NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Oct. 22, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum received the National Medal of Arts at the White House during a special ceremony.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was the only institution given the medal, the rest were individuals. 20 total were recognized.
The award is given to individuals or entities who are “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States."
"Our museum and country music itself were both born of humble beginnings — an origin that made it common for many to dismiss the artform or any careful study of it,” said Kyle Young, chief executive officer at the CMHOF. He's worked there for more than 45 years.
"The National Medal of Arts is a treasured validation of our longtime commitment to country music’s cultural significance, even when our work was not considered a serious endeavor. For more than a century, this music has given voice to the thoughts, feelings, hardships, triumphs and values of our country’s people. This prestigious recognition, to me, says that our institution is on the right track — collecting, studying and cherishing country music while holding to a broad approach including all forms of American vernacular music in its narrative," he continued.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum started in Nashville in 1964. It's a nonprofit museum which continues to collect and preserve the touch points of country music history with different publications, exhibits, artifacts and more. In 2023, they had more than 1.6 million visitors and more than 1,200 educational programs.
"With country music now recognized and received globally, our role has not changed. We will continue to preserve and interpret its past, present and future, while holding it carefully in the public trust for future generations," Young shared.
You can visit the museum website to learn more about it.
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
