Museum

Buddy Ingram, past winner of the Uncle Dave Macon Days' Old-Time Banjo Competition, and Lisa Ingram perform old-time country music. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

This colorful episode of The Jerry Reed Show features performances and interviews with Lynn Anderson, Chet Atkins, Jerry Clower, and Terry McMillan. Reed performs "Baby's Coming Home" with Atkins, and all the guests join in on "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." The live house band is conducted by Bill Justis. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. 45 minutes. Free.

Experience this fun, interactive exploration of nursery rhymes featuring dancing, singing, and the famous Tom Tichenor marionettes. All ages. No reservations required. 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.

Gretchen Peters wrote "The Chill of an Early Fall" (George Strait); "Independence Day" (Martina McBride); "Let That Pony Run" (Pam Tillis); "My Baby Loves Me" (Martina McBride); "The Secret of Life" (Faith Hill); "When You Love Someone" (Bryan Adams); "You Don't Even Know Who I Am" (Patty Loveless) and others. She has also released several albums and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Barry Walsh will sit in on piano.  See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Chet Atkins was inspired by the complex fingerstyle guitar playing of Merle Travis called "thumbpicking." This guitar style has been developed, passed down, preserved, and expanded by generations of players around Travis's birthplace in Kentucky. Award-winning Muhlenburg County-area guitarists Joe Hudson, Paul Mosely, Eddie Pennington, and Freddie Russell will perform. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. 

In the early twentieth century a few guitar players in Western Kentucky developed a unique style of guitar playing that used the thumb to pick out a steady bass rhythm while the first finger played a melody. This style, which became known as "thumbpicking," was popularized by Capitol Records recording artist and Muhlenburg County native Merle Travis, and had a significant influence on Chet Atkins. This film features stories and performances from eight Kentucky thumbpickers, some of whom have been playing since the time Travis rose to stardom, while others are from a younger generation of guitarists who have carried on and expanded this traditional style. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. 52 minutes. Free.

Joe Edwards spent thirty years playing fiddle and guitar in the Grand Ole Opry Band. He has played on recording sessions produced by Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, Don Law, and Ken Nelson. He toured with Bill Carlisle, Cowboy Copas, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Hamilton IV, Bobby Helms, Grandpa Jones, Jerry Reed, Charlie Walker, and Joe's wife, Jan Edwards. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Jim and Morning Nichols perform and teach country and jazz guitar around the United States and Europe.  Jim has played and/or recorded with Chet Atkins, Hubert Laws, Buddy Montgomery, Van Morrison, Kenny Rankin, Toots Thielemans, Tom Waits, and others. Morning has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival and has shared the stage with guitar greats Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Murphy, Kenny Rankin, Martin Taylor, and many others. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Eddie Estes and Phil Hunt play guitar in the style of Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, and Paul Yandell.  Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Mark Mazengarb is from New Zealand and Loren Barrigar hails from central New York. They perform as a guitar duo and also incorporate harmony singing into their original compositions and arrangements of bluegrass, jazz, and country music. The duo's style of guitar playing is built upon the thumb-picking techniques pioneered by guitarists Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, and Jerry Reed. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

John Standefer is the winner of the 2002 National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at Winfield, Kansas, and the Open Division winner of the 2004 International Home of the Legends Competition. He teaches and performs yearly at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

John Rumble, senior historian for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, will lead a panel discussion featuring four highly acclaimed music veterans who worked closely with Chet Atkins for many years. Panelists include Jim Ed Brown, Ray Edenton, Charlie McCoy, and Wayne Moss. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. [program at CAAS - NOT HELD AT THE MUSEUM]

Jonathan Brown is a fingerstyle guitarist and composer from Nashville. His influences include Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, George Benson, Lenny Breau, and Tommy Emmanuel. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Jana Kramer will join us for the second of three Museum member-only concerts in the 2^nd annual series, Hot Nights at the Hall. In addition to enjoying free Museum admission for the entire year, discounts, and more, members also receive exclusive access to all three Hot Nights shows. Enjoy private access to the Museum, light hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and an autograph signing with Kramer. Don't miss it. Become a Museum member now!

Starting in the late 1950s, Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, Ken Nelson, and arranger Anita Kerr brought violins, violas, and cellos into the sonic blend that would become the Nashville Sound. The sophisticated arrangements created for Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and others attracted new listeners and sold millions of records. Atkins was also a pioneer in using string sections on his own recordings. Guitarist Pat Kirtley and the Endless Road Strings will tell the story by recreating some of Chet's signature pieces, with added commentary on the history of pop and country string sections in Nashville. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company.

Chet Atkins was known as an innovative guitarist; as a producer who helped define the Nashville Sound; as a generous teacher and collaborator; and even as a student of other guitarists. This exhibit-closing concert will highlight the relationships that have been sparked and continue to grow around Chet's music, as well as the artists who are carrying on and expanding Chet's guitar style. John Knowles, c.g.p., hosts this tribute with guest performances by Megan Taylor Anderson, Thom Bresh, Guy Van Duser, Ben Hall, Brooks Robertson, and others.  Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company.

Oregon-based Brooks Robertson is a composer and arranger in the style of Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Thom Bresh, and his own mentor, Buster B. Jones. In 2004, Robertson won first place in Prairie Home Companion's Talent from Twelve to Twenty Contest.  Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

In this episode of the long-running public television series, Chet Atkins demonstrates his trademark guitar style as well his love of collaboration. His guests include Thom Bresh, Larry Carlton, Johnny Gimble, Peter Ostroushko, Butch Thompson, and the Prairie Home Companion Band. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives. Presented in support of the exhibit Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, made possible by the Gretsch Company. 55 minutes. Free.

Shane McAnally wrote "Alone with You" (Jake Owen); "Come Over" and "Somewhere with You" (Kenny Chesney); "Last Call" (Lee Ann Womack); and songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, David Nail, LeAnn Rimes, and others. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Bang a drum, strum an autoharp, and pick a banjo! Our Musical Petting Zoo offers budding musicians a chance to try new and familiar instruments. Instructors will be on site to offer guidance. All ages. No reservations required. 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.

David Coe plays fiddle for Michael Martin Murphey, Nashville-based Irish band the Rogues, and the contradance band FootLoose. Josh Culley plays Irish bouzouki, guitar, flute, tin whistle, bodhran (Irish Drum), and several other instruments. He performs with Irish trio Nosey Flynn and also Planet Reel. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

July 28, 2012
Kye Fleming first came to Nashville in 1977 on her way back to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to visit her parents. At the time, Fleming was a singer-songwriter who had been performing as a solo act in coffeehouses across the country. After living and pursuing a music career briefly in Los Angeles, Boston, and finally New York City, the twenty-six-year-old needed a rest.

After achieving success as a solo artist in the 1960s and '70s, Leona Williams wrote Merle Haggard's #1 hits "Someday When Things Are Good" and "You Take Me for Granted" while they were married. Additionally, she wrote and recorded duets with Haggard, including "The Bull and the Beaver" and "We're Strangers Again." Loretta Lynn and Connie Smith have also recorded her songs.  She will be joined by Grand Ole Opry Band member Jimmy Capps and singer Ron Williams. Presented in support of the exhibit The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country, Support Provided by Academy of Country Music, Ford Motor Company Fund, and SunTrust. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Aaron Till is a multi-instrumentalist versed in many different styles including bluegrass, country, western swing, and jazz. He has played with Mark Chesnutt, Jim Lauderdale, the Hot Club of Nashville, and many others. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.