[Gill also related how, in a fit of anger against Gibson, Monroe took a pocketknife and gouged out the company's nameplate.] That's the beauty of this mandolin, ... It's the Holy Grail. Most musicians think it's in the New Testament. And it ought to be. |
[Gill was the final inductee in an evening that ran long because of rambling introductions, excessive performances and pause-plagued acceptance remarks.] I would like to keep this slightly brief, ... I'd like to have kept the whole evening briefer. Amy's going to be leaving town tonight for a week, and I thought I might get lucky before the bus left. |
I don't think that anything will happen that will top that first impression of walking on that stage and looking around. |
I revere this place more than any other. It's a mecca of so much, of all our histories. |
I wrote that song, |
It blew my mind that nobody would come and see those kids play. One of the greatest attractions for me was the purity of the game they played. ... Guys who were just playing ball and having a good time before they go on to get jobs like the rest of us. |
It is altogether fitting that we undertake this salute to Earl and Louise Scruggs. For decades, following in the tradition of Ralph Peer and Jimmie Rodgers, or Fred Rose and Hank Williams, they have formed one of country music's most productive musical and business partnerships. The path they have forged is very much in keeping with our Museum philosophy, which encourages an open-ended, broad-minded interpretation of the country music story. |
It will set my record back a ways, but you better believe I'm going. |
It's so hard to defeat perceptions. I feel like whenever you have the opportunity, you take it and show people what it is that you do. |
Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye, |
Musicians know that this area has been an amazing hotbed for singers and players. |
Success is always temporary. When all is said and one, the only thing you'll have left is your character. |
Success is always temporary. When all is said and one, the only thing you'll have left is your character. |
That's the beauty of this mandolin. It's the Holy Grail. Most musicians think it's in the New Testament. And it ought to be. |
The biggest disservice you can do to an instrument is to lock it away. Collectors will buy these instruments and put them in glass cases. They never get played and they lose their soul. |