Country Music Hall of Fame 2013

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME - 2013                                    The following musicians have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Check out the music display in the Audiovisual Room for these and other inductees.

Bobby Bare (April 7, 1935 - Singer and songwriter)

He was born Robert Joseph Bare in Lawrencee County, Ohio and began his career in Springfield, Ohio.  In the mid-1950s Bare moved to Los Angeles where he recorded for Capital and Challenge and later wrote with Opal Music. 

In early 1962, Bare's rendition of "Detroit City" became his first Top Ten hit.  It earned him a Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording.  Another Top Ten hit on both the Country and Pop charts in 1963-64 was "500 Miles Away From Home."  Other hits included "Miller's Cave," "Four Strong Winds," "The Streets of Baltimore" and "(Margie's at) The Lincoln Park Inn."

In the 1970s he wrote other Top Ten hits including "How I Got To Memphis," "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends," and "Come Sundown."  In 1973 he released the album Ride Me Down Easy.

From 1983 to 1988 he hosted the TV show Bobby Bare and Friends on TNN: The Nashville Network.  He has worked in a variety of musical styles - rockabilly, country, outlaw, and southern rock.

"Cowboy" Jack Clement (April 5, 1931 - Musician, songwriter and record producer)

Jack Henderson Clement was born April 5, 1934 and was a native of Whitehaven, Tennessee.  He toured with a bluegrass band after leaving the Marine Corps.

While in Memphis  he worked at Sun Records as a staff producer-engineer (1956-1959).  While there he worked with Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich.  Two #1 Country hits for Cash that he produced were "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" and "Guess Things Happen That Way."

In the 1970s, Clement established the JMI label as well as opened three Nashville recording studios.  He produced Waylon Jennings's classic album Dreaming My Dreams.  Other artists who cut songs with Clement were Tammy Wynette, Eric Clapton, Perry Como and Elvis Presley.

During the 1980s Clement produced records for Johnny Cash and U2's Rattle and Hum.  He has also been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Nashville's Music City Walk of Fame.

Kenny Rogers (August 21, 1938 - Singer and songwriter)

Between 1977 and 1987 Kennry Rogers logged twenty #1 country hits, some also on the pop charts.  He has sold more than 50 million albums in the United States.

Kenneth Donald Rogers grew up in public housing in Houston and was exposed to R&B, pop and jazz as well as country.  "That Crazy Feeling (1958) earned him an appearance on American Bandstand.

While at United Artists Records in the 1970s he had hits such as "Lucille" (Grammy, #1 country, #5 pop - 1977), "The Gambler" (1978-79), "She Believes in Me" (1979), and "Coward of the county (1979-80).  Successful duets included "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (1978) with Dottie West and
"Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (1980), with Kim Carnes.

Rodgers hit "Love the World Away" was the theme song in the 1980s film Urban Cowboy.  Other 80s hits were "Love Will Turn You Around" (1982), "We Got Tonight" (1983) Sheena Easton duet, and "Islands in the Stream" with Dolly Parton (1983).

Additionally, he has invested in Branson, Missouri, ventures, published several photography books, wrote two children's books, engaged in major philanthropic endeavors and launched a chain of restaurants.