NASHVILLE, Tenn., – March 22, 2016 – The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present Nashville Cats: Salute to Legendary Guitarist Pete Wade on Saturday, April 16, at 1:30 p.m., in the museum's Ford Theater. The program, hosted by museum editor Peter Cooper, will feature rare recordings, photos and vintage film clips from the influential guitarist’s career, as well as a performance by Wade himself.

Wade has contributed to classic recordings by Roy Clark, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Charley Pride, the Statler Brothers, Conway Twitty and many others. He moved to Nashville from his native Virginia and joined Ray Price’s band in March of 1954. He has toured with greats including Ferlin Husky, Price, Kitty Wells and Faron Young. In 1956, Wade played guitar on Price’s classic “Crazy Arms,” helping to create Price’s trademark shuffle. Whether playing fluid fills, stinging electric leads, or steady rhythm, Wade was an integral element in hits including Jones’s “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Pride’s “Mountain of Love,” Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden,” and Skeeter Davis’s “The End of the World.”

After the program, Wade will sign copies of a commemorative, limited-edition Hatch Show Print poster, available for purchase in the Museum Store.​ This program will also be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming.

Nashville Cats: Salute to Legendary Guitarist Pete Wade is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and passes are required for admittance. Museum members can reserve their program passes in advance by phone (615-416-2050) or via reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

The Nashville Cats series pays tribute to musicians who have played an integral role in country music. Recent honorees include Duane Eddy, Paul Franklin, Mac Gayden, Steve Gibson, Michael Rhodes, Billy Sanford, Bill Walker, and Bergen White. 

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and in 2015 welcomed over one million patrons, placing it among the ten most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio BTM, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive, and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.