The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum originally opened in 1967 at 4 Music Square East. In 2001 the museum moved to a downtown location in order to better care for its growing collection and to offer more educational programs. Exhibits at the museum showcase topics ranging from the early emergence of R&B music and the impact of artists like Ray Charles to exhibits on modern country music.

In 1975, artist Thomas Hart Benton painted The Sources of Country Musicfor the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Benton’s work, which displayed the many cultural aspects of country music, illustrated the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s dedication to celebrating artistic influences on the music industry.

Today, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers exhibits on Alan Jackson, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tanya Tucker, and Kenny Rogers and more. The museum also hosts the Sing Me Back Homeexhibit, showcasing country music during the nineteenth century, before the commercialism of the music industry. The museum expanded on the Sing Me Back Home exhibitin 2010, adding Dreaming My Dreams to educate visitors on country music past the 1960s and beyond.

Script written by Michelle Richoll.

Credits and Sources:

“Preservation and Access: Digitizing Rare and Fragile Components of the Country Music Foundation Archive,” accessed April 8, 2015, http://www.neh.gov/files/grants/country_music_hall_of_fame_digitizing_components_of_the_archive.pdf.

“Thomas Hart Benton's Final Gift,” accessed April 8, 2015, http://arts.gov/article/thomas-hart-bentons-final-gift.

“Sing Me Back Home,” last modified 2015, http://countrymusichalloffame.org/exhibits/exhibitdetail/sing-me-back-home.

“Exhibits,” last modified 2015, http://countrymusichalloffame.org/Exhibits/exhibits-list-page.