Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to Celebrate the Legacy of Dottie West

Nashville, TN -- The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will present three special programs this spring in support of the spotlight exhibition Dottie West: Country Sunshine, which runs through May 2, 2013. On Saturday, March 30, Country Sunshine: Remembering Dottie West will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The panel discussion will feature former West protégé Steve Wariner, Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely, songwriter Red Lane and West’s daughter Shelly West—an artist in her own right—sharing memories of the talented artist. Prior to the panel, Lane, who wrote West’s hits “Country Girl” and “Come See Me and Come Lonely,” will also present a Songwriter Session at 11:30 a.m. in the Ford Theater.

On Sunday, March 31, at 2:00 p.m., the museum will offer a free screening of Dottie West: Special Delivery (1980), a Showtime concert special filmed at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, with guest appearances by Dave & Sugar and Kenny Rogers.

On Saturday, April 27, Studio and Screen: Behind the Scenes with the Nashville Edition, will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The panel discussion will feature members of one of Nashville’s busiest and best-known vocal groups, the Nashville Edition. Joe Babcock, Dolores Dinning Edgin, Wendy Suits Johnson, Ricki Page and Hurshel Wiginton will share stories from some of the estimated 12,000 recording sessions they worked between the mid-1960s and the late 1990s, including providing background vocals on Dottie West’s “Country Sunshine.” The program will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org.

Admission to the film screening is free. The panel discussions and Songwriter Session with Red Lane are included with museum admission and free to museum members. Visit http://countrymusichalloffame.org/ for complete admission details.

Dottie West: Country Sunshine Programs

Saturday, March 30, 1:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Country Sunshine: Remembering Dottie West
A successful recording artist, songwriter and performer, Dottie West enjoyed one of country music’s most accomplished careers. Her Grammy-winning 1964 smash, “Here Comes My Baby,” catapulted her to stardom, and she created popular ad jingles such as Coca-Cola’s “Country Sunshine.” Recording solo and with Jim Reeves, Don Gibson and Kenny Rogers, she traded her sweet, gingham-clad image for a glamorous, sexy look before a 1991 car crash took her life. Former West protégé Steve Wariner, Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely, songwriter Red Lane and West’s daughter Shelly West—an artist in her own right—share memories of this great talent. Presented in support of the spotlight exhibit Dottie West: Country Sunshine. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Sunday, March 31, 2:00 p.m.

Film Screening: Dottie West: Special Delivery (1980)
Showtime presented this Dottie West concert special at the height of her career. She performs her many hits including “Country Sunshine,” “Leavin’s for Unbelievers” and “Lesson in Leavin’” in front of thousands of fans at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dave & Sugar and Kenny Rogers make guest appearances. Presented in support of the spotlight exhibit Dottie West: Country Sunshine. 52 minutes. Free.

Saturday, April 27, 1:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Studio and Screen: Behind the Scenes with the Nashville Edition
One of Nashville’s busiest and best-known vocal groups, the Nashville Edition will share stories from the estimated 12,000 recording sessions they worked between the mid-1960s and the late 1990s. Joe Babcock, Hurshel Wiginton, Ricki Page (replaced in 1974 by Wendy Suits Johnson), and Dolores Dinning Edgin helped showcase artists including Charlie Rich (“Behind Closed Doors”), Tanya Tucker (“Delta Dawn”), Dottie West (“Country Sunshine”) and Freddie Hart (“Easy Lovin’”) on hits that have become country classics. They also backed dozens of acts on Hee Haw, from its beginning in 1969 into the 1990s. Presented in support of the spotlight exhibit Dottie West: Country Sunshine. This program will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Spotlight exhibits are narratives that supplement themes or aspects of the museum’s core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music. These short-term, informal displays either provide a closer look at a particular person, group or aspect of country music, or spotlight recently donated items or special anniversaries. Rotated often, spotlight exhibits also offer a glimpse into the museum’s unique collection, which includes recorded discs, historical photographs, films and videotapes; thousands of posters, books, songbooks, periodicals and sheet music; personal artifacts such as performers’ instruments, costumes and accessories; and more.

Museum programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and by an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.