Country stars Vince Gill and Mel Tillis as well as DJ and television host Ralph Emery are set to be the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The invitation-only induction ceremony takes place in October at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
Emery will be inducted in the “non-performer” category, awarded every third year. Gill will become the third artist to enter in the “Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present” category, and Tillis will be inducted in the “Career Achieved National Prominence Between World War II and 1975” class.
Gill’s guitar playing, singing and songwriting have long set the standard in country music, while Tillis wrote classic songs including “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” and “Detroit City.” He’s also had success as a singer, entertainer and actor. Emery’s his radio and television interviews with country artists helped fans to appreciate the personalities behind the hits.
Inductees are chosen by the CMA’s Hall of Fame panel of electors, a group of more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the CMA board of directors. The inductions of Gill, Tillis and Emery will grow the Hall’s membership to 101.
