What happened to the Hall of Fame in St. Louis?

Glenn Burleigh · Post by **Glenn Burleigh** » 19 Dec 2021 6:12 am

Hey there,

I live in St. Louis and have been wondering about what happened to the hall of fame. Does anybody know what happened to it, post closing of the hotel? I've been thinking about trying to restart an annual steel guitar get together, here, since I haven't seen anything, post Scotty's passing. We still have quite a few steelers here in town and younger folks are interested in learning. Steeltronics pickups and Sarno's boxes are from here, too. Having a show might help with community building, you know. If there's stuff from the old shows that could be brought back out for a new one, I think it would be nice. I have no idea if I'll actually try and organize something, but it's been on my mind.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 19 Dec 2021 6:54 am

There have been several forum posts about the HOF Plaques. They are apparently stored in one of the Scott's basements.

Somone else was considering a SG show/jam in St Louis but I don't think it materialized.

Glenn Burleigh · Post by **Glenn Burleigh** » 19 Dec 2021 7:33 am

If the plaques are still in town, it's a real shame that they're sitting in boxes. Maybe this will be my 2022 project.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 19 Dec 2021 9:02 am

My thoughts are the current steel guitar jams and conventions, including the Mesa show and Dallas as well as even the forum here all need to get together, form a committee and find a spot to display the plaques and start to reissue. Other organizations like the country music museum in Nashville and other historical music groups I'm sure, would be interested in helping carry this through. Such a loss. We don't have leadership today, sadly, that would carry through the process of reestablishing the Hall of Fame.
If need be, I would be willing to support a yearly dues, or contribution to fund the Hall of Fame.

Glenn Burleigh · Post by **Glenn Burleigh** » 19 Dec 2021 10:05 am

It's really a tragedy if everything is just sitting in boxes. St. Louis is home to the National Blues Museum and they're building a gospel one, too. Locally, we have a lot of philanthropic support for music. We really should try and figure something out.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 19 Dec 2021 10:50 am

Perhaps it could be donated to the Archaeology Museum of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 19 Dec 2021 10:55 am

seems like the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville would be the most appropriate place to display them.

Larry Baker · Post by **Larry Baker** » 19 Dec 2021 11:59 am

Glen, good luck with your endeavors. Due to lack of places to play in Missouri, I haven't playedd in over 2 years. I always looked forward to the Branson show, but I guess its done now as well. Last I heard on the forum here no one has been able to get ahold on the HOF plaques. what a shame.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 19 Dec 2021 1:10 pm

scott murray wrote:seems like the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville would be the most appropriate place to display them.

This was my suggestion on a couple older threads on this subject.

Greg Lambert · Post by **Greg Lambert** » 19 Dec 2021 4:06 pm

Wish you would start a International Steel Convention II ! I think one of the roadblocks Scottys son had was the exorbitant upfront cost of the motels.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 19 Dec 2021 7:17 pm

The hotel cost and participation to offset those costs. I went for nearly 30 years and after Scotty's death the attendance dropped. It would have to start as a grass roots and grow as the events do. Nobody is willing to put up a guarantee to block rooms and hold a banquet room on speculation of a large turnout. If someone has a plan I'd be glad to help as much as possible.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 20 Dec 2021 3:23 am

Toward the end vendor participation dropped off (and an affect on attendance). I heard it from a couple of long time vendors that no longer attended that the cost to rent space forced them out.

Ben Lawson · Post by **Ben Lawson** » 20 Dec 2021 7:35 am

Jack, that's what I heard also. Everything kept costing more and many of the steel guitar greats are no longer with us. It's difficult to have an international show without them. Not too many people would pay a lot of money to hear me and others like myself play after so many of the Legends passed on.

Joe Krumel · Post by **Joe Krumel** » 20 Dec 2021 8:14 am

Jack and Ben,I think you are spot on. Sadly things change and go in different directions. The expense involved in all of that seems to put the brakes on.

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 20 Dec 2021 9:34 am

All of these ideas about the HOF have been checked out.

Nashville does not want the plaques.
Dallas and Mesa have no place to display the plaques.

It has to be a permanant location as these things are not easilly moved.

I am sure that the Scott family would want to get their cost for the plaques, to let them go. And Scotty told me that until the last few years, the plaques cost over $1000 each to have made. That is why they did away with the solid brass cast plaques and started doing an overlay over plywood.

And in the later years, if the artist wanted a duplicate, they had to pay for them themselves.

I acquired Bobbe Seymour's personal plaque from a friend that got it when he bought Bobbe's last steel.
It is now hanging in the new Bailey's Music Barn in Gulport, MS, just to keep from having it melted or tossed.

I'm sure that there are others that no one wants.

It's sad, but just a fact of life.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 20 Dec 2021 10:15 am

As some past threads will attest to, there is no lack of opinions about this:

viewtopic.php?t=363950

viewtopic.php?t=357169

viewtopic.php?t=298080

It's a touchy subject for a lot of people, but as Bill correctly states, there are no easy answers. I think it's clear that the major awards organizations have no interest in this, and I see no practical way to have a dedicated building for anything like this.

Darrell Criswell · Post by **Darrell Criswell** » 21 Dec 2021 6:03 am

In previous posts I read that Scotty's son said he would like to do something with them but there is just no real interest.

I found this in a post from Bill Nevins "I contacted Dewitt and Mike and this was Mikes response " Hi Bill. The plaques and other memorabilia are in storage. We hope to be able to get a new facility in the near future. There hasn't been much support from the steel guitar community."

Calvin Todd · Post by **Calvin Todd** » 21 Dec 2021 9:22 am

On the subject of a steel guitar show in MO. I’d go! I’m down in Springfield MO. I also have been pondering how to set up a steel gathering for this area.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 22 Dec 2021 1:06 pm

Calvin, You are aware that Terry Wood has a yearly show in Conway Mo? Not a large event and he has had some heavy hitters over the years. Bill Dobkins had a few not far from Rolla. I would like to see a few start up on a smaller scale. I supported the Ozark OSGA for years.

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 22 Dec 2021 1:29 pm

I've never done it, but I'm sure someone on here knows how to do "crowdsourcing/crowdfunding" to raise money for a home for the plaques, shipping and installation.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 23 Dec 2021 10:53 am

I'm laughing at Mr. Bovines suggestion, but it does bring to mind that the best place to house the plaques might be a major University that would be around for a long time and have the space to house them. Would be great in a music education section of the school.

I will check it out further and get back you!

They should not be stuck out of view from the general public.

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 23 Dec 2021 12:22 pm

Belmont College. in Nashville. would be perfect. Steeler, Donna Hammitt, majored in pedal steel there about 20- 30 ago. She was the first to do so.
Stoney Stonecipher was her mentor. I enjoyed hanging out with her parents at Scotty's, several times.
I haven't seen her on the forum.
Here's her website: http://donnahammitt.com/Biography.htm
"Go Fund Me " is a way to go: https://www.gofundme.com

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 23 Dec 2021 12:58 pm

I'm emailing her this thread.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 23 Dec 2021 3:35 pm

I exchanged emails with Joe Chambers who runs the Musicians HOF&M. he's well aware of the SGHOF but doesn't have the time or space to display the plaques. he does have one of Pete Drake's plaques on display at the museum however.

I also have a friend who works for the Country Music HOF&M but I imagine I will get a similar response once I hear from him.

someone mentioned that Marty Stuart might be willing to display them in his country music museum once it's up and running in Meridian, MS. Marty seems like he would be open to the proposition, but I agree that Nashville would be the ideal location.

I have dreamed of opening a place called The Steel Bar or some such name, where steel guitar is featured in every band that plays and it could also house a museum and perhaps a steel guitar shop as well. I really think it could do well in Nashville because so many people love the sound of this instrument. the town still has a desire and need to preserve tradition, and an audience for classic country music and steel guitar in general.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 24 Dec 2021 11:44 am

scott murray wrote:
I have dreamed of opening a place called The Steel Bar or some such name, where steel guitar is featured in every band that plays and it could also house a museum and perhaps a steel guitar shop as well. I really think it could do well in Nashville because so many people love the sound of this instrument. the town still has a desire and need to preserve tradition, and an audience for classic country music and steel guitar in general.

The next Powerball drawing is tomorrow afternoon. Estimated jackpot is $400 million. That would get us started!

The Steel Guitar Forum

What happened to the Hall of Fame in St. Louis?

What happened to the Hall of Fame in St. Louis?

HOF plaques & convention