Country Music Hall of Fame Predictions: Veterans Category
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Veterans Picks for Country Music Hall of Fame
Radio Personality Amanda Tempel dives into her picks for the 2025 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the Veterans category. She also explains the Hall of Fame election process, including the different categories and the voting procedure. Additionally, she discusses the Hall of Fame's medallion ceremony and past surprise performances honoring inductees. Amanda highlights notable classic country artists and their contributions to country music.
00:00 Introduction to the Episode
00:10 Understanding the Election Process
01:03 The Voting and Induction Ceremony
02:14 Special Performances and Surprises
03:35 The Backlog and Special Inductions
04:19 Veterans Category: My Top Picks
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Welcome to Across the Country with Amanda. I'm so glad to have you along. In this episode, I'll be breaking down my picks for this year's inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Now before we dive into my picks, let's talk about the election process. Each year, one member is picked for the Veterans category, and this recognizes an artist who first achieved national success 45 years ago.
The modern category is for artists who first achieved success at least 20 years ago. And the third category rotates every year. In 2024, it was the recording and touring musician category. This year, it is the non-performer category, which can be given to anyone who works in the country music business, and it can be a wide range of people.
We're talking about publishers, producers, record label executives, media personalities, photographers, basically anyone who works behind the scenes in the music business. And looking ahead to 2026, it will be the songwriter category that will be spotlighted. So who exactly votes for the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Well, that would be the Country Music Association. They cast the ballots, and they have an anonymous panel that selects new members. It goes through several rounds of ballots before arriving to the final picks.
Then those new inductees are privately notified, and they do keep it a secret for a bit. But then, they're invited to attend the announcement ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is live streamed for the public to watch.
Then in the fall, the medallion ceremony takes place. This is where each inductee will receive their medallion that officially recognizes them as a Hall of Fame member. There's also a plaque that will be revealed of the members and their accomplishments.
And these are displayed in the rotunda at the Hall of Fame, and if you take the tour, you'll get to see that display.
And during the ceremony, there are also performances to honor each new inductee. And these performances, they're kept a surprise for the inductee. Typically, the Hall of Fame, they work with the artist's family or their business team to put together performances that the artist admires or maybe they've worked with in the past.
And let me tell you, there have been some pretty cool surprises throughout the last few years. Last year, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, he showed up to honor legendary guitarist James Burton. Post Malone, Blake Shelton, and Eric Church, they played for Toby Keith's induction ceremony. And the year before that, 2023 inductee Patty Loveless, she was surprised when one of her biggest fans, Bob Seger, played one of her classics during the ceremony.
And while some organizations like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame broadcast their induction ceremonies, the Country Music Hall of Fame, it takes a more personal approach. The medallion ceremony is not televised. It takes place in the theater at the Hall of Fame versus a massive stadium.
So this is a more private event meant for friends and families of the inductees and the people who are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. So yeah, the general public is unable to purchase tickets to attend this event. The Hall of Fame, they do release a recap video of the night's best moments, so fans are able to get a glimpse of all the things that happened during induction night.
I think it would be amazing if it was televised, but I also understand why it's not. TV production is a big undertaking, and then it would probably lose the charm if performers had to worry about being on TV too.
Now, when you only induct three members a year, you're obviously going to have a huge backlog. In 2021, when the Country Music Hall of Fame opened their new and current location in downtown Nashville, they celebrated by inducting 12 new members. And personally, I think it's time to do that again.
Especially when it comes to the veterans category. And how I think about the Hall of Fame is like, kind of like who comprises the story of country music? Who are the artists who made country music what it is?
And like I mentioned earlier, the veterans category recognizes artists that achieved prominence 45 years ago. And there are so many acts who ruled the radio and made an impact on the next generation of performers. I'm going to run down my list of artists that I think deserve induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and then I'll reveal my pick, who I hope gets nominated this year for the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Thanks to the Urban Cowboy era, Mickey Gilley, he experienced major success in the 70s and into the 80s, with a more polished sound that brought tons of new listeners to country music. His run at radio was very impressive with 17 number one hits.
He also became the first act to be a triple crown winner at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He would win Top New Artist, Top Vocalist, and Entertainer of the Year.
Anne Murray is an international crossover artist who achieved many firsts in country music. She was the very first solo female artist to win Album of the Year, and that has only happened nine times since.
When it comes to album sales and Murray, she is in the top 10 of best selling female country artists of all time.
The Bellamy brothers Howard and David, they scored at least one top 10 hit every year, making an impressive 11 year streak. The duo also helped bring country music to an international audience.
They were one of the few US based acts to tour Australia, Asia, and many places around the world. And to this day, they keep their calendar full, playing hundreds of dates. And with 26 top 10 hits at country radio, they've been a major part of country music history.
Well, if you're talking about the greatest voices in country music, your list is incomplete without Gene Watson.
He became a member of the Grand Ole Opry just a few years ago in 2020, and from his breakthrough in 1975, he has charted 48 singles on the Billboard charts, including the Timeless Hits, Farewell Party, Love in the Hot Afternoon, 14 Carat Mine, and many others.
So as I'm narrowing down my list of picks for the veterans category, I couldn't help but think of how overlooked some of these artists were. Sometimes they become massive stars with all these big hits, but sometimes their legacy gets a little bit forgotten along the way.
And I feel like that's the case with Eddie Rabbit. He passed away relatively young, in fact, his passing was quite a surprise because Eddie didn't reveal his terminal cancer diagnosis, and at his family's request, it was nearly two weeks after his burial before the public even knew that he had passed away.
And you want to talk about someone who dominated radio, that was Eddie Rabbit. And not just the country charts, but the pop and the AC charts as well. I love A Rainy Night, Driving My Life Away, Suspicion, Step by Step, the list goes on and on.
He was a true crossover superstar, nominated for all genre awards and the Entertainer of the Year award by the Academy of Country Music. His music was embedded in pop culture with songs like Every Which Way But Loose, which was featured in Clint Eastwood's movie.
And that song, it would debut at number 18 on the charts, which that was the highest position a country song has ever debuted at. And Eddie would hold on to that record for nearly 3 decades until 2005 when Garth Brooks would tie it.
And his chart run was incredible. 37 top 20 hits from the 70s throughout the early 90s. And let's not forget, he arrived in Nashville as a songwriter. He's responsible for Kentucky Rain by Elvis, Ronnie Millsap's classic Pure Love. He's just absolutely worthy of induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Again, when I think about who should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame, it's the Axe that made an imprint on country music. And someone whose traditional style made a major impact is Vern Gosdin. The voice of country music, Vern Gosdin, he started out in several music groups based in California. he did take a break from the music business, but then he returned in the mid 70s and scored his first top 10 hit.
And he continued to achieve critical and commercial success with his landmark album, Chiseled in Stone. Larry, Steve, and Rudy. The Gatlin Brothers. Music has been a part of their entire lives and they are such a part of country music's landscape. It was Dottie West that helped Larry receive his big break in Nashville. She recorded several of his songs and even bought him a plane ticket for him to move to Nashville.
That led to Larry working with Chris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, and then to solo work in albums as a trio. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers scored 25 top 20 hits, and at one point they had their own venue in Branson.
They've toured extensively and they have been fixtures on the Grand Ole Opry for 49 years. I've got a few more artists that we'll discuss before we get to my pick for this year's Country Music Hall of Fame induction. And up next is Earl Thomas Conley. Like Eddie Rabbit, who we previously discussed, Earl Thomas Conley is another act who dominated country radio.
Now, when you think of the 80s, you think of massive superstars like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Madonna, and so many more who ruled the airwaves.
But who had the most number one hits in the 80s? You might be surprised to find out that Earl Thomas Conley comes in at number 3, beating out all of those artists I just mentioned. And it was country that ruled that list, Alabama. They topped the list, followed by Ronnie Millsap and then yes, Earl Thomas Conley at number three with 18 number one hits in a row.
And he became the first artist in any music format to have four number one hits from one album.
He had his big duet with Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters that led to a Grammy nomination and Earl Thomas Conley became the only country artist to ever appear on Soul Train.
Blake Shelton has been a long time champion of him. Earl Thomas Conley co-wrote Blake's 2002. Hit All Over Me. And Blake even dedicated one of his CMA Mel Vocalist Awards to him.
And more recently, Luke Bryan, who grew up listening to his music, he actually mentions Earl Thomas Conley in his latest hit, Country Song Came On.
It's so great to see his legacy being remembered, now let's just get him into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Another artist I think deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame is Lynn Anderson. She scored 32 top 20 hits throughout her career, and she was just the definition of a star. From her early days on Lawrence Welk all the way to hosting her own CBS TV special, Lynn Anderson, she certainly had a huge presence in country music.
She was a Grammy winner, she was named Female Vocalist by the ACMs and CMAs, and she was named Artist of the Decade in the 70s by Record World. Of course, everyone knows her big hit, Rose Garden, and she was scoring hits on both the country and AC charts during this time. Lynn Anderson had a lot of firsts in country music.
She was the first country act to headline Madison Square Garden in New York City. When her album, Rose Garden, reached number one, it set the record for most weeks at number one. And she would hold on to that record for nearly 25 years until Shania Twain's The Woman in Me surpassed it.
And for me, she's another one of those artists you say, How is she not in the Hall of Fame?
So I've just ran down a few of the artists that I think deserve to be inducted into the Veterans category at the Hall of Fame. But who tops my list? It's an artist that when you look back at country music's history, you just can't tell the story without mentioning this act.
My pick for the veteran category inductee for the Country Music Hall of Fame is Crystal Gale. With 36 top 20 hits, she became the first solo female country act to ever score a platinum record. Her signature song, Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, was a worldwide hit, hitting number one in several countries.
And did you know, she recorded that song in one single take? She became one of the most recognizable stars in any format of music. She had her own concert specials on TV, and she appeared on many television shows.
And without a doubt, she became an influence for the next generation of country acts who grew up watching her perform. And she is still a very active performer, drawing audiences of all ages. And you can see her on the Grand Ole Opry, where she became a member a few years ago.
And Crystal Gayle is my pick for the Veterans category for the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame induction. I've got two more episodes coming up about my picks for the modern day category as well as the non performer category. Be on the lookout for those and be sure to subscribe so you are notified when those episodes come out.
And as always, thank you so much for listening to Across the Country with Amanda.