And the new Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are ... | The Pick

Matthew Leimkuehler, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville, photographed in 2020.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville, photographed in 2020.

Wait, who's headed into the Country Music Hall of Fame?

Tennessean music reporter and designated Pick scribe Matt Leimkuehler here. I've got your inbox covered this afternoon with what you need to know about the newly announced trio of Country Music Hall of Fame members-to-be.

*drum roll, please*

And the 2022 Country Music Hall of fame class is ... wildly influential 1980s hitmaker Keith Whitley, foundational American entertainer Jerry Lee Lewis and elite music executive Joe Galante. The group enters downtown Nashville's famed rotunda at an induction ceremony set for a to-be-announced future date.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville, photographed in 2020.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville, photographed in 2020.

Inside the beat: One of the best assignments each year on the music beat at The Tennessean is being the first to interview Country Music Hall of Fame inductees about being invited into the rotunda. Here's what each class member or their family member told The Tennessean about receiving an invitation:

  • Lorrie Morgan, Grand Ole Opry member and Keith Whitley's widow, on her late husband: “Keith was a magical, monumental artist. He changed the way people thought about country music because he was so cool.”

  • Jerry Lee Lewis: “It’s been a while coming, but we’re thankful for it.”

  • Joe Galante: “For this to happen … I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I’m truly humbled and grateful. It is the pinnacle of my career and something unexpected."

Now, read on for more Country Music Hall of Fame headlines from Nashville this year.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Pick: Here's who's next to join the Country Music Hall of Fame