May 13, 2016 Press Release - Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics opens May 20 at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Republican National Convention « Press Releases from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.

May 13, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics opens May 20 at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Twisted Sister Frontman Dee Snider, who testified at the 1985 Senate Hearing on Parental Advisory, to open new exhibit

CLEVELAND – As Cleveland prepares for the 2016 Republican National Convention, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is opening a very timely exhibit around rock and politics. Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics looks at some of the most important debates in our country through the lens of rock music. The exhibit includes exclusive video interviews with Bono, David Byrne, Dee Snider, Tom Morello, Lars Ulrich, Gloria Estefan, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Carter, and others, and combines them with interactives, photography and never-before-seen artifacts to examine how music has both shaped and reflected our culture norms on eight political topics:

Civil Rights
LGBT Issues
Feminism
War & Peace
Censorship
Political Campaigns
Political Causes
International Politics

PNC presents Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics, presented by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Sound Exchange, Altria Group, and AT&T, organizes the experience by presidential administrations – from Eisenhower through Obama – and uses historical context to shed insight into how we view these issues today. A continuously updated digital screen connects music’s impact to some of the most pressing media issues of today, including Springsteen’s cancellation of concerts in North Carolina following the signing of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, the Arab Spring and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who testified at the 1985 Parents Music Resource Center (PRMC) Senate Hearings on Censorship, will perform an acoustic version of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” during the opening event on May 19. Snider testified along with Frank Zappa and John Denver at the PRMC Hearings, which had the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related or sexual themes via labeling albums with Parent Advisory stickers. Snider’s artifacts and stories are told in the exhibit including how Presidential candidate Donald Trump came to use “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as his campaign song.

Included in the exhibit are:

Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” Fender Stratocaster from Woodstock (pictured)
John Lennon’s acoustic guitar from the 1969 Montreal and Amsterdam “Bed-ins for Peace”
Correspondence between the FBI and Priority Records regarding Public Enemy’s" Fight the Power."
Original handwritten lyrics from Bob Dylan’s "The Times They Are a-Changin'," Chuck Berry’s "School Day," Neil Young’s “Ohio,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A” and Green Day’s “American Idiot”
Original Village People stage costumes
Artifacts related to the Vietnam war, the May 4, 1970 shooting at Kent State, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Curators from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Newseum worked with veteran music journalist, author and television producer Bill Flanagan (VH1 Storytellers, CMT Crossroads, CBS News Sunday Morning) to create this unique exhibition. It will open run May 20 through Nov. 27 when the exhibit travels to the Newseum in Washington, D.C to open Jan. 13, 2017, in time for the Presidential Inauguration.

More than 50 artists and political figures are featured in the exhibit, including:

• Beyoncé

• Bono

• Eric Clapton

• Bill Clinton

• Sam Cooke

• Bob Dylan

• Melissa Etheridge

• Aretha Franklin

• Lady Gaga

• Green Day

• Jimi Hendrix

• Chrissie Hynde

• Alan Jackson

• Kendrick Lamar

• Cyndi Lauper

• Queen Latifah

• John Lennon

• Madonna

• Bob Marley

• Tom Morello

• N.W.A

• Yoko Ono

• Public Enemy

• Prince

• Elvis Presley

• Little Richard

• Keith Richards

• Pete Seeger

• Dee Snider

• Nina Simone

• Bruce Springsteen

• Rod Stewart

• Joe Strummer

• Village People

• Sid Vicious

• Stevie Wonder

• Neil Young

• And more!

The Rock Hall will be doing themed programs about rock and politics for visitors all summer long, including a screening of Free to Rock: How Rock & Roll Helped End the Cold War on Wed., June 29 at 7 p.m. Visit rockhall.com for more information on upcoming events and programming.

ABOUT THE NEWSEUM

The mission of the Newseum is to champion the five freedoms of the First Amendment through exhibits, public programs and education. It is the only institution in the world dedicated to championing the five freedoms of the First Amendment; religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. One of the top attractions in Washington, D.C., the dynamic, engaging and interactive experience offers seven levels of exhibits that encourage visitors to consider the evolution of freedom of expression, and to explore the meaning of freedom in an age of continual technological disruption. The Newseum is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by generous individuals, corporations and foundations, including the Freedom Forum. For more information, visit newseum.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE ROCK HALL

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. The institution carries out its mission by giving voice to the stories of the people, artifacts and events that shaped rock and roll — through Museum exhibits, materials in the Museum’s Library and Archives, traveling exhibitions, and a wide array of innovative educational programs and activities. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. For more information, please call 216.781.ROCK (7625), visit rockhall.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@rock_hall) and Instagram (@rockhall).

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Media Contacts:

Shauna Wilson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Carl Harp, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Jonathan Thompson, Newseum

April 21, 2016

AT&T Provides Free Admission To the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame During the Republican National Convention

CLEVELAND (April 21, 2016) – From the moment rock and roll hit the airwaves, it’s continued to play a crucial role in our cultural and political conversations. This year during the Republican National Convention, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will open its doors to music fans from around the country and the world. Thanks to the generous support of AT&T, admission to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be free-of-charge to all guests 10AM – 3PM July 17, 2016 through July 21, 2016.

“AT&T has been part of the Cleveland community for over 100 years and has a long history of working with local institutions and we’re thrilled to work with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” said Adam Grzybicki, President, AT&T Ohio. “It is our hope that as many visitors as possible can visit the museum and see first-hand what a unique institution it truly is.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame provides a window into Cleveland’s history and culture. Visitors will be able to experience the Rock Hall’s many exhibits that tell the story of how music shapes our culture, helps communicate ideas and brings about social change.

AT&T will also be a co- sponsor of the “Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics,” the exhibit exploring music’s power to change the attitudes of patriotism, peace, equality and freedom. The exhibit will premiere in Cleveland on May 20th at the Rock Hall and January 6th, 2017 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., where it will be on display during the 2017 presidential inauguration events and through July 31, 2017.

“As the world’s eyes focus on Cleveland, it’s the perfect time for us to explore music’s powerful role in politics,” said Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “‘Louder Than Words’ highlights how artists have used rock and roll as a platform to express their views and shape public opinion from Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan to Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar.”

“We are delighted that AT&T and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are providing this opportunity for all residents and visitors in Cleveland during the convention,” said Jeff Larson, CEO, Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements. “Our delegates and guests are excited that the Hall of Fame will be open to them and they look forward to attending.”

“Having AT&T underwrite access to the world’s only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and one of Cleveland’s signature cultural icons adds energy and excitement to the experience we can offer to visitors and citizens of Cleveland,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. “As convention hosts, we’re excited to show the world how Cleveland has evolved and share the essence of what makes our city great– including our rich music heritage.”

For up-to-date information on how AT&T is preparing for the convention, please visit Cleveland2016.att.com.

ABOUT AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high-speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

© 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

ABOUT THE ROCK HALL
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. The institution carries out its mission by giving voice to the stories of the people, artifacts and events that shaped rock and roll — through Museum exhibits, materials in the Museum’s Library and Archives, traveling exhibitions, and a wide array of innovative educational programs and activities. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. For more information, please call 216.781.ROCK (7625), visit rockhall.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@rock_hall) and Instagram (@rockhall).

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For more information, contact:

Shauna Wilson

Carl Harp