Museum

Visitors are invited to attend a special breakfast with Bill Cody for just $6.50 as he broadcasts live from the Museum's Curb Conservatory. WSM-AM Morning Show host Cody is recognized as one of the most familiar voices and faces in the industry. He also hosted Great American Country's daily show GAC's Master Series and is a member of the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. Admission to the breakfast includes:

Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Deborah Allen made a name for herself in the 1980s with her crossover hit "Baby I Lied" and Top Ten singles "I Hurt for You" and "I've Been Wrong Before." Away from the spotlight, Allen supplied songs to other country artists such as John Conlee ("I'm Only in It for the Love"); Janie Fricke ("Don't Worry 'bout Me Baby," "Let's Stop Talkin'about It"); Patty Loveless ("Hurt Me Bad (in a Real Good Way)"); and Tanya Tucker ("Can I See You Tonight"). Brooks & Dunn, Elvis Costello, Sheena Easton, Fleetwood Mac, Isaac Hayes, Loretta Lynn, and LeAnn Rimes have also recorded her music. In this program, Allen will perform songs from her catalog and her latest album, Hear Me Now. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Followed by a signing in the Museum Store.

December 3, 2011
Wayne Carson wrote his first song to try and impress a young woman he had just met. He named the song "Coco," the nickname given the woman by her friends, because they said her short, Audrey Hepburn-styled hairdo made her look like a coconut.

Phil Vassar will sign his new Christmas CD, Noel, and his new CD, Live on Broadway, purchased from the Museum Store.  Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.

Collin Raye will sign his new CD, His Love Remains, and his Christmas CD, The Gift, purchased from the Museum Store, on Saturday, December 3 at 4:00 p.m.  Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.

Children and adults of all ages are invited to decorate holiday cookies with guidance from talented Two Twenty • Two Grill & Catering staff. Free.

Learn about letterpress printing from designers from Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the U.S. Use block images to make your own holiday card or T-shirt. Paper provided. Participants should bring their own T-shirts. For ages 6 to 18. Takes place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's SunTrust Community Room. Free.  Families are encouraged to tour the museum at a discounted rate following the program. Visit the information desk or ticket window for more information.

From 1969 to 1971, Johnny Cash hosted a nationally broadcast television show, which featured a variety of guest stars. After the series went off the air, Cash continued to make television appearances through his annual Christmas specials. This Johnny Cash Christmas Show originally aired in November 1976 and includes guest appearances by June Carter Cash, Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell, Tommy Orlando, Merle Travis, and others. 45 minutes. Free.  Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives.

"Muriel Anderson is a good friend and a great guitarist," said Chet Atkins. An engaging and innovative performer, Anderson was the first female winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. She was named best classical guitarist by Acoustic Guitar magazine (readers' choice) in 2009, and she also is an expert on the harp-guitar. Included with museum admission. Free to members.  Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. Additional support provided by GAC.

December 6, 2011
Hank Williams Jr. capped the four-year run of his family's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit just as he opened it: With a powerful solo acoustic performance spiked with personal memories and songs that expressed the full spectrum of musical legacy.

Children are invited to share their Christmas list with Santa Claus and pose for a photo. Free.

Suzy Bogguss admitted that, even today, seventeen years later, she still brags "constantly" about the record she made with her longtime friend, Chet Atkins, in 1994. Bogguss and a talented band appeared Saturday, December 10, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a performance supporting the museum's exhibition Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, Her set included three songs from that album, titled Simpatico: "I Still Miss Someone," "When She Smiled at Him," and "One More for the Road."

Learn about letterpress printing from Jim Sherraden, manager of Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the U.S. Use block images to make your own holiday card or T-shirt. Paper provided. Participants should bring their own T-shirts. For ages 6 to 18. Takes place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Free.  Families are encouraged to tour the museum at a discounted rate following the program. Visit the information desk or ticket window for more information.

Karlen Evins will sign her book, Put A Lid On It: Casseroles, Comfort Foods and Things We Take to Funerals, purchased from the Museum Store, on Saturday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m.  Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.

Children and adults of all ages are invited to decorate holiday cookies with guidance from talented Two Twenty • Two Grill & Catering staff. Free.

Eric Brace and Peter Cooper share a bond as respected music journalists who also are critically acclaimed songwriters, recording artists, and duet partners. Brace is the leader of the respected Americana band Last Train Home. Cooper records for Brace's Red Beet Records and has cut two well received duo albums with Brace, You Don't Have to Like Them Both (2009) and Master Session (2010), the latter with renowned musicians Lloyd Green and Mike Auldridge. Brace and Cooper also co-produced I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow, a multi-artist tribute featuring Bobby Bare, Elizabeth Cook, Duane Eddy, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller and others. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.

Craig Duncan is a fiddle and hammered dulcimer player. A member of the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame, Duncan has performed and recorded with Roy Clark, Kathy Mattea, Dolly Parton, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, and Trisha Yearwood. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.  Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation.

From 1969 to 1971, Johnny Cash hosted a nationally broadcast television show, which featured a variety of guest stars. After the series went off the air, Cash continued to make television appearances through his annual Christmas specials. This Johnny Cash Christmas Show originally aired in November 1978 and includes guest appearances by June Carter Cash, Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Martin, and others. 45 minutes. Free.  Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives.

December 12, 2011
A few years back, Sarah Trahern turned on morning news coverage of the Iowa presidential caucuses one wintry day. Watching it, she flashed back to a previous job as a producer for the cable TV channel C-SPAN, and for a moment she missed being in the middle of a bustling political campaign instead of watching press coverage from afar.  

Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon wrote "Around the Bend" (Randy Travis); "Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts); "Born to Fly" (Sara Evans); "The Cheap Seats" (Alabama); "Cowboy Take Me Away" (Dixie Chicks); "One of These Days" (Tim McGraw); "Only Love" (Wynonna); "Ready to Run" (Dixie Chicks); and others. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.

Saddle up and ride to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for an afternoon of cowboy tunes, western wit, and seasonal cheer with Riders in the Sky. Featuring tight harmonies, masterful yodeling, impeccable western style, and side-splitting humor, this cowboy quartet preserves the classic sounds of singing wranglers Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, and Roy Rogers. Members of the Grand Ole Opry since 1982, Riders in the Sky were dubbed one of "the most historically significant acts in the history of American music" by Billboard magazine. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.  Following the concert Riders in the Sky will sign their merchandise, purchased from the Museum Store, on Saturday, December 17 at 3:30 p.m.  Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.

Children are invited to share their Christmas list with Santa Claus and pose for a photo. Free.

Johnny Bellar was the 2005 National Resonator Guitar Champion. From 1974 to 1984 he performed with the Stoneman Family and appeared with them on Hee Haw, the Ralph Emery Show, and the Tommy Hunter Show. Bellar has also performed with Tommy Cash, Wilma Lee Cooper, and Boxcar Willie, to name a few. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members.  Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation.