Music Memories Museum

Why A Music Museum In Swainsboro Georgia?

The Music Memories Museum in Swainsboro Georgia is one mile from The Nancy Auditorium where Country Music singer Hank Williams Jr. performed in front of a live audience for the very first time March 22, 1958. He was only 8 years old and was with his mother Audrey Williams. Brenda Lee, famous for the song "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree" had her first paid performance on the same stage in 1953 at the age of 9, she was paid $35. Patsy Cline performed on the stage in 1957 at the age of 25. Also Rock-n-Roll singer J.P. Richardson known as "The Big Bopper" performed on the same stage in November 1958 and 3 months later he died in the airplane crash with Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly known as "The Day The Music Died".

Jack A. Thompson opened the WJAT radio station in April 1950. The radio call letters was his initials. He later developed a plan for an auditorium to be used for concerts. Known as the Peach State Jamboree. The auditorium was attached to the radio station. It was opened April 1954. It was named after his wife Nancy.

In 1957 Grand Ole Opry star Webb Pierce and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry Jim Denny went in as partners and purchased the Nancy Auditorium and WJAT radio station. They had some sort of arrangement, if they booked a group or singer for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. they also had to perform at the Nancy Auditorium in Swainsboro GA.. Johnnie Bailes of the Bailes Brothers also moved to Swainsboro about the same time. Webb Pierce hired Johnnie Bailes as the General Manager for WJAT radio. Johnnie lived in Swainsboro until he died in 1989.

Hundreds of famous singers performed in Swainsboro between the 1950s-1970s such as; (Country Singers) Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Brenda Lee, Chet Atkins, Roy Acuff, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Mel Tillis, Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb, Carl Perkins, Jim Reeves, Connie Smith, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Morgan, Minnie Pearl, Red Sovine, Carl Smith, Porter Wagner, Statler Brothers, Wilburn Brothers, Faron Young, (Gospel Singers) Blackwood Brothers, Happy Goodman Family, Bailes Brothers, Oak Ridge Boys, Chuck Wagon Gang, Lewis Family, Byrd Family, JD Sumner & The Stamps and (Rock-N-Roll Singers) Jerry Lee Lewis, Big Bopper, The Kinks, 3 Dog Night, Tony Orlando & Dawn ,The Tams, Swinging Medallions and many others. You can see the entire list of singers who performed at the Nancy Auditorium in our museum.

The Nancy Auditorium is only one mile from the Music Memories Museum. It's not open to the public at this time..

See a Harley-Davidson once owned by Gregg Allman

You will see authentic items and personal clothing once owned by all these singers listed below;

We have over 70 items custom tailored by world famous designer Nudie Cohn and 7 items custom tailored by designer Manuel

Country Music Artist

Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Tommy Cash, Webb Pierce, Lynn Anderson, Dottie West, Jimmy Dean, Jan Howard, Bill Anderson Jim Ed Brown, Johnnie Bailes of the Bailes Brothers, Jim Denny, Faron Young, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Kitty Wells, Carl Smith, Red Foley, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, Jack Green, Cal Smith, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Jeannie Seely, Charlie McCoy, Donna Fargo, Tom T. Hall, Jeannie C. Riley, Archie Campbell, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Rich, Sonny James, BJ Thomas, Jerry Reed, Mac Davis, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbitt, Mel McDaniel, Larry Gatlin, Gary Morris, Ricky Van Shelton, Charlie Daniels, Kathy Mattea, Mickey Gilley, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Ronnie McDowell, Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers, Billy Ray Cyrus, T. Graham Brown, Johnny Paycheck, Don Williams, Johnny Lee, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Molly Bee, Marty Robbins, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Glenn Campbell, Tanya Tucker, Suzy Bogguss, Ronnie Milsap, Archie Jordan, Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Gene Watson, Johnny Rodriguez, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs, John Anderson, Randy Travis, Leann Rimes, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Trace Adkins, Lee Greenwood, Travis Tritt, Joe Diffie, Neal McCoy, Terri Clark, Holly Dunn, Martina McBride, Joe Stampley, Dwight Yoakam, Clint Black, Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Josh Turner, Vern Gosdin, Joe Bonsall of Oakridge Boys, Tracy Lawrence, Steve Warner, Hal Ketchum, Rascal Flatts, The Dixie Chicks, Billy Dean, Mark Chestnut, Lorrie Morgan, Keith Whitley, The Band Perry, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain, George Strait, The Judds, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Maggie Rose, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Craig Morgan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Jelly Roll

Rock-N-Roll / Pop Artist

Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, Frankie Valli, (The Beatles, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison) Pete Best, Peter Rivera from Rare Earth, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, (Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees), Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, Joe Morris of The Swingin Medallions, The Rascals, John Phillips of The Mamas and Papas, The Rascals, Cher, Gregg and Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers, Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sheryl Crow, Don McLean, Graham Nash, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Peter Cetera of Chicago, Bob Dylan, (ZZ Top Members, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard), Billy Joel, Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers, John Cougar Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Ann Wilson of Heart, Freddie Mercury of Queen, Paul Stanley of KISS, Bono of U2, Eddie Van Halen, Slash of Gun N Roses, Delbert McClinton, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus

R&B/Pop Artist

Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Smokey Robinson, Billy Ocean, Prince, BB King, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, James Brown, Diana Ross, Doby Gray, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Moore, Little Richard, Al Jarreau, Ron Townsend of The 5th Dimension, Sam Moore / Dave Prater of Sam & Dave

Middle of The Road /Crooners/Jazz Artist

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Boone, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Brenda Lee, The Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Yarbrough, Harry Connick Jr., Paul Shaffer, Kenny G, Burt Reynolds

Elvis Presley Related Items Owned By

Priscilla Presley, Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Colonel Tom Parker, Ronnie Tutt, J.D. Sumner

Special Message From Owner of The Music Memories Museum

As long as I can remember I always loved to sing. I enjoyed all types of music.

I remember my father told me that whatever you love to do, be sure to get around as many other people who love to do the same thing and learn all you can about it.

I ended up in the music industry for over 20 years. I started singing secular music, a little rock-n-roll but more country music. During that time I was introduced to country singer Ronnie McDowell. Through his friendship I was able to meet many singers such as; Conway Twitty, Reba McEntire, Roy Clarke, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tanya Tucker, Sawyer Brown, just to name a few. But one memory I will never forget was when I had the rare opportunity to stand side by side with Roy Acuff on the grand Ole Opry stage.. But later in life in the early 1990s, I was introduced to someone else... His name was Jesus, and I gave my life to the Lord and started singing Southern Gospel Music. In 1995 I recorded my own Southern Gospel Music CD. I sent it out to radio stations and took the time to call the disc jockeys and asked them to play my music. Then the next amazing thing happened... The song "It's Gonna Be A Good Day" charted at #34 in the Top 40 in the USA. My music then reached out the USA. In 2006 I became the first and only Southern Gospel Music Singer to have five songs simultaneously chart in the Top 25 in the UK on SonRise Radio and two of those songs "By Faith" and "It's Gonna Be A Good Day" reached #1 on the charts and stayed in the Top 40 charts for almost 6 months.

I was also invited as special guest on "Dove Broadcasting TV Network" and the "Atlanta Live TV Network". I was full time from 1995 - 2013 performing over 250 concerts a year.

What makes this incredible, all this happened without a Radio Promoter,

Booking Agent or Record Company.

Now that I'm retired from full-time singing, I'm enjoying my other passion, Antiques. I've been the manager since 2014 for Main Street Market Antique Mall.

I decided to share my music memories of singers I grew up listening to on the radio and some that I had the opportunity to meet personally through my private collection of hundreds of authentic autographs, personal items and clothing once owned by Country Music, Rock n Roll and R&B singers. You can see my private collection at the Music Memories Museum located inside Main Street Market Antique Mall. I thought Swainsboro Georgia would be a great location for the museum because of all the music history it has. I hope on your visit you will find a personal item from your favorite singer that brings back a special memory in your life...

Sincerely, Michael Bright