Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell perform at the Medallion Ceremony on Oct. 8, 2007, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

Photo: John Russell / CMA

Tribute was paid first to Emery, through "You Gave Me a Mountain," delivered as a chilling solo piece by Raul Malo. The Gaither Vocal Band then romped through "Yes, I Know," and Con Hunley extolled Emery's interview technique by recalling one night on his show at WSM.

"I'd invited this young lady over to dinner in my trailer," Hunley said. "There was a place in the bathroom where the floor was rotted out, but the linoleum still covered it. All of a sudden, I heard this big scream. Anyway, I told Ralph about this when we were in the dressing room. We'd already discussed what we were going to talk about on the show — songs, my current single and all of that.

"Well, first pop out of the box," Hunley said, "I sat down, and Ralph says, 'What about that girl in the trailer?'" And as the laughter subsided, Hunley and the Medallion All-Star Band gave a steamy reading of "Since I Fell for You" that brought the room — not for the first or last time — to its feet.

Ray Stevens followed, with a story about an Emery radio contest that involved a chicken and a plane flight to Louisiana and an irresistible rendering of "Everything Is Beautiful." Wendell then called Emery to the podium for his induction. Speaking with his customary dignity, Emery thanked his wife, Joy, for their 40 years of marriage and then quoted from a spiritual poem of gratitude, written by the late Hall of Fame member Tennessee Ernie Ford, whose final lines — "Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed" — touched something close to the heart of music as well as faith.

To open the next part of the ceremony, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris sang "Some Things Never Get Old," from Gill's monumental These Days. Michael McDonald, joined by Gill's band members Tom Britt, Dawn Sears, Billy Thomas, Pete Wasner and Jeff White, sang "Go Rest High on That Mountain," his smoky vocal riding the slow gospel roll like a ship sailing home after too long at sea. Guy Clark walked onstage after that to perform "The Randall Knife" with a rugged eloquence that inspired Gill to leap from his seat and embrace his longtime mentor. And Al Anderson rocked Gill's "Next Big Thing" with an energy that dared listeners not to party.

Introduced by Hall of Famer Whisperin' Bill Anderson, mixing gentle humor with a profession of love for his wife Amy Grant, Gill confessed to still being surprised at his admission to the Hall. "Maybe it affirms the way I've tried to live my life, and that was trying to put everybody else first," he mused. "I felt that's the kindest way to live. And I enjoyed every role I was able to play in music. It never mattered if I was on the side; I just wanted to be in the band. I was just dumb enough to sing, and look at what happened."

Kenny Rogers performs at the Medallion Ceremony on Oct. 8, 2007, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

Photo: John Russell / CMA

He did allow himself a flicker of satisfaction. "As I look around this room, I see so many fellow Hall of Famers," he began. And then, after stopping for a moment, Gill beamed and said, "That felt great!"

Tillis' segment was preceded by Bobby Bare's familiar yet powerful treatment of "Detroit City." ("Here's a song I never get tired of," the denim-clad singer growled before Brent Mason hit the famous E-string opening lick.) Kenny Rogers then reminded listeners of the meaning behind another Tillis composition, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," a meditation on the impact of the Vietnam War that still bears relevance. "Mel, I'll just tell you this," Rogers summed up. "A lot of people in this world can write great songs. Very few people can write important songs."

After performing, Rogers yielded the spotlight to Pam Tillis, who allowed that "so much of what I've done in my career has been an effort to make my Dad proud." She performed "Coca Cola Cowboy," Dierks Bentley followed by tearing through "I Ain't Never," and then it was time for Hall of Fame member Little Jimmy Dickens to come forward.

"You folks in our audience here tonight, if you've never seen Mel Tillis in concert, you've missed a lot," the Opry legend said. "When he steps on the stage, he upgrades Country Music and the industry that we all love and stand for. Men like this are hard to come by, and I'm proud that Mel Tillis is my friend."

With that, Dickens presented Tillis with his medallion. The newest member of the Hall spoke, with his impeccable comic timing, about his failure as a stuttering salesman for "Harrie's Cookies" ("I wouldn't eat a hairy cookie either," he said), his appreciation for girlfriend Kathy DeMonaco and the other special people in his life, and finally for "this little angel on my shoulder" who had stayed with him through good and tougher times.

The inductions concluded with all Hall of Fame members in attendance joining in a performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and a promise to meet again next year, in harmony with the music that brings this circle together.