Press Releases | Mar, 21 2019
Exhibition "Motown: The Sound of Young America"
Curated by the GRAMMY Museum® Opens April 13
AUSTIN, TX – March 21, 2019 – In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Motown Records, the LBJ Presidential Library is excited to announce a new exhibition highlighting all facets—music, culture, and politics—of the 1960s biggest sounds in soul: "Motown: The Sound of Young America," curated by the GRAMMY Museum®. This is the first time many of the exhibition's artifacts have been seen in a museum setting.
"Motown: The Sound of Young America" opens to fans at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at the LBJ Presidential Library, located at 2313 Red River Street, Austin, TX, 78705, with a day-long celebration of one of America’s most successful, innovative, and influential labels. The day opens with Motown-themed Yoga on the LBJ Plaza by Practice Yoga; followed by performances by Motown cover band, The Matchmakers; with a mid-day intermission for free slices of Detroit-style pizza from Via 313; and then the afternoon closes with free Longhorn City Limits pregame concerts on the LBJ Lawn in advance of the University of Texas Football Orange-White Game at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The exhibition closes at 5 p.m. on opening day and is on display in the LBJ Library through January 26, 2020.
"The music of Motown, especially in the 1960s, represents a highwater mark in American music," said Bob Santelli, the exhibition's curator and Founding Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum®. "The long list of number one hits, the incredible stable of stars, and the genius of Berry Gordy, Jr., both as a businessman and nurturer of talent, made Motown one of the most successful and impactful record companies of all time."
The exhibition traces the evolution of the label, focusing on its major artists and musical achievements, and explores how the sound of Motown continues to influence some of pop music's most important artists today. In addition to stage outfits from many of Motown's top performers, such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Miracles, and The Supremes, the exhibition also includes exclusive interviews with many Motown legends, letting visitors get deep inside the creative process perfected at Motown 60 years ago. Visitors will also experience interactive displays, including an opportunity to perform The Supremes' "Stop in the Name of Love" on stage and learn The Temptations’ signature dance moves.
"The LBJ Presidential Library's focus on American life during President Johnson's administration makes us a natural fit to showcase Motown's unprecedented rise and influence on popular culture beginning in the 1960s," said Nikki Diller, LBJ Library Museum Exhibits Specialist. "Costumes from some of Motown's biggest stars and musical instruments used by the Funk Brothers to help craft the Motown Sound help bring the story behind some of the world's most beloved music to life."
A blend of gospel, blues, and pop, Motown began in Detroit in the early 1960s and quickly became "The Sound of Young America," crashing the American pop charts and challenging the Beatles-led British Invasion. The visionary of Motown, Berry Gordy, Jr., a former prizefighter and songwriter who believed that talent could be found on nearly every Detroit street corner, brought the iconic sound into the mainstream, and it's a sound that continues to influence music and culture around the world. The exhibition was supported by the Motown Museum in Detroit.
More information about the "Motown: The Sound of Young America" exhibition can be found at Motown.LBJLibrary.org, and Motown's curated playlist can be listened to at https://stream.lnk.to/Motown. Follow the conversation on social media using #MotownatLBJ.
LBJ Presidential Library
The LBJ Presidential Library, located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, is one of 14 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Dedicated in May 1971, its mission is to preserve and protect the historical materials in its collections and make them readily accessible; to increase public awareness of the American experience through relevant exhibitions and educational programs; and to advance the LBJ Library's standing as a center for intellectual activity and community leadership while meeting the challenges of a changing world.
ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM
Established in 2008 as a partnership between the Recording Academy™ and AEG, the GRAMMY Museum® is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum explores and celebrates all aspects of the art form—from the technology of the recording process to the legends who've made lasting marks on our cultural identity. In 2017, the Museum integrated with its sister organization, the GRAMMY Foundation®, to broaden the reach of its music education and preservation initiatives. As a unified organization, today, the GRAMMY Museum fulfills its mission of making music a valued and indelible part of our society through exhibits, education, grants, and public programming.
For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram.
