Nashville singer Johnny Bragg formed 1950s R&B vocal group the Prisonaires while serving time at the Tennessee State Penitentiary. Held up as examples of rehabilitation at work, the Prisonaires routinely performed for dignitaries and celebrities at the Tennessee governor’s mansion, and Governor Frank Clement championed them as part of his prison reform efforts. The group traveled to Memphis in 1953 to record “Just Walkin’ in the Rain,” one of the first breakthrough successes on the now-legendary Sun Records label. In late 1954, Bragg renamed his group the Marigolds and soon scored a Top Ten R&B hit with “Rolling Stone” on Nashville’s Excello label. He later released solo records, including “They’re Talking About Me,” which has become a favorite among sixties soul music aficionados. After Bragg died in 2004, his daughter, Misti, asked if Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff wanted to hear Johnny’s open-reel audiotapes, made in the 1960s and ’70s and long stored in the family garden shed. In November 2024, the Museum partnered with Misti and Org Music to release an album, Let Me Dream On, featuring highlights from that collection, including demos and rehearsals of previously unissued songs. This program will include a panel discussion featuring Misti Bragg, former U.S. Representative Bob Clement (son of Governor Frank Clement), and noted music historian Colin Escott, who interviewed Bragg and wrote the liner notes for Let Me Dream On. Nashville soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian will perform briefly in tribute to Bragg. Offered in support of the exhibition Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues Revisited. Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

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• select the date of this program,
• select a gallery entry time of 1:00 p.m. or earlier,
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• select the Panel Discussion program as an add-on.