Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis and Keith Whitley as well as Nashville record superintendent Joe Galante were ate into the celebrated institution during a form held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater on Sunday.
” This is one of the topmost nights for me as a country music addict,” said Hall of Fame member Garth Brooks during the event, which featured paeans and performances to each of the three notable music numbers from high- profile artists including Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney.
Galante, a 72- time-old sheltered former superintendent at record markers including RCA Nashville, RLG Nashville and Sony Music Nashville, was the night’s first draftee.
Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen of Alabama demurred off his honors with a performance of 1980’s” My Home’s in Alabama,” released on the band’s first reader under Galante’s RCA term.
Lambert, 38, also performed her 2009 single” White Liar” which dropped shortly after he took over Sony Music Nashville — ahead Chesney, 54, took over the mic to sing a rendition of 2002’s map- crusher” The Good Stuff,” released shortly after Galante inked him to Sony’s BNA Records.
“ He’d Feel So Undeserving,” She Said From the Stage”, Keith Whitley!
He did not know it, and he’d have noway suspected( that he would be instated into the Country Music Hall of Fame) in his life. This is the topmost honor.”
Keith Whitley— an 87- time-old colonist of gemstone and roll and rockabilly music whose career took a dive following his 13- time marriage to Myra Gale Brown, his 13- time-old kinsman, before he rebounded in the country kidney was not suitable to make it to the form at the order of his croaker , who supposed the trip too parlous.
But his current woman , Judith, attended in his absence with a speech from Lewis, who entered homage performances of his songs from several country heavy- blockbuster.
Lee Ann Womack performed” Middle Age Crazy” with Charlie Worsham on guitar; Jen Gunderman of the Medallion All- Star Band backed Chris Isaak on” Great Balls of Fire;” and the McCrary Sisters sang” My God Is Real” alongside pianist Kevin McKendree.
Also, Hank WilliamsJr. presented fellow Hall of Fame member Kris Kristofferson with Lewis’ order and delivered a speech.” Rock & roll and country have always been closer in style than some people want to admit,” he said.”
To Jerry Lee, it did not count what you call it. He is a Louisiana man, and when he sings and plays, you hear the Mississippi Delta and the rice granges and the Cajun cabarets and the New Orleans honking blues.“
The Rest of the Guest List Also Represented Multiple Angles of Popular Music and Geographical Backgrounds.
Oklahoman Garth Brooks set up all the dramatic high points of Whitley’s “ Do n’t Close Your Eyes ” in a guitar/ ditty format, ironically closing his own eyes during the chorus while putatively channelizing the song’s lead character.
Texan Lee Ann Womack created chine- chinking perceptivity in her interpretation of Lewis ’ “ Middle Age Crazy, ” investing the late- ’70s ditty with fierce sympathy and just a touch of despisement.
East Tennessee- born Kenny Chesney fought through the emotionally grueling country love song “ The Good Stuff, ” a title that set up favor in part because Galante pushed for its release to radio.
And former San Francisco occupant Chris Isaak delivered a faithful rendition of the Killer’s “ Great Balls of Fire, ” replete with heavily reverbed lyrics and Jen Gunderman’s interpretation of Lewis ’ piano- banging and candescent glissandos.