Country HOF To Induct Galante, Lewis & Whitley
• UPDATED: The Country Music Association announced the 2022 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame — longtime label executive Joe Galante, the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis and the late Keith Whitley.
Fellow Hall of Fame members Brooks & Dunn hosted the press conference Tuesday at the Hall of Fame Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum to announce the news via livestream on CMA’s YouTube channel.
Galante will be inducted in the “Non-Performer” category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with “Recording and/or Touring Musician” and “Songwriter” categories. Lewis will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category and Whitley will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category. “This year’s inductees are trailblazers who each paved their own unique path within Country Music,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO. “Jerry Lee, Keith and Joe each found their musical callings early in life and displayed a strong-minded and fierce passion for music making. In very different ways, they all have left a lasting impact on the industry and generations of fans alike. I am thrilled to welcome this deserving class into the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
Galante said, “When I heard the news I was being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it was the first time in my entire career I was speechless. I’m humbled, beyond honored and honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around this.”
Lewis commented, “To be recognized by Country Music with their highest honor is a humbling experience. The little boy from Ferriday, LA listening to Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams never thought he’d be in a Hall amongst them. I am appreciative of all those who have recognized that Jerry Lee Lewis music is Country Music, and to our almighty God for his never-ending redeeming grace.”
“In my heart, this feels like an absolutely appropriate honor, but at the same time, I know that Keith would be painfully humbled, and even shy about accepting an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame,” said Grand Ole Opry star, Lorrie Morgan, who was married to Whitley until his untimely passing. “Music was all about emotion to Keith. It was personal. There were so many great artists he admired, even worshipped. To stand in their company in the Hall of Fame would’ve been overwhelmingly emotional for him. I’m thrilled to see him honored this way, and for what it means to my children, Morgan and Jesse Keith; to Keith’s grandchildren; the Whitley family; and to the many, many fans who continue to point to Keith as one of the all-time greats.”
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, noted, “Our new inductees come from three very different places, but in October they will be enshrined in the very same place. Jerry Lee Lewis is a God-fearing rabble-rouser from a Mississippi River town, way down South. Keith Whitley was a Lefty Frizzell-loving Country boy from rural Kentucky. And Joe Galante is a game-changing executive from the urban northeast. They all filled our worlds with music. They are all deserving of our respect and adulation, and their elections into the Country Music Hall of Fame ensure that respect and adulation will endure through the ages.” Pictured, Galante, Lewis and Lorrie Morgan holding Keith Whitley’s photo.
A formal induction ceremony for Galante, Lewis and Whitley will take place in the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this fall. [Photo credit: John Russell / CMA]
