By: Chris Talbott
© 2015 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
Maxine Brown has a wonderful way of cutting right to the heart of the matter. As she wrapped up her speech following Wednesday morning’s announcement that her family trio, The Browns, would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, she summed the day up for her family.
“We’re so proud to get this award while we still have six feet above ground,” she joked.
The Browns and fellow 2015 inductees The Oak Ridge Boys, two genre-challenging vocal harmony groups whose influence echoes across the decades, waited a long time for news of their inductions. They each thanked family, business associates, and gave credit to the numerous people who helped along the path to stardom.
The ceremony also brought tears for The Oaks and the rest of the inductees at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Event host Brenda Lee had to take a moment to compose herself while announcing the induction of the late guitarist Grady Martin, a longtime friend and collaborator. And Jim Ed Brown tearfully told the crowd about his recent health troubles: “Cancer’s no fun. But I made it through.”
“You wouldn’t believe the hardships Jim Ed, Bonnie and I’ve been through for 64 years, but we never stopped dreaming the dream and we endured all those hardships because of our love of Country Music, our love of the artists,” Maxine Brown said. “We knew they were going through the same thing we were. But you know, a hit record and awards don’t mean very much, they last about a year. But this award from the CMA will last a lifetime. We’re so proud of this.”