Located in downtown Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been one of the crown jewels of the genre since the mid-1960s.
The museum is dedicated to preserving and honoring the genre’s history, as well as providing a comprehensive destination for the general public to come learn more about country music and see a large collection of artifacts important to the genre.
Each year, it also ushers three artists into the Country Music Hall of Fame, one of the pinnacles of recognition for country legends
- On Oct. 19, 2025, three new inductees will join the Country Music Hall of Fame in a Medallion Ceremony.
- They are Kenny Chesney, June Carter Cash and Tony Brown.
The Hall of Fame honor actually came before the museum, which opened in 1967. In 1961, the first class of three country greats became Country Music Hall of Famers.
Who Were the First Three Artists to Be Inducted Into the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and Fred Rose were the first three country artists to join the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame describes Wiliams as an artist who set the tone for an entire genre, writing “His is the standard by which success is measured in country music on every level, even self-destruction.
Rodgers, who lived between 1897-1933, had a heavy influence on shaping country music at a time when the genre as we know it today didn’t exist yet. He was known as “The Singing Brakeman,” “The Blue Yodeler” and later, “The Father of Country Music,” and he combined blues and folk music to propel a sound that would become country.
Read More: All 155 Country Music Hall of Fame Members, Alphabetically
Fred Rose was a dominant behind-the-scenes figure in the Nashville music industry in the 1940s and 1950s, working as a talent scout, publisher, songwriter and producer. He was Williams’ producer throughout his career and, with Roy Acuff, launched the first Nashville-based music publishing company in 1942.
How Did the First Induction Set the Tone For Country Music Hall of Fame Tradition?
These three artists established the categories that the Country Music Hall of Fame still abides by when inducting new members today.
Each year, voters — who are a panel anonymously chosen by the Country Music Association — select a Modern Era Artist inductee and a Veteran Era Artist inductee. The Modern Era Artist is someone eligible for induction 20 years after they achieved national prominence. The Veteran Era Artist is eligible 45 years after achieving national prominence.
For the third category, the Hall of Fame rotates between three fields: Recording and/or Touring Musician, Songwriter and Non-Performer.
When Did the Country Hall of Fame and Museum Come to Downtown Nashville?
The Hall of Fame and Museum first opened its doors in 1967 as a barn-shaped structure located on Music Row.
Its first iteration included a small collection of museum artifacts as well as a library. The museum expanded throughout the decades that followed, and it moved to its current downtown location in 2001.
Since then, the Museum has grown to include spaces such as the Taylor Swift Education Center for students, teachers and families, as well as performance spaces.
It currently has one of the world’s most extensive musical collections.
62 Artists Not in the Country Music Hall of Fame
Which county singer is most deserving of a Country Music Hall of Fame induction? Here are 62 artists who don’t have a medallion yet, with some thoughts on when each is eligible and if their fans can expect that nod soon.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
