This morning, Reba McEntire will announce three people who will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this October. One artist from the Modern Era and one artist from the Veteran Era. There will also be one person who is not primarily a performer, such a producer or a journalist.
In order to be eligible for induction as a Modern Era artist, the artist must have been well-known for at least 20 years and artists must have been well-known for at least 45 years to be inducted as a Veteran’s Era artist.
Due to the eligibility requirement, artists must have been a recognized artist in 1999 or before to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year.
Here are three artists who are eligible starting this year:
Brad Paisley: Paisley’s Who Needs Pictures was released in 1999 and included hit songs such as He Didn’t Have To Be. Since Who Needs Pictures, he has released 10 more studio albums. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has served as co-host on the CMA Awards. Paisley has won multiple CMA and ACM awards, as well as three Grammy awards.
Keith Urban: Although Keith Urban has previously released music as the lead singer of the band The Ranch, he did not achieve recognition as a solo artist until he released a self-titled album in 1999. Since then, Urban has released eight more solo albums. In addition to numerous awards, Urban was named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 2018.
Montgomery Gentry: Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry released their Tattoos and Scars album in 1999. They have released eight more albums. They have been nominated for numerous awards and they have won three of those. Troy Gentry was tragically killed in 2017 in a helicopter crash. Montgomery has continued to tour as Montgomery Gentry.