jewell humbly thanked God, his wife and all of his family and supporters for the distinction. Watch the induction video here https://youtu.be/DJRNh5It__4.

Each inductee was selected for being born in or having lived in Arkansas for a significant length of time, making a significant contribution in their field and being nationally known. Lepanto, AR native Buddy Jewell was honored at the walk at 629 Central Ave followed by a free concert in the Bridge Street Entertainment District featuring Jewell as the headlining act.

“Buddy Jewell is a prime example for all Arkansans and others that with grit and determination you can achieve your dreams and goals at any age. Buddy has never lost his Arkansas values and continues to give back with his work for St. Jude, the USO and many other worthy causes,” stated Visit Hot Springs CEO-Steve Arrison. “Buddy Jewell makes Arkansas proud and we are very proud as well to have him in the Walk of Fame.”

“What an incredible honor it is for me to be honored by my home state and to add my name to a lot of prestigious people that are here,” said Jewell.

Keep up with Buddy Jewell on his official website at buddyjewell.com and by following him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Stream and download Buddy Jewell’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and more.

Buddy Jewell’s shadow can be seen over his plaque as he poses with a fan Friday after his induction ceremony.  Photo Credit: Lance Brownfield / The Sentinel-Record

About Buddy Jewell:  America chose Buddy Jewell as the very first winner of the USA Network’s hit reality show Nashville Star. Buddy was the true viewer favorite from the very beginning, capturing 65% of the nationwide voting and beating out 11 other contestants, most notably, Miranda Lambert, by over 2 million votes on the final episode. He and America have been involved in a love affair ever since.

His self-titled Columbia Records debut release landed at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts,  was certified GOLD later that same year and garnered two back-to-back top five hits with “Sweet Southern Comfort” and “Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey’s Song).” Both tunes are RIAA certified 1 million radio air plays.

Buddy has been recognized by the Grammy’s, ACM, CMA, ABC Radio Networks, ICMA, ICGMA and CMT with multiple awards and nominations. In 2011, he won the International Country Gospel Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” and “Crossover Artist of the Year” awards. In 2015, he was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame. In 2018, his #1 Christian Country hit, “I’m There,” won the ICMA “Song of the Year” and in April 2019, Buddy won ICMA “Male Vocalist of the Year.”

His talents as a songwriter have garnered him an ICMA #1 for “When Mama Prayed.” Buddy’s touching ode to this father, “When I’m Good and Gone,” received Grammy consideration for Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White, and in May 2019, Buddy’s song, “One in a Row,” co-written with Thom McHugh, was released by Randy Travis as his first new song in over six years. His newest album release in 2020, Bluebonnet Highway, has received much critical acclaim from the likes of Robert K. Oermann, Marty Raybon of Shenandoah and Patty Loveless. Most notably, the first single, “Teardrop in the Gulf of Mexico,” debuted at #19 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Singles Chart while the album, Bluebonnet Highway, reached #20 on RMR’s Americana Chart.

Buddy Jewell gives back to his community and beyond on many levels, serving as past spokesperson for The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and Compassion International. He ministers to inmates at nearby facilities on a regular basis as well. Buddy especially has a heart for children and actively supports several worthy causes, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Buddy has served our nation throughout his career, supporting and entertaining our troops at home and abroad. He traveled with Sergeant Major Kenneth O. Preston, on an extensive USO tour to remote forward operating bases on the front lines in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. Buddy Jewell is a proud American patriot, a devoted father and husband and an outspoken follower of Jesus Christ.

About The Arkansas Walk of Fame:   The Arkansas Walk of Fame, located in the heart of downtown Hot Springs, AR, honors those Arkansans – native born or long-time resident – who have been recognized nationally and have made a significant and notable contribution to our world. Established in 1996, the Arkansas Walk of Fame is a series of engraved plaques inset into the sidewalk on Hot Springs’ Central  Avenue, between Reserve and Spring streets, adjacent to the Hot Springs Visitor Center at Hill Wheatley Plaza. Strolling along the Arkansas Walk of Fame, one will see the names of such luminaries as General Douglas MacArthur; author and poet, Maya Angelou; President Bill Clinton; baseball great, Brooks Robinson, ‘True Grit’ author, Charles Portis; country and western stars, Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell; and many, many more. Recent inductees include actress Joey Lauren Adams (Dazed and Confused, Chasing Amy), actress Tess Harper (No Country For Old Men, Breaking Bad), artist of renown, George Hunt; and Officer Nick McDonald, responsible for the initial arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. Inductees are added to the Arkansas Walk of Fame on a yearly basis at a special ceremony to honor them. When possible, inductees are present at these ceremonies, making their addition to the Arkansas Walk of Fame that much more of an exciting event!

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Country music star Buddy Jewell was inducted into the Arkansas Walk of Fame on Friday, May 26, 2023 along with five other recipients where he joined roughly 100 influential names in the fields of civil rights, wrestling, aviation, kickboxing and country music on the Walk of Fame. Jewell humbly...