Our Predictions for the Country Music Hall Of Fame Class of 2017

The Country Music Hall of Fame will soon be announcing the names of its class of 2017. Here are a few names we hope to see on the list!

Written by Chuck Dauphin
Our Predictions for the Country Music Hall Of Fame Class of 2017
Hank Williams, Jr., Dottie West; Alan Jackson; Artist publicity photos

Soon, the Country Music Hall of Fame will be announcing the names of its class of 2017. Each year, there is always a ton of speculation about who the new inductees might be. Here, we take a look at the three categories for induction, and offer our thoughts on who just might be seeing their plaques being unveiled this fall!

Modern Category

Hank Williams, Jr.
Each year, there is one artist that seems to make sense. This year, “Bocephus” is that artist. Simply put, it’s one of the biggest omissions in the Hall of Fame. Career longevity? He’s been a mainstay on the singles and albums charts for over fifty years. Sales? He’s sold over forty million records and remains the only artist to ever have placed nine albums on the chart at the same time. His influence shows in every Country performer that has come down the pike since with a little bit of attitude. He might not win any ‘Mr. Congeniality’ contests on Music Row, but the numbers don’t lie. This should be his year.

Ricky Skaggs
In the 1980s, he helped to make the music of legends such as Mel Tillis, Flatt and Scruggs, and Roy Acuff as hip and relevant as anything Nashville was releasing at the time. Since 1997, he has done his part to keep the legacy of Bluegrass alive and well. Make no mistake about it though, Skaggs’s place in Country Music is more than secure.

Alan Jackson
I have a feeling Alan’s name is going to be called this year. If you look around the landscape, artists such as Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Reba, who dominated the 90s, are in the Hall, and Alan’s place is more than guaranteed with his iconic streak of hit records. Look for this one to happen in the next two to three years, and it’s a well-deserved induction, when it happens!

Tanya Tucker
One of the format’s most beloved stylists, Tucker took the teenage mantle from Brenda Lee, and ran with it. Since “Delta Dawn” made her a star, she has rolled with the punches. Sometimes, she’s been on top of the world, and other times, she ‘s taken it on the chin. But, more than anything else, Tucker is a survivor, and her music stands as a stirring reflection of this.

Vern Gosdin
If Country Music could be defined by one voice, it could have very well been this Alabama native. First, he made an impact with his brother Rex, and he set off on a solo path in the 1970s. Known simply as “The Voice,” his candidacy might suffer from the fact that the bulk of his career was spent on more obscure labels, and he didn’t achieve his commercial peak until he signed with Columbia when he was well in his 50s. Still, ask Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, or George Strait – all who have covered him. They will tell you, Vern Gosdin is in a league of his own.

Veterans’ Category

Dottie West
Fans and industry insiders have been clamoring for her induction for years, and there is no reason for it not to happen. Her songwriting, performing, and sense of style were years ahead of artists such as Shania Twain and Jo Dee Messina.

Jerry Reed
How many ways could you induct Reed? Whether it be for his recording success or his songwriting, he would merit induction on that basis alone. Add in the fact that he was one of the greatest guitar players to ever hit Nashville, and his movie and television success helped to broaden the appeal of the format like few others in the 1970s, and this should qualify as a slam-dunk.

Ray Charles
If you were to ask the casual music fan their thoughts about Country Music in the 1960s or 70s, the chances are pretty good that Charles would be mentioned. His recordings of classic compositions by Hank Williams, Don Gibson, and Buck Owens stand with the great recordings of all time – of any genre. While he might not have been known as strictly Country, his influence on the format is as strong as anyone on this list.

Johnny Horton
Many modern fans might not know the music of Johnny Horton, but they should. At a time where Rock & Roll was overtaking Country, Horton put together a string of hits that defined the word swagger. Records like “Honky Tonk Man” and the epic “The Battle of New Orleans” helped to keep Country Music alive at a time when the format’s futures looked rather dire.

Archie Campbell
You might have noticed that my selections in the Veterans’ category are all deceased. The Hall has made a habit the past few years of overlooking artists that we have lost, and I wanted to shine the spotlight on a few that deserved to be considered. In Campbell’s case, the average fan today might not be aware of Campbell, and if they were, it might simply be for being one of the overall-clad comedians of “Hee Haw.” That would be enough, but Campbell turned the Country Comedy sub-genre on its’ ear in the 1950s and 1960s with a string of classic albums for RCA, in addition to being the first comedian to hit the Grand Ole Opry stage in a suit and tie rather than the hillbilly type garb that others had donned before.

In addition, each year the Hall inducts a non-performer, which is a revolving category. This year, it will be a songwriter. With that said, here’s three names to keep an eye on – with three of their biggest hits!

Bob McDill – “Amanda” (Waylon Jennings, Don Williams), “Gone Country” (Alan Jackson), “Song of the South” (Alabama)

Dickey Lee – “I’ve Been Around Enough To Know” (John Schneider), “In A Different Light” (Doug Stone), “She Thinks I Still Care,” (George Jones)

Dennis Morgan / Kye Fleming – “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” (Barbara Mandrell & George Jones), “Nobody” (Sylvia), “Smoky Mountain Rain” (Ronnie Milsap)