“Patty Loveless: No Trouble with the Truth,” a new exhibit opening Aug. 23 at the the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum explores the influential career and enduring music of Patty Loveless.
“My journey into a career of music all started out on an Epiphone acoustic guitar my father bought for me in 1969,” said Loveless, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in October. “As a 12-year-old, I didn’t want to set the world on fire, I just wanted to play and sing music. By the age of 14, I wrote ‘Sounds of Loneliness’ and ‘I Did’ on this guitar, two songs that in 1986 ended up on my debut album for MCA records. Now that guitar will be displayed in my exhibit of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum where it truly belongs with other memorabilia of the many people that supported me throughout my musical journey to whom I’m forever grateful.”
From staking out a distinctive place in country music beginning in the 1980s to her talent for finding memorable material and her embrace of traditional influences, this exhibit illustrates Loveless’s role in the genre through personal and career artifacts, photos, interviews and more.
“Patty Loveless achieved lasting success by merging traditional country music styles with a modern sensibility in her song choices and musical arrangements,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a media release. “As one of country music’s most accomplished song interpreters with immense vocal power, she has remained focused on conveying deep emotion through her lyrics and recordings, and her influence resonates throughout today’s generation of country artists.”
Events planned for the opening weekend include the film screening of a 1989 USO Celebrity Tour starring Loveless and a live performance and interview with the artist. The museum exhibit traces Loveless’ story, from a musical prodigy to a Grammy award-winning country music star who carries forward the sounds of her Appalachian roots. Visitors will see stage wear, tour memorabilia, manuscripts, set lists, instruments, photographs, videos and more.
See some of the photos of display items here,
Among the items on display are:
The 1968 Epiphone FT-30 Caballero acoustic guitar Loveless used when she performed with her brother Roger Ramey as The Singing Swinging Rameys in the early 1970s.
The jacket and floral-print dress, accented with rhinestones and beads, that Loveless wore when Porter Wagoner inducted her into the cast of the Grand Ole Opry on June 11, 1988.
A black velvet dress, with floral pleats and velvet sleeves, worn by Loveless in the 1991 music video for “I’m That Kind of Girl.”
The 1987 Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar Loveless used extensively for stage work
An original handwritten manuscript by songwriter Kostas for “Timber, I’m Falling in Love.” The song became Loveless’ first #1 hit, in 1989.
The Givenchy black jacket and pants Loveless wore when she and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill performed “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at the funeral service for Country Music Hall of Fame member George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry House, May 2, 2013.
The monogrammed USO jacket Loveless wore during the USO Tour that Randy Travis and Patty Loveless made of the United States military bases in Alaska, Japan and South Korea in 1988.
The beaded, floral-print Black Tie Oleg Cassini dress Loveless wore at the CMA Awards in 1998 when she received the Vocal Event of the Year award for her recording of the Jim Lauderdale-penned “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me.” George Jones sang backing vocals on the record and was also honored with the award.
The exhibit will be open through October 2024 and is included with museum admission. Get tickets here.
Story by Claudia Johnson © 2023, Country Reunion Magazine. Subscribe here.
Header Photo:
Patty Loveless signs a T-shirt for Lt. Col. David McElveen at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio on July 16, 2004, after more than 5,000 airmen, civilian employees, retirees and families gathered for a free concert sponsored by the Spirit of America Tour. Photo: Spencer Lane, USAF