(Batesville, IN) — Cincinnati-area native and former Little Texas star Brady Seals will headline the Southeastern Indiana Musicians Association Hall of Fame Award Ceremony and Concert this Saturday night at the Gibson Theater in Batesville. Ten people will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 6:30. Tickets are $15 online, plus a $1 convenience charge, or $20 at the door. Online tickets are delivered by email, and buyers should check their spam folders if they don’t arrive. Anyone who does not receive a ticket email can contact seimusicorg@gmail.com.
This year’s inductees are music educators Jeannie Herman and Leon Enneking, along with musicians Melissa Singer Reed, Bill “Gabby” Gabbard, Kim Smith, Jimmy Cunningham, Brad Bentle, Micky Evans, Rob Workman, and Andy Jackson.
Seals, who spent six years as keyboardist and co-lead singer of Little Texas, will perform an intimate acoustic set with drummer John Rice. He told WRBI’s Brent Lee during an interview this week, that the concert will feature familiar hits while keeping the spotlight on the inductees.
“It’s just gonna be a great time to begin with. It’s just gonna be awesome. And it’s always fun to induct new inductees to the Hall of Fame,” Seals said.
Seals co-wrote the Little Texas hits “What Might Have Been,” “God Blessed Texas,” and “My Love.” He said Saturday’s performance could also include songs made famous by members of his musical family, including “Summer Breeze” and “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight.”
His family connections include cousins Jimmy Seals of Seals & Crofts and Dan Seals, also known as England Dan, along with his uncle, songwriter Troy Seals. In 2016, Brady joined Lua Crofts, daughter of Darrell “Dash” Crofts, to form Seals & Crofts 2.
During the WRBI interview, Seals shared the personal story behind “What Might Have Been.” He said his portion of the song was inspired by a woman he dated from Hamilton, Ohio. He saw her again about two years ago during a hometown performance in Fairfield and told her the song had been written about her.
Seals grew up in the Cincinnati area and has longstanding ties to Indiana, where he has family. He recalled that one of his earliest performances as a musician took place in Fort Wayne.
“So it feels good to come home,” he said.
Saturday’s ceremony will also recognize five young musicians through the SEIMA Project, which supports aspiring performers ages 14 to 19 in Dearborn, Ripley, Franklin, Ohio, and Switzerland counties.
Grand prize winners Lane Deaton and Alysun Simon will each receive $1,000 to pursue their music careers. Finalists Savannah Dement, Aaron Lewis, and Sydney Gilland will each receive $350.
