Josh Graves, the man who singlehandedly established the Dobro as a vital bluegrass instrument, was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the IBMA Awards Show by Jerry Douglas, who has taken the Dobro beyond bluegrass and into previously unimaginable areas over the past 20 years.

It was a proud moment for the Dobro company, too (currently in the process of a move from California to Nashville's new Original Acoustic Instrument facility, which makes a Josh Graves Signature model as well as a Jerry Douglas Signature model.

Graves provided another highlight of the awards show when he teamed up with his old bass Earl Scruggs and former Bluegrass Alliance member Vince Gill for an onstage performance.

The awards show was one of three facets of IBMA week, which also included a trade show and FanFest. Held at at the Galt House Towers in Louisville from Oct. 13-19, the event drew an estimated 15,000-17,000 fans.

As always, the Gibson/Epiphone booth was the place to be for jamming, meeting legendary performers and test driving the latest guitar, banjo and mandolin models. Several of GMI's signature artists made personal appearances at the booth for autograph sessions, including Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe and Josh Graves. Doyle Lawson also dropped by to put a J-60 flat top through its paces.

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