It's been a big, big year for Montgomery Gentry. The duo, made up of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, not only released their latest album, Folks Like Us, in early June, but they also were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, in honor of their numerous musical contributions.

"When you walk through there and see all the legends that’s on the wall, that have come out of Kentucky, it blows you away to be going, ‘Oh man. I just found out I’m part of this,'" Montgomery tells The Boot. "So it’s unbelievable. And just to think, I’ve said it a million times, when you go around and talk to other artists, when you sit there and look at everyone who has come out of Kentucky, there’s probably more talent that's out of Kentucky than just about any other state that I know."

"It’s very flattering," Gentry adds. "There’s been a lot of artists that haven’t been recognized yet in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. I feel very flattered and honored that after 16 years, we’re being recognized. It’s very cool that our home state would consider us talented enough to be a part of an elite group from the state of Kentucky."

Among the duo's other major honors is their membership in the Grand Ole Opry. Montgomery Gentry were inducted in 2009, fulfilling a dream that both men had held since childhood.

"The Opry was something we had always wanted to be a part of," Gentry notes. "That’s an elite group of people. Between the Opry and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, of all the accolades and awards that we’ve achieved in our 16 years of working out here, those would probably be the top two that mean the most to me."

Montgomery continues, "They’re both what you dream of as a musician growing up. I know I heard my dad always dream of being in the Opry, or being in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. My dad always told me that it doesn’t matter how many awards you win or whatever you do: You haven’t made it until you become a member of the Grand Ole Opry."

Montgomery Gentry perform at the Opry as often as their schedule allows. Keep track of all of their upcoming shows on their website.

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