Congratulations to the Class of 2024 in this year’s inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The late grate Toby Keith has been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with John Anderson and guitarist James Burton, who’s going in under the Recording/Touring Musician category.
The Hall has a rule against inducting an artist in the year of their death…but Toby was chosen for induction before he passed away, so the Big Dog goes in.
Here’s where the story gets me teared up. Toby died on February 5th, just one day before the names of the inductees were locked in, so he never knew it was coming. His rep said, “my heart hurts that [Toby didn’t receive this honor] when he was alive.”