Inside an Emotional Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Honoring Toby Keith, John Anderson & James Burton

On Sunday (Oct. 20), the Country Music Hall of Fame ushered in its 153rd, 154th and 155th members — Oklahoma native Toby Keith (modern era category), Florida native John Anderson (veteran era category) and Louisiana native James Burton (recording and/or touring musician category) — during a ceremony held at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CEO Kyle Young called the trio “three people who took very different paths to greatness and to this evening’s induction,” later adding, “each of these inductees has left a deep and distinctive stamp on our music.”

After graduating from high school, Anderson moved to Nashville at just 17 years old, joining his older sister Donna, who was already singing in Music City’s clubs. In addition to performing around town, Anderson also did construction work, which included working on the roof of the Grand Ole Opry prior that building’s opening in 1974.

Anderson’s rich, distinct voice soon caught the attention of music publisher Al Gallico, who connected Anderson to signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1976. In the 1980s, he earned several top 10 singles and a trio of chart-toppers (“Wild and Blue,” “Swingin’” and “Black Sheep”), before falling from the upper echelons of the chart until his career shifted into an upward trajectory yet again in 1992 with “Straight Tequila Night,” followed by “Seminole Wind,” “Money in the Bank,” “I Wish I Could’ve Been There,” and more songs that would become Anderson’s signature hits.

In 2014, Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2020, he teamed with Dan Auerbach, and Dave Ferguson brought Anderson into the studio again to record the album Years; Auerbach then created the Anderson tribute album Something Borrowed, Something New, featuring artists including Luke Combs and Eric Church performing his songs.

During Anderson’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Shawn Camp tributed Anderson by performing “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories,” while Del McCoury and the Del McCoury Band performed “Would You Catch a Falling Star,” and Lucinda Williams performed “Wild and Blue.”

“This is such an honor to be asked to participate. I’ve fallen in love with the songs that John Anderson wrote,” Williams said.

Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Bobby Braddock inducted Anderson, praising his instantly recognizable voice. “You hear two or three words and you know its him. He’s a great song stylist and that’s why his fans love him, because he’s distinctive,” Braddock said, before later securing the Country Music Hall of Fame medallion around Anderson’s neck.

After Anderson’s bronze plaque had been revealed onstage, Anderson called the honor “overwhelming” and “a once-in-a-lifetime deal.” He added, “It’s a long way from Apopka, Florida, to standing on this stage, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it was my way… It’s one of the greatest honors anyone in our profession could ever have to be on this stage.”

When the time came to officially posthumously induct Keith into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Country Music Association’s CEO Sarah Trahern said, “I so wish I could be looking into the front row to see Toby Keith sitting by his family.” Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021 and revealed the diagnosis the following year. Keith died in February at age 62, before he could be notified of his upcoming induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Young noted that during his career, Keith “didn’t play the Nashville game, but chose to roll the dice and face the consequences.”

Born Toby Keith Covel, Keith earned 20 Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers and wrote or co-wrote the bulk of them. He initially followed his father into work in the oil fields, and played semi-professional football, before launching his Easy Money band. Keith later made his way to Nashville and one of his demo tapes made its way to producer and Mercury Records executive Harold Shedd, known for his work with Alabama. Keith released his self-titled debut album in 1993, with the album’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” penned solely by Keith, becoming his first No. 1 hit. He followed with songs including “Who’s That Man,” “Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” and “He Ain’t Worth Missing.”

Eventually, Keith parted ways with Mercury Nashville and signed with DreamWorks Nashville. He then released How Do You Like Me Now?!, spurred by the hit title track, and in the process, began displaying what would become his signature assertive persona on songs such as “I Wanna Talk About Me,” written by Bobby Braddock. Following the passing of his father, and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Keith was inspired to write what would become another of his signature songs, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” A fierce supporter of the U.S. military, Keith would go on to release songs such as “American Soldier.”

Keith also proved an astute businessman thanks to ventures including his Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill restaurants, his Wild Shot mezcal brand and the launch of his Show Dog Nashville label (during which time he also acquired a stake in the then-fledgling label Big Machine Records, which launched Taylor Swift’s career).

During the Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Keith’s expertise as a songwriter was noted, as were his accolades from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the BMI Icon Award. Post Malone celebrated Keith with a rendition of “I’m Just Talkin’ ‘About Tonight,” while Eric Church offered a somber, stirring take on Keith’s solo-written “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”

“I’ve said I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Toby,” Church said. “As a songwriter, I’ve never heard him write about anything that he wasn’t living at that time.” Church also noted that he was immediately struck the first time he heard “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” and said, “I want nothing more than for Toby to have been able to do this tonight, but I’ll do my best.”

From there, Keith’s fellow Oklahoman and country artist Blake Shelton took the stage, playing Keith’s signature American flag-emblazoned guitar, as he offered up “I Love This Bar” and attempted to bring some levity to the moment with the party anthem “Red Solo Cup,” which reached the top 15 on Billboard’s all-genre chart in 2011.

Randy Owen of Alabama inducted Keith into the Country Music Hall of Fame, welcoming Keith’s wife nearly 40 years, Tricia, to the stage.

“He didn’t just sing those songs. He was those songs,” she said of her late husband. She added of his dedication to performing on USO Tours and for scores of military members, “He loved the troops. He loved getting to go and be a part of that. He didn’t get to serve, but his Dad did so in his mind, that was him giving back.

“Toby loved hard and he lived big,” she continued. “He enjoyed everything he did. He had no regrets through his life. he was a wonderful husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, friend, singer, producer, businessman. He was masterful at everything he did… Whatever he put his mind to, he excelled and he did the best he could do.” That work included the founding of the OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children facing life-threatening illnesses.

She also noted that instead of moving to Nashville as many aspiring singers and songwriters do, he stayed in Oklahoma. “He took that as a challenge, so we stayed in Oklahoma. He would say, ‘There may be better singers, there may be better songwriters, but they’ll never outwork me,’” she said. “He had to work twice as hard. He didn’t fit into the normal, mainstream Nashville and politics and the business. Hard work, toughness and God-given talent. Toby didn’t have to be branded as authentic — he was the example of authentic.

“There will never be another Toby Keith,” she continued. “We’re all brokenhearted that he’s not here to get to accept this… there will be generations of people who will continue to play Toby’s songs so even through our pain we know Toby’s spirit is still alive. … Thank you to the Country Music Hall of Fame Hall of Fame for honoring Toby with this induction. He didn’t get the chance to hear the news that he had been inducted, but I have a feeling Toby, we know you know you are in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”

By the time guitarist Burton was 14 years old, he was playing as part of the house band on the Louisiana Hayride and soon he was playing in clubs around his hometown. At those club shows, he began performing an instrumental number that bandleader Dale Hawkins would later add lyrics to, creating the rockabilly song “Susie Q,” which Hawkins released in 1957.

He soon began playing in teen performer Ricky Nelson’s band, which was featured on the popular television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Burton went onto to become an guitar stylist and innovator, becoming known for his rhythmic “chicken-pickin’” style, and joined the Wrecking Crew, which backed artists including The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny and Cher and more.

He also played on songs by Buck Owens (including “Open Up Your Heart”), and on many of Merle Haggard’s signature songs, including “Swinging Doors,” “Sing Me Back Home,” “Mama Tried,” “Lonesome Fugitive” and “Workin’ Man Blues.” In 1969, Burton was persuaded by Elvis Presley to put together and lead Presley’s TCB Band for his shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Burton was in Presley’s band until Presley’s death in 1977.

Burton also played on Gram Parsons’ 1973 album GP and his 1974 album Grevious Angel, and played an essential role in Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, as well as recording with Harris in the 1970s. He also played with John Denver, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Costello.

In 2001, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards inducted Burton into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2009, Burton won a Grammy for best country instrumental performance for his work on Brad Paisley’s “Cluster Pluck.”

Both Richards and Paisley appeared during Burton’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, with Richards performing “I Can’t Dance” alongside Harris and Vince Gill.

Harris, Gill and Rodney Crowell also performed “‘Til I Gain Control Again.” Paisley performed a version of Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues.”

“The only reason it’s cool to play anything with paisley on it at all is that man,” Paisley said, nodding to Burton’s role in bringing a pink paisley Telecaster to Presley’s TCB Band. “The first thing I did with a royalty check is buy a paisley guitar,” Paisley added.

Gill returned to the stage to induct Burton into the Country Music Hall of Fame, saying, “He made an impact on the world with his playing and he was quite the showman.”

“What a surprise, they’re all my heroes, all these guys I work with,” Burton said. “And I want to thank God for giving me a small part of being with these people. I’m so honored, I love them all.”

Earlier in the evening, Young also took a moment to recognize two Country Music Hall of Fame members who passed away in recent months: Kris Kristofferson and The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall.

The evening, which marked country music’s highest honor being given to these three creators, concluded with Country Music Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker continuing the tradition of leading an “all-sing” version of The Carter Family classic “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

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