MUMBAI: Legends Cowboy Jack Clement, Bobby Bare and Kenny Rogers are the three new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The hall will induct Rogers in the Modern Era category, Clement in the Non-Performer category and Bare in the Veterans Era category. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum director Kyle Young said, "The announcement of new Hall of Fame members is always a cause for celebration. I find it remarkable that all three 2013 honourees were born in the 1930s during the worldwide Great Depression and commercial Country Music's formative years. They were present for the birth of rock 'n' roll, the '60s folk revival, the ascent of hard Country, and the rise of sophisticated pop Country with a global impact. 'Cowboy' Jack, Bobby, and Kenny are unique personalities whose contributions to the canon of American popular music are inerasable."
74-year-old Roger has been most successful with country audiences, he has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He is become one of the highest-selling artistes of all time by selling over 130 million records worldwide. He starred in TV movies in the role of The Gambler, and acted in variety of movies and television shows.
"When I was young, my dad said, 'Son, you have to think big to accomplish small' and the Country Music Hall of Fame was as big as it gets," said Rogers.
Jack Clement has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame and now Country Music Hall of Fame. Co-founder of J-M-I Record Company is nicknamed 'Cowboy'. He has built four of Nashville's leading studios, produced a cult classic horror film and made perhaps the world's first music video on Don Williams in 1972. "I've been chosen for the Country Music Hall of Fame? I thought I was already in the Hall of Fame.I could have gotten in there any time I wanted. Kyle [Young] gave me a key," said Clement.
CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore said, "The highest musical honor achievable for a Country Music artist or industry leader is to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and these are all outstanding and highly deserving individuals.'Cowboy' has been responsible for producing many of the iconic songs in Country Music. Bobby pioneered the Country concept album and was one of the first artists to take the format to Europe. And Kenny's crossover success throughout a lengthy career introduced Country Music to a much wider audience."
78 -year-old Bobby Bare's big break in country music came when RCA Records' Chet Atkins signed him. The first song he released on the label was "Shame On Me" in 1962. His second RCA release, ‘Detroit City’, was his first top-ten Country single, reaching number six and he also received a Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording for the song.
Bare said, "This is big – an honor and the validation of a dream, totally unexpected. Now I'll be famous forever”
They'll be honoured at an invitation-only ceremony later this year at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Country Music Association established the Hall of Fame in 1961 to award artists, musicians, songwriters and producers for their contribution.