We are thrilled to honor Velma Williams Smith, a true trailblazer from Kentucky, as she joins the 2026 class of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
Velma Williams Smith was born on July 27, 1927, in Epley Station (Logan County), Kentucky. Early on, she performed with her sister as the Williams Sisters duo and toured the Grand Ole Opry. In the late 1940s and early 1950s she toured with legendary artists such as Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff,
Carl Smith, George Morgan, Little Jimmy Dickens, Stringbean, and Hank Snow.
Velma went on to become a key session musician in Nashville’s famed RCA Studio B “A-Team” of studio musicians — the only female member of that elite group. She played on Hank Lockin’s 1960 hit Please Help Me, I’m Falling, which spent 14 weeks atop Billboard’s country singles chart, and on Skeeter Davis’ 1962 crossover smash The End of the World. She also backed such artists as Eddy Arnold, Bobby Bare, Don Gibson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Ray Price, Jerry Reed, Hank Snow and Porter Wagoner.
Velma passed away July 31, 2014, at age 87, leaving a legacy of breaking barriers and crafting the sound of an era.
Velma’s roots in Kentucky link her directly to our state’s rich musical heritage. Her pioneering success — as a female session musician in a male-dominated industry — makes her induction not just deserving, but historic. Her work silently underpins many of country music’s most iconic recordings, and now her home state is proudly recognizing that achievement.
Stay tuned for details about the induction ceremony and how fans can celebrate her legacy. Let’s raise our guitars in honor of Velma Williams Smith!