International Rockabilly Hall of Fame may change locations

JACKSON, Tenn. — In the wake of Henry Harrison’s death, changes may be coming to the museum he ran for decades, the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

“Since Henry passed away, Margaret feels like she can’t continue to operate it for long,” Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist said.

So Tuesday, as we reported, Margaret Harrison presented the Jackson City Council with a plan.

“Henry and Margaret over the years had established a $15,000 line of credit, which they used to operate the museum in lean months, as Margaret put it,” Mayor Gist said. “And $12,000 is owed on that line of credit, so she’s asked the city to pay that, and in return we would get the memorabilia from the museum and re-establish that.”

They’re proposing to move the contents out of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and move them a few blocks down the road to the Carnegie Center for Arts and History.

“I think we’re going to use the lower, the basement level, for the Rockabilly,” Gist said.

But what happens to the museum, its mural and its stained glass windows?

“We’re going to turn the operation into a fire museum, which will be through the fire department, especially from their retirees,” Gist said. “We’ll let them decide how they want to present the museum.”

The mayor says, as of now, this is an idea that the city wants to move forward with, but the specific will be decided by the future City Council and mayor.