Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart to join Country Hall of Fame

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon are the newest inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Announced by the Country Music Association on Wednesday, Williams, who often is referred to as Hank Jr. or the nickname Bocephus, will join his father, country legend Hank Williams Sr., in the Hall of Fame's rotunda.

“Bocephus has been eyeing this one for awhile. It’s a bright spot during a difficult year,” said Williams in a statement. Williams' 27-year-old daughter Katherine died in a car accident in June.

“I have been making Top 10 records for 56 years," said Williams, 71. "I fell off a mountain and tried to reinvent myself as a truly individual artist and one who stepped out of the shadows of a very famous man... one of the greatest. I’ve got to thank all those rowdy friends who, year after year, still show up for me. It’s an honor to carry on this family tradition. It is much appreciated.”

Williams is known for his songs like “A Country Boy Can Survive,” “Family Tradition" and “All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight,” which later became the opening theme song for “Monday Night Football." He has had 10 No. 1 Billboard Hot Country songs with his first one coming at the age of 21 in 1970.

While Williams' influence on country music has been undeniable, his absence from the Hall of Fame in previous years was widely considered a snub based on his outspoken politics. Williams has been a vocal critic of former President Barack Obama, falsely calling him a “Muslim president" from the stage and comparing a golf outing between Obama and John Boehner to Hitler playing golf with Benjamin Netanyahu. As a result, ESPN pulled his song from “Monday Night Football,” although it has since returned.

He won entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards...