Long Live Rock: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in a modern facility in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building features extensive glass work in it’s geometric design. While the Hall of Fame was established in 1983, this building opened in 1995 and became the home of the Hall of Fame. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Exterior: A view of the back side of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is just as impressive as the main entrance. The building is set on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. The building actually extends over the lake waters and has cantilevered wings which house a theater and the area honoring the Hall of Fame inductees. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
One of the stops on our recent trip to the eastern U.S. was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The Hall is housed in a beautiful modern building in the shadows of downtown Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was established in 1983 and began inducting members in 1986. However, they did not have a home for the museum until the current building broke ground in 1993. The building was dedicated in 1995 as has been open to the public since that time.
The Hall of Fame building consists of seven levels. The lower levels house a cafe and gift shop. Other levels feature the many rock & roll exhibits, the display of Hall inductees, a theater, and an auditorium. The top two levels feature temporary exhibits which change over time.
The Hall honors the history of rock & roll, the artists, producers, and other groups and individuals that played a role in the history of rock music. When we visited the Hall of Fame in June, there were 338 inductees. Each year, there are about a dozen inductees added to the Hall of Fame. The year 2021 will feature 13 additions and will take place in October.
In addition to honoring those involved in various aspects of rock & roll, the Hall of Fame also features exhibits of various instruments played by the artist, clothing worn on stage or at major events, hand written drafts of many famous songs, album art, posters, and photographs of performers and other rock & roll memorabilia and artifacts. In other words, it is all things rock & roll!
If you are a music lover, a visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a must even if rock music is not your thing. Rock music has become such a part of life during the past several decades that it includes something for every music lover.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
The Origins of Rock: The Origins and Evolution of Rock is just one display, which features artists who helped make rock & roll music what it is today. The Hall of Fame features artists from the early 1900’s country and folk music to performers in the jazz and blues genres of music. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Elvis: Elvis Presley has an extensive display of photos, videos, memorabilia, and artifacts from his career on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Shown are visitors as they watch a video highlighting Elvis Presley’s career. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
The Beatles: The Beatles have a wall displaying stage clothing, instruments, photos, and drafts of some of the original music written and performed by the group. The Hall features many of the prominent artists with similar displays and exhibits. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Lucy: The handwritten drafts of many familiar rock & roll classics can be seen throughout the museum. Shown is the draft for ‘Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds’ written by John Lennon. To see the origins of these classic tunes as well as instruments played was a highlight of our visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
