The Whites along with Allen Reynolds, and Jimmy Doyle & Patsy Gayle have been announced as the 2026 Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame inductees by the Arkansas Country Music Awards. They will be honored at the 9th annual awards show. The red carpet event will be held on Monday, June 1 at the Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas.
Arkansas Country Music Awards President Nathan Hunnicutt said, “The honorees for 2026 have certainly carved their own special place in Arkansas music history. Once again, this list solidifies the magnitude and importance of the Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame by way of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the ones that have received it, both past and present.”
Country music journalist and historian Charles Haymes added, “For an Arkansan in the country field, this is the pinnacle for there is no greater honor in the Natural State. The ‘Class of 2026’ is a fine mix of deserving Arkansans. From a much loved hit-making trio to a most incredible songwriter turned music producer to a husband and wife that have worn many hats in the Arkansas entertainment business, this is another wonderful hall of fame mix of very deserving recipients.”
Family harmony has always been a staple in country music. The Whites are a fine example of that. This trio consisting of father Buck White and his daughters Sharon and Cheryl White are one of the music businesses most beloved. Buck’s musical beginnings can be traced back to the neighboring state of Texas where he played countless dance halls and on various radio shows. In 1962, he and his wife, Pat, relocated their family to Mansfield (Sebastian County). It is in Northwest Arkansas where Sharon and Cheryl learned to sing harmony and the popular trio we know today originated. The family relocated to Nashville in 1971. As time passed, Pat stopped performing, the group changed their stage name from The Downhome Folks to The Whites, and they signed with Curb/Warner Brothers Records and later Curb/MCA Records. In 1984, they became members of the Grand Ole Opry. Three years later, Sharon and her husband, Ricky Skaggs, were named Vocal Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association. The list of hits and favored recordings by The Whites include “You Put the Blue In Me,” “Hanging Around,” “Pins and Needles,” “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone),” and “Doing It by the Book.” The Whites won awards from the CMA, the Academy of Country Music and the GRAMMYs for their involvement on the motion picture soundtrack “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” Additionally, they made a cameo appearance in the movie. Buck passed away early last year at the age of 94.
The sole method of induction into the Arkansas Country Music Hall of Fame is by receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Whites, Reynolds, and Jimmy Doyle & Patsy Gayle join previous inductees Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, The Browns, Ed Bruce, Wayne Raney, Conway Twitty, Kye Fleming, Patsy Montana, The Wilburn Brothers, Jimmy Driftwood, Charlie Rich, Wayland Holyfield, Levon Helm, Elton Britt, The Original Rhodes Show, Bill Carter, Lefty Frizzell, Floyd Cramer, Mark Wright, Bob Robbins, Barbara Fairchild, Reggie Young, Albert E. Brumley, Irby Mandrell, K.T. Oslin, Randy Goodrum, Wood Newton, Collin Raye, Shawn Camp, and John Hughey.