Tony Rice awes at Raleigh's first IBMA Awards Show

Photo by Justin Weber

They’re already starting to call it the “Miracle in Raleigh.”

Tony Rice – known as one of the greatest guitar players of all time and a classic bluegrass baritone who started with J.D. Crowe and The New South and went on to a storied solo career – spoke in his real voice for the first time in two decades in front of an awed Memorial Auditorium crowd during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards show.

Rice was inducted into the IBMA Hall of Fame last night. It was clear all night it would be a special moment. People cheered at every mention of his name. Nobody knew just how monumental it would be.