Entertainment blogging from The Oklahoman's Brandy McDonnell

Photo gallery 1: 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner

Oklahoma natives Garth Brooks and Leon Russell were among the honorees Thursday night at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Anniversary Induction and Awards Dinner in New York City.

Along with Brooks and Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the star-studded musical gala. Honored with special awards were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Drake, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Chaka Khan who received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Ervin Drake, who was presented the Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year;” and former hall of fame Chairman Emeritus Hal David, who received the first ever Visionary Leadership Award.

Here are some of the memorable moments from the event, provided by the Songwriters Hall of Fame:

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Garth Brooks, Leon Russell welcomed into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Oklahoma natives Garth Brooks and Leon Russell were among the honorees Thursday night at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Anniversary Induction and Awards Dinner, where the hall of fame’s chairman Jimmy Webb, who hails from Elk City, and President/CEO Linda Moran celebrated some of the key songwriting legends of our time.

Along with Brooks and Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the New York City gala. Honored with special awards were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Drake, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Chaka Khan who received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Ervin Drake, who was presented the Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year;” and former hall of fame Chairman Emeritus Hal David, who received the first ever Visionary Leadership Award.

Some of the 2011 event’s most memorable moments featured Oklahomans: Garth Brooks and Billy Joel’s unforgettable duet of “Shameless,” in matching black cowboy hats, Leon Russell on piano with “A Song for You” and Garth’s wife Trisha Yearwood’s beautiful medley tribute to Hal David, including “What The World Needs Now.”

In addition, legendary songwriting partners Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly performed their iconic “Like A Virgin,” Chaka Khan gave a powerhouse performance of “I’m Every Woman,” and the talented Chrissie Hynde captivated the crowd with “I’ll Stand By You.” Hip-hop sensation Drake performed, “The Calm,” off a mixtape for the first time at an award show or event, and in honor of John Bettis, Skyler Grey performed “Human Nature” on a dulcimer.  The interesting pairing of Sam Moore and Bill Medley brought the crowd to its feet with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

The Johnny Mercer Award, which is the highest honor from the Songwriters Hall of Fame as only previous inductees can be eligible, was presented to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Throughout the past four decades, the melodies of Mann and the lyrics of Weil have comprised one of the most successful songwriting teams in history. Their body of work is so significant that it is often described as “a soundtrack to our lives.”  Weil dedicated their award to “every songwriter facing 88 keys and a blank page” and recognized that receiving the Johnny Mercer Award is the consummate honor for a lyricist.  The husband-and-wife team have written legendary songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” (with Phil Spector), “On Broadway” (with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), “Walking In The Rain,” “Soul And Inspiration,” “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” and the Grammy-nominated “Don’t Know Much” (with Tom Snow) to name just a few.

This year’s Hal David Starlight Award, given to gifted songwriters who are making significant impact in the music industry via their original songs, was presented to Drake by Jimmy Jam. Drake is one of music’s brightest new stars lauded for his songwriting prowess, melodious hooks and emotionally transparent performances.  Drake dedicated the award to his mother, Sandi Graham, calling her the strongest person he knows.

The legendary Chaka Khan was this year’s recipient of the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award, presented by Valerie Simpson. Music icon Khan, recognized for her all-powerful lungs, show stopping stage presence and fearless style thanked all of the amazing songwriters that have given her “her voice.” The soul singer-songwriter has won 10 Grammys and countless other awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from both BET and the World Music Awards, as well as the prestigious UNCF Award of Excellence for her outstanding accomplishments in the music industry. Khan created some of the industry’s biggest hits, such as  “I’m Every Woman,” “Papillon,” “What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me?” and “I Feel For You.”

This year’s Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year” was presented to Ervin Drake, and performed by actor/songwriter Dominic Chianese. The song was originally recorded by Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio in 1961, but it was Frank Sinatra’s rendition in 1965 that made the song legendary with his Grammy Award-winning version in D-minor. “It Was A Very Good Year,” has been recorded by many artists such as Oklahoma City-based rockers The Flaming Lips, Don McLean, Richie Havens, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Lou Rawls, Eartha Kitt, Robbie Williams and Ray Charles as a duet with Willie Nelson.

Hal David was the recipient of the first ever Visionary Leadership Award for his outstanding 10 years of service as the Songwriting Hall of Fame’s chairman and CEO. During his chairmanship, the hall of fame’s Virtual Museum (Songhall.org) developed into the industry’s most authoritative website on songwriters and songwriting, becoming a comprehensive research tool with more than 250,000 records of data and over 10,000 pages of content that includes photos, discographies, audio clips and more. With David at the helm, the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner has become one of the most anticipated events on the music industry calendar. Along with his extraordinary service to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, David is a legendary and Academy Award-winning lyricist.  He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1972, was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award in 1996 and the Towering Song Award for his iconic song “What The World Needs Now” in 2004.

-BAM

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Leon Russell, Garth Brooks added to Songwriters Hall of Fame

For the third time this year, a national hall of fame has plucked a pair of solid-gold stars from Oklahoma’s remarkably deep and broad pool of musical talent.

Tulsa Sound pioneer and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Leon Russell and Owasso resident and future Country Music Hall of Fame shoo-in Garth Brooks were to be ushered into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night in New York City.

Brooks and Russell became the fourth and fifth Oklahomans to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, after Woody Guthrie (1970), Ralph Blane (1983) and Jimmy Webb (1986), according to Oklahoma Rock Newsblog.

“We are inspired by the striking caliber and range of the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame class,” said Webb, who is chairman of the songwriters hall and an Elk City native, when the honorees were announced earlier this year. “Each represents a unique breed of artist, warmly respected by their peers and revered by all lovers of song.”

Along with Brooks and Russell, the 2011 inductee class includes the team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, whose hits include “Like a Virgin” and “True Colors”; John Bettis, who penned “Human Nature” and “Crazy for You”; and Allen Toussaint, who wrote “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Yes We Can.”

Brooks’ wife and fellow Grammy-winning country star Trisha Yearwood was among the musical luminaries set to perform or speak in honor of the inductees Thursday, along with Billy Joel, Dwight Yoakam, Bill Medley, Boz Scaggs, Chrissie Hynde, Dominic Chianese, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Jimmy Jam, Sam Moore and Skylar Grey.

The songwriters hall induction marked the second time this year Russell has earned hall of fame status. In March, he officially joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A Lawton native, Russell, 68, grew up in Tulsa, beginning his musical career at age 14 and graduating from Tulsa’s Will Rogers High School. In the 1960s, he was an in-demand session musician. In the ’70s, he led Joe Cocker’s legendary “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour, performed with George Harrison and Friends at the Concert for Bangladesh and released a series of successful albums.

While he never stopped making music, Russell had slipped into relative obscurity until Elton John was inspired to revive the career of the Oklahoma music icon, who had a profound influence on the English pop superstar’s early career. A fellow singer/songwriter/pianist, Britannia’s “The Rocket Man” invited the Sooner State’s “Master of Space and Time” to record a duet album, with Grammy and Oscar winner T Bone Burnett as producer.

“The Union” debuted last October at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, John and Russell earned a Grammy nomination for album opener “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” and the rock and songwriters halls soon were extending long-overdue invitations. Director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous”) documentary chronicling the making of the album, “The Union,” opened the Tribeca Film Festival in April and is set to premiere on HBO next January.

Besides “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” Russell’s songwriting credits include “A Song For You,” “This Masquerade,” “ Delta Lady,” “Tight Rope,” “Bluebird” and “Hummingbird.”

Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history, Brooks has sold more than 128 million albums and is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark.

Born in Tulsa and raised in Yukon, Brooks helped push country to the musical forefront in the ’90s with his blend of working man’s blues, honky-tonk and arena rock. His songwriting credits include his smashes “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “Unanswered Prayers” and “We Shall Be Free.”

In the midst of his thriving career, Brooks retired in 2001 and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his three daughters. In 2009, he re-emerged to begin a five-year stint playing acoustic shows at the Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino. In December, he performed nine Nashville arena shows that raised $5 million for the flood relief efforts in Tennessee.

Along with Brooks and Russell, Oklahoma natives Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Jean Shepard, who was born in Pauls Valley, have garnered hall of fame honors this year. The influential ladies were inducted last month into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

-BAM

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Garth Brooks, Leon Russell to be inducted today into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Oklahoma music stars Garth Brooks, who lives in Owasso, and Leon Russell, who was born in Lawton, will be officially ushered into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this evening at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards Dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Other inductees at the 42nd annual event will include John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint.

The Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and the Towering Song is “It Was A Very Good Year,” to be accepted by composer and lyricist Ervin Drake. The Hal David Starlight Award will be presented to Drake, the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award recipient will be Chaka Khan, and the first-ever Visionary Leadership Award will be presented to songwriters hall chairman emeritus Hal David.

Brooks’ wife and fellow Grammy-winning country star Trisha Yearwood, Billy Joel, Dwight Yoakam, Bill Medley, Boz Scaggs, Chrissie Hynde, Dominic Chianese, Jimmy Jam, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Sam Moore and Skylar Grey have signed on to be either presenters or performers at tonight’s induction.

See the bios for the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees, including Brooks and Russell, after the break, and read more about their induction in the coming days here on BAM’s Blog, on NewsOK and in The Oklahoman.

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New Country Music Hall of Famer Reba McEntire featured on Country Weekly cover

Oklahoma native Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, recently realized the ultimate goal of any country entertainer, her election into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The redheaded songstress is featured on the cover of the June 13 issue of Country Weekly magazine, on sale today.

“To have my bronze plaque on the wall with all my heroes and people who I’ve learned and studied from all these years, that’s a dream come true,” Reba said on the red carpet prior to the induction ceremony.

Reba was inducted along with Pauls Valley-born legend Jean Shepard and songwriter Bobby Braddock in a ceremony filled with tribute performances by fellow Oklahomans including Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Reba’s sister Susie McEntire-Eaton. Others participating in the ceremony were Martina McBride, Kelly Clarkson and several other stars.

The Country Weekly story gives the details of the Medallion Ceremony, and you can read The Oklahoman columnist Bryan Painter’s report from Nashville by clicking here.

-BAM

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Garth Brooks announces new Vegas concert dates, tickets on sale Saturday

Oklahoma country music star Garth Brooks has performed to sold-out crowds and rave reviews at the intimate Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas since December 2009. Tickets for the next series of highly anticipated concerts will go on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific/noon Central Saturday. Tickets are $225 plus service charge and tax ($253 total). Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (877) 65-GARTH.

Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the No. 1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, the Owasso resident has sold in excess of 128 million albums. He has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist.

In the midst of one of the most successful careers in music history, Brooks retired in 2001, delivered his last record for Capitol Records and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. While in retirement, when called upon by events greater than his own self-interest, he returned to the stage. The president requested that Brooks headline President Obama’s Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He performed as Barack and Michelle Obama, their girls, Joe and Jill Biden and a crowd of more than 300,000 lined the mall from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument. It was a moment in history when all did the “wave” to Garth’s performance of “Shout” while the president sang along.

When the governor of California asked for Garth’s help, he responded by performing five concerts in two days, where proceeds from 83,000 tickets sold were donated to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes. Portions of the live concerts were shown as a TV special, “Garth Brooks: Live in L.A.,” where viewers donated to the organization Fire. He recently finished an astonishing nine concerts to raise money for the flood relief efforts in Tennessee.

ABC World News Tonight declared Garth “The Person of the Week” and the mayor of Nashville came on stage during his last performance to announce that this was a record December for downtown Nashville merchants due to the more than 145,000 who attended the concerts.

See the Brooks’ summer/fall concert dates in Vegas after the break. For more information visit garthbrooks.com or wynnlasvegas.com.

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From Twitter: Garth Brooks receives MBA from Oklahoma State; Carrie Underwood attends high school reunion

It’s that time of year: School is nearly out, so graduations abound and class reunions are beginning. Even for famous country music stars.

And in the social media age, if some of the most popular artists in the format don a cap and gown or turn up to reminisce, word and photos are going to get out.

Last weekend, Owasso resident Garth Brooks crossed the stage at Oklahoma State University’s graduate degree commencement ceremony, the OSU Alumni Association posted on its Facebook page. Several fellow students and folks in the audience spread the word on Twitter that Brooks had received his MBA. According to the Twitpics that Brooks was gracious enough to pose for with other grads, the superstar singer wore the traditional mortarboard, tassel and gown.

Brooks received his bachelor’s degree in advertising from OSU in 1985.

Photos also were posted last weekend on Twitter of Carrie Underwood attending her 10-year class reunion in her hometown of Checotah. According to CMT.com, the hitmaking songstress was salutatorian of the Checotah High School class of 2001.

-BAM

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BOK plans to donate Tulsa land for proposed Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture

The Bank of Oklahoma intends to donate a square block of land in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District to build the planned Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture.

“It’s the culture in our company to give back … and Tulsa being our headquarters, it’s vitally important that we see good things happen there,” said BOK President Mark Funke said Tuesday at a press conference at the state Capitol announcing the agreement to donate the land to the Oklahoma Historical Society for the proposed project.

“As it began to come together more and more, we saw the importance of it not only for Tulsa, but for the entire state,” he added. “We decided it was important for us to figure out a way to make this happen … and be in on the ground floor of this project, so to speak.”

The property is now a BOK surface parking lot just north of Union Depot, and the land connects the Brady District with downtown Tulsa. It is close to the BOK Center, ONEOK baseball field, the Blue Dome District and other culturally significant sites, making it an ideal spot for the proposed 67,000-square-foot museum, said historical society executive director Bob Blackburn.

“If we could choose one site that represents the crossroads of creativity, it would be this one square block,” he said.

Nicknamed the OK Pop, the museum would be a companion institution to the Oklahoma History Center and would celebrate the state as “the crossroads of creativity, because so much of America’s and the world’s creative spirit has come through Oklahoma,” Blackburn said.

The donation of the land is contingent on the state Legislature’s passage of the $40 million state bond issue the historical society is requesting to fund the building of the museum. The historical society plans to match state funds with an $8 million private fundraising campaign, which the George Kaiser Family Foundation has put up a $1 million challenge grant to launch the campaign.

If the bond issue is authorized in fiscal year 2012, Blackburn said the museum could open in 2015.

“We want an institutional home in Tulsa, and we have a business plan … that will be self-sustaining, and now we have a block that is perfect,” he said. “With this particular site, with this project at this important time, we need to get started.”

Economic impact

Mike Neal, CEO and President of the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce, moved to the state five years ago

from Nashville, Tenn., and believes the OK Pop has tremendous potential to help Oklahoma leverage its cultural resources in much the same fashion.

“I saw what an amazing job that Nashville, Tenn., did with its heritage and did with music,” he said. “This is a phenomenal opportunity for our kids and our grandkids to get to learn about these people that our state should be so very proud of and for our state to showcase their talents.”

Despite the state budget crunch, its supporters remain optimistic that the OK Pop can be built. If the bond issue is authorized this year, the historical society won’t need the funds until the 2014 fiscal year, Blackburn said.

“Right now, the projections are that state revenue will be back to where it was by next year, back to FY ’09 (levels) … and then hopefully by 2014, it will even exceed that,” he told The Oklahoman.

“We’re just saying it’d be worth investing the money in this, that it will generate more economic activity and serve a lot purposes.”

Neal estimated the museum would have a total economic impact of $56.6 million during construction and the first year of operations. Once established, the OK Pop would generate an estimated $1.8 million in total annual sales tax.

“The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Tulsa Metro Chamber have a shared legislative agenda and one of the items on the agenda for 2011 is supporting the issuance of state bonds to fund both the Native American Cultural Center in Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture in Tulsa,” he said. “We feel both of these projects are critically important to our state and the history of our state. … We see them as complementary.”

Since bond issues are traditionally passed in the final weeks of the session, he believes it is possible the Legislature could approve funding for the projects before adjourning May 27.

“My hope is that the state can continue to prosper and generate enough revenues to support many cultural projects like these,” said Funke, who is on the executive committee of the Oklahoma City chamber. “We are proud to be part of this. … They may not both be this year, but hopefully they will both be accomplished and be wonderful for the state.”

Blackburn said BOK has agreed to leave the land donation offer on the table for a year.

Tourist attraction

Conservatively, the OK Pop would draw about 100,000 paid visitors a year, plus another 100,000 unpaid guests like those attending special events, Blackburn estimated.

The museum would have an anticipated $1.8 million annual operations budget, and he predicted the museum would be able to pay for its own operations from the first year through a planned $3 million endowment, annual fundraising efforts and various revenue streams including admissions, gift shop sales, special event rentals and a planned parking garage. The parking garage would serve BOK employees, the museum and the burgeoning area.

“Providing adequate parking will be an important element of this project,” said BOK spokesman Jesse Boudiette told The Oklahoman. “Downtown currently has many parking options and as the Blue Dome and Brady districts continue to expand within the corridor between ONEOK Field and the BOK Center, parking facilities for downtown workers and visitors will be in high demand.”

Hundreds of artists have offered their support and collections, ranging from Garth Brooks and Kristin Chenoweth to the families of the late Bob Wills and Gould, said Jeff Moore, who already has accepted the job as director of the as-yet-unbuilt museum. He said creativity is “one of Oklahoma’s major export, and I don’t think the state has always recognized that.”

“Oklahoma deserves it. The creatives of Oklahoma deserve it, and Oklahoma needs to be inspired by it. And the world needs to know that Oklahoma’s story is an international story.”

The OK Pop would feature Smithsonian-quality exhibitions reflecting Oklahoma’s creative spirit and showcasing the state’s contributions to music, movies, TV, radio, literature, and more. History Center exhibits like “Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit,” “Chester Gould and Other Okie Cartoonists” and “Pickin’ and Grinnin’: Roy Clark, ‘Hee Haw’ & Country Humor” will form the foundation of the OK Pop’s offerings.

“It’s not a hall of fame. It’s putting things in context … and giving you three degrees of separation to the national scene, like Leon Russell and J.J. Cale gets you straight to Eric Clapton,” said Larry O’Dell, director of collections at the History Center.

The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame took a stand against the proposed OK Pop in a statement issued Tuesday.

“We are the state’s music museum and we believe that our state legislators must focus limited resources and Tourism initiatives on the existing state-mandated Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame,” said Penny Kampf, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame executive director, in the statement. “Spending taxpayer dollars on any additional music facilities would be a duplication of resources, and a strain on taxpayer dollars.”

-BAM

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Historical society eyes Tulsa spot for Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture

The Oklahoma Historical Society has a spot picked out in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District to establish the Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture, which is intended to affirm the state’s status as a “crossroads of creativity.”

The historical society is in talks with Bank of Oklahoma, which is headquartered in Tulsa, to acquire a full square block of land where it hopes to build the 67,000-square-foot museum. The property is now a surface parking lot just north of Union Depot. The land connects the Brady District with downtown Tulsa, making it an ideal spot for the museum, said historical society executive director Bob Blackburn.

“With the crossroads of creativity theme, this (land) works out perfectly,” he said.” It’s the crossroads of Tulsa. …

“Oklahoma has been so blessed with so many creative people … so we have this new theme called ‘crossroads of creativity,’ because so much of America’s and the world’s creative spirit has come through Oklahoma.”

Both parties confirmed Friday that the talks are nearing a successful conclusion.

“Bank of Oklahoma is pleased to be involved with this project as part of our continued commitment to support the redevelopment of downtown Tulsa and to support initiatives that benefit the entire state of Oklahoma. This museum will help efforts to make our community a major regional entertainment destination and will assist in workforce recruitment and meaningful population growth,” said BOK spokesman Jesse Boudiette  said in a statement.

Nicknamed the OK Pop, the museum would be a companion institution to the Oklahoma History Center, Blackburn said. The historical society is requesting a $40 million bond issue from the state. It plans to match state funds with an $8 million private fundraising campaign, which the George Kaiser Family Foundation has put up a $1 million challenge grant to launch the campaign.

If the bond issue is authorized in fiscal year 2012, Blackburn said the museum could open in 2015.

Despite the state budget crunch, he remains optimistic that the OK Pop can be built. If the bond issue is authorized this year, the historical society won’t need the funds until the 2014 fiscal year.

“Right now, the projections are that state revenue will be back to where it was by next year, back to FY ’09 (levels) … and then hopefully by 2014, it will even exceed that,” he said.

He said the historical society needs “to be serving the people in the Tulsa community like we’re serving the people in Oklahoma City with the History Center.”

“We’re just saying it’d be worth investing the money in this, that it will generate more economic activity and serve a lot purposes,” he said.

Creative spirit

The OK Pop would feature Smithsonian-quality exhibitions reflecting Oklahoma’s creative spirit and showcasing the state’s contributions to music, movies, TV, radio, literature, and more. History Center exhibits like “Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit,” “Chester Gould and Other Okie Cartoonists” and “Pickin’ and Grinnin’: Roy Clark, ‘Hee Haw’ & Country Humor” will form the foundation of the OK Pop’s offerings.

“It’s not a hall of fame. It’s putting things in context … and giving you three degrees of separation to the national scene, like Leon Russell and J.J. Cale gets you straight to Eric Clapton,” said Larry O’Dell, director of collections at the History Center.

Jeff Moore, formerly the History Center’s exhibitions director, already has accepted the job as director of the as-yet-unbuilt museum. He said creativity is “one of Oklahoma’s major exports, and I don’t think the state has always recognized that.”

“It’s got so much potential to do so much good for the state in so many ways, including in kind of self-identity, just increasing awareness of how creative and amazing the people of this state are and have been. There’s just so many stories,” he said, adding that plans for the museum was inspired through development of the rock ‘n’ roll exhibit.

“Oklahoma deserves it. The creatives of Oklahoma deserve it, and Oklahoma needs to be inspired by it. And the world needs to know that Oklahoma’s story is an international story.”

Hundreds of artists have offered their support and collections, ranging from Garth Brooks and Kristin Chenoweth to the families of the late Bob Wills and Gould, he said.

Business plan

Conservatively, the OK Pop would draw about 100,000 paid visitors a year, plus another 100,000 unpaid guests like those attending special events, Blackburn estimated.

The museum would have a planned $1.8 million annual operations budget, and he anticipated the museum would be able to pay for its own operations from the first year through a planned $3 million endowment, annual fundraising efforts and various revenue streams including admissions, gift shop sales, special event rentals and a planned parking garage. The parking garage would serve BOK employees, the museum and the surrounding area.

“Providing adequate parking will be an important element of this project,” Boudiette said. “Downtown currently has many parking options and as the Blue Dome and Brady districts continue to expand within the corridor between ONEOK Field and the BOK Center, parking facilities for downtown workers and visitors will be in high demand.”

-BAM

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Video: Oklahoma History Center salutes “Hee Haw” in new exhibit

 

The Oklahoma History Center is giving a “salute!” to the long-running country variety show with the new exhibition “Pickin’ and Grinnin’: Roy Clark, ‘Hee Haw’ & Country Humor,” which opens to the public Tuesday and will be on view for a year.

The 3,000-square-foot exhibit features recreations of the “Hee Haw” cornfield, barbershop and porch sets, spotlights the more than 40 Oklahoma stars who performed on the series, and traces the roots of the show’s rural humor back to 1920s tent shows and the early days of radio and television.

“Hee Haw” co-host Roy Clark and Friends will perform and tour the exhibit tonight at an invitation-only opening event that will also feature longtime “Hee Haw” producer Sam Lovullo. The exhibit is part of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s ongoing development of an Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture in Tulsa.

Check out this NewsOK video for more information, and click here to read my preview story on the exhibit.



On exhibit

“Pickin’ and Grinnin’: Roy Clark, ‘Hee Haw’ & Country Humor”

When: Opens Tuesday.

Where: Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive.

Information: 522-5248 or www.okhistorycenter.org.

-BAM

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