Yoakam, Anderson Among My Country Music Hall of Fame Choices

by Julian Spivey
The 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame class will be announced on Monday, March 18 by Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn at 10 a.m. (CST) from the Hall of Fame rotunda in Nashville.
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Each year’s class features a member from the Modern Era, Veterans Era and Non-Performer, Songwriter and Recording/Touring musician category.

The Modern Era consists of artists eligible for induction 20 years after they first achieved “national prominence.” The Veterans Era will be an artist eligible 40 years after they first achieve “national prominence.” The Non-Performer, Songwriter and Recording/Touring musician category is rotated every three years. In 2022, music executive Joe Galante was inducted. In 2023, songwriter Bob McDill was inducted. So, 2024 will see a recording and or touring musician inducted.  

Because of the selectiveness of the induction process only having three people inducted per year and one per category, there’s no shortage of talented and deserving members of the country music family waiting in line to be inducted.

Here are the three artists I would include on my ballot this year if I were a voting member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

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Modern Era
This would be a good time for the Country Music Hall of Fame to induct Toby Keith, who undoubtedly deserves induction into the hallowed halls based on his volume of hits, record sales, popularity, etc. It would’ve been nice for him to be inducted while he was still among us but the truth is he probably was still behind some other candidates. His death in early February from cancer at age 62 may expedite his induction. Though, Keith was somewhat of a controversial figure, even within mainstream Nashville, due to political views and his role in helping oust The [Dixie] Chicks from the industry. That might cost him some votes. But if I had to guess he’ll likely be the inductee in this category this year.

However, despite believing Keith is a worthy candidate he wouldn’t be on my ballot because the Hall of Fame continues to snub the artist who has been my preferred inductee for many years now … Dwight Yoakam.

Yoakam is closer to being eligible for the Veterans Era choice now, his debut album came out 38 years ago, and I think he’ll likely have to wait for that to happen before he’s inducted.

Yoakam truly helped save country music in part when he burst onto the scene in the mid-80s by keeping the Bakersfield Sound made popular by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard alive and well and for nearly 40 years he’s always stayed true to that sound.

Yoakam has sold more than 25 million records in his career and has the admiration of nearly everyone in the business, but he never had many country radio megahits or won many country music awards and having been based in California for his career he might be considered too much of an outsider to rack up enough votes in a company town. 

He’ll continue to be my choice in either the Modern Era or eventually the Veterans Era categories until he’s eventually inducted.

Veterans Era
One artist who passed into the Veterans Era category within the last few years and should have somewhat of an easier time making the Hall of Fame now that he’s reached this status is John Anderson. Anderson never had all that many huge hits with five No. 1s to his name (“Wild & Blue,” “Swingin’,” “Black Sheep,” “Straight Tequila Night” and “Money in the Bank”) but has always been a beloved figure among his fellow artists.

The most fascinating aspect of Anderson’s career for me is he had some huge hits in the early-to-mid ‘80s and then kind of disappeared on the charts throughout the second half of that decade before making a huge comeback with 1992’s Seminole Wind, which spawned four top-10s hits including “Straight Tequila Night,” which might be his most famous. Anderson has one of the most unique voices in all of country music and it’s time he’s put among the legends where he belongs.

Recording or Touring Musician
The Country Music Hall of Fame seems to like to induct living members into the Hall of Fame, which is understandable but can sometimes lead to deserving musicians who have been gone a long time getting the short end of the stick.

I feel that’s been the case for Don Rich, maybe one of the most famous sidemen in the history of country music. Rich, who was as synonymous with the Bakersfield Sound as anyone (can you tell I love the Bakersfield Sound?) as Buck Owen’s guitarist, fiddler and band leader in The Buckaroos.  Unlike most acts in country music at the time, in the early ‘60s, The Buckaroos would perform with Owens both in the recording studio and on tour. It is Rich playing lead guitar on most of Owens’s biggest hits like “Act Naturally,” “Together Again,” “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” and “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me).”

Tragically, Rich’s life was cut short at just 32 years old when he was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 17, 1974.

His achievements as one of the greatest guitar players in country music history should’ve been awarded by now, but it’s never too late.