MICHAEL McCALL TO RETIRE FROM THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM AFTER TWO DECADES OF SERVICE

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2026 – Longtime writer, editor and curator Michael McCall will retire at the end of the year after more than 20 years of service to the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

McCall joined the museum in 2006 and is currently associate director of editorial. He manages the development of written content for the museum’s exhibitions, books, public programs, website, social media and educational materials. He has curated or co-curated more than 20 museum exhibitions, including the recent Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker and past major installations Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country Rock and Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy.

McCall has hosted many museum programs, including interviews with Country Music Hall of Fame members Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels, Wynonna Judd, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire and Hank Williams Jr. He co-edited the second edition of the museum’s “Encyclopedia of Country Music,” published by Oxford University Press. He has also written exhibition catalogs on Loretta Lynn and Reba McEntire, as well as authored a book on the archival collection of the museum.

“From the beginning of his tenure, Michael’s impressive journalistic sensibilities helped to establish the museum’s editorial voice,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He brings broad historical knowledge with an innate ability to not only understand the music and the people behind it, but also place it within the greater cultural context. Before he joined the museum, he was a talented journalist and well respected by artists and musicians alike. We were lucky to have him and grateful for his two decades of service enlightening and educating us all.”

Prior to joining the museum, McCall served as senior editor of Country Music magazine from 1999 to 2003 and as a regular contributor to the Associated Press, Journal of Country Music, Los Angeles Times, Nashville Scene, Oxford American, People and many more. From 1984 to 1990, as senior music writer for the Nashville Banner, he wrote news stories, opinion pieces and feature articles, where he secured coveted profiles on artists such as Waylon Jennings, George Jones and George Strait. In 1986, he wrote a series of articles chronicling Loretta Lynn’s three-week USO Tour of military bases in Southeast Asia.

“Working at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been the greatest honor of a career that overshot any of my dreams,” said McCall. “After arriving in Nashville, I noticed how the museum excelled at interpreting and contextualizing American roots music and its important role in popular culture. I will forever appreciate the opportunity given to me by Kyle Young, Liz Thiels and Jay Orr to work alongside a talented, committed staff in continuing the museum’s sanctified mission.”

In 2007, McCall received the Charlie Lamb Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism from Belmont University and the International Country Music Conference. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University with a concentration in journalism and English literature. He was born in Gary, Indiana, and attended high school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. His last day with the museum is Thursday, Dec. 31.