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Alabama Music Hall of Fame

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NiteOwlTX
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4 out of 5
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Alabama Music Hall of Fame

  • March 29, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by NiteOwlTX from LaPlace, Louisiana
Alabama Music Hall of Fame

I am  really not a huge music fan. I listen while in my car and seldom around the house. Having said that I almost skipped the Alabama Music Hall of Fame while visiting this area. I'm really glad that I didn't.

The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is the first hall of fame that I've visited. As such, it has set the bar pretty high as to what I would expect in similar museums.

The first exhibit is a tribute to Sun Records, the label behind Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash; while the artists themselves where not from Alabama, the two men that founded the record label were therefore Alabama's impact on the music industry is much wider then just the singers. A recreation of the Sun Studio recording stage is on exhibit here as well as numerous newspaper clippings and information about the groups that the record label published.

The next room shows classic rock and roll. The Temptations and the Commodores; there are pictures and brief histories of the two groups as well as memorabilia and a set of each groups clothes. There is a separate exhibit for Lionel Ritchie, which documents the career of Lionel Ritchie after he split with the others.

The next section featured is the country music section. The God-father of country music Hank Williams, Sr and his son, the renegade of country music, Hank Williams, Jr. were both born here in Alabama. The first lady of country music, Tammy Wynette, was also born in Alabama. Each of the artists is tributized with pictures, mementoes from their careers and some of their show clothes. There are even two automobiles on display here. One is a tour bus from the band Alabama; you can walk through the bus and see what life on the road meant even for one of the eighties largest bands.

The last section is jazz and blues. It features artists such as W.C.Handy and Nat King Cole. There is a huge selection of media here. There are golden records, clothing used during performances, souvenirs picked up by the performers as they traveled, and many other forms of memorabilia to celebrate these artists and their careers.

At the end of the museum, there is a recording studio, where you can record your own version of one of the songs sung or written by an Alabama native. The museum also hosts a yearly induction ceremony and occasionally sponsors local music events.

This museum is well decorated and well organized. While it doesn't go deeply into any artist, it does cover them all briefly. With interactive exhibits and a multitude of exhibits, this museum covers Alabama's diverse musical past. Who knew Alabama has had this kind of impact on this wide a variety of music?

I recommend this exhibit for anyone traveling through the area. Children of all ages will enjoy this site.

Website: www.alamhof.org

From journal The Shoals of Alabama

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