Chad Elliott was inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame on Sunday, August 31 during a ceremony held at the Sami Center in Okoboji, IA.

“It felt so good to be in a room that celebrated everything I’ve worked for in my career,” Elliott said.
   
Following the induction, Elliott performed on stage with the Class of 2025 as part of the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Concert held at the Roof Garden in Arnolds Park, IA.

“It is quite an honor to have my name mentioned among such great artists who have inspired me for years,” Elliott said.

Iowa songwriter Chad Elliott blends folk roots, rock, swampy blues and soulful writing to deliver music that is unmistakably original. His live performances have been honed by over 25 years on the road performing Nationwide. He has penned more than 2,000 songs in his career and released 26 albums.

“It seems crazy that so many years and miles have passed since I began. I have always pushed myself to become a better writer and performer. I love what I do. I think that is why it feels like it was just yesterday that I was putting a pen to the page and plucking out my first song,” Elliott said.

Elliott has worked with many of the best musicians and shared the stage with artists of the highest caliber in many genres, including Jimmie Vaughan, Survivor, Counting Crows, Eric Church, Lonestar, Odetta, Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, R.L. Burnside, Greg Brown, Ruthie Foster, Verlon Thompson, Bo Ramsey and Mary Gauthier.

“I have learned from the best throughout the years. I have watched how my favorite artists carried themselves on and off the stage. Every artist, eventually, learns what kind of performer they want to be. I’ve been fortunate to have crossed paths with some phenomenal teachers,” Elliott said.

Through the years, Elliott has been influenced by many genres of music. This passion is reflected in his diverse recording projects. Elliott released his 22nd album, Rest Heavy: The Sun Studio Sessions, in 2018.

"This album just oozes soul, truth, and seems rather timeless as it could have been recorded almost any time in the last fifty-sixty years," wrote Jim Hynes of Elmore Magazine about the Rest Heavy album.

Elliott said, “There is an energy in these historic studios and performance halls. At Sun Studio, you can almost hear the iconic music whisper in the walls. I was on cloud nine to be making music with my friends in such a magical place so rich with Rock ‘n Roll history.”

With Rest Heavy, Elliott shows his love of roots-rock, soul, and blues music with a rocking band behind his artfully crafted songs and gravelly delivery. Elliott, performing on acoustic guitar and harmonica, is joined by his full band, The Redemptions, including Tommy Lewis, Travis McFarlane, Kevin Boehnke, Joseph Cafaro, and Jim Van Dorn. The self-produced album was recorded at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, TN by Ples Hampton. Hampton said, “It was honestly one of the best sessions I've ever had up here. This is gold.” The album earned The Redemptions a spot in the Sun Studio Sessions documentary featured nationwide on PBS during the recording of their next album, King Pelican, in 2019.

“When we finished our first album, Rest Heavy, at Sun Studio, the studio manager mentioned that he ‘didn’t know music like that was being made up in Iowa.’ We all laughed because we knew Iowa was rich with its own musical history. All of the musical influences in our home state create its own unique sound mixed with blues, rock, country and roots music. I feel like my music is as ‘Iowa’ as can be,” Elliott said.

Chad Elliott released his 25th album, Singing River, on May 17, 2021. He traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL with famed Iowa musician and producer Bo Ramsey to lay the tracks. Singing River was recorded at FAME Recording Studios, where music legends Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and many others laid renowned songs into the fabric of time. Ramsey, who produced Singing River, lent his signature sound on guitar. He was joined by two original Muscle Shoals “Swampers,” Spooner Oldham and David Hood. The new Americana/roots/blues mix that arose in Singing River is exactly the sound Elliott was hoping to create.

The album I made in Muscle Shoals was a dream come true. I made it a personal goal to bring the Iowa sound and mix it with the ‘Swamper’ sound of Muscle Shoals. I just knew it would be a perfect blend for the production of my songwriting. Bo Ramsey has helped create the electrified roots sound of Iowa music through his producing and guitar work. He and I went down to that amazing room filled with so much history and made one of my favorite albums together. I’m very proud of the music on that album. Everyone knocked it out of the park,” Elliott said.

With 26 albums under his belt, Elliott's writing is highly respected among his peers and fellow songwriters. His songs have won multiple awards such as the Woody Guthrie Song Contest, the Kerrville NewFolk contest, 3rd Place in the International Songwriting Competition and an International Blues Challenge Semi-finalist, among others. Now, he can add Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Class of 2025 to his list of achievements.

“I am very honored and proud to be an Iowa musician. To have that recognized by the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame is very humbling. Somedays I feel like I’m still just getting started on this path. This induction has caused me to stop and reflect on what an amazing ride my musical path has been,” Elliott said.

Elliott is a full-time musician to this day. He tours solo and with a duo called Weary Ramblers. Plus, he operates Elliott Art Studio in Jefferson, IA where he creates and sells art.

“This career has taught me so much about myself. Touring and performing does that. It exposes your weaknesses and, more importantly, your strengths. It’s a continuous grind of loading gear, driving hundreds of miles, only to load your gear back up and drive home again with ears ringing. Along the way, you may get lucky and catch a new song which compels you to do it all over again. As exhausting as this process can be after nearly thirty years, I still feel like I have a lot of gas in my tank,” Elliott said.

To learn more about Chad Elliott, visit www.chadelliott.net.
 
Chad Elliott's Awards and Honors
2025 Inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame
​2020 Kerrville New Folk - Finalist
​2018 Kerrville New Folk - Finalist
2015 LEAF Newsong Finalist
​2015 Unsigned Only Competition - Semi-Finalist - Americana
2015 Folk Alliance International - Official Showcase
2014 Newsong Contest - Midwest Finalist
2013 Top 25 Albums on brokenjukebox.com - So Sang the Crow
2013 Iowa Blues Challenge - Winner Solo/Duo
2013 Rising Star - Finalist
2012 Show Me the Music Song Contest - Finalist - Americana
2012 Int. Folk Alliance Conference - Official Showcase Artist
2011 Iowa Motion Picture Awards - Best Original Music Score
2011 Mixies Award - "Most Creative Tour" - One Horse Town Tour
2009 International Songwriting Contest - 3rd Place Winner - Americana
2009 Woody Guthrie Song Contest - 1st Place Winner
2008 Kerrville New Folk - Finalist
2006 Folkalley.com’s - Open Mic Winner
2006 Just Plain Folks - Top 20 New Folk Songs
 
Chad Elliott's Discography
2024 - Untested Wings
​2021 - Singing River
2020- Tangle with the Ghost
​2019 - King Pelican
2018 - Rest Heavy
2017 - RINGGOLD
2015 - Wreck and Ruin
2013 - So Sang the Crow
2010 - The Den Sessions - 10 Volume Set
2009 - Redemption Man
2008 - Swiftsure
2006 - Humbled At My Door
2004 - Bowl of Stars
2004 - Starling Songs
2003 - (homemade) Bowl of Stars
2001 - New Young Destination
1999 - Greener Grass - One Man's Junk

Weary Ramblers featuring Chad Elliott and Kathryn Fox have been nominated for "Duo of the Year - Americana" & "Music Video of the Year (Performance Focused/Duo-Group." Plus their song, "Pretty Lights of Denver," has been nominated for "Song of the Year" in the Americana Duo/Group/Collab category of the Josie Music Awards. 

They are among the top 2.8% selected from nearly 86,000 artists/bands. The album in question, Weary Ramblers self-titled debut album, was released in the fall of 2024. Since then, it has charted 7 weeks at the top of the contemporary folk chart in addition to garnering awards and nominations.

Listen to the album here: kathrynseveringfox.bandcamp.com/album/weary-ramblers

Full list of nominees for the Josie Music Awards here: https://www.josiemusicawards.com/2025-official-nominees.html

Weary Ramblers w/ Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing Fox have won Best Group / Duo in the 21st Annual International Acoustic Music Awards. View the full list of awardees HERE.

Check out some great soundbites of Chad Elliott talking about his upcoming induction into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in this article from KCIM Radio.

https://www.1380kcim.com/2025/01/21/local-artist-chad-elliott-nominated-into-2025-iowa-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame/

Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing Fox's duo project, Weary Ramblers, has been featured in the Des Moines Register. From the Register:

"By December 2022, Elliott and Severing Fox linked up to create the duo Weary Ramblers. Now, over two years later, [Elliott] and Severing Fox are rolling into 2025 with momentum. The duo released a self-titled debut album in August, which has gained national recognition. Roots Music Report, a music chart for independent artists, listed it as the 22nd-best contemporary folk album and 54th-best overall folk album of 2024.

"We were No. 1 on the Roots Music Report's contemporary folk album [chart] for seven weeks straight, which was pretty incredible since we are a self-released duo and most of the time its artists with record deals up that high on the charts," Severing Fox said."

Check out the full article HERE.