The first group of inductees into the Arts Hall of Fame will be celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in Gravely Hall Performing Arts Center at Danville High School. The celebration is free and open to the public.

Seven inaugural inductees are being honored for their contribution to the arts while part of the Danville School community, for their contributions to the arts outside of Danville schools, and for how they have empowered other artists.

Ashley Gorley

Ashley Gorley (class of ‘95) is a songwriter and music publisher with over 75 #1 radio singles to his name. He has written hits for stars like Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, was Billboard’s Number One Hot 100 Songwriter in 2023, and earned Grammy and ACM honors, including Songwriter of the Year. He was also named NSAI’s Songwriter of the Decade in 2021. Gorley’s songs “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen and “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone became two of the biggest country crossover hits of all time.

William W. Gravely, Sr.

William W. Gravely, Sr. (Danville schools faculty 68-80) became band director at Danville High School in 1968 and revitalized the band program. He developed a winning Competitive Band and Show Band that toured extensively under his leadership, winning many contests while representing both Danville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He also produced many musicals at DHS, introducing hundreds of students to the stage while greatly entertaining the community.

Larnelle Harris

Larnelle Harris (class of ‘65) is a five-time Grammy Award winner and Hall of Fame vocalist and performer who was honored with the Kentucky Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. From the White House to the Kremlin, Harris has impacted audiences across the globe with his music, achieving 19 #1 radio songs and countless top 10 hits.

Heather Henson

Heather Henson (class of ‘84) is the author of 10 critically-acclaimed and award-winning picture books and novels for young readers, including “That Book Woman,” “Lift Your Light a Little Higher,” “Dream of Night,” “The Whole Sky,” and most recently, “Wrecked,” a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” set in Kentucky. She is also managing director of Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre, which her father founded in 1949.

Maurice Manning

Maurice Manning (class of ‘84) is the author of eight books of poetry, including “Snakedoctor,” “Railsplitter,” “Bucolics,” and “Lawrence Booth’s Book of Visions.” His recognitions include The Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his book “The Common Man,” and a Guggenheim fellowship.  His work is inspired by Kentucky and its rich history. He teaches at Transylvania University..

Mrs. Janet Nash

Mrs. Janet Nash (1971-2001) was music teacher in the Danville School district. She began her time in the district teaching at the old Danville High School and was integral in advocating for a choir room to be included in the designs for new Danville High School. She then taught music classes and led choirs at Jennie Rogers, Mary G. Hogsett, Edna Toliver and John W. Bate. During her tenure in Danville Schools, she was known for putting on an annual musical for each grade at each of the three elementary schools for a total of 15 musicals each year.

Frank X. Walker

Frank X. Walker (class of ‘79) is a multidisciplinary artist and educator as well as the first African-American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. He is the author of 13 collections of poetry, including “Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers,” which won a NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus ALA Honor Award for Poetry. Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets. In 2020, Walker received the Donald Justice Award for Poetry from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He is founding editor of “pluck! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture.”

With the newly-established Arts Hall of Fame, the Danville Independent School District and the Friends of the Arts honor former Danville students and employees and celebrate the many years and varied ways inclusive arts excellence has been integrated into the Danville Schools experience.