Georgia Music Hall of Fame

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame's institutional history began in 1978 when the Georgia General Assembly created the Senate Music Recording Industry Committee to study the state's music industry's economic impact and explore ways to promote Georgia music and attract music businesses to the state.[1] In 1979, the Committee developed a Georgia Music Hall of Fame program honoring Georgia musicians who have made significant contributions to the music industry, with Ray Charles and music publisher Bill Lowery named the first inductees on September 26, 1979.

Owing much to the vision of then Lt. Governor Zell Miller, the Committee also endeavored to create a public museum and archive to document the state's music heritage and serve as a cultural heritage destination. In 1990, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority was created as an instrumentality of the State of Georgia and a public corporation with the stated corporate purpose and general nature: 1) to construct and maintain a facility to house the Georgia Music Hall of Fame; 2) to operate, advertise and promote the Georgia Music Hall of Fame; and 3) to promote music events at the facility and throughout the state. On September 22, 1996, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame opened as a 43,000-square-foot (4,000 m²) facility housing the main exhibit hall, a retail store, the Zell Miller Center for Georgia Music Studies, an administrative wing, a classroom, and a reception room. In 1999, the second phase of the museum, The Billy Watson Music Factory, an interactive and interpretive exhibit space for pre-K through elementary students, opened.

The hall was closed on June 12, 2011, due to lack of attendance, and the collection was donated to the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries.[6] The exhibits are now housed at the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, the University of West Georgia, and in private collections.[1]

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Foundation published the quarterly magazine, Georgia Music, from 2005 to 2013 as both the official museum magazine and an in-depth look at Georgia music. The state's legends, landmarks, and unsung heroes were explored through features, historical articles, news, and reviews.[8]

• List of music museums

• Georgia Music Hall & Education Resources
• Georgia Music Foundation