NASHVILLE (Reuters) - The Country Music Association on Tuesday named three stars for induction into its Hall of Fame including superstar Garth Brooks and veterans Connie Smith and Hargus “Pig” Robbins.
Brooks, who has sold more than 128 million albums worldwide in his career, became a superstar of the 1990s with albums such as “Ropin’ the Wind” and “No Fences” and was heralded for his live stage acts. He took a break from heavy touring in the early 2000s, but in recent years has been performing more often.
The 50-year-old Brooks was picked for the Country Music Hall of Fame in its “Modern Era Artist” category.
At Tuesday’s announcement in the Nashville-based Hall of Fame, Brooks said it was an honor to be named but added it seemed premature with others such as Randy Travis, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs still not inducted.
“It’s kind of odd to be in this room,” he said. “You want to be mentioned in the same breath with George Strait and Reba McEntire — those are the two heroes I grew up with,” he said, adding others like Merle Haggard and George Jones.
“Now you’re gonna get to be in the same hall with them? Make no mistake, I don’t think I’m on that level”.