Gone Country: Texas Country Part IV – Hall of Famers
A weekly column about all things country.
Posted by Melissa Daniels
Credit: carthagetexas.us
In the fourth installment of our Texas Country music discovery, we’re diving into the list of the Texas community’s hall of famers.
The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame was created in 1998, in an effort to highlight those nationally recognized Texas-born musicians, living or dead, who have contributed to the genre. Prior to that, in 1993, the organization had created the Tex Ritter Museum, which offers a look back at Tex’s career and features other memorabilia from various Texas-born music superstars. Out of the museum, the Hall of Fame was birthed, and stands in it’s new location in Carthage, Tex.
Credit: blogspot.com
Among the first inductees to be featured in the Hall of Fame in 1998 were Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Gene Autry, and Cindy Walker. Three seems to be the magic number of artists that are inducted each year, but pending on the prior year, there have been as few as two and as many as four.
An interesting tidbit: One of the most successful country artists of all time is the one and only Kenny Rogers. Rogers was born in Houston, and had a career that spanned over 60 years. What’s interesting about this mega-star is the fact that he hasn’t been inducted into either the Texas Country Hall of Fame or the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Check out the complete lists below for all those Texas natives featured in the Hall of Fame!
Credit: carthagetexas.us
1998 : Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Gene Autry, Cindy Walker
1999 : Ernest Tubb, Hand Thompson, Bill Back, Waylon Jennings
2000 : Dale Evans, Bob Wills, Charlie Walker
2001 : Stuart Hamblin, Billy Walker, Ray Price
2002 : Tanya Tucker, Gene Watson, Nat Stuckey
2003 : Kris Kristofferson, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Bush
2004 : The Big Bopper, Johnny Lee, Mac Davis
2005 : Roger Miller, Jimmy Dea, Johnny Gimble, Glenn Sutton
2006 : The Gatlin Brothers, Billy Joe Shaver
2007 : Johnny Rodriguez, Red Steagall, Bob Luman
2008 : Mickey Newbury, Buck Owens, The Whites
2009 : Linda Davis, Michael Martin Murphey, Neal McCoy
2010 : George Jones, Al Dexter, Ray Winkler
2011 : Mickey Gilley, Mo Bandy
