CONWAY — About 75 beach music lovers gathered in Wheelwright Auditorium on Sunday night as Coastal Carolina University hosted its second annual Beach Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Ten songs and eight artists joined last year’s crop of music to take a permanent place in the beach music exhibit in the auditorium.

“These are more than artists. They were inspiration,” said Billy Scott, a beach music artist. “I was very inspired and it led to me where I am today.”

Audience members smiled as the foot-tapping, finger-popping songs played on a video screen – especially during Bill Haley & His Comets’ hit “Rock Around the Clock.”

The audience also was treated to dance performances, including one from Bubber Snow and his twin sister Sissie McAllister. Snow, a former state legislator, is credited with having the shag named South Carolina’s state dance and beach music the state music.

When Scott told Snow, 81, he was looking forward to seeing him dance, Snow replied, “You should have seen us in 1942.”

Diane DeVaughn Snow, who co-hosted with Scott, has emceed the National Shag Dance Championships since 1988.

“It’s one of our areas greatest exports – beach music,” she said.

Scott noted that many of the singers honored have died, some recently, such as Etta James who died in January.

“We’ve lost a lot of great R&B artists over the years, but it feels good to be able to induct them into this wonderful hall of fame,” he said.

The South Carolina General Assembly named CCU the home of the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

Contact MAYA T. PRABHU at 444-1722.