The Country Music Hall of Fame (HOF) inducts three new members a year: one veteran performer, one modern performer, and one additional inductee who contributed to country music as a songwriter, instrumentalist, executive, etc. Since new inductees are announced in the spring, the winter months tend to be flooded with pleas from fans for the HOF to recognize their favorite artists. Every year, petitions and impassioned opinion pieces spring up in favor of uninducted heroes like Dottie West and Keith Whitley.
Not wanting to be left out of this important conversation, we at the Country Music Project have begun endorsing candidates for Hall of Fame consideration. Our endorsement process is simple: First, students enrolled in the course spend a couple of weeks researching performers they believe are worthy and drafting written proposals. Second, students narrow the field of proposals to a small group of 5-6 finalists. Third, we meet as a class to discuss the finalists and vote for the candidates that we as a group will support.
Below, you will find the proposals that have won our endorsement:
Fall 2015 Endorsements:
 |
 |
|
| Hank Williams, Jr. (Veterans Era) | Kenny Chesney (Modern Era) |
Finalists: Martina McBride, Tanya Tucker, and Dwight Yoakam