International Rockabilly Hall of Fame hosts farewell event

JACKSON, Tenn. — There was a final encore Friday night, as a location full of history prepares to close its doors.

“The whole concept is to just kind of move on and close the place but take the memories with us,” said event host Dean Ross.

A farewell event was hosted at the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame Friday night.

“We’re just hoping people come in and pay tribute to this wonderful beautiful place Henry Harrison had a dream about and a passion about,” Ross said.

The founder of the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Henry Harrison, died earlier in 2019.

According to former Jackson mayor Jerry Gist, Harrison and his wife Margaret owed $12,000 on a line of credit. The city agreed to pay that, and in return would get the memorabilia from the museum.

“We’re trying to keep the music alive. We won’t have all this wonderful memorabilia, but we’ll have the music, and that’s what this is all about,” Ross said.

The memorabilia at the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame will be moved to the Carnegie Center for Arts and History.

“Without this background of music, what they’re playing now would not have existed. That’s how important this music is,” Ross said.

Friday night, musicians who have been coming to the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame since it opened came to say their final goodbyes the best way they know how.

“We decided the best way to close a musical venue is to go out playing music,” Ross said.

The music venue will be moving to the American Legion Post.

The first event at the new venue will be Friday from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.