[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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        TRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME 2023 INDUCTEES

 Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, it is my honor to officially 
congratulate the Country Music Hall of Fame 2023 inductees and welcome 
Bob McDill, Patty Loveless, and Tanya Tucker into country music's 
closest circle of friends.
  In Nashville, we like to say that ``it all begins with a song,'' but 
this year's songwriter inductee took those words to heart in a way that 
few ever have. Unlike so many songwriters, Bob McDill found his voice 
as a country music storyteller not through the slow burn of experience, 
but in a sudden burst of inspiration involving a late-night drive and a 
particularly raw George Jones lyric. Over the next three decades, he 
wrote more than 30 chart-topping hits and earned a reputation as one of 
the most prolific writers in Music City history.
  This year's modern era artist inductee took a traditional path to 
fame, but for Patty Loveless, the fruits of her long years laboring 
through fairs, festivals, and bars to reach the Country Music Hall of 
Fame are anything but ordinary. Between 1998 and 2003, Loveless 
released 31 Top 20 country hits and topped the charts five times. Her 
elite vocal performances made her a star, but it is the skill with 
which her songs navigated life's most complicated questions that made 
her one of Music City's most relatable and enduring artists.
  Country music would look and sound a whole lot different without 
Tanya Tucker, this year's veterans era artist inductee. By the time she 
turned 25, Tanya had enjoyed more success than many artists could ever 
hope to achieve. She created a sound so distinct and a performance 
style so irresistible that she maintained her hold on Music City 
through career setbacks that lesser artists could never hope to 
overcome. Between 1986 and 1997, Tanya sent 24 singles into the Top 10, 
and, in 1991, earned the honor of County Music Association Female 
Vocalist of the Year. In 2019 she came back with a vengeance and a new 
album that earned her two Grammys, the first of her career.
  On behalf of the entire Tennessee delegation, I would like to express 
my gratitude to Bob, Patty, and Tanya for their passion, their 
artistry, and their wholehearted commitment to their craft.

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