14 Country Stars Who Deserve More Respect

Dwight Yoakam looked to be country music’s most disrespected singer, but then we stumbled upon the resume of another legendary country act.

Yoakam has a career .081 batting average (3-37) at the CMA, ACM and Grammy Awards, but he still has three wins. The Bellamy Brothers would be so lucky!

This duo is an unbelievable 0-29 at the three major shows — literally no country pair has earned more nominations in the duo category, and they’ve never won! David and Howard Bellamy are so overlooked that when making a list of deserving artists not in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Taste of Country team didn’t even consider them.

It seemed like a no-brainer that they’d be in by now.

You may get just as worked up as we did over this kind of disrespect. We recommend scrolling with a squeeze ball, a CBD gummy (if legal) or whatever you use to keep calm. There are 14 artists listed below — this list of artists that deserves more respect only includes legacy acts.

We’ll save disrespected contemporary country singers for another gummy.

A pair of legendary female soloists and three iconic groups also make this list. So too does Billy Ray Cyrus, which we know will be controversial. The evidence doesn’t lie, however — it’s time to give him and his 13 friends a bit more respect.

14 Country Stars Who Deserve More Respect

Taste of Country made a video featuring the five most disrespected country stars, but fan feedback forced us to expand. Here are 14 stars that deserve better, including John Anderson, Dwight Yoakam, Crystal Gayle and Earl Thomas Conley.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

26 Country Stars You Won’t Believe Aren’t Grand Ole Opry Members

That answer is often difficult to determine, but this list suggests reasons where appropriate. Membership into the Grand Ole Opry comes with an obligation to play the show frequently, but that’s often set aside (Barbara Mandrell is an inactive member, for example). Only living artists are considered, and once a member dies, they are no longer a member.

As of 2023, there are more than 70 members of the Grand Ole Opry. Historically, nearly 250 men, women and groups were members — so, it’s a select group that excludes several Country Music Hall of Famers.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

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