11 Deserving Country Artists Who Were Left Out Of The “Forever Country” Project

CMA

This week saw the release of one of the most epic country music videos ever made. “Forever Country,” the brain child of Grammy award-winning director Joseph Kahn and producer Shane McAnally, brought 30 CMA Award winning country artists together for a one-of-a-kind collaboration. 

The magical video for the medley of John Denver‘s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Dolly Parton‘s “I Will Always Love You,” and Willie Nelson‘s “On The Road Again” featured the artists in a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards. With an impressive line-up of stars such as Alan Jackson, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and Dolly Parton, there were still a number of CMA Award legends that weren’t part of the epic mash-up. 

Below is our list of 11 deserving artists who we would have loved to see on the “Forever Country” project.

1. The Judds
*1984 Horizon Award
*1985 Single of the Year – “Why Not Me”
*1985 Vocal Group of the Year
*1986 Vocal Group of the Year
*1987 Vocal Group of the Year
*1988 Vocal Duo of the Year
*1989 Vocal Duo of the Year
*1990 Vocal Duo of the Year
*1991 Vocal Duo of the Year

 

2. Hank Williams Jr. 
*1985 Music Video of the Year – “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”
*1987 Music Video of the Year – “My Name Is Bocephus”
*1987 Entertainer of the Year
*1988 Album of the Year
*1988 Entertainer of the Year
*1989 Music Video of the Year – “There’s A Tear In My Beer”
*1989 Vocal Event of the Year – “There’s A Tear In My Beer”

 

3. Garth Brooks
*1990 Horizon Awards
*1990 Music Video of the Year – “The Dance”
*1991 Entertainer of the Year
*1991 Album of the Year – “No Fences”
*1991 Single of the Year – “Friends In Low Places”
*1991 Music Video of the Year – “The Thunder Rolls”
*1992 Entertainer of the Year 
*1992 Album of the Year – “Ropin’ The Wind”
*1997 Entertainer of the Year

4. Mary Chapin Carpenter
*1992 Female Vocalist of the Year
*1993 Female Vocalist of the Year

 

5. Alison Krauss
*1995 Female Vocalist of the Year
*1995 Horizon Award
*1995 Vocal Event of the Year – “Vicinity of the Heart”
*1995 Single of the Year – “When You Say Nothing At All”
*2001 Album of the Year – “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
*2004 Musical Event of the Year – “Whiskey Lullaby”
*2004 Music Video of the Year – “Whiskey Lullaby”
*2005 Song of the Year – “Whiskey Lullaby”
*2008 Musical Event of the Year – “Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)”

6. Ricky Skaggs
*1982 Male Vocalist of the Year 
*1982 Horizon Award
*1983 Instrumental Group of the Year
*1984 Instrumental Group of the Year
*1985 Instrumental Group of the Year
*1985 Entertainer of the Year
*1987 Vocal Duo of the Year
*1991 Vocal Event of the Year

 

7. Barbara Mandrell
*1979 Female Vocalist of the Year
*1980 Entertainer of the Year
*1981 Entertainer of the Year
*1981 Female Vocalist of the Year

8. Kenny Rogers
*1977 Single of the Year – “Lucille”
*1978 Vocal Duo of the Year (with Dottie West)
*1979 Album of the Year – “The Gambler”
*1979 Vocal Duo of the Year (with Dottie West)
*1979 Male Vocalist of the Year
*2013 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

9. The Statler Brothers
*1972 Vocal Group of the Year
*1973 Vocal Group of the Year
*1974 Vocal Group of the Year
*1975 Vocal Group of the Year
*1976 Vocal Group of the Year
*1977 Vocal Group of the Year
*1979 Vocal Group of the Year
*1980 Vocal Group of the Year
*1984 Vocal Group of the Year

10. Chris Stapleton
*2015 Album of the Year
*2015 New Artist of the Year 
*2015 Male Vocalist of the Year

11. Oak Ridge Boys
*1978 Instrumental Group of the Year
*1978 Vocal Group of the Year
*1981 Single of the Year – “Elvira”
*1986 Instrumental Group of the Year

Are there any artists that you would like to add? Let us know in the comments below.