Billy Strings‘ father Terry Barber was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame in Charlotte, MI on Saturday alongside seven other Michigan-based musicians.
Barber learned to play from his grandfather and his mother Doreen and grew up with music as a way of life. “Growing up with their music inspired me,” he said.
“Music, jamming with friends and family, that’s all it was every day,” added his wife, Debra Apostal, who was present at Saturday’s ceremony. “We’d all be up til 5 o’clock in the morning making music after singing a hundred songs.”
After honing his craft picking bluegrass tunes “around countless bonfires with friends and family late into the night, in the living room with friends and family, and til closing time at local bars,” Barber passed the tradition on to his son Billy, who now shares the joy of down-home pickin’ with arenas full of fans on a nightly basis.
Barber’s first-ever album was his 2022 collaboration with Strings, Me/And/Dad, which was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album at the 2024 Grammys. He has performed with his son on numerous occasions, including on their Family Strings tour in 2020 and most recently for a wholesome single-mic sit-in in Chicago.
“I’m happy he received the award, it’s really very well deserved,” Strings said. “My dad is a guitar player’s guitar player. We speak the same language when we’re picking together. It feels like home.”
After accepting his award, Barber joked, “Well, it’s not a Grammy, but Boomer will be proud.” He was joined by a full band for a musical performance that included a cover of The Oak Ridge Boys‘ “Dig a Little Deeper in the Well”.
Check out footage from the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame induction via Lansing State Journal below. For a complete list of inductees, head here.
[h/t Lansing State Journal]
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