First look: 5 things you need to see at the Rock Hall's new Ryman exhibit
The Mother Church of Country Music wants you to rock out.
From Elvis Presley to the Foo Fighters, a new exhibit inside Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium - AKA the so-called Mother Church - pays tribute to the tabernacle's long-running rock 'n' roll history. Called "Rock Hall at the Ryman," the attraction opens as part of a long-term collaboration with Ohio-based Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"Rock Hall at the Ryman" opens this week inside a renovated second-story wing of the hall overlooking Rep. John Lewis Way. The attracted can be accessed by all who purchase a Ryman daytime tour ticket. Artifacts plan to rotate annually, according to exhibit organizers.
The partnership kicked off earlier this year with the Ryman earning a Rock Hall landmark dedication, joining an elite list of historic rooms that includes Austin City Limits and Los Angeles' Whiskey a Go Go.
Ahead of the exhibit opening Wednesday, read on for a sneak peak of four artifacts found inside "Rock Hall at the Ryman."
Elvis Presley's (brief) Ryman history
The exhibit traces rock history at the Ryman back to 1950s Nashville, when a young upstart from Memphis made his Grand Ole Opry debut. The singer? Elvis Presley, of course.
Stepping on stage weeks after cutting his first record, he sang a rendition of Bill Monroe tune "Blue Moon of Kentucky" that struck a sour note with Opry audiences and promoters. He wouldn't return to the famed country music stage (Spoiler: In the end, things turned out OK for "The King").
The Ryman pays homage to this moment with a suede coat once worn by Presley, on loan from the Rock Hall collection.
Revisiting James Brown's Ryman debut
Fast-forward to 1997, when soul-stirring performer James Brown stormed the Ryman stage for a one-night show not long after the venue reopened in downtown Nashville. His Ryman debut, Brown earned a standing ovation before singing a single note from the Mother Church's stage.
The exhibit salutes that moment with a sparking head-to-toe red suit once worn by Brown.
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A gift from Dolly Parton (AKA Nashville's new Rock Hall of Famer)
From Brenda Lee to Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Chet Atkins and the Everly Brothers, nods to plenty of artists with deep Nashville ties now occupy the narrow "Rock Hall" vestibule. That includes Dolly Parton, the latest Tennessee hitmaker invited to join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Pulled from the Ryman's artifact collection, a Bible gifted from Parton to Porter Wagoner in 1968. According to the Ryman, an inscription reads, "May God be with you always."
Parton enters the Rock Hall this weekend during a ceremony in Los Angeles.
A slice of famed Foo Fighters attire
Before taking a trip down a timeline of Ryman rock history, visitors get an initial taste of the exhibit with an introduction display featuring a famed Foo Fighters outfit: A kimono once worn by Taylor Hawkins. The late Foo Fighters drummer donned the outfit during a 2013 Rock Hall induction for Canadian prog-rock trio Rush - a nod to the band's "2112" album artwork.
Foo Fighters headlined a marathon concert at the Ryman on Halloween 2014, part of the band's traveling "Sonic Highways" HBO documentary and album.
Bonus: Today's hitmakers
With rock memorabilia migrating upstairs, a new display highlighting today's Nashville hitmakers takes hold of a newly-vacated space on the room's main floor. Artifacts on display include an outfits worn on stage by bluegrass barnstormer Billy Strings, groundbreaking mainstream country singer Mickey Guyton and best-selling entertainer Luke Combs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rock Hall at the Ryman: Elvis, Foo Fighters and more exhibit highlights
