2017 Inductees To Country Hall of Fame Announced

The Country Music Hall of Fame revealed its Class of 2017 inductees on Wednesday (April 5).

The three-member class includes Alan Jackson in the Modern Era category.

Jackson took the stage and humbly shared parts of his ascent, including the story of his first radio and early moments from his career. At the end he said this was a dream come true, even if he never admitted it. He felt doing so would be pretentious.

The late Jerry Reed was inducted in the Veterans category and Songwriter Don Schlitz was also named as part of the Hall’s newest class in the Songwriter category. Schlitz’s many hits include “The Gambler” for Kenny Rogers, “Forever and Ever, Amen” for Randy Travis and “When You Say Nothing at All” for Keith Whitley. He gave an emotional speech in which he thanked everyone who helped with his journey, mentioning that he couldn’t share the secret for a month as part of the framework.

The Country Music Association created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to honor artists who have significantly impacted country music. Currently there are 130 members on the Hall of Fame roster, including icons such as Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, George Jones, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.



The official induction ceremony for the new members will take place later this year. 2007 HOF inductee Vince Gill was the host, mixing personal stories and jokes in between the speeches.