Museum

Karyn Rochelle wrote "From a Table Away" (Sunny Sweeney); "Georgia Rain" (Trisha Yearwood); "I Wonder" and "Red High Heels" (Kellie Pickler); and songs recorded by Terri Clark, Gloriana, George Jones, Reba McEntire, Lee Ann Womack, and others. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Mandolin player and guitarist Bob Grant has played with the Bad Livers, Gail Davies, and others. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Richard Sterban, bass singer of The Oak Ridge Boys, will sign his new book, From Elvis to Elvira: My Life on Stage, purchased from the Museum Store, on Thursday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m.  Live from the Museum Store is presented by CMT.

Learn about letterpress printing from the staff of Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the United States. Participants will pull a limited edition Elvis Presley postcard on a vintage letterpress, and also use block images to create their own Bakersfield Sound poster. For ages 5 and up. 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.

Legendary songwriters will tell stories about their original compositions that Elvis Presley recorded. Participants include Jerry Chesnut ("T-R-O-U-B-L-E," "It's Midnight," "Never Again"), Mac Davis ("In the Ghetto," "Memories," "A Little Less Conversation"), Billy Swan ("I Can Help"), and Dallas Frazier ("There Goes My Everything," "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road," "Wearin' That Loved on Look"). Most of the songwriters will perform. This program will be streamed live.  Live stream powered by NewTek TriCaster.  See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Born in Arkansas and raised in Southern California, DeMent spent her childhood immersed in gospel and traditional country music. Her first record, 1992's Infamous Angel, immediately earned critical acclaim and the following releases, My Life and The Way I Should, both earned Grammy nominations. Her recordings have been featured in films and television shows including True Grit and Northern Exposure. Merle Haggard has called her "the best singer I ever heard," and recorded two of her songs.  Her latest release, Sing the Delta, is her first of original music in sixteen years. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Filmed in 1970, this concert documentary follows a number of Elvis Presley rehearsals and performances, primarily at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. For most of the '60s Elvis had been absent from the concert stage, focusing instead on his acting career. On stage, clad in his iconic white jump suits, Elvis rips through his classic rock & roll hits from the 1950s and also performs lush, later songs such as "In the Ghetto." Presley's band at the time included James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Ronnie Tutt, and other ace musicians. For the 2001 Special Edition, the film was re-edited to remove interviews and add more performances. The result is an uninterrupted, fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the creation of this historic series of concerts. 96 minutes. Free. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives.

Brandon Godman has performed with The Band Perry, Dale Ann Bradley, Doyle Lawson, Michael Martin Murphey, Jon Pardi, and Ray Price.  In addition to performing, recording, and teaching fiddle, Brandon started luthier work at the age of sixteen as an apprentice in his native Ohio. He studies historic violins and bows and continues to focus on his skills as a luthier at The Violin Shop in Nashville. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Jimmy Payne wrote "My Eyes Can Only See as Far as You" (Charley Pride); "Woman, Woman" (Gary Puckett and the Union Gap); and songs recorded by Connie Smith, Hank Snow, and Tammy Wynette. Glenn Douglas Tubb wrote "Home of the Blues" (Johnny Cash); "Skip a Rope" (B.J. Thomas); "Two Story House" (George Jones and Tammy Wynette); and songs recorded by Charlie Louvin, Charley Pride, and Kitty Wells. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

James Burton, one of the most influential Fender Telecaster pickers in country and rock music, will perform and share stories from his career. Elvis Presley hired him to lead the band for his 1969 concerts at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, and Burton stayed on as a member of his touring band until Presley's death in 1977. Burton has also recorded with John Denver, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Frank Sinatra, and the Supremes.  See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Producer, songwriter, guitarist, and studio owner Chips Moman played a pivotal role in creating a great number of pop, soul, and country classics. After helping establish Memphis's Stax Records in the late 1950s, he opened the city's American Sound Studio and began producing hits for the Gentrys, B.J. Thomas, Neil Diamond, and others. In 1969 Moman produced Elvis Presley's comeback hits-including "Suspicious Minds," "In the Ghetto," and "Kentucky Rain"-and went on to supervise landmark recording sessions by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and the Highwaymen. Moman co-wrote the R&B standards "Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman" and the #1 country songs "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)," "The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get over You)," and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." In this rare public interview, Georgia-based Moman will share some of his best stories. The program is offered as part of the museum's series of activities marking the thirty-fifth anniversary of Presley's death. This program will be streamed live.  See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

This documentary traces the meteoric rise of Elvis Presley in 1956, when the twenty-one-year-old singer went from regional acclaim in the South to full-fledged worldwide stardom. In January of that year he recorded his first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel," and appeared on network television for the first time. By December, he had scored five #1 singles, starred in a top-grossing film, Love Me Tender, and earned over a million dollars. Narrated by Levon Helm.  60 minutes. Free. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives.

"Slick" Joe Fick has performed or recorded with Sonny Burgess, James Burton, D.J. Fontana, Wanda Jackson, the Jordanaires, and Boots Randolph. His rockabilly band, the Dempseys, was named Beale Street Entertainers of the Year in 2009. Fick portrayed the role of Elvis's bass player, Bill Black, in the 2006 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program. 

Sean Weaver plays many styles of guitar including Chicago and Texas-style blues, '60s rock, and Chet Atkins-style thumbpicking. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including both the Home of the Legends Thumbpickers Association and Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Competition. Weaver has performed alongside Tommy Emmanuel, Vince Gill, Earl Klugh, John Knowles, Jim & Morning Nichols, Les Paul, and others. Made possible by Gibson Guitar Corporation. See new Program Pass guidelines for admission to this program.                             

This documentary explores the magic of Patsy Cline's brief career and features many classic hits and her first televised performance.  Archival footage of songs such as "I Fall to Pieces," "Walkin' After Midnight," and "Crazy" is put into context by journalist Robert K. Oermann.  Presented in support of the exhibit Patsy Cline: Crazy for Loving You. 55 minutes. Free. Made Possible by Iron Mountain Film and Sound Archives.