Exhibit to Feature Artifacts from Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert, William Michael Morgan, Maren Morris, Dolly Parton, Margo Price, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and More

NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 23, 2017 – On March 17, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will debut a new exhibition, American Currents (The Music of 2016), in the museum’s ACM Gallery. The exhibit chronicles the latest chapter in country music’s ever-evolving story through a behind-the-scenes look at some of last year’s most significant moments in country, Americana, and bluegrass music.

The big stories of the year just past will be represented by artifacts from the Americana Music Association, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Earls of Leicester, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Mickey Guyton, Natalie Hemby, Sierra Hull, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Jim Lauderdale, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, William Michael Morgan, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Dolly Parton, Margo Price, John Prine, RaeLynn, Chris and Morgane Stapleton and Randy Travis. Among the artifacts:

• Jason Aldean’s Baldwin denim jacket and Gap shirt worn on the cover of his 2016 album, They Don't Know.
• Natalie Hemby’s handwritten lyrics to “Keeper of The Flame.” Cowritten by Hemby, Miranda Lambert, and Liz Rose, the song appeared on Lambert’s 2016 album, Weight of These Wings.
• William Michael Morgan’s 2006 Washburn D160N guitar, signed by some of his songwriting partners and heroes, including Dean Dillon, Gary Nicholson, and Jeff Silvey.
• Maren Morris’s Zhivago gown worn by Morris for her performance of “My Church” at the 2016 CMA Awards.
• Dolly Parton’s gown with lace and rhinestone overlays and matching Christian Louboutin pumps, worn during her acceptance of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 CMA Awards.
• Margo Price’s 1956 Gibson LG-3 acoustic guitar, given to by her great uncle Bobby Fischer, a Nashville songwriter with songs recorded by George Jones, Reba McEntire, Conway Twitty and others

“I am both humbled and excited about being recognized in the Museum’s look back at 2016,” said William Michael Morgan. “It is a dream come true to have items from my life and career included in the new exhibit, and being put next to one of my all-time biggest influences, Keith Whitley, is unreal.”

The annual American Currents exhibit provides an up-to-date snapshot of the state of country music so that visitors will not only learn about the history of country music through the museum’s permanent exhibition, Sing Me Back Home, but also experience how the music continues to evolve today. From industry award winners and influential songwriters, to emerging artists and country music legends, American Currents is one of the museum’s most dynamic exhibitions.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

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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 2016 welcomed nearly 1.2 million patrons, placing it among the ten most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B, 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.

The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums