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Friday May 18th, 2001
Country Hall of Fame inaugural photo gallery
A treasure of Gibsons took their place in the new County Music Hall of Fame that celebrated its grand opening Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee. The artists and the Gibsons they played helped define country music as a unique American art form from Hank Williams to Hank Williams Jr.
The Hall of Fame collection includes Mother Maybelle Carter's Gibson L-5, the last artifact taken into the new museum yesterday at the grand opening gala. A humble Marty Stuart played her L-5 and led celebrities and audience in singing The Carter Family classic "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" to end the ceremonies. Gibson's Custom, Art and Historic division offers three L-5s including the non-cutaway 1934 L-5.
Earl Scruggs' Gibson Granada banjo is of equal historic value. In 1984, Gibson introduced the Earl Scruggs Standard. It replicates Earl's personal Granada model. Although Earl's instrument originally had gold-plated hardware, the plating has long ago worn off, so the Standard features nickel-plated hardware to look just like Earl's.
Another key country pioneer and instrumentalist is Dobroist Josh Graves. Born in 1925 in Tellico Springs, Tennessee, Graves is universally recognized as one of the greatest of all dobro players and probably the first to have played the instrument in bluegrass music. "Graves perfected a rolling syncopated style that enabled him to play galloping breakdowns as well as slow love songs or ballads," says music historian Bill C. Malone. To honor Graves, Gibson manufactures the Josh Graves Signature model dobro.
No doubt, Bill Monroe's 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin is of equal significance in country music. Monroe's original Gibson F-5 was sold last month by his son to a newly endowed foundation in Rosine, Kentucky, for $1.125 million, an unheard of sum for an American fretted, string instrument. Gibson currently manufactures both the F-5 Master Model and the F-5L, each marking a return to the specifications of Lloyd Loar's original F-5 Master Model mandolins of 1922-24. Both of today's F-5s set the standard by which all other mandolins are judged.
Following is an exclusive photo gallery of yesterday's grand opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Earl Scruggs performs his classic bluegrass song "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"
with Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas playing his new signature Dobro
Emmylou Harris recounts stories of her love of classic Louvin Brothers songs.
Sam Bush accompanies her on the Louvin Brother's song "If I Could Only Win Your Love."
Vince Gill performs his tribute to his father "The Key to Life" on his J-200.
Most recent Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Pride leads Kitty Wells,
Marty Stuart and Brenda Lee to the front doors.
Kitty Wells, Charlie Pride and Brenda Lee join in cutting the ribbon
to open the new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.For the full story of the museum opening, view the story here.
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