Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Established | 22 September 1996 |
---|---|
Dissolved | 12 June 2011 |
Location | Macon, Georgia, United States |
Type | Hall of fame |
Website | georgiamusicmag |
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was located in downtown Macon, Georgia, United States, from 1996 until it closed in 2011.[1] The Hall of Fame preserved and interpreted the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance; it attempted to foster an appreciation for Georgia music and tried to stimulate economic growth through a variety of dynamic partnerships and initiatives statewide. The Hall of Fame closed due to low attendance and reduced state funding.[2][3]
Mercer University purchased the former Hall of Fame building in June 2012; the university will use the building for expanded programs within its School of Medicine.[4]
Overview of Georgia music
Among the artists who have been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame are:
Exhibits
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame's permanent exhibit space was designed to resemble a Georgia town where venues such as the Jazz and Swing Club, Vintage Vinyl and Rhythm & Blues Revue house artifacts, interpretive text and audio visual elements. Temporary exhibits included "Keeps Calling Me Home: A Gram Parsons Retrospective", "Let Freedom Sing: Music and the Civil Rights Movement" and '"Otis Redding: I’ve Got Dreams to Remember", named “Museum Exhibition of the Year” in 2008 by the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries.
Education
Education was at the core of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame’s mission. The Billy Watson Music Factory served children grades pre-K through elementary by encouraging the exploration of musical concepts like rhythm, melody and composition in a hands-on learning environment. MIKE (Music in Kid’s Education) provided a series of programs offering live music performances and music instruction opportunities throughout the year.
Georgia Music Magazine
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Foundation published Georgia Music Magazine quarterly as both the official museum magazine and an in-depth look at Georgia music. The state’s legends, landmarks and unsung heroes were explored through insightful features, historical articles, news and reviews.
History
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame’s institutional history began in 1978 when the Georgia General Assembly created the Senate Music Recording Industry Committee to study the economic impact of the state’s music industry and to explore ways to promote Georgia music and attract music businesses to the state.[5] In 1979, the Committee developed a Georgia Music Hall of Fame program honoring Georgia musicians who have made significant contributions to the music industry, with Ray Charles and music publisher Bill Lowery named the first inductees on Sept. 26, 1979. Owing much to the vision of then Lt. Governor Zell Miller, the Committee also endeavored to create a public museum and archive to document the state’s music heritage and serve as a cultural heritage destination. In 1990, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority was created as an instrumentality of the State of Georgia and a public corporation with the stated corporate purpose and general nature: 1) to construct and maintain a facility to house the Georgia Music Hall of Fame; 2) to operate, advertise and promote the Georgia Music Hall of Fame; and 3) to promote music events at the facility and throughout the state. On Sept. 22, 1996, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame opened as a 43,000-square-foot (4,000 m2) facility housing a main exhibit hall, a retail store, the Zell Miller Center for Georgia Music Studies, an administrative wing, a classroom and a reception room. In 1999, the second phase of the museum, The Billy Watson Music Factory, an interactive and interpretive exhibit space for pre-K through elementary students, opened. The hall was closed on June 12, 2011 due to lack of attendance. The exhibits are now being housed at the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, the University of West Georgia and in private collections.[6]
Inductees
2012 | Alex Hodges | Sugarland | 38 Special | Gary Rossington | Robert Spano | Skinny Bobby Harper | Johnny Jenkins | Bob Van Camp | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Toni Braxton[7] | Kenny Leon | Mother's Finest | Jan "Mama J" Smith | Paul Cochran | ||||
2010 | Charlie Brusco | India.Arie | The Black Crowes | Charles Wadsworth | Jennifer Larmore | Rev. Pearly Brown | Paul Davis | Pete Drake | John Jarrard |
2009 | Johnny L. Carson[8] | Collective Soul | Peter Conlon | Bryan-Michael Cox | Roy Hamilton | Berry Oakley | Shakir Stewart | Third Day | |
2008 | Chris "Ludacris" Bridges | Dinah & Fred Gretsch | Dottie Rambo | Hamp Swain | Keith Sweat | Widespread Panic | |||
2007 | Bobbie Bailey | Freddy Cole | Mylon LeFevre | Lynyrd Skynyrd | Babs Richardson | Usher | |||
2006 | Gregg Allman | Dallas Austin | Felice Bryant | Jermaine Dupri | R.E.M. | ||||
2005 | Doug Johnson | Patty Loveless | Newsong | The Sunshine Boys | |||||
2004 | Mattiwilda Dobbs | Hugh Jarrett | Chuck Leavell | Mary Lou Williams | |||||
2003 | Mike Curb | Indigo Girls | Kenny Rogers | Alan Walden | |||||
2002 | Clarence Carter | The Harmoneers | TLC | Tom Wright | |||||
2001 | Roy Drusky | Alan Jackson | L. A. Reid | Ralph Peer | |||||
2000 | the B-52s | Little Jimmy Dempsey | Michael Greene | Trisha Yearwood | |||||
1999 | Mike Clarke | Jessye Norman | Gram Parsons | Travis Tritt | |||||
1998 | Allman Brothers Band | Peabo Bryson | Emma Kelly | J. Lee Friedman | |||||
1997 | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | William Bell | Dave Prater | Boots Woodall | |||||
1996 | Atlanta Rhythm Section | Mac Davis | Joe Galkin | Rodney Mills | |||||
1995 | Chet Atkins | Ray Eberle | Elmo Ellis | Joel Katz | |||||
1994 | Isaac Hayes | Gwen Kesler | Chuck Willis | ||||||
1993 | J. R. Cobb | Curtis Mayfield | Sam Wallace | Dennis Yost & the Classics IV | |||||
1992 | Emory Gordy Jr. | Connie Haines | The Lewis Family | Ma Rainey | The Tams | ||||
1991 | Joseph Cotton Carrier | Roland Hayes | Lena Horne | Ray Whitley | |||||
1990 | Wendy Bagwell | Blind Willie McTell | Ronnie Milsap | Chips Moman | |||||
1989 | Leroy Abernathy | Fletcher Henderson | Gladys Knight | Harold Shedd | |||||
1988 | Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers | Billy Joe Royal | Robert Shaw | Joe Williams | |||||
1987 | Alex Cooley | Felton Jarvis | Jerry Reed | Bob Richardson | |||||
1986 | Hovie LIster | George Riley Puckett | Tommy Roe | Phil Walden | |||||
1985 | Bill Anderson | Graham Jackson | Eva Mae LeFevre | Zell Miller | |||||
1984 | Buddie Buie | Fiddlin' John Carson | James Melton | Little Richard Penniman | |||||
1983 | James Brown | Albert Coleman | Harry James | Piano Red Perryman | Roba Stanley | ||||
1982 | Duane Allman | Boudleaux Bryant | Brenda Lee | ||||||
1981 | Dr. Thomas Dorsey | Otis Redding | Joe South | ||||||
1980 | Johnny Mercer | Zenas Daddy Sears | Ray Stevens | ||||||
1979 | Ray Charles | Bill Lowery | Lena Horne |
References
- ^ "Georgia Music Hall of Fame | New Georgia Encyclopedia". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
- ^ "Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Closing". Gpb.org. 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
- ^ Williams, Dave (2012-02-23). "Closed Georgia Music Hall site 'surplus property'".
- ^ Ramati, Phillip. "State approves sale of music hall to Mercer | Morning Update". Macon.com. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
- ^ "Georgia Music Hall of Fame | New Georgia Encyclopedia". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
- ^ "Georgia Music Hall of Fame | New Georgia Encyclopedia". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
- ^ Braxton, Toni (2011-08-11). "Toni Braxton Enters Georgia Hall of Fame". Weekend 22. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
- ^ Williams, Lindsay (2009-09-26). "Third Day Enters Georgia Hall of Fame". Weekend 22. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
External links