Alabama Music Hall of Fame in transition – Chairman encouraged – PART I

Alabama Music Hall of Fame

THE SHOALS – We reported last week that the troubled Alabama Music Hall of Fame, located in Tuscumbia, got some new blood injected by Governor Robert Bentley. Three new Board of Directors Members were announced to fill vacancies. It is no secret that the Board has an uphill climb. But the appointments of Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau head, Judy Ryals, Alabama Tourism Director, Lee Sentell and State Finance Director, Bill Newton should bring a lot of horsepower to the table as the Hall works to regain its footing. Rodney Hall, Chairman of the Board of Directors told us, “This changes the dynamic of the Board. It changes it a lot. So without having been able to talk to all the new members and not having had a meeting yet we don’t really know yet where we stand. We don’t know what the future holds. Although it sounds very positive (to me) because they’re 3 very powerful people in the state. They are all very well respected people and 2 of them are Cabinet Members. I can’t imagine that Governor Bentley would set up two of his Cabinet Members to fail.” Hall indicated that he plans to call a Board meeting in the very near future, possibly in the next week or two. 

Lee Sentell – Alabama Tourism Director – Visiting the Alabama Music of Fame

Even though the Hall of Fame has been closed to the public since December 2012, there have been a few opportunities to let people come in and see the new exhibits. The last time was 3 weeks ago, when a fair midway was brought onto the grounds to help raise money for the Hall. Ironically enough, people from all over the word stop by the closed facility on a daily basis. They have to return to their car, unsatisfied. Hall says that’s about to change.

Bill Newton – Alabama State Finance Director – Visiting the Alabama Music hall of Fame

The Civil Wars exhibit at Alabama Music Hall of Fame

“Look at these new exhibits!”, he told this reporter. As we strolled around the Muscle Shoals music section, Hall pointed out new areas that featured, The Drive By Truckers; Jason Isbell; The Civil Wars; Alabama Shakes, Secret Sisters; Angela Hacker; Dylan LeBlanc; James LeBlanc; Gary Nichols and The Steel Drivers… There was really a lot to show.

Jason Isbell exhibit at Alabama Music hall of Fame

When we asked who was doing all this work inside the quiet building, Hall said that

Bonnie Bach spends many hours at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Bonnie Bach and a lot of different people who have worked many hours in the background during the last two years at the AMHOF, including The Quad-Cities Daily contributor, Dick Cooper who was there at a very early time in the Museum’s history. Of course Rodney Hall has spent many hours in there himself, shepherding the exhibits so that they can once again be appreciated by the Public.

Steve Wiggins (L) – Rodney Hall (R) at Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Trying to decide if it was the building, or the spacious grounds, or the exhibits that were the most important assets to the State-Chartered entity, we asked Rodney what was the biggest asset of the Hall of Fame. We did not get the answer we expected. “It’s the list of achievers. It’s not the physical things,” he explained, “If not for them, Lionel Richie; Nat King Cole; Hank Williams. If not for these people, there would be no Hall of Fame. The music and the artists, their body of work is what makes this place so special.”

PART II of this story runs tomorrow, August 15th.

Photos: Sheri Wiggins