Brooks leads 2012 Country Music Hall of Fame class

Garth Brooks talks about his career Tuesday, March 6, 2012, during the announcement that he will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. Brooks, Connie Smith, and Hargus "Pig" Robbins will become the newest members. The announcement was held in the Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country superstar Garth Brooks, singer Connie Smith and keyboard player Hargus “Pig” Robbins are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made Tuesday morning at a news conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.

Brooks took country music to a new level over a 15-year period, becoming the top-selling solo artist in the U.S. with more than 128 million albums sold.

Smith, the wife of country singer Marty Stuart, is among a pioneering wave of female singers who helped lay the foundation for today’s success by women in country music. And Robbins is considered among the top session players in Nashville over a 50-year career that’s included work for everyone from George Jones to Bob Dylan.