For the first time in its 50-year history, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum has announced its complete slate of exhibitions for the upcoming year. Revealed this week via the museum’s social media channels, the 2017 schedule includes exhibits on Jason Aldean, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, and country music couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
“This year the museum celebrates half a century of collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of country music,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “With a great mix of exhibition subjects that range from a legendary Country Music Hall of Fame member to the best of today, our golden anniversary schedule reflects one of the true hallmarks of country music—its constant evolution. As we explore the journeys of these country music greats, whose combined careers span almost 150 years, we also reflect on the museum’s 50-year evolution and celebrate what is ahead.”
In addition to examining the legacies of individual artists, the museum will unveil a new exhibition, American Currents (The Music of 2016), in March 2017. The exhibit will chronicle the latest chapter in country music’s ever-evolving story through a behind-the-scenes look at all things new and noteworthy from the prior year. Highlights from 2016 will be represented by artifacts from Kelsea Ballerini, Brett Eldredge, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, William Michael Morgan, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Margo Price, Chris and Morgane Stapleton with more to be announced.
On May 26, the museum will open a special exhibit examining the life and career of ACM Entertainer of the Year Jason Aldean. With hard-rock swagger and hip-hop rhythms Aldean’s music celebrates life in the South and has had significant impact on country music. The exhibit will describe the early encouragement he received from both parents, his move to Nashville, his struggle to get his music heard and his groundbreaking success with an independent record company. The emergence of RIAA’s top digital country male artist of all time’s wide-open sound is one of the defining elements in today’s country music. The Aldean exhibit will close in November 2017.
“I am extremely honored to be invited to have an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,” said Aldean. “That building is filled with the artists who helped create and shape country music, so to be a part of that legacy is something I am very proud of.”
June 26 brings an exhibit devoted to International superstar Shania Twain. With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide and U.S. sales topping 35 million, Shania remains the top-selling female country artist of all time. She ushered in a new era of empowerment for women in country music, with hits such as “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” ‘You’re Still the One” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” to name a few.
“It’s an honor to be a part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibitions for 2017,” said Twain. “Being able to re-visit favorite costumes, photographs and memories from my career has been a special feeling, especially as this year will see a new stage for me with a brand new album! I’m very excited to have these important creative moments on display.”
Known for her groundbreaking, stylishly bold yet elegant videos, the Twain exhibit will include outfits she wore in those clips and in concert. Personal memorabilia, photos, awards and stage props will help tell the story of Twain’s remarkable life in music. The exhibit will run until June 2018.
Country Music Hall of Fame member and 2017 Grammy nominee for Best Country Album (Full Circle), Loretta Lynn will be the subject of a major exhibition opening August 25, 2017, and running through June 2018. By telling her own truths, and by writing about her experiences with a perspective and voice unlike any other Southern storyteller, Lynn has become an American hero and a country music standard-bearer.
“I am so happy the Country Music Hall of Fame has asked me to be one of their main exhibits in 2017…gonna show off my 50 some odd years in country music,” exclaimed Lynn on hearing news of the exhibition. “They best have a big space…I have a lot of stuff! I’m so proud to share my life, and music with the Hall of Fame. Y’all come see us!”
Her one-of-a-kind tale has been told in a feature film (with an Oscar-winning portrayal of Lynn by Sissy Spacek), two autobiographies, and a public television American Masters documentary. But her fascinating journey is worthy of further exploration. Examining the Coal Miner’s Daughter through her music and her rich collection of personal artifacts will provide fresh insights into one of country music’s most important artists.
Finally, on Nov. 17, a new exhibit will explore the intertwined careers of Grammy-winning superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Incorporating a wide array of personal and professional memorabilia representing milestones and significant moments, the exhibit will explore elements of their separate paths to success as solo artists and their dynamic combination as a couple with their record-breaking Soul2Soul Tours and duet performances. The exhibit will run until May 2018.
One of the most visited museums in the United States, with an unduplicated collection of more than 2.5 million artifacts, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2017. This first-ever announcement of the full year’s exhibition schedule will be followed by many unique activities celebrating the museum’s golden anniversary milestone. Special programs and concerts will be announced in the coming months.
Follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, and join the conversation using #CMHOF50. For more information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org/2017lineup.
