The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum
What’s the next best thing to making music? It’s traveling to a destination where you can enjoy a memorable musical experience. At the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Renfro Valley, Kentucky, you can enjoy a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the Bluegrass State’s rich musical heritage.
Wander through the many exhibits on display here, and you’ll become a time traveler. Starting with musical treasures from the 1700s and winding up with memorabilia of the latest Hall of Fame inductees, you’ll see the extent to which music has been part of Kentucky’s history. Showbills, record albums, musical instruments, detailed maps, and countless other treasures graphically trace the roots of Kentucky music as it transformed from the folk and religious music of the old world into a uniquely American sound.
As amateur musicians, you want to find opportunities to play and sing, and thanks to the Hall of Fame’s interactive exhibits, you can actively participate in this musical journey. Step in front of a display of indigenous Kentucky instruments, and you activate the familiar sound of a folk guitar or fiddle. Banjo pickers will want to linger at the display tracing this lively instrument back to its beginnings. You can even record your very own CD. Kids of all ages love the museum’s interactivity, which makes this an excellent way to introduce them to the “old ways.”
As you might expect, artists exhibits feature famous bluegrass and country musicians, such as Red Foley, Dwight Yoakam, and Loretta Lynn, local musicians who had a hand in popularizing these two genres. But, with exhibits on Lionel Hampton and Rosemary Clooney, it’s clear that Kentucky musicians have also played a major role in other musical genres as well, including gospel and jazz.
The 2006 Hall of Fame inductees, for example, represent five different musical genres. There’s Sam Bush, considered the founder and leader of the New Grass Revival, and Todd Duncan, the first African American performer to make it to the New York City Opera and a leader in the American art-song form. Other inductees at the February ceremony in Lexington, Kentucky included Hampton; John Conlee, who made the Top Ten 19 times; country favorites Naomi and Wynonna Judd; classic folk song legend John Jacob Niles; gospel music queen Dottie Rambo; and Mary Travers, of the popular folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary.
And don’t forget the music-themed gift shop. Whether you’re looking for a present for someone back home—or a treat for yourself—you’ll find plenty of music, instruments, gifts, and souvenirs.
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum is located less than one mile off I-75 at exit 62, just 40 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky. For more information, visit www.KyMusicHallofFame.com or call 877-356-3263. To help you plan a visit to the Bluegrass State, visit www.kytourism.com or call 800-225-8747.
Freelance writer Eve Carr plays her fiddle as much as possible in Stafford County, Virginia.
