Posts Tagged ‘Country Music Hall of Fame’

Country Music Hall of Fame Readies for CMA Music Fest with Star-Studded Lineup

2012_cma_music_festival_logo_21916Country Music Hall of Fame

As thousands of country music fans prepare to converge on Nashville in June for the CMA Music Festival, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum stands ready to greet them with special programs and events. During June 5-9, museum visitors will be able to attend autograph signings and/or performances featuring both new and legendary artists.

Foremost among the museum’s Music Fest-week events is the return of its series Live from the Museum Store, Presented by CMT, which will include autograph signings with Lee Brice, Lee Greenwood, the Oak Ridge Boys and Country Music Hall of Fame member Charley Pride and performances and autograph signings with Casey James, Tracy Lawrence, Love and Theft, Joanna Smith and Josh Thompson. The museum will also present a special Songwriter Session with Kellie Pickler and a tribute to Country Music Hall of Fame member Chet Atkins by Steve Wariner, c.g.p. Museum admission is not required for Live from the Museum Store, Presented by CMT events; however, a purchase of artists’ merchandise from the Museum Store is necessary to participate in the autograph signings. The Songwriter Session and Chet Atkins tribute are included with museum admission and are free to museum members.

Visitors who present their official CMA Music Festival badge at the door and those who participate in autograph signings will receive $3 off adult general admission to the museum. Music Fest week will also be a chance for visitors to see the new major exhibition The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country, which opened on March 23.

Click Read More for a schedule of Live from the Museum Store, Presented by CMT events, other museum programming and special museum hours for CMA Music Festival:

Read more »

Taylor Swift Donates $4 Million to Country Music Hall Of Fame

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has taught a generation of kids to appreciate country music over the last five years. Now, she’s donating $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to make sure that education continues.

The gift is the largest given to the museum by an artist and is the second largest from an individual, officials said. It will fund the Taylor Swift Education Center, an exhibit and classroom space scheduled to open in 2014.

“In terms of what it will allow us to do, we do education very well now,” museum director Kyle Young said. “It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs and I’m happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who’s in touch with a young audience? I think not. I was joking we should be paying her to do that. I was only joking.”

The new education center is part of the museum’s $75 million “Working on a Building” expansion project that will increase the space more than 200,000 square feet to 350,000. The expansion is part of the new convention center project in downtown Nashville and will include a new concert theater, more room for exhibits and archives, and a shared entrance with a new hotel.

Swift’s education center will have its own exterior entrance and is 7,500 square feet-plus spread over two stories. It will include three classrooms and exhibit space and will allow the museum to add to its youth education programs. The new space will house interactive activities such as a musical petting zoo and a “wet” classroom space to make concert posters and other art projects. The expansion also would allow the museum to start new programs and workshops and for teens and senior citizens as well as continuing workshops.

Taylor has a long history with the museum. One of her first public performances was on the building’s plaza. She signed her record contract there. And she has donated her time to the museum’s “All For The Hall” fundraisers.

CMTT wants you to be a Tattle Tale! We want to hear what you have to say about country music and your favorite artists. Email Jessica at countrygirl@countrymusictattletale.com. Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Keith Urban’s Next Record “Needs to be the right record”

Keith Urban at Opry

Keith Urban is a busy guy. He just wrapped his annual All for the Hall benefit concert in support of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Keith’s Grand Ole Opry induction is just one week away, and he’ll soon be jet-setting back to Australia to continue filming their version of the hit show “The Voice.” To top all of that off, he’s hard at work on a new album, but according to The Tennessean, there’s no deadline.

I feel very blessed to not feel incredibly under a huge deadline to have a record out by a certain time,” he says. “It just needs to be the right record.”

I’m writing at a feverish pace and listening to songs,” says Urban. “It’s crazy. I get emailed songs all the time. When I’m not on the set on The Voice, I’m in my trailer listening to songs and working feverishly on my record. ”

My intention for the record is to start exploring the stories in my own life,” Urban says. “There’s plenty of them, and I’ve been through a lot of things and there’s a lot more of that exploration that’s happening already. I think it is taking shape a little bit. It feels like it’s the first one.

“I’m really excited about it in a sense that this creative pull and voice and calling is the strongest I’ve ever felt it. I’m just going where it’s going.”

I know we’re all looking forward to where Keith’s creative juices take him. His last couple of records have been themed around love and happiness. Which, let’s face it…it all good and all….but we know there’s more to the man than that.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Third Annual ‘We’re All for the Hall’ Rocks Nashville with Surprises!

Keith Urban

Last night, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, and Friends rocked Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the Third Annual ‘We’re All for the Hall’ concert benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Fans of all ages gathered to get a musical taste of various duos and groups during the “Come Together” themed evening. Although, there were a few solo surprise exceptions.

Vince GillVince Gill & Keith Urban

Unlike year’s passed, Keith Urban didn’t do a mini set of his solo show to kick-off the evening. Instead, Keith sang a couple of songs before inviting Vince Gill on stage with him to perform a few of his songs. This set the tone for the evening which included a two-song set from Little Big Town, Thompson Square, The Pistol Annies, The Band Perry, Alabama, The Oak Ridge Boy, Lady Antebellum, Rascall Flatts, and Diamond Rio.

It’s pretty impressive to see so many legends and so many new folks on one stage. I’m sure many fans, myself included, were seeing someone for the very first time. I never thought I would see Alabama perform together since they retired before I had the chance. And, it’s amazing to hear an arena full of people sing songs that are nearly two decades old; especially when some of the folks in attendance weren’t that old.

Lady Antebellum

Two legendary solo artists graced the stage last night, and the fact they were solo didn’t matter at all. The legendary Don Williams rocked the sold-out crowd to the famed “Tulsa Time” and Merel Haggard sang three or four hits while people sat jaw agape at the very fact they were seeing this legend perform before their very eyes.

Keith Urban Asked to Join the Opry

Probably the most memorable part of the night was when Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, Diamond Rio, and The Oak Ridge Boys invited Keith Urban to join The Grand Ole Opry via duffel Bag. Keith almost appeared shocked while he tried to gain his composure before speaking. The arena went nuts, to say the least. This is a moment Keith’s fans have waited for almost as long as he has. I’ve spent many Opry performances holding my breath only to be left disappointed and light headed. Last night, everyone screamed and cheered.

All for the Hall

At the end of the night, the entire crowd returned to the stage to perform a very unorganized version of “I Saw Here Standing There.” To be honest, I’m not sure anyone sang anything other than the first verse and the chorus. But hey, all of those folks on stage at one time having the time of their lives…I’ll take it.

You can see all of our pictures on our Flickr.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Keith Urban Surprises Fans with Breakfast & Performance

Keith Urban‘s annual “We’re All For the Hall” benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is tonight, but Keith decided to start his day a little earlier than normal surrounded by “family.” Keith’s Monkeyville fanclub gathered for breakfast in the museum lobby. The shindig was thrown in honor of the fans from Keith himself. Fans feasted on eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy, fruit, and coffee in the wee morning hours.

Keith UrbanKeith Urban

There was no promise made that Keith would make an appearance, but over 400 fans came anyway to rekindle friendships made throughout the years, brought together by the love for one man’s music. Several fans won prizes which included CMHOF prize packs, an autographed Gibson electric guitar, meet and greet passes for tonight’s show, All For the Hall after party passes, and autographed hatch prints from previous All for the Hall events.

Let me tell ya, the folks at the Hall of Fame are tricksters…Keith too. They expressed regret that Keith couldn’t join us, but instead hoped a video message from him would suffice. As the 2-D version of Keith Urban thanked us all for coming and faded to black, the man himself appeared on stage.

With nothing but his acoustic guitar, rugged good looks, and keen sense of humor; Keith entertained his most diehard fans for over an hour, playing requests new and old yelled from the crowd. We were lucky enough to hear Keith perform “For You” for the first time. The song is off the Act of Valor Soundtrack. Keith also threw in an extra diddy, a song about Ed MacMahon and those million dollar promises. Enjoy.

It was truly an amazing moring, one I’m sure many won’t soon forget.

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale? Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com Don’t miss a country music beat! Sign up to receive free email updates or subscribe to CMTT via RSS today!

Categories !NoTitle

Recent Comments

  • Alison: I love me some Jake Owen. and Im a broke lady so i...
  • : I totally agree.She and Blake get a few awards and...
  • Jamie: I think Miranda is forgetting another blond, Carri...
  • Chrissy: Whoever thinks that chad warrix is not talented ne...
  • Karen: WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!!!!!!!!! LOVE EVERYTHING YOU...
  • Doreen: What I would do to win these tickets and get to me...
  • : All time favorite song of Easton's is I Can't Love...