Kirk Whalum, Don Nix, Deanie Parker among Memphis Music Hall of Fame's class of 2023

Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, soul-blues-rocker Don Nix, Stax Records stalwart Deanie Parker and hitmaking hip-hop producer Carlos Broady are among those set to be enshrined in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announced its latest group of inductees during a online video event Thursday afternoon.

The 1930s blues outfit Cannon’s Jug Stompers, Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison and legendary gospel group the Spirit of Memphis Quartet were also named among the Hall's class of 2023.

This newly minted hall of famers will be formally inducted Oct. 12 during public ceremonies at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

“As we approach the 100-inductee mark, we’re very thrilled with the wide array of important artists and producers, songwriters and key figures that we’ve been able to celebrate,” said John Doyle, president and CEO of the Hall.

Doyle added that this new class "further reinforces Memphis' global impact on a variety of musical genres. Blues, rap, hip-hop, jug band, soul, rock, jazz are all part of this year's celebration. And it shows the longevity of Memphis' musical legacy, starting with artists from the early 1900s and all the way through to today."

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame — operated by the Smithsonian-branded Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum — was launched in 2012, as a way of honoring musical greats from or associated with Memphis and the Mid-South.

After enshrining 25 members in its first year, the Hall has generally inducted between six to eight new members each year. With this year’s class, the Hall will reach a total of 97 members, a roll call that features local and international music icons from B.B. King to Elvis Presley to Justin Timberlake.

Memphis Music Hall of Fame's 2023 inductees

More than just big-name performers, the Hall has also sought to honor influential songwriters, session players, producers and label heads. Beyond rock, pop and R&B, the Hall has focused its efforts in acknowledging Memphis trailblazers in jazz, gospel, classical and opera — and this year’s class once again runs the gamut of Memphis music.

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A member of early Stax group The Mar-Keys, musical polymath Don Nix went onto a prolific career as a songwriter, producer, arranger. His classic blues anthem “Going Down” has become a standard of the genre. Nix also produced albums for Freddie King, Albert King, Jeff Beck and Furry Lewis and worked with The Beatles' George Harrison on the Concert for Bangladesh.

Joining him will be Deanie Parker, the Stax songwriter, label publicist and later Soulsville Foundation president, who has carried the torch for the iconic soul label for more than 60 years.

Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum earned his nod thanks to an illustrious career as a sideman (for Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross among others) as well as his work as a solo jazz and spiritual music artist.

Memphis-born writer and producer Carlos Broady was recognized for his influential role in the rap world, including key work with The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Kanye West among others.

Also joining those four living inductees will be singer Jimi Jamison. Best known for his work with Survivor, Jamison also led Memphis rock bands Target and Cobra in the '70s and ‘80s. He died in 2014.

One of the key figures in early Memphis music history, Gus Cannon will be honored along with his group, Cannon’s Jug Stompers (Cannon died in 1979). The members of the Spirit of Memphis Quartet will also be recognized for their pioneering contributions to Black gospel. The group, originally founded in 1930, continued on with different members over the decades.

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The Memphis Music Hall of Fame honorees were selected by a committee made up of local and national musicians, writers, educators and other music experts.

Tickets for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Cannon Center are on sale at Ticektmaster.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Music Hall of Fame announces 2023 inductees: See who they are