Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Hank Williams, Jr, Marty Stuart, and Dean Dillon

The Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2020 has been announced.

The Tennessean reports:

A son who found his voice in boisterous country rock, a troubadour for traditionalism and George Strait’s most trusted songwriter each earn a place among the greatest to perform country music.

Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and Dean Dillon comprise the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020, the Country Music Association said Wednesday. Williams Jr. earns his medallion in the Veteran Era Artist category; Stuart enters as the 2020 Modern Era Artist; Dillon joins as a Songwriter, a category that rotates yearly with Non-Performer and Recording/Touring musician.

The Hank Williams, Jr.  induction is long overdue, with Hank Jr. topping our most recent Hall Worthy list for the Veteran Era.  It’s important to note that Williams Jr. is the first immediate relative of an existing Hall of Famer to get in.  Maybe there’s still some hope for Crystal Gayle, Rosanne Cash, and Pam Tillis to get in down the road.

Marty Stuart didn’t crack the top ten of our most recent Hall Worthy list for the Modern Era, but is among the most respected artists and musicians in town.

Finally, we don’t rank for the every-third-year Songwriters category, but Dean Dillon is among the all time greats.  As everyone’s talking about his legendary George Strait hits (“The Chair,” “Easy Come Easy Go,” etc.), don’t forget he’s also responsible for co-writing two signature Pam Tillis songs (“Spilled Perfume” and “All the Good Ones are Gone”); two Vern Gosdin classics (“Set ‘Em Up Joe,” and “Is it Raining at Your House?”); and the George Jones then Chris Stapleton hit, “Tennessee Whiskey.”

An excellent set of inductees this year, although the Hall remains too sluggish in their inductee pace.  Upping it to three artists a year and making the songwriter category a yearly honor would help tremendously.