 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country Music Hall of Fame
222 5th Avenue South
Nashville, Tennessee, 37203
 The
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been the home
of Country Music since 1967. Located on the west bank of
the Cumberland River, just a few steps from the historic
Ryman Auditorium
and the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway, the monumental edifice,
a visceral experience for approaching visitors,  invigorates
the skyline in downtown Nashville’s entertainment district.
Inside, the Museum presents the crown jewels of its vast
collection to illustrate country music’s story as told through
the turns of two centuries. A treasure trove of historic
country video clips and recorded music, dynamic exhibits
and state-of-the-art design, a regular menu of live performances
and public programs, a museum store, live satellite radio
broadcasts, on-site dining, and fabulous public spaces all
contribute to an unforgettable Museum experience. The Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum is accredited by the American
Association of Museums, certifying that the Museum operates
according to the highest standards, manages its collection,
and provides quality service to the public.  Sing
Me Back Home is the title of the Country Music Hall of Fame
and Museum’s permanent exhibit, an exciting, multi-layered
journey through the life of country music. Through artifacts,
photographs, original recordings, archival video, newly
produced films, touchscreen interactive media, and beautifully
rendered text panels, Sing Me Back Home immerses you in
the history and sounds of country music, its meanings, and
the lives and voices of many of its honored personalities.
A self-guided tour covering two floors of the Museum, Sing
Me Back Home tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial
roots in the nineteenth century through its vibrant life
in the twenty-first century. Organized chronologically,
the story moves through large subjects such as “Country
During the War Years,” for example, while each glass artifact
case has its own theme as well. You can read about the music
and its makers if you like, or you can let the powerful
photos, instruments, costumes - and especially the music
- tell the story by themselves. History of the Country Music Hall of Fame  In
1961 the Country Music Association (CMA) announced the creation
of the Country Music Hall of Fame and chose its first three
inductees—Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, and Fred Rose.
These first three members were announced in November at
a CMA banquet held in conjunction with WSM-radio’s tenth
annual disc jockey convention. The Hall of Fame members’
plaques, with facial likenesses and thumbnail biographies
cast in bas-relief, were unveiled on the Grand
Ole Opry by Ernest Tubb. Until 1967 these plaques
and those for subsequent Hall of Fame inductees were displayed
in the Tennessee State Museum in downtown Nashville. In
1963 the CMA announced plans for a Country Music Hall of
Fame and Museum to be built on Music Row in Nashville. That
same year the state of Tennessee chartered the Country Music
Foundation, Inc. (CMF) as a non-profit, educational organization
charged  with
operating the Museum. The original Country Music Hall of
Fame and Museum (pictured at left) opened on Music Row (Sixteenth
and Division) on April 1, 1967, and closed December 31,
2000. During these years of rapid growth and expansion the
Museum’s operations came to also include educational programs,
CMF Press and CMF Records, the Country Music Foundation
Library (1968), and the historic sites RCA Studio B (1977)
and Hatch Show Print (1986). The new $37,000,000 Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated its grand opening
on May 17, 2001. This facility features the Hall of Fame
Rotunda, where the bronze plaques are displayed for future
generations to honor and enjoy. |
