Mon 10/20-Sat 10/25
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is filling out the calendar for its 19th annual Music Masters series, a weeklong series of events that explores the career of a different inductee each year.
This year’s honoree is the Everly Brothers (inducted with the very first class in 1986), who influenced everyone from the Beatles on down with their soaring close harmonies, derived in large part from transposing their country and bluegrass influences into pop. While younger brother Phil passed away earlier this year at the age of 75, older brother Don is still alive and kicking at 77. The Rock Hall hasn’t said whether he will attend or not.
Regardless, the scheduled events will make for a fascinating week for hardcore rock music fans. They include an author talk, a discussion program with some of the artists appearing on Saturday night’s tribute gala, a lecture, a day-long conference on the Everly Brothers, their music and their milieu, and of course the gala concert at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre, capping the week on Saturday evening.
Among the acts who’ll sing and play Everly Brothers hits like “Cathy’s Clown,” “When Will I Be Loved,” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream” at the State Theatre are Peter Asher, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Shelby Lynne, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Dawn McCarthy, Keb’Mo’, Allison Moorer, Graham Nash, the Secret Sisters, JD Souther and Waddy Wachtel. The house band will include guitarist Albert Lee, who was musical director of the Everlys 1983 reunion concert. Country singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell is the musical director.
Tickets are $30-$100.
Here are the other announced events:
Michael Kosser, author of How Nashville Became Music City U.S.A., will talk about the Nashville scene at the time the Everlys hit big and the songwriting industry in Nashville. That takes place Tue 10/21 @ 7pm in the Black Box Theatre of the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts at Tri-C Metro. It’s free with a reservation.
Crowell, Asher and Lee will be interviewed by the Rock Hall’s director of education Jason Hanley in a Songwriters to Soundmen program at the Rock Hall’s 4th Floor Foster Theater on Wed 10/22 @ 8pm. They’ll talk about the music of the Everly Brothers and offer some thoughts on putting together the gala concert. It’s also free with a reservation. And if you can’t make it down, it’ll be livestreamed at the Rock Hall website.
Music journalist/scholar Ann Powers will deliver a keynote lecture on Thu 10/23 @ 7pm titled “Brand New Heartache: The Everly Brothers and the Exquisite Reveal of the American Teen Heart.” It takes place at Case Western Reserve University’s Wolstein Auditorium. That event is also free and no reservations are required. It will be livestreamed as well.
Finally, the annual Music Masters Conference takes place at the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater Sat 10/25 @ 10:30am-3:30pm. Among the programs are rare film footage from documentary filmmaker Joe Lauro, a presentation by author Colin Escott, and interviews with musicians and others who worked with the Everly Brothers. Tickets are $25, which includes a $10 lunch voucher and free admission to the Rock Hall.
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44114
Cleveland, OH 44115
Cleveland, OH 44106