Pick a Day

Music History Events: Awards and Honors

January 16, 1999 The inaugural ball for Minnesota Governor (and former professional wrestler) Jesse Ventura goes down at the Target Center in Minneapolis. America play "Ventura Highway," and Warren Zevon does "Werewolves Of London" with Ventura, wearing his trademark bandana and feather boa, howling along on stage.

November 12, 1998 Madonna draws the Best Female and the Best Album (Ray of Light) honors at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards in Milan.

November 11, 1998 Madrid band Jarabe De Palo tops the 45th Premios Ondas in Barcelona, winning for Best Album (Depende) and Best Video. Other winners include Alejandro Sanz for Best Song ("Corazon") and Ella Baila Sola, Best Group. The Ondas are organized by media group Prisa through Radio Barcelona.

November 9, 1998 Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun and Bobby "Blue" Bland receive lifetime achievement awards from the Blues Foundation at a ceremony held at the House of Blues in West Hollywood.

November 1, 1998 Madonna presents director Alan Parker with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Director's Guild of Great Britain. The ceremony takes place aboard a boat on the river Thames in London.

October 26, 1998 Fats Domino is awarded the National Medal of Arts from US President Bill Clinton.

October 14, 1998 B.B. King picks up a lifetime achievement award at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London

October 6, 1998 Country group Alabama joins the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard.

October 1, 1998 John Fogerty gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

September 23, 1998 Elvis Presley, once rejected by the Grand Old Opry, is posthumously inducted into Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame.

September 15, 1998 Reba McEntire gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Johnny Grant Building at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard.

August 17, 1998 Santana's Carlos Santana is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

May 25, 1998 "Ramsey Lewis Week" is declared in Chicago to honor the Grammy Award-winning jazz composer.

February 25, 1998 Bo Diddley and Roy Orbison receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Grammys.

February 14, 1998 Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is named Entertainer of the Year at the 29th NAACP Image Awards.

January 26, 1998 In a big surprise upset at the American Music Awards, rapper Puff Daddy loses in all five categories in which he is nominated for an award.

November 8, 1997 After a series of scrapes with the law and other misfortunes, Johnny Paycheck is welcomed by the country music community as he officially joins the Grand Ole Opry.

September 29, 1997 The Clinton White House awards Don Henley a National Medal of the Humanities for his work on the Walden Woods Project, which was set up to preserve the area in Massachusetts where Henry David Thoreau did his writing.

September 21, 1997 The life and career of Jimmie Rodgers is celebrated with a concert capping the "Waiting for a Train: Jimmie Rodgers' America" conference in Cleveland. A collaboration between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, John Prine, Steve Earle, Levon Helm, Iris DeMent, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore all perform songs by Rodgers.

August 20, 1997 The "Hank Williams Memorial Lost Highway" is dedicated in Alabama, where the singer was born. The 50-mile stretch on Interstate 65 starts at his childhood home of Georgiana and ends in Montgomery, the site of his grave. The ceremony takes place in Montgomery (the state capitol), with Hank Williams Jr. on hand to speak.

August 17, 1997 Liverpool, Nova Scotia, dedicates The Hank Snow Country Music Centre, a museum dedicated to its native country music legend.

February 12, 1997 David Bowie is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located outside the Hollywood Galaxy Theatre.

January 10, 1997 James Brown gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

December 31, 1996 Queen Elizabeth II announces that Paul McCartney will be knighted - these announcements are traditionally made on New Year's Eve.

December 19, 1996 Avenue H in Lubbock, Texas, is renamed Buddy Holly Avenue in honor of the city's hometown hero.

October 24, 1996 Motown founder Berry Gordy is honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

October 4, 1996 Roger Miller is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

September 19, 1996 George Benson gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

June 14, 1996 Beatles producer George Martin is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

April 12, 1996 The Hollywood Rock Walk inducts Jan & Dean, The Ventures, The Chantays, and The Surfaris.