The CMA Announces 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

The Country Music Association unveiled the names of this year's Country Music Hall of Fame inductees at a press conference held in the Hall's rotunda. Two legendary artists, and a legendary songwriter/producer will soon have their plaques on the walls of that same rotunda, joining the ranks of Country music royalty. This year's inductees are:

"Cowboy" Jack Clement: he engineered and produced Jerry Lee Lewis' smash hit, "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On" (in ONE take!), and has written such legendary songs as "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" and "Guess Things Happen That Way" (Johnny Cash); "Miller's Cave" (a hit for Hank Snow in 1960 and Bobby Bare in 1964), "Dreaming My Dreams" (Waylon Jennings), "Just Between You and Me" (Charley Pride). Also has published many classic songs, and produced records by such legends as Pride, Lewis, Cash, Jennings, and scores of others. Read more HERE.

Bobby Bare: Bare's list of accomplishments is long and varied. He was signed to RCA Victor in 1962, and his first single for the label, "Shame On Me," went to #18 on the Billboard Country chart. His next single, "Detroit City," hit #6, and was a crossover hit on the Pop charts as well! From that point on, Bare became a mainstay on the charts, radio and jukeboxes worldwide, with such hits as "500 Miles Away From Home," "Miller's Cave," "Four Strong Winds," "(Margie's At) The Lincoln Park Inn," and many, many more. He was also the first Nashville artist to be granted artistic control of his recordings (before Waylon, Willie or others in the so-called "Outlaw" movement). This resulted in one of the first "concept" albums (with a common theme running through the songs) from a Country artist. Bare always had a keen ear for great songwriting talent, recording early compositions by Mel Tillis, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, Shel Silverstein, and many others. Just last year (2012), he released a new album, Darker Than Light," on Plowboy Records, and having just turned 78 years old on April 7, 2013, he still performs concerts on the road. Read Bare's biography at CMT.com HERE.

Kenny Rogers: beginning in 1977 (when he saw his breakthrough solo hit, "Lucille," top the Billboard Country chart for 2 weeks), Houston, Texas native Kenny Rogers had a run of hit records that didn't slow down until the early-1990's. Along the way, his albums reached multi-platinum sales levels, he acted in movies, recorded hit duets with such diverse partners as Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Kim Carnes, Sheena Easton, Anne Murray and Ronnie Milsap, and even tried his hand at being a fast-food mogul with his Kenny Rogers Roasters chicken restaurant chain. Rogers began his musical career as a member of a Folk music group, the Bobby Doyle Trio. After a brief stint as a member of the New Christy Minstrells, Rogers and several others from that Folk/Pop group split off to form the First Edition. Their first big hit was a Mickey Newbury psychedelic smash, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." But the group's biggest hit came at the height of the the Vietnam War in 1969: "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town." The tragic tale of a paralyzed war veteran and his unfaithful woman (written by fellow Hall of Famer Mel Tillis), struck a nerve with the now war-weary public, and became a mutli-million-selling single. More hits followed for the band, now billed as "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition." In the early-1970's, the group hosted a short-lived TV musical variety series. In 1976--after a decade with the First Edition--Kenny Rogers left to group to pursue a solo career. His first 2 singles were met with a lukewarm response, but the third single, "Lucille," opened the doors to more than a decade of Country and Pop hits, including the tune that became his "signature" song in 1978, "The Gambler." Learn more about the life and career of Kenny Rogers from his Wikipedia page HERE.

CLICK HERE to see the official Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum's page on their latest Hall of Fame inductees, as well as past inductees. And congratulations to the Hall's newest members!