COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND STUDIO B

Today, I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Studio B. It was an awesome day!

I love country music.  I keep up with the artists, I know the lyrics to the songs, my radio is set to country music stations, I love country music.  So, I knew that I would HAVE to make a trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  I'm not sure what I was thinking it would be like, but it was really big with a lot of interesting facts and exhibits.

Right now, they have a special exhibit showcasing Glen Campbell and one showcasing Reba. There is also a special exhibit called The Bakersfield Sound which showcases country music that came from artists who recorded in California instead of Nashville. They will have a special exhibit showcasing Miranda Lambert starting May 16th.


Glen Campbell's golf clubs. Notice the bag says Rhinestone
Cowboy

Some of Reba's stage costumes


There are 2 floors of exhibits and theaters.  It took me all day to go through both floors.  It is divided in sections. Sing Me Back Home:Folk Roots to the 1960s; Changing Channels Theater which showcased country music's impact on television history; Precious Jewels which showcased some of country music's most iconic instruments; Gold Record Wall; Sing Me Back Home:1960s to 2000; Sing Me Back Home:2000 to Today; Prime Time: Country Music in the Video Age Theater; Country Music Hall of Fame which this rotunda is a hallowed room designed to recognize each Hall of Fame member in a space and fashion befitting the most esteemed honor in country music.  Here are some pictures from all the sections.

Marty Robbins guitar, Patsy Cline's stage outfit. Wow, an actual outfit that Patsy Cline wore!

This Pontiac belonged to Web Pierce.  He called it the Silver Dollar Car. I think you can tell why. Notice the saddle as the console and the guns on the door.  It cost him $20,000 to add his personal touches to this car. Now considering he probably only spent $5,000 for the car, adding 4 times that amount to customize it was a lot of money.  I'm wondering how many silver dollars are in this car.  Look on the dashboard.

The inside of Elvis' Gold Cadillac Limo.  It had a refrigerator, a bar, and a freezer that could make ice in 20 minutes. The paint on the outside of this car looked like a pearl paint.  It was actually made by crushing diamonds and fish scales and adding it to the paint. Look at the gold touches on the interior.

And who could forget Hee Haw?



Bill Monroe bought this mandolin from a barbershop. He changed the way that a mandolin was played and used it as a great addition to country music.  Maybelle Carter bought her Gibson guitar in 1928 for $2,500.  Now, that was a HUGE amount of money for that time. But, she had just finished her first recording and spent most of her earnings on this guitar. Her husband considered it an investment in her future.  She revolutionized the instrument's role by developing a style in which she played melody lines on the bass strings with her thumb while rhythmically strumming with her fingers. Her innovative technique, to this day known as the Carter Scratch, influenced the guitar's shift from rhythm to lead instrument.

One wall of the Gold Record Wall.  The other side of this wall was full too.  It's not just gold records but includes platinum records too. When they first started recognizing gold records, what made a gold record was selling $1 million (dollars)wholesale.  In 1975, that changed.  Now selling 500,000 units (records/cds) makes a gold record and selling 1 million units (records/cds) makes a platinum record. 

Clothing worn by Mel Tillis, Dottie West, and Ronnie Milsap. I was, and still am, a big fan of Ronnie Milsap. He has had 35 number 1 songs on the country Billboard charts.  He had a string of 7 in a row and then 11 in a row.  He started out in rock n roll and did some sessions with Elvis and Ray Charles.  Charley Pride is who got him into country music and introduced him to a recording studio.

Now here's my generation.  Yeah baby, southern rock. Who wouldn't love Marshall Tucker, Lynrd Skynrd, Allmon Brothers?

Alabama's guitars.  Notice the sign - Long-Haired country boys. Again, my generation.......

Can you guess who wore these clothes; starched Wranglers, button down shirt and cowboy hat? Yep, King George. Now that man looks goooooood...........

 

Country's Couple - Tim and Faith

This pic is for Daughter because it has to do with Brad Paisley. Did I mention Brad Paisley is her George Strait? When Brad was at H-town's Livestock Show and Rodeo, a blonde girl evidently rushed the stage to try to get to him.  Daughter had to post on FB the next day that was NOT her because everyone who knows how she feels about Brad Paisley was wondering. :)

The dress Carrie Underwood wore the night she won American Idol

Taylor Swift's rhinestone guitar and her I-Mac used to edit videos. She has also donated money to put in the Taylor Swift Educational Center which is for children. There are things they can do there when they get bored with walking around.  There are also scheduled events that happen just for the kids. There is also a "wood" replica of her tour bus for them to walk through.  Way to go Taylor.

OK Daughter, another Brad Paisley

Miranda Lambert's pink guitar. It did not turn out as pink in the picture as it was in real life.

Carrie Underwood's outfit when she took over singing for Sunday Night Football. I wonder if she has her legs insured.  That girl has a pair of legs! Oh, to be young..........

Hunky Luke Bryan's stuff. Doesn't he have the greatest smile ever?

The jacket was worn by Blake Shelton on The Voice last season. The top and skirt was worn by Kellie Pickler when she was on Dancing with the Stars

Kenny Rogers exhibit. A bit of trivia - Dottie West's manager and accountant were suppose to be paying her taxes and wasn't. So, she ended up going broke because the IRS took all of her money for back taxes. This happened later in her career when she wasn't as popular and it was going to be difficult for her to recoup any earnings.  Kenny Rogers bought her a car so she could get to and from her shows.

In the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda.  Plaques on the wall for everyone who has been inducted.

The best one of all for the most important one of all!

I didn't get any pics of this, but one of the neatest things was seeing how and on what hit records were written.  There were exhibits of napkins, receipts, torn pieces of paper, all of kinds of things where artists and songwriters had handwritten a hit song.  All complete with scratch out of words, arrows pointing to where to add the chorus.  Genius at work.

I think this post is long enough.  The visit to Studio B will have to wait until another post.