The Class of 2019 of the Country Music Hall of Fame was announced on Monday morning. And, big names including Brooks & Dunn, Ray Stevens, and Jerry Bradley were among its members.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is divided into three categories: Modern Era, Veteran Era, and Songwriter/Musician/Non-performer. For the latter, this category rotates. And this year, a non-performer will be elected.
Television and radio host Bill Cody was filling in for an under-the-weather Reba McEntire who hosted the live-streamed announcement of the Class of 2019 in the museum’s rotunda where the plaques of the inductees are proudly placed.
Watch the live announcement here!
The Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2019
Part of the class of 2019 is Modern Era inductees are Brooks & Dunn. They are country music’s most-awarded and biggest-selling duo of all time. Cody was enthusiastic about their announcement, saying that:
“ Their achievements transcend the country genre.”
The duo was paired together during the Nineties by Arista Records Tim DuBois. And together, they’ve got an incredible run and multiple accolades under their belt. Their hit songs include “New Moon,” and “Brand New Man.”
In April, they will release a collaborative album entitled ‘Reboot,’ featuring other country artists including Kane Brown, Luke Combs, and Kacey Musgraves.
The duo had some stellar words when it came to their announcement. Dunn voiced out that he could hardly believe it, while Brooks shared that he was having difficulty describing how he felt because, at the end of the day, he was just a country music fan at heart.
Non-performer category Jerry Bradley became visibly emotional when his father and uncle was mentioned during the press conference. The former RCA Records exec cites that being a big believer in what his dad did for the country genre was what helped him make a name for himself. Bradley soon found himself working with heavyweights such as Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap, and more.
Veterans era inductee Ray Stevens was recognized for his long history in the music industry. He had multiple sessions with Kris Kristofferson, Leroy Van Dyke, and went on to win Grammy Awards.
Stevens was speechless when he was announced as an inductee.
“I am seldom at a loss for words but when they told me I was going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, I was thoroughly caught by surprise. “What a great honor to be included in the company of the people who are already members. When I heard the news, I was speechless and all I can say is, ‘It don’t get no better than this!’”
Reba McEntire will be the host of the announcement night at the Hall of Fame’s rotunda. It will be on the 18th of March, at 10 AM CT.
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Brooks & Dunn, Jerry Bradley, Ray Stevens