Field Trip: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Turns out Earl has his own
connection to the Hall of Fame.

Family Tree took a field trip a while back to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on a free day. It was initiated by Earl, our gracious unpaid staff member and accountant (also husband to Sue and father to me).

There was quite a line, but it moved quickly, and an abundance of staff and volunteers worked the crowd. It was raining out, so it was the perfect day to soak up some Nashville history.

I was mesmerized with this old video of Wanda Jackson. Wow, that girl was more wild than many of the male music revolutionaries of whom I've seen recordings! I kind of want to BE her, or I would have then, I think. Jack White produced her most recent album and she's still performing in her 70s. Did anyone see her on Conan last year?

And to think, I only have brown and
black boots...and purple and turquoise.

The clothing and boots held my imagination throughout the exhibits--from Minnie Pearl's $1.98 hat to Johnny Cash's "Man in Black" suit, a fur stole from (my neighbor) Brenda Lee, and a gorgeous red leather Naomi Judd CMA dress. Nudie Clothier's gloriously bedazzled suits sparkled in several cases--as well as its own display with an amazing collection of boots.

When we lost Sue for a time near the gold and platinum record walls, my dad ruminated that in  college, he had a cleaning job at the old Country Music Hall of Fame on Music Row. He told me the records were then set on a cycle of light and sound to play several of the songs, even at night so he enjoyed them while he was there cleaning. He also cleaned several nearby studios, so we chided him for not saving some famous scribble from the trash!

A big highlight of the day for me was a special Hatch Show Print demonstration in the rotunda (which houses the actual Hall of Fame). I remember when these plaques graced a dark hallway in Opryland Hotel; Dad remembers when they graced the old museum.
Anyway, the Hatch team brought a miniature rolling machine to make quarter-sheet size prints for the day. They let anyone who wanted pull the level to press the final color, so I made one! The photo isn't great because a Tennessean photographer jumped in front of Sue to snap a dozen pictures. I didn't make the paper, but I got my print at the top of this post.