Mel Tillis

American country music singer-songwriter (1932–2017)

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Mel Tillis

Tillis at the Grand Ole Opry, 2007

Background information
Birth name| Lonnie Melvin Tillis
Born| (1932-08-08)August 8, 1932
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Died| November 19, 2017(2017-11-19) (aged 85)
Ocala, Florida, U.S.
Genres| Country
Occupation| Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)| Vocals, guitar
Years active| 1958–2017
Labels| Columbia, Decca, Kapp, MGM, MCA, Elektra, Radio Records
Formerly of| Old Dogs
Website| www.meltillis.com

Musical artist

Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932[1] – November 19, 2017)[2] was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, with a long list of Top 10 hits.

Tillis' biggest hits include "I Ain't Never", "Good Woman Blues", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy". On February 13, 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Tillis the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to country music.[3] He also won the Country Music Association Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. Tillis was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Country Music Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was known for his stutter, which did not affect his singing voice. His daughter is 1990s country hitmaker Pam Tillis.

## Early life

[edit]

Mel Tillis was born in Tampa, Florida, US. His parents were Burma (née Rogers; 1907–1990) and Lonnie Lee Tillis (1907–1981).[4] While he was still young, the family moved to Pahokee, Florida (near West Palm Beach). After a bout of malaria during his childhood, he developed a stutter.[5] As a child, Tillis learned the drums as well as guitar. At age 16, he won a local talent show.

He attended the University of Florida, but he dropped out and joined the United States Air Force.[6] While stationed as a baker on Okinawa, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclubs.[5]

## Early music career

[edit]

After leaving the Air Force in 1955,[1] Tillis returned to Florida where he worked a number of odd jobs, eventually finding employment with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Tampa. He used his railroad pass to visit Nashville and eventually met and auditioned for Wesley Rose of the publishing house Acuff-Rose Music. Rose encouraged Tillis to return to Florida and continue honing his songwriting skills.[7] Tillis eventually moved to Tennessee, and began writing songs full-time. He wrote "I'm Tired",[1] a No. 3 country hit for Webb Pierce in 1957.[5] Other Tillis hits include "Honky Tonk Song" and "Tupelo County Jail".[1] Ray Price, Kitty Wells and Brenda Lee also charted hits with Tillis' material around this time. In the late 1950s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records.[1] In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose",[1] followed by the Top 25 hit "Sawmill".

## Rise to fame

[edit]

Although Tillis charted his own hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs list, he had more success as a songwriter, particularly for Webb Pierce. He wrote the hits "I Ain't Never" (Tillis' own future hit) and "Crazy, Wild Desire". Bobby Bare, Tom Jones ("Detroit City"), Wanda Jackson, and Stonewall Jackson also covered his songs. (Some well-known songs from his Columbia years include "The Brooklyn Bridge", "Loco Weed", and "Walk on, Boy".) In 1967 Jack Greene had a No. 1 hit with a song Tillis co-wrote, "All the Time". Tillis continued to record on his own, but did not achieve major success on the country charts at first.

In the mid-1960s, Tillis switched to Kapp Records, and in 1965, he had his first Top 15 hit with "Wine". Other hits continued to follow, such as "Stateside" and "Life Turned Her That Way", which was later covered by Ricky Van Shelton in 1988, going to No. 1.[1] He wrote for Charley Pride ("The Snakes Crawl At Night")[1] and wrote "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", which was a hit for Kenny Rogers and The First Edition.[1] He also wrote the hit "Mental Revenge" for outlaw country star Waylon Jennings. It has also been covered by the Hacienda Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parsons, Barbara Mandrell, and Jamey Johnson. In 1968, Tillis achieved his first Top 10 hit with "Who's Julie". He also was a regular featured singer on The Porter Wagoner Show.

## Height of his career

[edit]

Mel Tillis (1970)

Things turned around in 1969 for Tillis. He finally achieved the success he always wanted with two Top 10 country hits, "These Lonely Hands of Mine"[1] and "She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere". In 1970, he reached the Top 5 with "Heart Over Mind", which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs list. After this, Tillis' career as a country singer went into full swing. Hits soon came quite easily, such as "Heaven Everyday" (1970), "Commercial Affection" (1970), "Arms of a Fool" (1970), "Take My Hand" (a duet with Sherry Bryce in 1971),[1] and "Brand New Mister Me" (1971). In 1972, Tillis achieved his first chart-topper with his version of his song "I Ain't Never".[1] Even though the song was previously a hit by Webb Pierce, Tillis' version is the better-known version of the two. Most of the above-mentioned song hits were recorded on MGM Records, Tillis' record company in the early part of the decade.

After the success of "I Ain't Never", Tillis had another hit, which came close to No. 1 (reaching No. 3), titled "Neon Rose", followed by "Sawmill", which reached No. 2. "Midnight, Me and the Blues" was another near chart-topper in 1974. Other hits Tillis had on MGM include "Stomp Them Grapes" (1974), "Memory Maker" (1974), "Woman in the Back of My Mind" (1975), and his version of "Mental Revenge" (1976). Tillis achieved his biggest success with MCA Records, with which he signed in 1976. It started with a pair of two No. 1 hits in 1976, "Good Woman Blues" and "Heart Healer".[1] In an interview, he mentioned having written five hits in one week. Thanks to this success, in 1976 Tillis won the Country Music Association Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year, and was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame that year. In 1977 he appeared on the game show Match Game. He achieved another No. 1 in 1978 with "I Believe In You" and then again in 1979 with "Coca-Cola Cowboy",[1] which was put in the Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way but Loose,[1] in which he also made a cameo appearance. Also in 1978, Tillis co-hosted a short-lived variety series on ABC television, Mel and Susan Together, with model Susan Anton. Other hits around this time included "Send Me Down to Tucson", "Ain't No California", and "I Got the Hoss". In mid-1979, Tillis switched to another record company, Elektra Records.

After signing with Elektra, he continued to make hit songs such as "Blind In Love" and "Lying Time Again", both hits in 1979. Until 1981, Tillis remained on top of his game as one of country music's most successful vocalists of the era. "Your Body Is an Outlaw" went to No. 3 in 1980, followed by another Top 10 hit, "Steppin' Out". "Southern Rains" in 1981 was his last No. 1 hit.[1] That same year, he released Mel and Nancy, an album of duets with Nancy Sinatra, which spawned two hit singles, the Top 30 hit "Texas Cowboy Night" and the double A-side, "Play Me or Trade Me/Where Would I Be". He remained with Elektra until 1982 before switching back to MCA for a brief period in 1983. That summer, he scored a Top 10 hit with "In The Middle Of The Night" and had his last Top 10 hit with "New Patches" in 1984. By this time, however, Tillis had built up a financial empire, thanks to investing in music publishing companies such as Sawgrass and Cedarwood.

## Movie roles

[edit]

Tillis appeared in movies, including Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), The Cannonball Run II (1984), Beer for My Horses (2008), and comedy westerns The Villain (1979) and Uphill All the Way (1986), in which he starred with fellow country singer Roy Clark.

## Radio stations

[edit]

In 1979, Tillis acquired radio station KIXZ (AM) in Amarillo, Texas, from Sammons-Ruff Associates, which converted from Top 40 to country music and became a force in the Texas Panhandle region (the station is now known today as a News/Talk radio station). A short time later, Tillis acquired Amarillo, Texas, Rock FM station KYTX, which changed calls to KMML (a play on Tillis' stutter) (that station is now known today as KXSS-FM, a Top 40 radio station and is currently still a sister station to KIXZ). Still later, he operated WMML in Mobile, Alabama. All of his stations were sold after a time for a healthy return.

## Later career and projects

[edit]

Following his heyday in the 1970s, Tillis remained a songwriter in the 1980s, writing hits for Ricky Skaggs and Randy Travis. He also wrote his autobiography called Stutterin' Boy. Tillis appeared as the television commercial spokesman for the fast-food restaurant chain Whataburger during the 1980s. He briefly signed with RCA Records, as well as Mercury Records, and later Curb Records in 1991. His last top-10 hit was in 1984 and his last top-40 country hit in 1988; like most country artists of the classic era, his recording career was dented by changes in the country music industry in the early 1990s. He also built a theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed on a regular basis until 2002. In 1998, he teamed with Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings, and Jerry Reed to form The Old Dogs. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein. In July 1998, Old Dogs Volumes 1 and 2 were released on the Atlantic Records label. A companion video, as well as a Greatest Hits album (composed of previously released material by each individual artist), were also available.

The Grand Ole Opry inducted Tillis on June 9, 2007. He was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam, and is the only person in the show's history to be welcomed into membership by their child. (In the 1990s, Pam became a very successful country music singer in her own right,[1] with Top Ten hits like "Maybe It Was Memphis", "Shake the Sugar Tree" and the Number One "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)".) Along with being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, it was announced on August 7 that year that Tillis, along with Ralph Emery and Vince Gill, were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

## Personal life and death

[edit]

Tillis had six children, including singer-songwriter Pam Tillis.[1] Pam recorded for Arista Nashville in the 1990s where she had multiple country hit singles such as "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)" and "Maybe It Was Memphis".[8] His son Mel "Sonny" Tillis Jr. is also a songwriter. Sonny co-wrote Jamie O'Neal's 2001 hit single "When I Think About Angels".[9]

Tillis suffered from several illnesses beginning in January 2016. On November 19, 2017, he died of respiratory failure in Ocala, Florida, at age 85.[10][11] After this, Sonny Tillis began touring as a tribute act to his father.[12]

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Mel Tillis discography

## The Statesiders

[edit]

The Statesiders were Mel's longtime backing band. They were named after his 1966 hit single "Stateside". Between 1969 and 1980 14 studio albums and 4 live albums were released credited to Mel Tillis and the Statesiders, and the Statesiders released one studio album on their own in 1975. Several notable musicians have served as Statesiders, such as Buddy Cannon, Paul Franklin, Hoot Hester, and Jimmy Belken of the Strangers. While many other members have played with them during their run from 1967 to 2017, below is a timeline of just the members during their recorded output.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Tillis, Mel; Wager, Walter (1984). Stutterin' Boy: The Autobiography of Mel Tillis. Rawson Assoc. ISBN 978-0892562633.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 408/9. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
2. ^ Erin Nyren; Chris Willman (November 19, 2017). "Mel Tillis, Singer-Songwriter and Country Music Hall of Famer, Dies at 85". Variety.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
3. ^ "President Obama Awards the 2011 National Medals of Arts and Humanities at the White House". whitehouse.gov (Press release). February 13, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2019 – via National Archives.
4. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (November 19, 2017). "Mel Tillis, Country Star Known for His Songs and His Stutter, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
5. ^ a b c Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Mel Tillis". AllMusic. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
6. ^ Sexton, Scott (July 2007). "Legend's Corner – Mel Tillis". About.com Country Music. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
7. ^ Dauphin, Chuck (March 4, 2013). "Mel Tillis Eyes New Book, Greatest Hits Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
8. ^ "Pam Tillis biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
9. ^ "Sonny Tillis Teams For Heavenly Tune With 'Angels'". Broadcast Music Incorporated. August 13, 2001. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
10. ^ Stephen L. Betts (November 19, 2017). "Mel Tillis, Country Entertainer and Songwriter, Dead at 85". Rolling Stone.
11. ^ Mcardle, Terence (November 19, 2017). "Mel Tillis, stuttering country star whose music spoke pristinely dies at 85". Washington Post.
12. ^ "Mel Tillis Jr. joins lineup for Ashland City's Music on Main festival". The Tennessean. September 25, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Mel Tillis at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
* Mel Tillis at IMDb
* Interview with Mel Tillis in International Songwriters Association's "Songwriter Magazine"

## External links

[edit]

Added link to interview with Mick Hanly in "Songwriter Magazine"

* v
* t
* e

Mel Tillis

Collaboration albums|

* Old Dogs

Notable singles|

* "Life Turned Her That Way"
* "I Ain't Never"
* "Good Woman Blues"
* "Heart Healer"
* "I Got the Hoss"
* "Ain't No California"
* "What Did I Promise Her Last Night"
* "I Believe in You"
* "Send Me Down to Tucson"
* "Coca-Cola Cowboy"
* "Blind in Love"
* "Lying Time Again"
* "Southern Rains"
* "Stay a Little Longer"
* "City Lights"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Pam Tillis
* "Detroit City"
* "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town"
* "Honey (Open That Door)"

Awards for Mel Tillis

* v
* t
* e

CMA Entertainer of the Year

* Eddy Arnold (1967)
* Glen Campbell (1968)
* Johnny Cash (1969)
* Merle Haggard (1970)
* Charley Pride (1971)
* Loretta Lynn (1972)
* Roy Clark (1973)
* Charlie Rich (1974)
* John Denver (1975)
* Mel Tillis (1976)
* Ronnie Milsap (1977)
* Dolly Parton (1978)
* Willie Nelson (1979)
* Barbara Mandrell (1980)
* Barbara Mandrell (1981)
* Alabama (1982)
* Alabama (1983)
* Alabama (1984)
* Ricky Skaggs (1985)
* Reba McEntire (1986)
* Hank Williams Jr. (1987)
* Hank Williams Jr. (1988)
* George Strait (1989)
* George Strait (1990)
* Garth Brooks (1991)
* Garth Brooks (1992)
* Vince Gill (1993)
* Vince Gill (1994)
* Alan Jackson (1995)
* Brooks & Dunn (1996)
* Garth Brooks (1997)
* Garth Brooks (1998)
* Shania Twain (1999)
* Dixie Chicks (2000)
* Tim McGraw (2001)
* Alan Jackson (2002)
* Alan Jackson (2003)
* Kenny Chesney (2004)
* Keith Urban (2005)
* Kenny Chesney (2006)
* Kenny Chesney (2007)
* Kenny Chesney (2008)
* Taylor Swift (2009)
* Brad Paisley (2010)
* Taylor Swift (2011)
* Blake Shelton (2012)
* George Strait (2013)
* Luke Bryan (2014)
* Luke Bryan (2015)
* Garth Brooks (2016)
* Garth Brooks (2017)
* Keith Urban (2018)
* Garth Brooks (2019)
* Eric Church (2020)
* Luke Combs (2021)
* Luke Combs (2022)
* Lainey Wilson (2023)
* Morgan Wallen (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Country Music Hall of Fame 2000s

* Charley Pride (2000)
* Faron Young (2000)
* Bill Anderson (2001)
* The Delmore Brothers (2001)
* The Everly Brothers (2001)
* Don Gibson (2001)
* Homer and Jethro (2001)
* Waylon Jennings (2001)
* The Jordanaires (2001)
* Don Law (2001)
* The Louvin Brothers (2001)
* Ken Nelson (2001)
* Sam Phillips (2001)
* Webb Pierce (2001)
* Bill Carlisle (2002)
* Porter Wagoner (2002)
* Floyd Cramer (2003)
* Carl Smith (2003)
* Jim Foglesong (2004)
* Kris Kristofferson (2004)
* Alabama (2005)
* DeFord Bailey (2005)
* Glen Campbell (2005)
* Harold Bradley (2006)
* Sonny James (2006)
* George Strait (2006)
* Ralph Emery (2007)
* Vince Gill (2007)
* Mel Tillis (2007)
* Tom T. Hall (2008)
* Emmylou Harris (2008)
* The Statler Brothers (2008)
* Ernest Stoneman (2008)
* Roy Clark (2009)
* Barbara Mandrell (2009)
* Charlie McCoy (2009)

* v
* t
* e

National Medal of Arts recipients 2010s & 2020s

2010|

* Robert Brustein
* Van Cliburn
* Mark di Suvero
* Donald Hall
* Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
* Quincy Jones
* Harper Lee
* Sonny Rollins
* Meryl Streep
* James Taylor

2011|

* Will Barnet
* Rita Dove
* Al Pacino
* Emily Rauh Pulitzer
* Martin Puryear
* Mel Tillis
* United Service Organization (USO)
* André Watts

2012|

* Herb Alpert
* Lin Arison
* Joan Myers Brown
* Renée Fleming
* Ernest Gaines
* Ellsworth Kelly
* Tony Kushner
* George Lucas
* Elaine May
* Laurie Olin
* Allen Toussaint
* Washington Performing Arts Society

2013|

* Julia Alvarez
* Brooklyn Academy of Music
* Joan Harris
* Bill T. Jones
* John Kander
* Jeffrey Katzenberg
* Maxine Hong Kingston
* Albert Maysles
* Linda Ronstadt
* Billie Tsien & Tod Williams
* James Turrell

2014|

* John Baldessari
* Ping Chong
* Míriam Colón
* The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
* Sally Field
* Ann Hamilton
* Stephen King
* Meredith Monk
* George Shirley
* University Musical Society
* Tobias Wolff

2015|

* Mel Brooks
* Sandra Cisneros
* Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
* Morgan Freeman
* Philip Glass
* Berry Gordy
* Santiago Jiménez Jr.
* Moisés Kaufman
* Ralph Lemon
* Audra McDonald
* Luis Valdez
* Jack Whitten

2019|

* Alison Krauss
* Sharon Percy Rockefeller
* The Musicians of the United States Military
* Jon Voight

2020|

* Toby Keith
* Ricky Skaggs
* Mary Costa
* Nick Ut
* Earl A. Powell III

2021|

* Bruce Springsteen
* Gladys Knight
* Mindy Kaling
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus
* José Feliciano
* Vera Wang
* Joan Shigekawa
* Judith Francisca Baca
* Fred Eychaner
* Antonio Martorell
* The Billie Holiday Theatre
* The International Association of Blacks in Dance

2022|

* Ruth Asawa
* Randy Batitsa
* Clyde Butcher
* Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
* Missy Elliott
* Flaco Jiménez
* Eva Longoria
* Idina Menzel
* Herbert Ohta
* Bruce Sagan
* Carrie Mae Weems

2023|

* Mark Bradford
* Ken Burns
* Bruce Cohen
* Jo Carole Lauder
* Spike Lee
* Queen Latifah
* Selena Quintanilla
* Steven Spielberg

* Complete list
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Grand Ole Opry

Current members|

* Trace Adkins
* Lauren Alaina
* Bill Anderson
* Kelsea Ballerini
* Bobby Bare
* Mandy Barnett
* Dierks Bentley
* Clint Black
* Garth Brooks
* T. Graham Brown
* Steven Curtis Chapman
* Henry Cho
* Terri Clark
* Luke Combs
* John Conlee
* Dailey & Vincent
* Diamond Rio
* Sara Evans
* Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
* Crystal Gayle
* Vince Gill
* Emmylou Harris
* The Isaacs
* Alan Jackson
* Chris Janson
* Jamey Johnson
* Alison Krauss
* Lady A
* Little Big Town
* Patty Loveless
* Dustin Lynch
* Barbara Mandrell
* Martina McBride
* Ashley McBryde
* Del McCoury
* Charlie McCoy
* Scotty McCreery
* Reba McEntire
* Ronnie Milsap
* Eddie Montgomery
* Craig Morgan
* Lorrie Morgan
* Gary Mule Deer
* The Oak Ridge Boys
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Brad Paisley
* Jon Pardi
* Dolly Parton
* Carly Pearce
* Stu Phillips
* Jeanne Pruett
* Rascal Flatts
* Riders in the Sky
* Darius Rucker
* Don Schlitz
* Blake Shelton
* Ricky Van Shelton
* Ricky Skaggs
* Connie Smith
* Mike Snider
* Marty Stuart
* Pam Tillis
* Randy Travis
* Travis Tritt
* Josh Turner
* Carrie Underwood
* Keith Urban
* Rhonda Vincent
* Steve Wariner
* Gene Watson
* The Whites
* Mark Wills
* Lainey Wilson
* Trisha Yearwood
* Chris Young

Former members|

* Roy Acuff
* David "Stringbean" Akeman
* Jack Anglin
* Eddy Arnold
* Ernest Ashworth
* Chet Atkins
* DeFord Bailey
* Bashful Brother Oswald
* Humphrey Bate
* Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers
* Margie Bowes
* Rod Brasfield
* Jim Ed Brown
* The Browns
* Carl Butler and Pearl
* Archie Campbell
* Bill Carlisle
* Martha Carson
* The Carter Sisters
* Maybelle Carter
* Johnny Cash
* June Carter Cash
* Roy Clark
* Zeke Clements
* Patsy Cline
* Jerry Clower
* Stoney Cooper
* Wilma Lee Cooper
* Cowboy Copas
* Charlie Daniels
* Skeeter Davis
* The Delmore Brothers
* The DeZurik Sisters
* Little Jimmy Dickens
* Joe Diffie
* Danny Dill
* Jimmy Driftwood
* Roy Drusky
* The Duke of Paducah
* Holly Dunn
* The Everly Brothers
* Lester Flatt
* Red Foley
* Curly Fox
* Lefty Frizzell
* Troy Gentry
* Don Gibson
* Billy Grammer
* Jack Greene
* The Gully Jumpers
* Theron Hale
* Tom T. Hall
* George Hamilton IV
* Sid Harkreader
* Hawkshaw Hawkins
* George D. Hay
* Hoot Hester
* Goldie Hill
* David Houston
* Jan Howard
* Ferlin Husky
* Stonewall Jackson
* Sonny James
* Norma Jean
* Jim & Jesse
* Johnnie & Jack
* George Jones
* Grandpa Jones
* The Jordanaires
* Doug Kershaw
* Hal Ketchum
* Bradley Kincaid
* Pee Wee King
* Hank Locklin
* Lonzo and Oscar
* Bobby Lord
* The Louvin Brothers
* Charlie Louvin
* Ira Louvin
* Bob Luman
* Loretta Lynn
* Uncle Dave Macon
* Rose Maddox
* Mel McDaniel
* Jesse McReynolds
* McGee Brothers
* Bill Monroe
* George Morgan
* Moon Mullican
* Willie Nelson
* Jimmy C. Newman
* Bobby Osborne
* Sonny Osborne
* Johnny Paycheck
* Minnie Pearl
* Webb Pierce
* Ray Pillow
* Ray Price
* Charley Pride
* Del Reeves
* Jim Reeves
* Leon Rhodes
* Tex Ritter
* Marty Robbins
* Johnny Russell
* Rusty and Doug
* Earl Scruggs
* Jeannie Seely
* Jean Shepard
* Mississippi Slim
* Carl Smith
* Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
* Hank Snow
* Red Sovine
* Ralph Stanley
* Texas Ruby
* B. J. Thomas
* Uncle Jimmy Thompson
* Mel Tillis
* Tompall & the Glaser Brothers
* Ernest Tubb
* Justin Tubb
* Leroy Van Dyke
* Porter Wagoner
* Billy Walker
* Charlie Walker
* Kitty Wells
* Dottie West
* Keith Whitley†
* Slim Whitman
* The Wilburn Brothers
* Don Williams
* Hank Williams
* Boxcar Willie
* The Willis Brothers
* Chubby Wise
* Del Wood
* Marion Worth
* Johnnie Wright
* Tammy Wynette
* Faron Young

†Honorary former member; was scheduled to be invited, but died before the invitation was extended

Pending members|

* Steve Earle

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International|

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National|

* Germany
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Artists|

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