Ray Charles, The Judds to join Country Music Hall of Fame

R&B legend Ray Charles and Grammy-winning duo The Judds will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

NASHVILLE, Ten.. -- R&B legend Ray Charles, who helped redefine country music in the Civil Rights era, and Grammy-winning duo The Judds will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame on Monday announced their new members, who will be formally inducted in a ceremony in 2022. Charles, who died in 2004, showed the commercial potential of country music when he released “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" in 1962, a genre-defying personal project to the Georgia-born singer and piano player. Charles grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opy and his record, which was considered a risk at the time, became one of the best selling country albums of the era. His version of “I Can't Stop Loving You,” spent five weeks on top of the Billboard 100 chart and remains one of his most popular songs.