NASHVILLE, Tenn., – Feb. 29, 2016 – The new exhibition Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory, presented by Citi, will open this Friday, March 4, at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. The museum will celebrate with three weekends of special programming including a special appearance by multi-platinum entertainer Dierks Bentley on Saturday, March 12, at 2 p.m. Hosted by museum editor Peter Cooper, Bentley will discuss his career and perform a short acoustic set. The program will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. Although advance tickets are sold out, limited seating will be available at the door for museum members or with museum admission.

Other programs presented in support of Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory include Bluegrass Basics on Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m. An avid songwriter, Bentley cites bluegrass and classic country as primary influences. Led by Casey Campbell, families will hear a brief history of bluegrass music, learn about the artists and instruments that created this sound and sing along to a few bluegrass standards.

Saturday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m., songwriter Jim Beavers, who co-wrote a number of Bentley’s singles including “5-1-5-0,” “Am I the Only One” and “Sideways,” will participate in a Songwriter Session. Held every Saturday, these sessions feature songwriters performing in the museum’s Ford Theater where the audience is invited to ask questions. On Sunday, March 13, at 2:00 p.m., the museum will screen Dierks Bentley: Riser. The film follows Bentley as he begins work on his seventh studio album, with reflections on how the loss of his father and the birth of his first son affected his songwriting and the mood of Riser. The documentary features interviews with tour-mate Miranda Lambert and producer Ross Copperman, as well as performances of songs from the album.

Finally on Saturday, March 19, at 1 p.m., the museum will host Songwriting 101: Songs in the Style of Dierks Bentley. In this family workshop, participants will study a song written by Bentley to learn about form, rhyme scheme, and imagery. Songwriters Misty Rae and Jason Carson will then lead a group songwriting session. Following the session, the song will be recorded as a group in the Taylor Swift Education Center.

Running through Sept. 6, 2016, Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory will include stage wear, guitars, song manuscripts, photos and more from Bentley’s personal collection. Exhibition highlights include:

• School project written and illustrated by Bentley at age six stating, "I would like to be a rock singer. I'll sing around the world. I would sing so good to the crowd."
• Bentley’s first guitar, a 1987 Charvel Model 3 with Jackson JT-6 Floyd Rose tremelo bridge.
• Original manuscript for “Leave You in Love.” Retitled “Don’t Leave Me in Love,” the title track of Bentley’s first album, released on his independent label, Dangling Rope, in 2001.
• Manuel western shirt with floral embroidery and smile pockets worn by Bentley at the 2003 ACM Awards, where he was named Top New Artist.
• Airline pilot uniform worn by Bentley in the 2014 music video for “Drunk on a Plane.” He holds a pilot’s license and owns and operates a single-engine airplane.
• 2014 CMA Music Video of the Year and 2014 ACM Video of the Year awards for Bentley’s “Drunk on a Plane.”
• John Varvatos jacket, shirt, and pants; Lanvin silk tie; and Brooks Brothers silk pocket kerchief worn by Bentley at the 2015 Grammy Awards, where Riser was nominated for Best Country Album.
• Indian Motorcycle helmet and gloves worn by Bentley on his tenth annual Miles and Music for Kids celebrity motorcycle ride on November 1, 2015.

For more information about the exhibit, click here. Follow @countrymusichof on Twitter and join the conversation using #DierksBentleyExhibit. 

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 Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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