A Jefferson resident is going to be among those inducted into the Iowa Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame this weekend.

Chad Elliott tells Raccoon Valley Radio that when he first received notification that he was going to be in the 2025 Induction Class, it was a surprise to him, and it gave him a chance to reflect on his 26 years as a singer/songwriter and musician, back to the beginning in Spencer, Iowa where he first performed his original music.

“I look back on those years and I go, ‘Wow, it’s been fun to look back on certain moments.’ And I’ve been talking about at the shows and stuff, and sharing stories. After, you know, almost three decades of doing this, it’s been really cool highlights.”

Over his career, Elliott has released 26 solo albums and is currently working on his 27th, mainly with his repertoire of Americana, folksy blues style of music. He is also part of the Weary Ramblers with Kathryn Severing-Fox on the fiddle, as they also released their first self-titled album in 2024, with the next album coming this October. Elliott is also the co-owner of Elliott Art Studio in Jefferson, where he does ceramics and paintings that are sold and put on display. 

Elliott shares a personal story with a connection to another Jefferson-based group, “The Bushmen,” who were inducted into the Iowa Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 with one of the band members.

“It’s funny because when I was in high school, David Williamson was like my job shadow when I was 17-years-old. And to know that he’s in the (Iowa) Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame too, it’s cool. I wasn’t even a songwriter at that time.”

Elliott will be inducted as part of the “Individual Category” with the ceremony taking place on Sunday from 1-3pm at the SAMI Bedell Center for the Performing Arts in Spirit Lake. The concert will follow, featuring Elliott, from 5:30-11pm at the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park, Iowa.