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.
Related: 62 Country Artists Not in the Hall of Fame
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
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
26 Country Stars You Won’t Believe Aren’t Grand Ole Opry Members
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