Music producer Tony Brown, the late singer June Carter Cash, and country star Kenny Chesney were named to the Country Music Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Brown, 78, was elected in the Non-Performer Rotating category, which honors those behind the scenes.
The music industry executive, who hails from Greensboro, North Carolina, launched his decades-long career as a pianist. He joined the Oak Ridge Boys’ backing band, The Mighty Oaks Band, and played for Elvis Presley as a member of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s TCB Band.
He later worked for RCA Records and MCA Nashville, producing more than 100 chart-topping hits, including Wynonna Judd’s 1992 single “No One Else On Earth” and George Strait’s 2008 hit “I Saw God Today.”
“I’ve had a lot of big things happen in my life and my career. This is the biggest,” Brown said while accepting country music’s top honor.
“This is better than money. This is about making an impact, and when it comes right down to it, that’s the reason we all get into this business. ... This means more than anything ever could mean to me.”
Carter Cash, who died in May 2003 at the age of 73, was this year’s Veterans Era Artist inductee, representing trailblazers who came to prominence in Nashville before 1980.
Born in Maces Spring, Virginia, June Carter got her start in country music at an early age, performing in her family’s band, the Carter Family, at the age of 10.
In the 1950s, she pursued an acting career, landing roles in “Gunsmoke,” “The Adventures of Jim Bowie,” and “Country Music Holiday.”
The five-time Grammy-winner later toured alongside fellow singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, helping to write his hit song “Ring of Fire,” which was featured on his 1963 album “Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash.”
The singers married in 1968, welcoming their son, John Carter Cash, two years later. June Carter Cash also had two daughters from previous relationships—country singer Carlene Carter, 69, and Rosie Carter Nix, who died in October 2003 at the age of 45.
“I just can’t tell y'all what this means to us,” Carlene Carter said while accepting the honor on her mother’s behalf.
“My mom was a force of nature. Everything she did she did with grace and style and finesse and humor. And I was so proud to be her daughter. Anything that’s good about me is because of that woman.”
Chesney, 56, rounded out the 2025 class of inductees. The Grammy-nominated country singer was elected in the Modern Era Artist category, which honors artists at least 20 years after they achieve national prominence.
The Tennessee native released his debut studio album, “In My Wildest Dreams,” in 1994. Since then, he has put out more than a dozen albums, including “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem” (2002), “When the Sun Goes Down” (2004), “The Road and The Radio” (2005), and “Here and Now” (2020).
“I had a really big dream that not a lot of people saw coming, and I can promise you I did not see this coming,” Chesney said during the livestream while discussing his illustrious career.
“I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can.
“I just wanted to record and write songs that reflected the lives of a lot of people that came to our shows, and I just wanted to spread as much positive energy and love as I possibly could. Standing up here, I know it’s not a dream. It’s real, and it feels so real. ... This is beautiful.”
Brown, Carter Cash, and Chesney will be formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October during the organization’s Medallion Ceremony, which is held each year at Nashville’s CMA Theater.
“At CMA, we celebrate excellence year-round, but today is always very special. Because long before today, before the platinum records and sold-out shows, before the awards and accolades, these inductees were dreamers,” Trahern said.
“Their music didn’t just climb the charts; it shaped generations. It certainly has entertained, but more importantly, it has endured.”
CMA established the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to honor and preserve the legacy of those who have made significant contributions to the advancement of country music, the organization’s website notes.
Past honorees include the late Johnny Cash, who was inducted in 1980, George Strait in 2006, and Reba McEntire in 2011.
Also among the honorees is Toby Keith, who died in February 2024 at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer. The “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer was posthumously inducted into the Modern Era category last year.
