June Carter Cash

“June Carter Cash was a vibrant presence in country music for over 60 years as a singer, comedienne and songwriter,” per a press release issued by the Country Music Hall of Fame following the induction ceremony on Sunday evening. “She began performing at age 10 in 1939, singing with her mother, Maybelle Carter of The Carter Family, and her two sisters on Mexican border radio. Mother Maybelle & The Carter Sisters later starred on the Grand Ole Opry and joined Johnny Cash’s roadshow. June Carter wrote more than 100 songs, including ‘Ring of Fire,’ a #1 hit for Cash, whom she married in 1968. They recorded several hit duets, including ‘Jackson’ and ‘If I Were a Carpenter,’ both of which won Grammys.”

Kacey Musgraves and Daniel Tashian began the tributes to Carter Cash with a cover of “Ring of Fire.” Keb' Mo’ and Ruby Amanfu performed “Keep on the Sunny Side,” and Lukas Nelson delivered a rendition of “It Ain’t Me Babe” in Carter Cash’s honor. Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris presented Carter Cash’s children, John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter, with their late mother’s medallion when she was inducted in the Veterans Era Artist category on Sunday evening. John Carter Cash said “my mother never met a stranger. That is for sure, and she loved each and every person everywhere she went.”

“Mom would love this, you guys,” Carlene Carter added. “We loved our mama. We love her, and all of her grandchildren and children, and her nieces and nephews and cousins… She loves us all, and she’s always watching over us.”

Tony Brown

“Born in North Carolina and schooled as a keyboard player in the topnotch road bands of Elvis Presley and Emmylou Harris, Tony Brown became a key record executive in shaping the sound of modern country music,” according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. “As a record producer, he supervised many best-selling recordings by Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Marty Stuart and others. As a label executive and talent scout at MCA Records, he also brought daring, outsider talents into mainstream country music, including Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, The Mavericks and Kelly Willis.”

Lyle Lovett performed “If I Had a Boat,” and Steve Earle performed "Guitar Town" to begin the tribute performances to Brown. Trisha Yearwood took the stage with “Perfect Love,” and legendary country star George Strait surprised Brown and other attendees with his rendition of “Troubadour.” Hall of Fame member Vince Gill shared heartfelt remarks as he presented Brown with his medallion when he was inducted in the Non-Performer category.

“Needless to say, I’ve had some big things happen in my life. This is by far the biggest,” Brown said. “For years, everybody thought my life, my career, was defined by playing with Elvis Presley. Now, my career is defined by being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. …I love what I do. I love this business. And I’ve always told everybody in town that the Medallion Ceremony is my favorite event to attend every year. This may be the best one yet.”

Kenny Chesney

“A former high school athlete from Luttrell, Tennessee, Kenny Chesney parlayed a resonant baritone voice and a competitive spirit into one of the biggest careers in country music since the year 2000,” the Hall of Fame press release states. “He has earned 16 platinum albums, more than 50 Top Ten country hits and 23 #1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Among his best-known hits are ‘The Good Stuff,’ ‘There Goes My Life’ and ‘The Boys of Fall,’ all of which crossed over to the pop charts. A perennial top touring attraction, he’s been voted the CMA Entertainer of the Year four times — 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.”

Fellow East Tennessee-born country artist Kelsea Ballerini, who has hailed Chesney her “hometown hero,” kicked off tributes to the newest inductee with a rendition of “Somewhere with You.” Megan Moroney, who joined Chesney’s tour last year, surprised him with “Knowing You.” Award-winning country star Eric Church took the stage with a medley of some of Chesney’s career-spanning hits, including “I Go Back,” “Anything But Mine,” “El Cerrito Place,” “Never wanted Nothing More” and “The Boys of Fall.” Hall of Fame member Joe Galante presented Chesney with his medallion when he was inducted in the Modern Era Artist category.

“You don’t dare dream of being in the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside legends including George Jones, Willie Nelson, Alabama, even Dean Dillon,” Chesney said when inductees were announced earlier this year. “I’ve been lucky enough to get to call them my friends, and that was plenty. But hearing the news I’d been voted into the Hall, I can honestly say beyond my wildest dreams, it’s an honor that defies words. I am humbled, grateful, honored…as much for all the songwriters, musicians, artists and people who’ve helped me build my career; they have truly inspired me every single day.”

“The truth is, I’ve never really let myself sit in accomplishment very much. I’ve always been very creative, very drive,” Chesney said when he spoke on stage on Sunday evening. “But tonight, I can tell you, walking into that rotunda and taking the group shot with a lot of my heroes and a lot of my friends, it was the first time that I have ever felt accomplished in my life. …It’s an unbelievable feeling to stand here in this moment, and with every cell in my body, I feel the gravity of this moment.

“This has just been an unbelievable night for me. What an honor. …The thing that I am very thankful for is the fact that I got to do this with so many people.”

John Anderson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year with Toby Keith and James Burton, upheld tradition as he closed the ceremony by leading a performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Scroll below to see some of the most memorable moments from the 2025 Hall of Fame induction.

Bill Ellis