Billy Strings owes his dad, Terry Barber, a favor after he filled in for him at the 2026 Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
This past weekend was a big weekend for Billy Strings. At the young age of 33-years-old, he was to be inducted into his home state’s Country Music Hall of Fame. The bluegrass artist was actually set to headline the ceremony that took place at the Charlotte Performing Arts Center… but unfortunately, something came up, and Strings wasn’t able to make it.
Donah Hyland, who was an inductee into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame herself in 1997, was fighting back tears when she announced that Billy wouldn’t be there… and shared that a special person had made the trip to accept the honor on his behalf:
“I’ve been crying all day (after) I found out that Billy can’t be here. I talked to Terry, his dad, and Terry was good enough to drive a couple of hours to be here and fill in for his son. Billy is a 3-time Grammy winner, he’s got an Entertainer of the Year award, he’s a very, very nice person… I’m very sorry that he can’t be here, but I hope he’s having a great day wherever he’s at.”
You could tell how much the absence of Billy Strings broke Hyland’s heart as she stood on stage and welcomed Strings’ father – Terry Barber – out to the stage.
Both Terry and Billy’s late mother, Debra, helped introduce Strings to a variety of different music, which ultimately shaped him as the impressive artist that he is today. Billy didn’t just magically turn into a master bluegrass player overnight. He dedicated himself to playing guitar and learning music at a young age, even studying the likes of bluegrass legends like Doc Watson and trying to emulate the greats.
Considering his father is also a Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame member (he was inducted in 2024), Strings had a great teacher living under the same roof when he was growing up. When Barber accepted the honorary plaque on behalf of his son, he joked that he’d put it right next to his own, and made sure to express his appreciation to the Hall of Fame:
“I think I’ll put that right next to mine on the wall… Thank you all so much. I’m proud to be here, for me and my boy that didn’t make it. He’s with his family though, I tell him ‘I’m going for you, boy.’”
While Terry Barber was up on stage, he played a few songs for those that were in attendance.
He kicked things off with George Jones’ “Life to Go,” which is a song that means a lot to he and his son (the Jones track was included in Terry and Billy’s 2022 collaborative album Me/And/Dad). Barber then went with two straight songs from Charley Pride: “I’m So Afraid of Losing You Again” and “On the Southbound.”
Despite Billy Strings not being able to make it in person, it was still a special night that welcomed the uberly talented Michigan native into the state’s Country Music Hall of Fame, where he’ll be immortalized alongside his father… who has some impressive picking skills himself:
