June Carter Cash, Kenny Chesney & Tony Brown To Be Inducted Into Country Music Hall Of Fame

CMA has announced the three icons of country music who will be inducted into this year’s Country Music Hall of Fame. The three nominees are Kenny Chesney, June Carter Cash, and Tony Brown.

Chesney will be inducted into the Modern Era Artist category, while Cash will be inducted into the Veterans Era Artist category, and Brown will be inducted into the non-performer category, an award that’s rotated every third year with the Songwriter and Recording and/or Touring Musician categories.

The trio will be formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year during the Hall’s annual Medallion Ceremony.

Tony Brown is a musician, producer, and record label executive who’s been described as “the Kingmaker of country music.” Throughout his impressive career, he has produced over 100 chart-topping country hits and worked with dozens of artists in the industry.

June Carter Cash made and performed music since entering her family’s business as a child. Married to Johnny Cash, the pair won Grammy Awards as she nurtured a community of country artists, such as Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Larry Gatlin, all while sharing and performing classic country music. She sadly passed away in May 2003, with her legacy continuing in the Academy Award-winning film Walk The Line and last year’s critically acclaimed documentary, JUNE.

By 2000, Kenny Chesney had a triple Platinum Greatest Hits album that included How Forever Feels, I Lost It, That’s Why I’m Here, Don’t Happen Twice, and She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy. He’s sold out NFL stadiums across the US.

Last year, he released his 20th album, Born, ahead of releasing his first book, HEART*LIFE*MUSIC, later this year. His career has been packed with unique, genre-crossing artists, such as Ziggy Marley, P!nk, David Lee Murphy, Kelsea Ballerini, and Jimmy Buffett.

“You don’t dare dream of being in the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside legends including George Jones, Willie Nelson, Alabama, even Dean Dillon,” Chesney commented in a statement. “I’ve been lucky enough to get to call them my friends, and that was plenty. But hearing the news I’d been voted into the Hall, I can honestly say, beyond my wildest dreams, it’s an honour that defies words.

“I am humbled, grateful, honoured… as much for all the songwriters, musicians, artists and people who’ve helped me build my career; they have truly inspired me every single day.”

Brown said of his induction, "When you're producing No.1 records, you feel like you know what you're doing. But being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame — especially for someone as idealistic as me —makes it feel like you've truly made an impact. And that has always been my goal.”

The Cash family added, “June Carter Cash represents the whole cloth of Country Music, its breadth and heritage, and June’s place in Country Music is undeniable.

“From the 1940s, across the decades and into the current century, her voice has been heard across the country and throughout much of the world, both with Mother Maybelle Carter, sisters Helen and Anita, and on her own, as well as with her duet partners, including her beloved Johnny Cash, with whom she told stories and inspired musicians both past, present, and future.

“She was a loving wife and mother, an actress, singer, songwriter, comedienne and a truly gifted performer whose persona was never exactly what was expected but was always and totally June. She profoundly respected, and was respected for, her craft, and that endures to this day.

“We, the Carter and Cash families, are most grateful and proud that the County Music Association has given June this well-deserved honour for her undeniable contribution to the fabric of Country Music and American culture.”