Greenfield native Ralph May and longtime Hillsboro resident and local deejay Herb Day were inducted into the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Keepin’ It Country Farm near Waynesville on Aug. 12 by Jackie Thomas, the executive director of the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame.

“It’s something I never dreamed would have happened if I ever thought about it,” said May. “I have friends that have been inducted, but I didn’t really feel I was worthy or it would be justified because I was never a traditional country singer. It was a great honor, and I’m pretty humbled by it.”

May started a rock band in 1965 when he was 15 that played in Hillsboro, Greenfield, Wilmington and Chillicothe. During more than 50 years of performing, May sang with Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Johnny Mathis, Johnny Paycheck and many more stars of their day. He also had several top 100 hits of his own.

“It’s kind of indescribable because it’s an acknowledgement for a career worth of work, and it’s something I never expected at all,” said Day. “As a matter of fact, my wife knew it, and it was kept secret until it happened that night. We were going to induct Ralph May into the hall of fame, which we did, and then I tried to leave but they captured me and dragged me back, and that’s how I found out about it.”

Day has been in broadcasting for almost 50 years, and as a musician he has opened for Paycheck, Jones and Marty Robbins.

“I’ve opened for a lot of the big Nashville names,” he said. “I spent about 10 years trying to make it in Nashville like so many hundreds of thousands of others tried to. Performing was my plan A and my plan B was radio, so plan B worked out, and that’s how I made the bulk of my living through the years.”

Day currently owns and operates Fun Oldies Rock and Roll Herb Day Radio (www.herbdayradio.com) and Red, White & Blue Country (www.hebdaycountry.com) radio stations.

Reach John Hackley at 937 402-2571.