As children, Larry and his brothers (Steve and Rudy) performed for local radio stations and their church.  Once he finished school, he joined a gospel group until being spotted by 2018 Hall Of Fame inductee Dottie West. She helped him push his career forward, and he eventually ended up as a background singer for 2004 Hall of Fame inductee Kris Kristofferson. In 1973, Larry was offered a solo recording contract. Larry was beginning to get country hits in 1974 with a song called “Delta Dirt”, which also became his only entry on the Billboard pop chart. Then over the next few years, he collected up some hits and even won a Grammy award before deciding to get his brothers in on the act. Starting in 1979, they became Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers. They kicked off this new group with one of their biggest hits “All The Gold In California”. From there, the brothers used their popularity and their gospel-like harmonies to get more hit songs for another decade or so. With that combination of awards, hits, and career length, adds up to a musical act that would be a respected addition to the Hall Of Fame.

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.

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.