The Country Music Association announced the 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees this morning (March 18). The medallion ceremony later this year will honor Toby Keith, John Anderson, and James Burton.
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The CMA voted them into three categories Keith is this year’s Modern Era Artist, Anderson is the Veteran Era Artist, and Burton is in the Recording/Touring Musician category. The latter category rotates annually with the Non-Performer and Songwriter categories. The new trio will bring the CMHoF’s total membership count to 155.
[RELATED: Fans React to Toby Keith’s Posthumous Addition to the Country Music Hall of Fame]
“James, John, and Toby were all original performers with clear, identifiable sounds who walked to the beat of their own drummer and inspired countless others to follow in their footsteps,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said.
Toby Keith Enters the Country Music Hall of Fame Posthumously
Keith passed away three days after the CMA Hall of Fame Board of Electors cast their votes for this year’s inductees. As a result, he is still eligible for induction this year. However, if he had passed away earlier in the month this wouldn’t be the case.
The Country Music Hall of Fame has a rule against inducting artists during the year of their death. “The rules for election do not allow an inductee to be elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the year in which they passed away,” Trahern said. “However, because Toby was selected before he died, he will be inducted in 2024’s class,” she added.
When he died, Keith left behind 20 chart-topping singles and a stack of hit albums that will go on to influence and inspire artists for years to come.
John Anderson Is a Long Overdue Inductee
Anderson came to Nashville in the early ‘70s. Before taking the stage in the Grand Ole Opry House, he helped build the roof. However, even when he was working in construction, he knew he’d stand in the hallowed Circle one day.
Since those long ago days of manual labor, Anderson has released more than 20 albums, taken 5 singles to the top of the charts, and won several genre awards. Additionally, he is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Anderson spoke to The Tennessean about being voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. “I am certainly honored and extremely proud. I’m still trying to really just get a grip on all of it,” he told the publication. “The Hall of Fame and the great people that are in it—many of them were dear friends and heroes of mine. It’s certainly a statement of one’s career. To be honest, I’m still just trying to get a grip on the reality of it actually happening,” he added.
James Burton Thought His Inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame was a Joke
Burton is one of the most influential guitarists in modern country music. He took the styles of Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and others, combined them, and made something wholly unique. His “chicken pickin’” style of playing employs a pick between his index finger and thumb along with a metal finger pick on his middle finger. This allows him to make both bass and melody notes pop. The sound he created is synonymous with the country sound.
The trailblazing picker still thought his inclusion in the 2024 class of the Country Music Hall of Fame was a joke. According to The Tennessean, Keith Urban called him and then handed the phone over to Trahern to deliver the news. He was sure it was a joke and hung up. Then, he redialed the number and asked if it was a prank call.
The medallion ceremony in which Anderson, Keith, and Burton will be formally inducted will take place in October.
Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
