NASVHILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — The Country Music Association announced that Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart and Hank Williams Jr., are the 2020 class of inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Dean Dillon will be inducted in the “Songwriter” category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with the “Recording and/or Touring Musician” and “Non-Performer” categories. Marty Stuart will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category and Hank Williams Jr. will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Dean, Marty and Hank Jr. into the unbroken circle and honor this revered milestone,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “I’m sad we can’t toast this year’s class in person at the Country Music Hall of Fame, but I hope this news can bring some joy and cause for celebration during this time that our world has turned upside down. In particular, our hearts are with Hank and his family following the recent loss of his daughter, Katherine.”
While the CMA typically announces the annual Hall of Fame inductees in group press conference in the rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, this year, due to COVID-19, reps from the organization traveled to Dillon and Stewart to get their reactions.
“I was just speechless,” says Dillon. “Trying to soak in the words that I had just heard. My life flashed before my eyes. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.”
“It is the ultimate honor in Country Music,” noted Stuart. “I’m so honored to be included in this class and I’m honored to be included alongside Hank Jr. and Dean Dillon. I love those people. To be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond words. I’m usually not at a loss for words.”
“Bocephus has been eyeing this one for awhile. It’s a bright spot during a difficult year,” says Williams. “I have been making Top 10 records for 56 years. I fell off a mountain and tried to reinvent myself as a truly individual artist and one who stepped out of the shadows of a very famous man…one of the greatest. I’ve got to thank all those rowdy friends who, year after year, still show up for me. It’s an honor to carry on this family tradition. It is much appreciated.”
