Country Music Hall of Fame - Definition and Overview

The Country Music Hall of Fame is a museum at 222 Fifth Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Its mission is to document the history of Country music and to honor its major figures.

In 1961, the Country Music Association (CMA) announced the creation of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The first three inductees, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams were announced at a CMA banquet in November. Bronze plaques, with the facial likeness and a thumbnail biography of each new member, were cast in bas relief. They were unveiled on the Grand Ole Opry by Ernest Tubb. These plaques, and those for subsequent Hall of Fame inductees, were displayed in the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville until 1967.

In 1963, the CMA announced that a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was to be built on Music Row in Nashville. In that same year, Tennessee chartered the Country Music Foundation (CMF) as a nonprofit, educational organization to operate the museum.

The original Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened on Music Row (Sixteenth Avenue and Division Street) on April 1, 1967. Operations of the museum came to include educational programs, the CMF Press and CMF Records, the Country Music Foundation Library (1968), and the historic sites RCA Studio B (1977) and Hatch Show Print (1986).

The Music Row location of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was closed December 31, 2000. On May 17, 2001, the CMF held the grand opening of its new $37,000,000 facility in downtown Nashville. Featured exhibits include "Sing Me Back Home: A Journey through Country Music", with a collection of original recordings, instruments, costumes, photographs, et cetera, as well as the Hall of Fame Rotunda, which displays the plaques of all the inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Inductees

2004

• Jim Foglesong (born 1922)
• Kris Kristofferson (born 1936)

2003

• Floyd Cramer (1933–1997)
• Carl Smith (born 1927)

2002

• Bill Carlisle (1908–2003)
• Porter Wagoner (born 1927)

2001

• Bill Anderson (born 1937)
• The Delmore Brothers (Alton Delmore 1908–1964 and Rabon Delmore 1916–1952)
• The Everly Brothers (Don Everly born 1937 and Phil Everly born 1939)
• Don Gibson (born 1928)
• Homer and Jethro (Homer Haynes 1920–1971 and Jethro Burns 1920–1989)
• Waylon Jennings (1937–2002)
• The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker born 1924, Neal Matthews, Jr. 1929–2000, Hoyt Hawkins 1927–1982 and Ray Walker born 1934)
• Don Law (1902–1982)
• The Louvin Brothers (Ira Louvin 1924–1965 and Charlie Louvin born 1927)
• Ken Nelson (born 1911)
• Sam Phillips (1923–2003)
• Webb Pierce (1921–1991)

2000

• Charley Pride (born 1938)
• Faron Young (1932–1996)

1999

• Johnny Bond (1915–1978)
• Dolly Parton (born 1946)
• Conway Twitty (1933–1993)

1998

• George Morgan (1924–1975)
• Elvis Presley (1935–1977)
• E. W. "Bud" Wendell (born 1927)
• Tammy Wynette (1942–1998)

1997

• Harlan Howard (1927–2002)
• Brenda Lee (born 1944)
• Cindy Walker (born 1918)

1996

• Patsy Montana (1908–1996)
• Buck Owens (born 1929)
• Ray Price (born 1926)

1995

• Roger Miller (1936–1992)
• Jo Walker-Meador (born 1924)

1994

• Merle Haggard (born 1937)

1993

• Willie Nelson (born 1933)

1992

• George Jones (born 1931)
• Frances Preston (born 1934)

1991

• Boudleaux & Felice Bryant (Boudleaux Bryant 1920–1987 and Felice (Scaduto) Bryant 1925–2003)

1990

• Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919–1991)

1989

• Jack Stapp (1912–1980)
• Cliffie Stone (1917–1998)
• Hank Thompson (born 1925)

1988

• Loretta Lynn (born 1935)
• Roy Rogers (1911–1998)

1987

• Rod Brasfield (1910–1958)

1986

• The Duke of Paducah (Whitey Ford 1901–1986)
• Wesley Rose (1918–1990)

1985

• Flatt and Scruggs (Lester Flatt 1914–1979 and Earl Scruggs born 1924)

1984

• Ralph Peer (1892–1960)
• Floyd Tillman (1914–2003)

1983

• Little Jimmy Dickens (born 1920)

1982

• Lefty Frizzell (1928–1975)
• Roy Horton (1914–2003)
• Marty Robbins (1925–1982)

1981

• Vernon Dalhart (1883–1948)
• Grant Turner (1912–1991)

1980

• Johnny Cash (1932–2003)
• Connie B. Gay (1914–1989)
• Sons of the Pioneers (Original) (Leonard Slye (Roy Rogers), Bob Nolan 1908–1980, Lloyd Perryman 1917–1977, Tim Spencer 1908–1974, Hugh Farr 1903–1980 and Karl Farr 1909–1961)

1979

• Hubert Long (1923–1972)
• Hank Snow (1914–1999)

1978

• Grandpa Jones (1913–1998)

1977

• Merle Travis (1917–1983)

1976

• Paul Cohen (1908–1970)
• Kitty Wells (born 1919)

1975

• Minnie Pearl (1912–1996)

1974

• Owen Bradley (1915–1998)
• Pee Wee King (born 1914)

1973

• Chet Atkins (1924–2001)
• Patsy Cline (1932–1963)

1972

• Jimmie Davis (1899–2002)

1971

• Arthur E. Satherley (1889–1986)

1970

• Carter Family (Original) (A. P. Carter 1891–1960, Sara Carter 1898–1979 and Maybelle Carter 1909–1978)

1969

• Gene Autry (1907–1998)
• Bill Monroe (1911–1996)

1968

• Bob Wills (1905–1996)

1967

• Ted Foley (1910–1968)
• J. L. Frank (1900–1952)
• Jim Reeves (1923–1964)
• Stephen H. Sholes (1911–1968)

1966

• Eddy Arnold (born 1918)
• Jim Denny (1911–1963)
• George D. Hay (1895–1968)
• Uncle Dave Macon (1870–1952)

1965

• Ernest Tubb (1914–1984)

1964

• Tex Ritter (1905–1974)

1963

(No one was inducted in 1963.)

1962

• Roy Acuff (1903–1992)

1961

• Jimmie Rodgers (1897–1933)
• Fred Rose (1898–1954)
• Hank Williams (1923–1953)

See also

• Academy of Country Music
• Country Music Association

External link

• Country Music Hall of Fame (http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/)