Henry Panion III
Henry Panion III, Ph.D., Ph.D., is among the next group of music legends to be inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
Panion is University Professor of music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He teaches computer music, multimedia production, orchestration, theory and arranging and is director of Music Technology in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music.
Induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame is reserved for a select few Alabamians who have made exceptional musical contributions throughout their careers. Up to six Alabamians may be inducted into the Hall of Fame each induction period. Inductees in 2023 with Panion include Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery, Three on a String, Jeanne Pruett, Jim McBride, and Leblanc & Carr.
Alabama Music Hall of Fame members include such luminaries as Nat “King” Cole, Hank Williams, Sam Phillips, W.C. Handy, Erskine Hawkins, Dinah Washington, Tammy Wynette, Percy Sledge, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Martha Reeves, Commodores, Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, Emmylou Harris, Sun Ra, Odetta, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Chuck Leavell and Big Mama Thornton.
The induction ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence, Alabama. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.alamhof.org or inside the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. At each banquet, inductions are made in the Performing Artist or Group, Music Creator, Entertainment Industry, and Pioneer categories.
Panion is an award-winning producer, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and educator. His experiences span the musical spectrum, from gospel and classical to pop, rock, hip-hop, be-bop and everything in between. Panion has worked with superstars Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan; jazz luminaries Ellis Marsalis, Jonathan Butler and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra; gospel legends the Winans, Kirk Franklin, The Clark Sisters and Yolanda Adams; “American Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Ruben Studdard; country artists Randy Owen, LeAnn Rimes, Sara Evans and the band ALABAMA; R&B songstresses Kelly Price and India Arie; and hip-hop artists Coolio and Nelly. He has worked with more than 50 different symphony orchestras across the globe, from Japan’s Tokyo Philharmonic and London’s Royal Philharmonic to the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, the Orchestra of Paris, the Melbourne (Australia) Symphony, the Rio de Janeiro Philharmonic, the Ra’anana Philharmonic, the Nice Symphony, the Gothenburg Symphony and the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Panion was artistic director for The World Games 2022 opening and closing ceremonies in Birmingham, Alabama, broadcast in over 100 countries. He designed the shows and oversaw production for audio, orchestration, visuals, dance and drama. Panion also conducted the 88-piece World Games Ceremony Orchestra and composed and arranged 40 new musical works for the star-studded ceremonies.
That same year, Panion was selected for induction into the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle, an elite honor society for professionals who have dedicated at least 25 years to television excellence. To read more, visit www.henrypanion.com.