Fan Club Party - 2001

I sure enjoyed my first meet-and-greet with Marty on June 13 at the new Country Music Hall of Fame. I read the review on the Marty fan's website and saw my picture there as well with Marty. I will let you all know what I said.

It seemed to me that Marty had reached a little bit of a slowdown when he was speaking to the fan club members before the tour took place. He did look like the heat was getting to him by that time of day. Anyway, I asked if I could tell him something. He said, "Yes...." and I told him I had been on the Nash Trash tour that morning with a friend (and by the way, they personally love him). I just wanted to mention to him at that point in his impromptu speech that they were talking up the new building and noted the symbolism of its structure. Marty asked me if I wanted to come up and tell everyone about the symbolism and kind of insisted I do that when he reiterated his comment...."Do you want to come up and tell them?"

I remembered that they said the antenna on top of the new building represents the WSM radio tower that carried the country music out of Nashville and around the world. I forgot to mention that the three flat "rounds" under it are graduated in size to represent the older long-playing records, then the 45 records and the new CDs.

I mentioned that the lines around the round tower (under the antenna) are to represent the lines of a musical stanza and the marble blocks are to represent the notes. I froze up on the word "stanza" and Marty filled in the gap for me. I think at that point, it sunk in that Marty Stuart had his hand on my back for support and was holding his microphone for my use!! What a sweetheart.

I did remember to tell the crowd that the windows of the building represent a piano keyboard and sure do apologize for not having the mic close enough for all to hear me. At first, Marty had almost touched my lips with the mic and when I spoke, everyone jumped. So I thought we had it at the right distance when I spoke.

Touring the building was very enlightening........like how small Dolly Parton is. Can you believe the tiny clothes she has worn? And loved the walled-in areas where one could hear the music in a soundproof type of setting. Just lots of things were great about the place, but I especially loved Marty's own exhibit and the film that he narrated about it. So much history has passed through just his hands!

Early in the tour -- on the third floor, I stood with Marty and some fans and we watched a TV clip of Jerry Lee Lewis pounding away on a piano and jumping so hard that his hair seemed to flop a few inches off of his head. Marty and all of us really cracked up at the sight.

I loved the videoclips running of individual singers as one moved from floor to floor. Of course, I loved seeing Alan Jackson speaking.........and Loretta Lynn and others as well. There is just no way one can feel they have seen it all in one visit unless you stay there for a day. And then, I have the feeling they will be sneaking in more pieces of legendary importance to try and make the areas as full of memories as possible.

Review by Marilyn Jennings