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Introduction
Country Music Hall of Fame Welcomes Tony Brown, June Carter Cash, and Kenny Chesney In 2025 Class
The inductees will officially join the Country Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony this fall.
Today, the Country Music Association announced the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees during a special ceremony at the prestigious Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. This year’s honorees include legendary producer Tony Brown, country music icon June Carter Cash, and superstar Kenny Chesney.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill hosted the event, revealing that Tony Brown will be inducted in the Non-Performer category (an honor awarded every third year in rotation with the Songwriter and Recording and/or Touring Musician categories), June Carter Cash will be recognized in the Veterans Era Artist category, while Kenny Chesney will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category.
“This year’s inductees embody the relentless drive and dedication that defines Country Music,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared. “Kenny, June and Tony have each left a lasting imprint on the genre, shaping its history with their contributions. From a young age, each of them was immersed in music, and their lifelong commitment has led to this very moment. Their achievements speak to the passion and dedication that have defined their extraordinary careers, and the impact of their work will continue to inspire future generations. There’s something incredibly special about being able to surprise each inductee or their family with this recognition – it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, knowing how deeply their careers have touched the lives of so many, including myself. It is with great pride that we honor these three remarkable individuals and celebrate the lasting legacy they have created within our format.”
“All three of the new inductees have left indelible impacts on the genre and firmly established themselves as unforgettable contributors to Country Music,” Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Chief Executive Officer. added. “North Carolina native Tony Brown is a trailblazing record producer and executive who has helped shape the sound of modern Country since the 1980s, supervising many best-selling records while also ushering in outsider talents to the genre. Virginia-born June Carter Cash was a vibrant torchbearer of her family’s enduring Country Music legacy who forged her own distinctive path during her more than 60-year career as a beloved singer, comedienne and songwriter. And Kenny Chesney, from Tennessee, has maintained one of the biggest hitmaking careers in Country Music since 2000, with more than 50 Top 10 hits, 16 Platinum albums, and is a regular top touring act who continues to delight audiences. Fittingly, they will now forever be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame with their illustrious peers who shaped our art form.”
Modern Era Artist Category: Kenny Chesney
Growing up in East Tennessee, Kenny Chesney had dreams of making it big in Nashville like his heroes Alabama, George Jones and Conway Twitty.
Upon graduating East Tennessee State University, Chesney, who played in the school’s bluegrass band, packed his bags and headed west on I-40, making his way to Nashville. He landed a publishing deal a year later and signed with the Southern rock label Capricorn shortly after.
His debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released in 1994. This project got off to a slow start, however, his song “The Tin Man” began to turn heads and showed a promising future for the rising singer/songwriter.
Chesney landed at BNA Records after his manager introduced him to RCA’s Joe Galante (also a Country Music Hall of Fame member) and his first BNA single, “Fall In Love,” made its way all the way into the Top 10. In 1997, he earned his first No.1 with “She’s Got It All.”
The hits kept coming and by 2000, Chesney was a bonafide star with songs like “Don’t Happen Twice,” “How Forever Feels,” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”
While touring with George Strait in 1999 and 2000, Chesney saw immense growth and truly began to dial in on the type of artist and performer he wanted to be, blending his love for rock, bluegrass, and country to create his signature sound.
Radio hits and massive albums continued and his live show became one of the hottest tickets of any genre. He sold out the UNiversity of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and went on to sell out NFL stadiums in major cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Tampa, Chicago, and many more. He is now one of country music’s best and most awarded entertainers. For the past 16 years, he has been the only country artist consistently ranked among Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years.
He’s recorded duets with some of the biggest names in music, including P!nk, Grace Potter, Dave Matthews, and Kelsea Ballerini (just to name a few) and continues to push the creative envelope to this day.
This summer, he’ll become the first country artist to headline The Sphere in Las Vegas and later this year, he will release, HEART, LIFE, MUSIC, his first book.
Chesney was on hand for today’s announcement and delivered a heartfelt speech.
“To be standing here…I’m from East Tennessee and it is so amazing to know that you’re going into the Hall of Fame with three fellow East Tennesseans people that grew up where I grew up, my grandparents lived on the same street that Chet Atkins grew up in. I rode my bicycle past that property all the time,” he shared. “To know that I’m going in with Dolly Parton is a huge deal for me. And to also know that I don’t have a brother in life, but if I did, it would be Dean Dillon. Dean Dillon and I have written a lot of songs I’ve looked up to Dean my whole creative life. He was someone that really taught me a lot about creating with a lot of authenticity. And Dean and I spent countless days on a boat in the Virgin Islands creating songs, and it’s one of my favorite days of creating music in my life.”
He continued, “So it is a big thrill and a big honor for me to stand up here knowing that I’m going into the Hall of Fame with three people from East Tennessee. That means the world to me. Like I said, I had a really big dream and I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can.”