Country Music Highway
Highlands Museum and Discovery Center, KY

The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center boasts a Country Music Heritage Hall that highlights the lives and music of the twelve country stars who had their beginnings along Highway 23.

The exhibit begins with an early singer, Hylo Brown, who made it big with local and then Nashville radio stations; finally singing with the Grand Ole Opry. Alongside Hylo is Tom T. Hall, and sisters Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle. These folks blended the stories and sounds of the hills into songs for the airwaves. The names, pictures and accomplishments of Patty Loveless, Dwight Yoakam, and Ricky Skaggs line the walls with cases of memorabilia.

The exhibit becomes a family album with the last four of the twelve County Music Highway stars. Billy Ray Cyrus is a local Flatwood, KY boy who came home to film the video for his first hit single "Achy-Breaky Heart" down the street from the museum on the Paramount Theater's stage. The clothing that he wore for that as well as pictures and CDs are displayed in the museum's collections.

The mother and daughter team of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, add to the roster of singers. From the dazzling dresses worn for stage appearances to gold records and family portraits, these Ashland natives are in friendly surroundings. "Mama, he's crazy. . . crazy over me" comes plaintively from the sound dome as the journey from eastern Kentucky to the glitter and glamour of fame is presented. If you're part of a tour group, Mama Polly Judd, an Ashland resident, often comes to welcomes visitors to the Hall.

Finally, the brilliant talent and career of Keith Whitley are highlighted in the Keith Whitley Collection, a compilation of music, CDs, memorabilia, pictures, costumes and comments about the late singer's short career. Push the button by the guitar and you'll be amazed at the number of Whitley songs you can recognize.

The up-coming generation of singers is not forgotten for a small corner stage boasts the Karaoke Korner. Hop up on the floorboards, grab a mike, choose your song and imagine the applause as your voice wafts over the rafters. Studio A is just beyond the karaoke stage and features an original Highway 23 song that leads the viewer through the instrumental mixing of a country song. A new addition to the Country Music Heritage tradition is Music Quilt, an interactive musical sculpture whose pieces resound with musical tones and special sound effects. Place your palm on the quilt and the unique wooden puzzle springs to life. You, too, can be a musician with the right tools!

The museum hosts many groups of school children awed by the lights and sights of the County Music area. One of the ways we talk about the stars is, not as celebrities, but as citizens of our area who had dreams and talent and who worked very hard to achieve their dreams. We talk, too, about the writers, instrumentalists and technicians who are an important part of the final musical product. We finally talk about the stories that become songs; the stories that tell of everyday experiences.