What If the Country Music Hall of Fame Had a Builder Category?

Pretty much every sports' hall of fame has a builder category. This is a category reserved for inductees who were not athletes of the sport, but executives, coaches, media, and so on, who made significant contributions toward the promotion, growth and overall benefit of that sport - making them worthy of inclusion in their respective hall of fame. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has somewhat of a builder category called "Early Influencers." Hank Williams, Sr., Bill Monroe and Brenda Lee are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in addition to their induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Their inductions to the Rock hall is a nod to their contributions to the development of popular music in North America. How Johnny Cash is not on this list escapes me. Hopefully the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame corrects this oversight soon. 

This got me thinking about the Country Music Hall of Fame. Country music has had many influencers outside of the genre. Some influencers didn’t have many country hits, if any at all, and perhaps didn’t sell as many records as current inductees. But their overall influence on the direction of country music over the decades deserves to be recognized. While I’m sure there are many influencers I will have overlooked in this post, here are my first six inductees into the currently fictitious Builders Category in the Country Music Hall of Fame in no particular order. Have a read and let me know who you would like to see added to this category. 

The Byrds

The Byrds are widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the country-rock sound and one of the most influential bands in music history. The most creative period for The Byrds ran from roughly 1964 to 1973 and endured several personnel changes. It was in 1968 with core members Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons that The Byrds hit their creative peak with their seminal album "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." This album remains a North American classic, truly one of the most influential and important projects ever recorded in the development of country music. Many of the names you see in my proposed list had their careers directly or indirectly influenced by The Byrds. And, I suspect, many of the current members of the Country Music Hall of Fame would say the same thing.


Gram Parsons

One of the most influential singer-songwriters of any era, Gram Parsons remains on the outside of both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame. Another pioneering member in the development of country-rock as a solo artist and member of The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, it's Parson's influence, love and recording of straight-ahead country music alone that warrants induction as a builder. Parsons had no hit singles, but his contribution to the development of country music is measured in the way Nashville came around to other sounds. It is also important to note, a protégé of Parsons, to whom he was introduced by Chris Hillman, was inducted into the Hall of Fame herself in 2008: Emmylou Harris. Harris is featured prominently on Parson's records and contributed greatly to the sound Parson was trying to capture. 


Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt could be the single greatest female vocalist of all time. Not known for writing any of the songs she recorded, Ronstadt takes that material and makes it all her own. With hits on the pop, rhythm and blues, rock and country charts, Ronstadt has also performed opera and Latin/Mexican music. Quite simply, Ronstadt can sing anything. Recognized as the first female rock superstar, Ronstadt was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. But her country music cred is real. She had several hits on the country music charts both as a solo artist and as a member of the group Trio with her good friends Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton (two current members of the Country Music Hall of Fame). If you listen to Ronstadt perform, you can clearly see her influence on modern country music, and specifically artists such as Reba McEntire and Martina McBride - one current Hall of Famer and a future inductee, respectively. Ronstadt is also responsible for the introduction of her earliest road band members, a group of guys who went on to a little success themselves … Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who became ...


The Eagles

The formation of The Eagles, out of Ronstadt's short-lived backing band, in my view represents the culmination of the country-rock era and there was no band that did it bigger or better than this group. Having sold more than 200 million records worldwide, they remain one of the most important acts in modern North American music. The Eagles, it could be argued, were the first country music performing "band", meaning all official members played their own instruments and provided vocals. The success of The Eagles introduced a style of country music pioneered by The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons to the masses in much the same way that Garth Brooks did with country music in the 1990s. 

Mainstream country bands such as Restless Heart, Lonestar and Hall of Famer's Alabama owe a great deal of their success and acceptance at country radio to The Eagles. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. With some country chart success, their influence on modern country music and their continued relevance on the touring circuit today with Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill as a member, The Eagles are a natural choice as a builder inductee to the Hall.


Lynyrd Skynyrd

Blending rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, Lynyrd Skynyrd have cemented their legacy as pioneers of southern rock. With influences in equal parts of Hank Williams, Sr., Merle Haggard, The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd graced the world with anthems "Sweet Home Alabama", "Simple Man", and the timeless "Freebird." These songs and more became staples on the club band around the world. Their influence can be heard in early Alabama albums, and encouraged Hank Williams, Jr. to completely change the direction of his career in the mid-1970s. Travis Tritt's entire career has been based on blending southern rock and country. Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't have any hits on the country charts, but the influence this band has on country music continues today.


Ray Charles

Willie Nelson has said that no other singer has done more for country music than Ray Charles. It's hard to argue that point. When Ray decided to record an album of country music in 1961, albeit with Ray's own spin on those tunes, it changed the trajectory of the genre. Released in 1962, "Moderns Sounds of Country and Western Music" went on to become one of the best selling albums of all time. The album broke down racial barriers during the Civil Rights movement introducing country music, a predominantly white form of music, to a black audience and gained acceptance. In the 1980s, Ray Charles would record several country hits, mostly duets. But it is the release of this album with a recording of a style of music that influenced Ray Charles as a child and young musician that ultimately influenced country music for generations to come.

Who do you think should be inducted into the currently fictitious Builders Category in the Country Music Hall of Fame?