Kenny Chesney Named to the Country Music Hall of Fame

March 25, 2025

Kenny Chesney, who’s known for spreading positive energy through a singular kind of country hybrid, has taken the music to a whole lot of places. But the soft-spoken songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee had never considered taking his music, his high impact performances and voracious No Shoes Nation into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“That’s just something you don’t dare to imagine,” said Chesney, waiting to step into the Rotunda of the Country Music Hall as this year’s Modern Era Artist of their Class of 2025. “I would never have even thought about being here, because it’s almost too much. Just walking past so many of these bronzes, realizing how many are friends or whose music I’ve listened to my whole life, this is an honor that extends beyond anything my heart would dare think.”

The first country artist to play Sphere Vegas, the man the Los Angeles Times deemed “the people’s superstar” was clearly gobsmacked when Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill read a bio that retraced Chesney’s journey from a kid playing in East Tennessee State’s Bluegrass Band through a Greatest Hits and two distinctive waves of changes the way country music was made. Stressing that Chesney was still creatively striving and growing, Gill beamed introducing the artist he’d known since his first Capricorn Records album in 1993.

“The beauty of this music is that,” Chesney says, “even though it tells some pretty strong truth, country music runs on dreams.

“For me, this is beyond a dream. I keep thinking I’m gonna wake up on my couch back at ETSU. But standing here, this is more than real, it’s surreal. I couldn’t be more thankful or humble.”

Laughing with fellow inductees Tony Brown and June Carter Cash’s children John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter during the class picture, Chesney was clearly thrilled by the honor. With longtime advocate, legendary executive and Country Music Hall of Fame member Joe Galante, who’d signed him, on hand to share the moment, it was a moment of taking in the breadth of his three decade career.

“You might not think about something like this,” Chesney said. “But I have to tell you: when you hear the news, there is no feeling like it – except that moment when you realize they’re not kidding. When [CMA CEO] Sarah Trahern, Joe and Clint (Higham), my manager, came to tell me, once I realized they weren’t having some fun with me, they told me I couldn’t tell a soul.

“I didn’t tell my mom, my dad or even Dale Morris, my other manager. So today, finally, makes it feel real, and man, I am grateful to be in this company.”

Blake Shelton & Friends to Host 'All for the Hall' in Oklahoma on March 30

January 21, 2024

Five-time CMA Male Vocalist of the Year and Grand Ole Opry star Blake Shelton will host an Oklahoma-sized All for the Hall concert at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, March 30. The concert, which will benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and its education programs, will feature an all-star Okie lineup, including Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Dunn, Tony and Emmy Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth, ACM and CMA nominee Wade Hayes and fan-favorite songwriters/performers The Swon Brothers. More artists will be announced soon.

“I can’t think of a better place than Oklahoma for the next All for the Hall show,” said Shelton. “Oklahoma and country music are synonymous, and members of the Country Music Hall of Fame include some of our most iconic stars, from Ronnie Dunn to Garth, Reba and Vince Gill, to name a few. I’m thrilled to be hosting this show in my home state!”

“It speaks volumes when an artist of Blake Shelton’s stature supports our museum’s educational programs so wholeheartedly and so generously,” said Kyle Young, chief executive officer for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “We’re immensely grateful not only to Blake but also to Ronnie, Kristin, Wade, the Swon Brothers and others for giving their ‘all for the Hall,’ and for helping us continue to educate our many audiences about the enduring cultural value of country music.”

Tickets for the event will go on sale Friday, Jan. 26, and can be purchased via Ticketmaster at blakeshelton.com. This marks the first time an All for the Hall benefit show will take place in the state of Oklahoma. All proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit museum’s education initiatives, which directly served more than 230,000 people through in-person and virtual programs in 2023. More information is available at countrymusichalloffame.org/learn.

About Blake Shelton:
As the genre’s chief ambassador, Blake Shelton has been delivering country music to a diverse audience for more than 20 years. In that time, he has accumulated an astonishing 28 No. 1 singles, sold nearly 15 million album equivalents, and earned upwards of 11.5 billion global streams. Shelton has received myriad awards, including six ACMs, three AMAs, 10 CMAs, 11 CMTs and more. On sale now, Shelton is back for another round of his “Back to the Honky Tonk” Tour Presented by Kubota, which kicks off in February.

He and Carson Daly have teamed up to executive produce and star in the high-spirited, celebrity game show, Barmageddon. Hosted by Nikki Garcia, the show airs on USA Network, season Two is airing now. The Grand Ole Opry member also remains focused on his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Orlando and an exciting new venue in Las Vegas that opens soon. A noted humanitarian, Shelton has helped raise millions of dollars for children’s hospitals, disaster relief organizations, food banks, the OK POP Museum and more in his home state of Oklahoma and beyond.

About All for the Hall:
The All for the Hall campaign began in 2005 when Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill suggested country music artists contribute the proceeds of one annual performance to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Launched in 2007 in New York, the series has alternated between New York and Los Angeles in succeeding years, with Gill and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris as hosts. With Keith Urban, Gill also co-hosts a recurring All for the Hall concert in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. In September 2021, the museum hosted the first-ever All for the Hall benefit in Dallas, which is set to return to the city in 2024. Funds raised from All for the Hall events support the museum's educational incentives which directly served more than 230,000 people last year. To date, All for the Hall concerts have raised over $6.6 million through 2023.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and is among the most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, the Haley Gallery, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

Eric Church to be Featured in New Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum Exhibition Opening July 13

June 7, 2023

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM TO OPEN NEW EXHIBITION, ERIC CHURCH: COUNTRY HEART, RESTLESS SOUL

Church Set for Nissan Stadium CMA Fest Performance This Saturday, June 10 Ahead of
The Outsiders Revival Tour Kicking Off June 22

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and ever-growing career of 10-time GRAMMY nominee and CMA Entertainer of the year Eric Church in its newest exhibition, Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson. The exhibit will chronicle Church's unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his current prominence as one of country music's most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit, which opens July 13 and runs through June 2024, is included with museum admission.

Having long eschewed industry norms with a sound and approach uniquely his own, the man praised by The Wall Street Journal as “knowledgeable and respectful of country’s history, but not shackled by it” has held tight to his artistic identity throughout his more than two decades in Nashville, earning a devoted audience and amassing an impressive list of accolades, including 10 Billboard #1 country radio hits and over 50 million units sold across multiple Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum-certified albums. A revered storyteller, Church has also written or co-written almost all of the songs he has recorded and released. He continues to fill sold-out venues with his raucous live show, as well as challenge his own musical approach with every new level of success he achieves.

“Eric Church has done it his way completely,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “His steadfast artistic vision and authenticity resonate deeply with audiences, and he continues to serve as an important collaborator and renegade role model for generations of country music artists.”

The exhibit will include musical instruments, song manuscripts, stage wear, tour memorabilia, awards, photographs and more from Church’s personal collection. Photos of artifacts featured in the exhibit can be found here. More information about the exhibit can be found on the museum’s website.

Examples of items to be displayed include:

the Harmony H-303 three-quarter-size acoustic guitar that belonged to Church when he was a child.
Ray-Ban Aviator Mirror sunglasses worn by Church onstage.
the Von Dutch trucker hat Church bought at a Mississippi truck stop in the late 2000s and began wearing onstage.
the outfit worn by Church on the album cover of The Outsiders and at the CMA Awards in 2013, which includes a Rogue two-tone leather jacket, John Varvatos shirt and Diesel jeans.
a sculpture made from vinyl records of various sizes, which replicates the soundwave of Church’s recording of “Record Year” and was used as a prop in the 2016 music video for the song.
a Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark guitar. Church contributed to the design of the limited-edition guitar and used it on his “Double Down Tour” (2019).
the Tom Ford purple suede jacket that Church wore when he and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in 2021.

In support of the exhibit’s opening, the museum will host a public program, Writers’ Round: The Songs of Eric Church, featuring Luke Laird, Jeremy Spillman and others, on Saturday, July 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The writers will perform and share the stories behind the songs they have crafted with Church. To reserve tickets to the program or learn more about the exhibit, visit the museum’s website.

The exhibit’s announcement comes ahead of Church’s CMA Fest performance at Nissan Stadium this Saturday, June 10 and the kickoff of The Outsiders Revival Tour on June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates

June 10*             Nashville, Tenn. / Nissan Stadium CMA Fest
June 16*             Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo Rogue Music Festival
June 17*             Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds Country Summer Music Festival
June 22             Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance Amphitheater Elle King
June 23             Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24             Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29             Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30             Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14             Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15             St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds North Dakota State Fair
July 27             Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28             Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29             Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*             Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park GoldenSky Festival

About Eric Church
Eric Church’s most recent critically acclaimed and chart-topping project, his Heart & Soul triple album, is available everywhere now. Featuring the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina, the trio features his latest Gold-certified No. 1 “Hell of a View” and recent Top 5 hit “Heart On Fire” as well as his latest single, “Doing Life With Me,” climbing the charts at Country radio now.

Just as unique as Church’s approach to recording and releasing music is his tenacity on the road, with his upcoming The Outsiders Revival Tour bringing a rotating lineup of emerging artists along for the first fully outdoor tour of his career. His prior outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round show and earned the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church also performed one-of-a-kind headlining stadium shows at Milwaukee’s American Family Field and Minneapolis’s U.S. Bank Stadium in 2022 and performed the National Anthem with R&B star Jazmine Sullivan ahead of Super Bowl LV in 2021. During 2019’s Double Down Tour, he played back-to-back nights of two unique shows in each market sans opening act, giving every city’s fans six-plus hours of his iconic music. The tour also featured a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where he broke the venue’s concert attendance record with more than 56,000 fans in attendance and became the first artist to sell out the venue with a solo lineup.

A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir as well as a critically acclaimed catalog of music. His previous project, the Gold-certified Desperate Man, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category). Prior releases include the Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and is among the most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission. More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

Media website: http://countrymusichalloffame.org/media