Re: Clip: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Opens

[Jerry Curry]

On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Shane S. Rhyne wrote:

 guitar. There are handmade violins, mandolins, dulcimers and other
 instruments from the collection of Joe Morrell, a former radio station owner
 and musician.
 
 Morrell also is lending songbooks sold by artists who performed on Farm and
 Fun Time, the Bristol radio show popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

Shane et al.

Is Joe Morrell the fellow that used to operate the "world's largest 
guitar" shaped museum right off of I-81 just above the Tennessee border?

After a few years of passing by the polace, I finally decided to stop.
Sadly, it was already out of commission.  Seemed as though it was both a
country music/instrument museum and a radio station.

What's the scoop on the joint, anyone?

NP: Jim Cuddy - All In Time

Jerry

Re: Clip: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Opens

[Shane S. Rhyne]

Howdy,

On lunch break...

JC asks: Is Joe Morrell the fellow that used to operate the "world's
largest guitar" shaped museum right off of I-81 just above the Tennessee
border?


After a few years of passing by the polace, I finally decided to stop.
Sadly, it was already out of commission.  Seemed as though it was both a
country music/instrument museum and a radio station.

What's the scoop on the joint, anyone?

The guitar-shaped building is indeed closed. It was, I believe, considered
as a possible locale for the BCMA museum. However, I don't think the
building itself was in great shape and the neighborhood has become somewhat
detrimental to its value as a tourist attraction. (Some folks, apparently,
believe that having a strip bar next door does not encourage families to
visit.)

The guitar building was, indeed, used as a radio station and museum.

I recently attended a BCMA meeting where the building was mentioned a few
times in the context of possible future projects. That's all very fluid at
this point, though.

Take care,

Shane Rhyne
Knoxville, TN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]