Georgia Music Hall of Fame Collection
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame served as the state's official music museum from 1996 to 2011. Located in downtown Macon, the 48,000 square foot building was home to thousands of documents, instruments, sound recordings, and artifacts representing Georgia's vast and diverse music history.
Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller gathered state support for music culture and industry beginning in 1978, creating the Senate Music Recording Industry Study Committee and the Music Recording Industry Advisory Committee. These groups led to the formation of Georgia Music Week, and the first Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards were presented in 1979. These first awards, called "Georgy Awards," were presented to Ray Charles and the music producer Bill Lowery.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Miller, elected governor in 1990, continued the effort to honor Georgia's music legends by supporting the establishment of a museum. The legislature allocated $6.5 million and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority was created to head the project. The building officially opened in Macon on September 21, 1996 with a ceremony attended by Little Richard, Mike Mills and Bill Berry of R.E.M., the Pips, and Travis Tritt, among others.
The core collections of the museum were presented in a 12,000 square foot exhibit space called Tune Town. This area consisted of several "buildings" and sections bearing themes by genre or era in the state's music history. The Hall of Fame was also home to the Zell Miller Center for Georgia Music Studies, a library and archive for researchers.
In the 2000s the museum began to encounter financial difficulties, with decreasing revenue and low attendance. In 2010 the state legislature voted to cease funding for the museum, and bids were accepted from other cities to provide a site for it. When none of the bids were found to be suitable, the decision was made to close the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in June 2011.
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Collection is divided into 9 series.
Series 1: Administrative Files
The Administrative Files series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection primarily consists of the records created and used in the managing and operating of the institution. These include founding documents, a file of artist information, planning documentation for exhibits, a photograph file, and records on sponsorship.
The Administrative Files series is arranged into five subseries: 1.1. Artist Files, 1.2. Photographs, 1.3. Exhibit Files, 1.4. Grant & Sponsor Files, and 1.5. General Administration.
The posters series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists of several hundred wall posters, flyers, album flats, and promotional displays for a wide range of artists. The majority of posters feature individual artists and groups, promoting their albums and tours. Some publicize festivals and other special events that included many artists, such as Athfest, the Atlanta International Pop Festival, and the Blind Willie McTell Blues Fesitval.
The collection is listed alphabetically by the artist or event associated with each poster.
The ephemera series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists of mostly printed material and souvenir items associated with Georgia artists, record companies, and events. Such items include concert tickets, backstage passes, concert tour booklets, buttons, pins, iron-on patches, event programs, and stickers.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by artist or event.
Series 4: Artists' Business Records
The Artists' Business Records series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Collection encompasses the correspondence, contracts, office files, and related papers associated with music industry figures in Georgia. A significant portion of the collection pertains the work of Jarvis Felton, producer for Elvis Presley from 1966-1977. Most of Felton's records document recording sessions and tours throughout the 1970s. Another large portion of the collection relates to comedian and singer Elsie Griner, Jr. of Nashville, Georgia, better known as "Miss Peaches."
The collection is arranged alphabetically by artist.
The periodicals series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collections consists of magazines, newspapers, and tearsheets associated with music figures from Georgia. These include articles from the national music press and from city newspapers, as well as advertisements from a wide variety of sources.
The collection is composed of two series: newspapers and magazines. The materials are arranged alphabetically by artist or topic.
The sheet music series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Collection contains over one thousand pieces of sheet music published over the course of about one hundred years. Much of the music was composed or famously performed by Georgians, while some pieces were published by a Georgia company or have some other connection to the state. Significant names include Buddy Buie, Joe South, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, McHenry Boatwright, and gospel songwriter Lee Roy Abernathy, among others.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by title.
The photographs series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists primarily of photographic prints of artists and music industry figures. Many photographs were taken for promotional purposes, while others are candid shots. The collection contains a mix of original and reproduced images.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by artist or event.
The artifacts series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists of awards presented to Georgia music figures, textiles and clothing items, as well as various three-dimensional objects associated with musicians, producers, and others associated with the music history of Georgia.
The collection consists of three series: 1. Awards 2. Textiles 3. General Artifacts. The materials are arranged alphabetically by artist or topic.
The instruments series of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame collection consists of musical instruments owned and played by a wide range of Georgia musicians. Guitars, violins, and other stringed instruments dominate the collection, but brass, drums, and keyboard instruments are also included.