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Hall of Fame Induction Process

The Induction Process

There are three steps to the induction process:

1.  Your questionnaire is received, processed and investigated.
2.  Your qualifications are verified and you are placed into the Candidate Pool.
3.  You are selected for a specific induction class.

Each step is explained in more detail below:
 

The Questionnaire Process

To begin the induction process, you must complete a questionnaire.  Please note that we cannot consider anyone for induction without a completed questionnaire.  There are those who feel that the Hall should know them well enough that a questionnaire is not needed, but this is not the case.  There are thousands of musicians that meet the minimum requirements of being 50 years old with 25 years experience, part of it in the Wabash Valley.  The Board needs to know about a musician's career and accomplishment to determine who is best qualified.  This would be a nearly impossible job without questionnaires. 

You can fill out a questionnaire for yourself, or if you know of a deserving musician, you can fill one out on their behalf.  If you email your questionnaire to us, we will reply to let you know we received it.  If you send it via snail mail, you will not receive a response.  This is due to a lack of resources (both time and money), not a lack of interest.  We appreciate everyone who takes the time to send us a questionnaire.

First, get a copy of the questionnaire.  Click here to view the questionnaire.  If you plan to send us a paper copy, use your browser's Print function to print the page.  If you plan to send the questionnaire electronically, use your browser's Save As function to save a copy of the questionnaire to your computer.  The questionnaire will open in separate window, so close the window when you are finished to return here.

Second, fill out the form.  If you printed the questionnaire, fill it out.  If you saved the questionnaire to your computer, open it in Notepad and type the data.  The dotted lines on the questionnaire divide the form into three sections.  Here is how to complete each section:

Section 1 -- Enter the date you filled out the form.  Check the first box if you are submitting the form for yourself.  Check the second box if you are submitting the form for someone else for induction into the Hall of Fame.  Check the third box if you submitting the form to enter someone in the Band of Angels.

Section 2 -- Skip this section if you are submitting the form for yourself.  Otherwise, enter information about yourself in this section.  We need this information so that we can contact you if we have questions about the information you provided.

Section 3 -- If you checked the first or second box in Section 1, be sure to complete all fields in this section.  If you checked the third box in Section 1, you may skip personal information like address, telephone number, etc., but enter all of the remaining information, including years performed.  Please do not to "cut corners" when filling in the information, such as writing "Play guitar and other instruments" or "Played in band X and many others".  The purpose of the questionnaire is to help us get to know you and learn about your musical career, so the more information and the better the quality of the information, the quicker we can determine your eligibility.  For example, here's a good way to list the bands you've been in: "Band A (1970-75), Band B (1975-76), Band C (1980-83), performed as a solo act (1985-90)", etc.

If you filled out a paper copy, mail or deliver it to us as described at the bottom of the form.  If you saved the file to your computer, save it again after you enter your data, return to this web site, go to the Contact Us page, start an email, attach your file and send it to us.

Upon receipt of your questionnaire, the Hall will enter your information into our questionnaire database.
 

The Qualification Process

When preparations for the next Induction Ceremony begin, usually in late Fall, the Board will review the questionnaires received since the last Induction Ceremony.  If a questionnaire is lacking sufficient information or there are questions about the information, the Board or their representative will follow up to obtain more information, then the questionnaire will be reconsidered.   

As a starting point, a nominee should have spent a portion of their career performing in the area covered by the Hall of Fame (Indiana counties of Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Vermillion, Parke, Greene, Putnam and Owen, and Illinois counties of Clark, Edgar and Crawford), be at least 50 years old and have performed for at least 25 years.  Please be aware that these are the minimum requirements for induction and meeting these requirements does not guarantee induction.  There are so many musicians who meet the minimum requirements that the Hall must also consider the candidate's career and accomplishments.  This is why it is important to include as much information as possible on the questionnaire. 

If it is determined that a nominee is not qualified, they will not be placed in the Candidate Pool.  Also, if the Hall cannot determine whether or not a nominee is qualified (for example: insufficient information on the questionnaire and/or invalid contact information), they will not be placed in the Candidate Pool.

The Hall will retain the questionnaires of nominees who are not placed in the Candidate Pool.  These questionnaires will be reviewed periodically to see there have been any changes that would affect a nominee's eligibility.  Nominees can assist the Hall in this process by submitting a new questionnaire if they have new information (career, accomplishments, contact information) for the Hall to consider. 

If it is determined that a nominee is qualified for induction, they will be placed in the Candidate Pool.    
 

The Selection Process

At the appropriate time, the Board will determine the size of the Induction Class, then vote for nominees in the Candidate Pool.  The top vote-getters will become members of that Induction Class.

Once a nominee has been placed in the Candidate Pool, they will remain there until they are selected for an Induction Class.  Please be aware that you can expect to spend some time in the Candidate Pool before being inducted.  There is a misconception that the Hall immediately admits veteran musicians as soon as they turn 50 years old. While a small number of musicians have been inducted quickly due to exceptional qualifications and accomplishments, most nominees will spend a few years in the Candidate Pool before being selected.  Just because someone doesn't gain admission immediately does not mean that the Hall does not feel they are worthy.

If you know of a deserving musician that has not yet been inducted, we encourage you to speak to us on their behalf.  There's nothing wrong with lobbying for your favorite person, as long as it is done in a constructive manner.
 

Comments On The Process

All Halls of Fame, even the professional sports and music Halls, seem to face the same types of complaints about their selection process - feelings that unqualified people are being inducted, or highly qualified people are being passed over in favor of less qualified people, or other similar complaints.

The Board has made changes over the years to ensure that our candidates are qualified to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  This is why we made questionnaires a requirement in 2009 and we take the time to verify the information on them.  This Hall retains this information in case questions arise in the future. 

Selecting candidates will always be a subjective process.  The Board reviews the process every year to see if there are ways to improve the process.  However, there has never been an Induction Class that pleased everyone, nor is this likely to ever happen.  No matter who makes the selection or what musicians are selected, there are those who will be unhappy with the result.

Unfortunately, a common reason for a musician not being selected is that we have not received a questionnaire for them.  If there is a musician you would like to see in the Hall of Fame, the first step is to make sure that we get a questionnaire.  We understand that there are musicians who don't want to have to do this, which is why we allow people to submit a questionnaire on a musician's behalf.  If we have received a questionnaire, but the person has not yet been inducted, feel free to speak to us on their behalf.  Our only request is that you do it in a constructive manner.