The Country Music Association gathered at the renowned Hall of Fame Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum today, to reveal the 2023 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame – Bob McDill, Patty Loveless and Tanya Tucker.
McDill will be inducted in the “Songwriter” category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with “Recording and/or Touring Musician” and “Non-Performer” categories. Loveless will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category and Tucker will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill hosted the press conference to announce the news, which was also streamed live on CMA’s YouTube channel.
“All three of this year’s inductees are truly one-of-a-kind storytellers,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Tanya, Patty and Bob each have a distinctive voice and an ability to share stories that precisely represent American life. While their impact is felt in very different ways, their songs are reflective of their generation and experience, vividly illustrating an authenticity that will last forever. We are honored to welcome these three very deserving inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be included,” says McDill.
“I’m still trying to believe that I’m going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame,” says Loveless. “I just feel so incredibly privileged to be invited into this incredible family. Having my name included in the museum’s Rotunda with so many legendary artists, musicians, songwriters and industry icons is such an honor!”
“I’m more than proud to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame,” says Tucker. “It was wonderful to have all three of my kids beside me when I got the news. The only way it could’ve been any better is if my parents Beau and Juanita Tucker could have been there too. They are the reason and the root of all my success in music. And the fans – they are everything! When I walk in that Hall they will all be with me.”
“Each of our three new inductees has left a deep and distinctive stamp on our genre,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Tanya Tucker, originally from Texas, is a force of nature who has been blazing her way into our hearts since she was a teenager. Patty Loveless, who hails from the coal-mining hills of Kentucky, sings with mountain soul and makes music that blends tradition with invention. And Bob McDill from East Texas has written some of the most enduring and artful songs in our genre. They have all profoundly shaped our music, and we are honored and delighted that their achievements will now forever be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
A formal induction ceremony for McDill, Loveless and Tucker will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater this fall. The Museum’s Medallion Ceremony, a reunion of the Hall of Fame membership, is the official rite of induction for new members.