With the Hall having already added Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt is another member of the legendary “Class Of ‘89” in country music, having released his debut single in 1989. 1989 was an important year in country music where a brand new class of artists debuted, which while they faded out some of the older singers, this was also a turning point for bringing in new music and some new audiences. Signing with Warner Bros Records, Travis’ original contract was only for 6 songs. They would not release an album unless one of those songs became a hit. Luckily he was a hit right out of the gate. Bringing some southern rock influences into his songs, Travis was able to inject energy into mainstream country music that wasn’t being brought in by his fellow peers. His radio career ended up being kind of up and down and it faded out quicker than some of the other stars of that era, but his personality and great catalogue of songs keep people coming back to him.  Having 9 Grammy award nominations and 15 CMA award nominations, Travis should probably be making his way into the Hall Of Fame in the years to come.

Chasing your dreams can be intimidating, but sometimes they can work out better than you ever dreamed. On the day that his hero (2022 Hall Of Fame inductee Keith Whitley) died in 1989, Tim made the decision to drop everything and move to Nashville to see if he could make it as a country star. In 1994, Tim began a stretch of top twenty hits at country radio that (besides 2 or 3 tunes) has not yet been stopped. Known for being a modern-day honky-tonker who is willing to experiment with sounds, he also is known for his knack of choosing great songs. All of this, along with his marriage to another artist on this list (Faith Hill), has led to Tim being one of the best selling music artists of all time. Other achievements are: his tour with Faith is in the top five highest grossing tours in all genres of music, plus his endless string of awards won; 4 People’s Choice Awards, 10 American Music Awards, 14 Academy Of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards and 3 Grammy Awards. He has also expanded into Hollywood, having acting in 10 films and taking on a critically-acclaimed leading role in the recent miniseries “1883”. Piecing this all together shows that one of these days Tim will have his picture on the walls in the Hall Of Fame.

Being raised in a small Canadian town doesn’t give off the idea that someone will become a worldwide country music star, but that is exactly what happened. Not only one of the biggest country stars of all time, but one of the biggest stars of any genre, Shania helped change the game for country music in the 1990s. Her album “Come On Over” sold more copies by itself than most artists sell in their entire careers (over 40 million copies, and it remains the best selling country album of all time, the best selling album by a Canadian of all time, and the best selling studio album by a female artist of any genre). Traditional country audiences might not be huge fans of hers because of the large number of pop sounds she brought into her songs, but her sales and influence on the genre as a whole cannot be denied. Her first album in 1993 was a failure, but once she connected up with rock producer Mutt Lange, they were unstoppable. Over the course of her career, she truly only has 3 albums that hold all of her success. But those 3 albums alone make her one of the best-selling artists of all time in any genre, and forever a legend in the music world.

We always get a kick out of anything that comes from the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York.  Today, they announced the Finalists for the 2021 Class of the Toy Hall of Fame.

The nominees are:

-American Girl Dolls: Created in 1986 by educator and newscaster Pleasant Rowland, each doll comes with a narrative that reflects an era of American history.

- Battleship: Originally played with paper and pencil, Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic adaptation popularized the two-person strategy game. It was among the first board games to be computerized in 1979.

- Billiards: Commonly known as pool in the United States, the game evolved from earlier European outdoor games and became popular in the 1800s. 

- Cabbage Patch Kids: The dolls, each unique, were launched in 1979. Complete with adoption papers, they were the must-have holiday toy of 1983, paving the way for Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, and Furby that followed.

- Fisher-Price Corn Popper: Introduced in 1957, the push-toy got toddlers walking, mesmerized by bright flying balls and the popping sound. 

- Mahjong: The gambling card game originated in China became popular in the United States in the 1920s.

- Masters of the Universe: He-Man, She-Ra and the line's other action figures became popular through Mattel’s use of comic books and television, including the cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, from 1983 to 1985.

- Piñata: The treat-filled paper mache object is commonly associated with Mexican culture but may date back to early 13th-century China. 

- Risk: The strategy board game first published in the United States in 1959 challenges players to control armies and conquer the world.

- Sand: The substance is perhaps the most universal and oldest toy in the world, according to the National Toy Hall of Fame. 

- The Settlers of Catan: The cooperative board game now called “Catan" was first published in Germany. Players representing settlers establish a settlement on an island by spending resources, which are earned through trade and rolls of the dice.

- Toy fire engine: Materials, design and technology have evolved but the appeal has remained.

The winners will be inducted on November 4, and will join 74 other toys.