It was announced this morning that Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels and Fred Foster have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. All three are well deserving of the honor as each has had an outstanding career in country music.
Fred Foster has been instrumental in the recording industry for over 50 years and has been instrumental in the careers of Kris Kristofferson and Roy Orbison, in addition to dozens of others. He was the founder of Monument Records, which was the starting point for many country music artists.
Charlie Daniels was the choice that surprised me. While he certainly has had a Hall of Fame career, his name never really came up in the discussion prior to the announcement. I find it hard to believe that Charlie is 79 and still heavily touring. As he said, Jimmy Dickens is his hero and he wants to continue working as long as he can. While Charlie has been part of the Southern Outlaw segment of country music, there is no doubt that his heart and soul are based in Nashville.
I am very glad that Randy Travis is receiving the recognition that he deserves. If you watched the announcement this morning, then you know it was a very emotional moment. Randy physically looked good but was basically unable to communicate other then saying thanks. His wife, and I forget her name, have a very eloquent and well received speech. She represented Randy well.
I know there are those who are disappointed that their choices and favorites did not get elected. It is tough when only one gets in each year per category. I would think that Randy getting in opens the door for others such as Ricky Skaggs, Tanya Tucker, Crystal Gayle and others from that generation. And Charlie getting in should help Hank Williams, Jr., among others. The big loser today, if there is one, would be the fans of Dottie West. Again his year, there was a Facebook campaign urging the voters to elect Dottie. But as in the past, the voters looked elsewhere. Perhaps her day will come, but as we know and as history has shown, those who have passed away have less of a chance of getting elected as each year goes by.
One other note about today: Yes, Fred Foster spilled the beans in his speech when he revealed the names of Charlie Daniels and Randy Travis. I am sure it wasn't intended as those elected are coached not to say anything. But he is 85, so I am sure he just had a moment where he forgot. It did take some of the surprise out of the announcement for Charlie and Randy, but Brenda Lee handled it well and I am sure Fred feels as bad as anyone. Except for that one moment, the day went off without a hitch.
Congratulations again to Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels and Fred Foster on their election to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
I am very happy for all inductees. Fred Foster sure has had quite a career in country music, and we all know about Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels. And I agree Byron, I am sure that Fred Foster meant no harm. And Mary is Randy's wife's name. I am happy that his first wife was mentioned, she was the one that really helped get his career off the ground.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will get to Nashville this year to look at all the newest plaques and those hung up in the last couple of years.
Congratulations to all of these very deserving men ~ maybe next year a woman or two or three will be called to the Hall and yes, I am talking Dottie West, Tanya Tucker and Crystal Gale. THAT would be so great.
Wouldn't it be great if Charlie Daniels and Randy Travis came to tonight's Opry or by this weekend's Opry so that they could get to the stage just to be out there and be happy. That would be outstanding. :-)
(Jeanene)
I would suspect that there are going be some very qualified entertainers in the veterans category for the next several years. The backlog continues.
DeleteGenerally, we can say that whether or not the Hall of Fame gets it right, they don't get it wrong. I would have put in several people ahead of Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels. But the point is, they're deserving. Fred Foster is obviously deserving--and, again, there are others who might have gotten it, but good for him. And good for all of them!
ReplyDeleteTo put it another way, Randy Travis isn't possible (nor are Vince Gill and Garth Brooks) without Ricky Skaggs reinvigorating traditional country music in the early 1980s. And if you want to talk about a behind-the-scenes person who influenced the business, Fred Foster deserves it, but Charlie Daniels used to get paychecks from Louise Scruggs when he was with The Earl Scruggs Revue, and she should be a candidate.
But there's something else, and while Byron is right about the tendency to forget or leave behind those who are gone, roses to the living, the poet said, are better than sumptuous wreaths to the dead. So, let's honor who we can while they're here.
Well said Mike. Why does it talk a near fatal illness or death before someone is elected. We see it all the time in other Hall of Fames. Louise Scruggs should be in the Hall of Fame. There are other promoters in and she did just as much, if not more, then some of those. As to Ricky Skaggs, you have to wonder if he is in the Alan Jackson class of having enough people mad at him for things he did to them in his career to not get elected. They didn't call him "Pricky Ricky" for no reason. And I would hate it if that is true.
ReplyDeleteFred, Bismarck:
Delete"Qualified" Hall voters should be able to keep their eye on the ball, the music or the impact on the music. A hundred years from now, nobody's going to know or care who was a nice guy and who was a, you know.
A reform I would have made a long time ago would take the voting away from incestuous little Nashville and give it to a committee of country-music scholars and historians.
Byron, I've heard that about Ricky, and I think of Webb. I know there were people who said they wouldn't let Webb in while he was alive, and Faron once said if they did it after HE died, he didn't want it.
DeleteFred, Bismarck:
DeleteMichael, I don't make as much of the "before they die" argument as that justice be done to the music as well as the performer, so that generations to come will know what was what. In short, that history be honored.
One minute after he dies, a person either:
1. Doesn't know if he is in the Hall or not; or,
2. Is in Hillbilly Heaven, where delayed election will still reach his ears.
I'm glad Randy,Charlie & Fred got in although Charlie Daniels was a big surprise.I was hoping for Hank Jr,Alan.Ricky,Dottie,others but their time will come.I was wishing for a mass induction so you can get rid of that backlog
ReplyDeleteGotta say that the voters made 3 outstanding choices this year! I've said this before but maybe the CMA should consider a posthumous category...perhaps every other year or every third year or something. There are a lot of deserving people in that veterans category who will continue to get passed over because they had the bad manners to pass on...after all, it's no fun to throw a party when your guest of honor isn't going to be there. There are obviously a lot of deserving artists to choose from in the veteran and modern categories to but in those revolving categories it gets a little trickier as the years go on. Most of the songwriting legends like Curly Putman, Dallas Frazier, Bob McDill, Wayland Holyfield and John D. Loudermilk are still around but for how much longer? Of the core A-team musicians that seem popular with the voters Bob Moore, Ray Edenton and Anita Kerr are still around but you've got to think that Tommy Jackson, Pete Drake, Hank Garland and Buddy Harman will have to get their due one day if there's any justice in the world. Not to mention the touring musicians that have passed on like Don Rich, Bashful Brother Oswald, Buddy Emmons and Ralph Mooney. And I still can't figure out what's kept Buddy Killen out of the Hall except that he had the bad taste to check out early. While he was alive he was one of the most successful and popular members of the music business community...the traffic circle at Music Row is even named after him...but now that he's gone there seems to be no room at the inn for him. Or Louise Scruggs. Or Irving Waugh. And in the veteran's category, will there ever be a place for the Wilburn Brothers, Dottie West, Archie Campbell, The Maddox Brothers and Rose, Bradley Kincaid and some of the other artists who helped shape country music in its early days? There's kind of a fine line between opening up the doors too wide and shutting them too tight but I don't think opening the doors just a little bit more would cheapen Hall of Fame membership at all. Just my 5 cents. But an outstanding 2016 Hall of Fame class and tomorrow we can start talking about 2017! :P
ReplyDeleteBarry, as always, you make too much sense. Among the names you listed are those who had better careers then some of those already in the Hall.
DeleteI agree with a posthumous category.For 2016 I would have put in several country greats.Louise Scruggs,Bradley Kincaid,Archie Campbell,Irving Waugh,Pete Drake,Buddy Killen & Bashful Brother Oswald.There should be 3-7 posthumous inductees every year.Who's with me on this?
ReplyDeletewho do you see as the early favorites for next year?
ReplyDeleteI think it will be the usual suspects that we saw for this year. Veterans would include Hank Williams, Jr. (probably the favorite), Dottie West, Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens. Modern look for Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Crystal Gayle, Brooks & Dunn, The Judds. Lots of choices.
DeleteI agree that there should be a posthumous category. To add to Barry's list above, I believe that the Stanley Brothers, Kenny Baker, and Bobby Thompson deserve to be in as well.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts on the categories: I would keep the current set-up as to modern, veteran, and then the rotating categories of non-performer, songwriter and musician. I would add a fourth rotating category of deceased performer. The change I would make would be that instead of the rotating categories, which are currently on a three year cycle, be put on a two year cycle so that the rotating categories be voted on every other year. For example, next year you could have modern, veteran, songwriter and musician. The following year you would have modern, veteran, non-performer and deceased. Then back to the other two the following year.
ReplyDeleteAs to the deceased category, I would require that the artist have been dead for 10 years, to take the emotional vote out of it. When you look at it, those who would quality for that category would include Dottie West, Keith Whitley, Wilburn Brothers, Jerry Reed, Stringbean, Archie Campbell, Bradley Kincaid, June Carter Cash, Oswald, then you add George Hamilton IV, who recently passed. I think you could make a case that each of these artists could be Hall of Fame worthy. In addition, most of these would be taken out of the veteran class, which would open up more spots in that category.
Just my thoughts and I know I missed a few names, but I see no harm in adding a fourth category. And let me state, I am against a mass induction. I just think it takes away from the honor.
As far as I recall, the CMA at one time actually had a posthumous award every other year. This was during the 70s when it was usually only one or two honorees each year. Bringing that back wouldn't open the door any wider but it certainly wouldn't slam it shut for so many artists who currently seem destined to be forgotten by time.
DeleteBarry, I went back and looked at the inductees by year and don't see that. When I look at the 70's I do see more then one getting in every other year, but when that happens it tends to be a non-performer or a pioneer.
Delete1970-Bill Monroe; Carter Family
1971-Art Satherley
1972-Jimmy Davis
1973-Chet Atkins; Patsy Cline
1974-Pee Wee King; Owen Bradley
1975-Minnie Pearl
1976-Paul Cohen; Kitty Wells
1977-Merle Travis
1978-Grandpa Jones
1979-Hank Snow; Herbert Long
I know that the CMA has played with the categories so much it might have just seemed that way.
The CMA has changed its induction criteria over the years like a chameleon changes colors. I know they didn't do it for long (and it might have actually been a one shot thing) but I know there was a rolling posthumous category for a while. That's what I recall happening in 76 (Paul Cohen), 79 (Hubert Long) and 81 (Vernon Dalhart). I just recall it was some time during the 70s but maybe it was the late 70s and they didn't do it every year. There was also a time when they would do a performer and a non performer (like in 1974 with Pee Wee King and Owen Bradley). That may have still been the case in 76 and 89 as well but Paul Cohen and Hubert Long were both elected posthumously so I don't know. You're asking me to recall something from 40 years ago and I have a hard remembering what happened 40 minutes ago! I wish I still knew someone at the Hall of Fame library. I'd just pick up the phone and ask! You may remember when they actually announced the 5 finalists ahead of the awards show. In her autobiography, Minnie Pearl talked of thinking that Merle Travis would be elected in 1975 because he had been a finalist for a couple of years and Tennessee Ernie Ford, who was making the announcement, had the big hit with his song "Sixteen Tons". Somewhere I have the list of the finalists from that year. I know Merle Travis, Minnie Pearl and Kitty Wells were on it. Hank Snow may have been on that one as well. When I get home I'll dig it out. The highlight of the annual awards show was the Hall of Fame announcement because you got to see some genuine, honest-to-goodness emotion on live TV. Minnie Pearl and Tennessee Ernie Ford's acceptance speeches stand out in that regard. I can't believe all of that happened more than 3 decades ago...mostly because I can NOT be that old. :P
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAbove should be 76 and 79...not 76 and 89.
DeleteBarry, I love your reference to the honest-to-goodness emotion, because it WAS special to see who would get it. I'll never forget Chester coming out to announce the inductees, and he finally said, "Lester Flatt," and the camera cut to Earl Scruggs, who smiled a little. When Chet added, "and Earl Scruggs," literally, Earl's face went totally blank.
DeleteIt WOULD be hard to top Hank Snow's acceptance speech, when he thanked "Mrs. Hank Snow." I have the feeling he heard about that from Minnie Blanch!
Yes, "Mrs. Hank Snow." I watch that video every time I go to the Hall of Fame as it is constantly played. And when they pan the audience, I don't remember seeing "Mrs. Hank Snow" sitting. And yes, the emotion was real and I always enjoyed the five finalists. But not all of them were happy. In his book, Pee Wee King wrote, "The finalists are notified, but they don't know the winner until the night of the award. All the nominees used to sit in the front row, but that's been changed since it was so embarrassing to the losers. I heard Minnie Pearl's husband say to her one year after she'd just lost again, 'Honey, we're not going to come to this ceremony any more. You've been nominated three times and we've come here three times, and you've lost three times.' Fortunately, they did come back the next year, and she won." I am sure it was hard for the losers, especially on live television.
DeleteBarry, you mean you don't remember from 40 years ago?? Very surprising. Anyways, I think you are right now that you mention the years and I had forgotten that each of those were deceased when they were elected.
Minnie wrote in her autobiography that Mr. Acuff said he'd sit with her and of course she should be chosen, and what ran through her head. As for Mrs. Snow, one of my favorite moments on TNN's live show was when he was hosting and said "my world's biggest critic, Mrs. Hank," was there tonight with her sister and he had been instructed not to look at her, and then you could see his eyes were darting around. As TNN went to commercial, they popped up an audience shot and you could see Mrs. Hank and the woman sitting next to her had to be her sister. Minnie Blanche gave the camera a look that could have exterminated a house.
DeleteOh the memories.
ReplyDeleteto Barry when you are talking about posthumous awards in the '70s you forgot Patsy Cline [1973]
ReplyDelete