Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Announces 2018 Exhibitions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the second consecutive year, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum has announced its complete slate of exhibitions for the upcoming year. The 2018 schedule includes exhibits featuring Little Big Town, Ralph Stanley, the Judds and Emmylou Harris.

In addition to examining the stories of individual artists, the museum will unveil the exhibition American Currents: The Music of 2017, on March 9, 2018. The exhibit will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the major country music happenings in the prior year. Highlights of 2017 will be represented by artifacts from Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Randy Travis and Chris Young with more to be announced.

On June 29, the museum will open a special exhibit on Grammy and American Music Award-winning group Little Big Town, the vocal quartet made up of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook. Twenty years after forming, Little Big Town is consistent award winners, earning platinum certifications for their albums Pain Killer, Tornado and The Road to Here. In 2017, they notched a sixth consecutive CMA Award win for Vocal Group of the Year and won their fourth ACM Award for Vocal Group of the Year. They also brought their dynamic performance values and crystalline vocal harmonies to multiple concerts at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in a year-long, sold-out residency there.

July 13 brings an exhibit devoted to legendary mountain musician Ralph Stanley, whose rendition of “O Death,” from the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” film soundtrack captured the 2001 Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal. After 20 years as half of legendary bluegrass duo the Stanley Brothers, Ralph began a solo career in 1966 following the death of brother, Carter Stanley. Ralph’s unique style and distinctive tenor broke new ground in bluegrass, and he became a standard-bearer for country music’s Appalachian folk roots.

Another new exhibit will explore the lives and careers of Grammy-winning mother-daughter duo the Judds opening Aug. 3, 2018. Wynonna and Naomi Judd brought a fresh acoustic sound to country music, with unmistakable harmonies surrounding Wynonna’s powerful lead vocals. The Judds dominated the country charts during the 1980s and ’90s, and have sold more than 20 million albums and registered 20 Top 10 hits. Although the Judds dissolved in 1991 following Naomi’s hepatitis diagnosis the duo have reunited for special tours and performances. Wynonna has achieved great success as a solo artist. 

Finally, 12-time Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris will be the subject of a major exhibition opening Oct. 5, 2018. From her start with Gram Parsons in California during the early 1970s to her acceptance in Nashville and mainstream country music in the 1980s, Harris has brought millions of new listeners to country music. Over 40 years into a remarkable career, she has amassed 27 Top 10 hits, including seven that reached No. 1. She also has placed 14 albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard country album chart.

A champion of songwriters and musicians alike, Harris gave early career boosts to Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush and Buddy Miller. Countless country singers cite Harris as an influence, including Suzy Bogguss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Dixie Chicks, Patty Loveless and Trisha Yearwood. Harris’s influence extends beyond country music, too, with acclaimed artists Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams and many others citing her as an artistic guidepost. Examining Harris through her music and her collection of personal artifacts will provide new insight into one of country music’s most important and visionary artists.

The museum’s successful major exhibition Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City closes in February 2018. An announcement is forthcoming about the next major exhibition to be mounted at the museum.

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 celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. Follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, and join the conversation using #CMHOF. For more information, visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

About The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and in 2015 and 2016 welcomed over one million patrons, placing it among the most visited museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio BTM, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive, and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling 615-416-2001. 

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