The City of Wilder honored country music artist Bobby Mackey during a city council meeting earlier this month. Recently inducted into the Independent Country Music Hall of Fame by Josie Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, Mackey has been a fixture of the Wilder community for over forty years.
Mayor Bob Arnold presented Mackey with a city proclamation in recognition of the artist’s achievements. Mackey, in addition to being a country music performer, owns Bobby Mackey’s Music World, a well-known nightclub and music venue, located near the Licking River.
Founded in 1978, the club also advertises itself as the “Most Haunted Nightclub in America,” and offers ghost tours to paying patrons. The venue has been featured on several paranormal TV programs.
Mayor Arnold stated that the city of Wilder wanted to express “sincere appreciation and admiration to the legendary Bobby Mackey for receiving the Josie Award for lifetime career achievement.”
Mackey has been making music for nearly half a century. His most well-known songs include “Johanna,” “Hellfire & Brimstone,” and “Pepsi Man.” Mackey was also honored by the Northern Kentucky Music Legends Hall of Fame in 2012. He still plays music regularly at his nightclub.
“I just had to have it,” Mackey said of the venue when he first laid eyes upon it in 1978.
“For 44 years, I saw this place [Wilder] grow daily,” Mackey added upon receiving the Council’s proclamation. “Every day I saw the growth here, and this city has grown in leaps and bounds. I love this city. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Learn more about Bobby Mackey’s Music World at the club’s website.
