Hall of Fame Expands & Extends Hank’s Family Tradition
When the Family Tradition exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame opened in March of 2008, covering the lives and careers of Hank Sr., Jr., III, Hilary, Holly, and Jett, it was scheduled to close on Decemeber 31, 2009. Nearly a year later it is still going strong, kept alive by popular demand and critical acclaim, and now it is expanding.
“‘Family Tradition’ has been the most popular and critically acclaimed exhibition in this museum’s history because of the participation of the members of the Williams family,” says Kyle Young, museum director. “… each of whom has generously loaned us heirlooms and artifacts, and helped us to tell the truest and most complete story about their family to date. Since our exhibit opened in March 2008, the Williams family has continued to make country music history. And they have continued to make available to us the artifacts and evidence of that history, most notably the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation awarded to Williams earlier this year.”
In addition to adding physical artifacts on site, the Hall is also offering additional content online in what they are calling Family Tradition Encore, where you can go and read and view artifacts about different members of the Williams family. For example you can read all about Hank Jr’s fall off of Ajax mountain in Montana in 1975, view newspaper clippings of the event, etc.
The exhibit is now set to run through December 31, 2011.
Here is a list of the added artifacts:
- Two handwritten notebooks filled with Hank Williams’ writings, including lyrics to many never-recorded songs and notes he made while researching Cajun cuisine for his hit “Jambalaya”
- Williams’ original, handwritten lyrics to his unpublished song “I Thank My God for You,” written on stationery from New York’s King Edward Hotel, where Williams stayed during his 1951 appearance on the Perry Como Show
- Pulitzer Prize Special Citation awarded to Hank Williams on May 24, 2010, at Columbia University. Previous recipients include Bob Dylan and George Gershwin.
- Martin D-18 guitar belonging to Hank Williams Jr. The instrument, which Hank Jr. describes as his “therapy guitar,” was played by Williams in 1975 while he underwent physical therapy after his life-threatening fall down Ajax Mountain.
- One-of-a-kind electric guitar and strap, given to Hank Williams Jr. by a fan. The strap and guitar are crafted of alligator hide, and the pick guard and fretboard inlays are carved from bone.
- Hank Williams III stage costume. The costume, designed to look like armor, was made for Williams by a fan.
- Unedited, first-draft manuscript pages from Sign of Life: The Hilary Williams Story, an autobiography written by Williams with M.B. Roberts and published this month by Da Capo Press
- Promotional materials and reviews related to Holly Williams’ new album, Here with Me.
More information can be found on the Hall of Fame’s official press release.
November 5, 2010 @ 6:51 pm
Best country music exhibit that I’ve seen aside from the Montgomery Museum. Well worth admission. I think the exhibit helps bring some more much deserved attention to Hank III’s existance and music also.
November 6, 2010 @ 8:19 am
Very cool that they give all five members of the family equal footing. No doubt it is giving III some exposure to people who never even knew he existed.
November 5, 2010 @ 10:14 pm
Probably oughta make it a permanent exhibit…I can’t imagine the Hall Of Fame with out it.
November 6, 2010 @ 8:21 am
They might be heading that way. This is going to be a tough one to take down. At the least they should keep the essential stuff and downsize it into a permanent place. After all this is country’s first family.
November 6, 2010 @ 1:36 am
Hopefully they keep this open for a while to come. I’d definitely like to see it, but a trip to Nashville’s out of the question for a while
November 6, 2010 @ 2:07 am
Gonna start seeing a doctor in Nashville soon (haven’t gotten my first apointment yet). I will make this a stop while in town. Any recomindations were else to go?
November 6, 2010 @ 8:21 am
Lower Broadway. (within walking distance)
November 8, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
While in Nashville do some Reinstate Hank protesting at the Opry and graffiti the building. Also stop by Cooter’s Place. They have a General Lee. Go by Tootsie’s and Layla’s and the Éxit/in and there’s often a good show at the Mercy Lounge. Don’t forget the Charlie Daniel’s Museum. Just don’t stay with some SHARP skinheads .. They get intimidated by southerners (Mississippians) who sport rebel flags.
November 6, 2010 @ 7:47 am
Right on, just in time for Hanksgiving! I’m working on Hanksgiving Day, and my co-workers don’t knot it yet, but it’s all Hanks all day. I figure we’ll mix up the Williams legacy with a little Hank Snow and Hank Thompson…
November 6, 2010 @ 5:28 pm
Great Idea! All three Hanks all day. Tricephus, Bocephus & plane ol’ Cephus.
November 6, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
Just Cephus! I like it.
November 6, 2010 @ 8:38 am
And a man fit for a Pulitizer Citation award is not fit for the Grand Ole Opry. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Great blog Triggerman.
Reinstate Hank.
November 9, 2010 @ 7:41 am
I have to disagree with the idea that the Hall Of Fame should give Jr and III footage in this presentation. To put it in perspective, Roger Miller has 24 inches of a glass case just outside the Hank show. Thats idiotic and the Hall of Fame should be full of people who are IN the Hall of Fame, not current acts just for pop value. It was like going to the Henry Ford Museum and seeing a 2010 Focus on display.
When Miranda Lambert has more footage in the Hall than Roger Miller or Waylon you things are fucked up. Take the excess footage in the Hank Jr and III section and honor the people who really made Country.
November 9, 2010 @ 11:11 am
I understand what you’re getting at, but in this instance I would have to disagree. Jr. and III’s presentation is part of a temporary exhibit on the Williams family, and without their representation, the whole story would not be told. I understand that there are many great country legends that should be better represented in the Hall, but you can’t use temporary exhibits as permanent examples of how the Hall is not doing their job.
And even though I preach on here all the time about preserving the roots and honoring legends, I have no problem with the Hall using either a temporary Williams exhibit or even temp exhibits on modern acts to draw traffic to the overall Hall. And I’m much more open to Miranda Lambert being honored than Taylor Swift.
November 9, 2010 @ 8:08 pm
I love this exhibit and am glad that it is staying here in Nashville! We have been there a LOT and spent hours reading every word and studying every picture in the exhibit. We always go to the touch screens and make sure III is playing where everyone can hear. I respect the Hall of Fame and I think that they made a great call extending the dates again.
November 9, 2010 @ 8:21 pm
Damn here I am again. At work you understand I do often wonder why Waylon don’t have a bigger exhibit. I figured Shooter would have used that medium.
November 9, 2010 @ 8:42 pm
It’s got to be tough being the Hall. The core fans of any artist are always going to feel short changed. I think that’s one reason for the temporary exhibits, so that you can give artists large exposure for a period without sacrificing permanent space.
Something else probably worth mentioning is that the Hall is going to be dramatically expanding with the new convention center they are putting downtown. The Hall will be connected to it, so you could see an expansion of some exhibits soon, and maybe making some elements of the temp exhibits permanent.
November 10, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
very cool. outstanding.