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Music Connects Us All
HISTORY

In 1985, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was deciding where to open its physical museum, Cleveland threw its hat into the ring for consideration. Thanks to a groundswell of public support and a $65 million commitment from city officials, the Foundation chose Cleveland as the winning site, over locales such as New York, San Francisco, Memphis and Chicago. Needless to say, the Rock Hall’s construction was cooler than most. On June 7, 1993, the Who’s Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Billy Joel, Sam Phillips, and Ruth Brown (to name a few) attended the Cleveland groundbreaking ceremony, while Jerry Lee Lewis performed a year later when the building was finished off with the placement of one last steel beam.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame threw open its doors on September 2, 1995, and celebrated with a blockbuster benefit concert at nearby Cleveland Municipal Stadium. This marathon show featured once-in-a-lifetime pairings and performances by greats such as James Brown, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash and Booker T. and the M.G.s. Besides the Municipal Stadium concert, the Rock Hall’s festive opening weekend featured a downtown Cleveland parade and a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Little Richard and Yoko Ono.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website was generously funded by a grant from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

Greg Harris is the current CEO of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. You can find him on Twitter + Instagram at @gregharrisrock.

I.M. PEI SPEAKS AT THE TOPPING OFF CEREMONY
I.M. PEI SPEAKS AT THE TOPPING OFF CEREMONY
JACKSON BROWNE AND MELISSA ETHERIDGE PLAYING AT THE ROCK HALL OPENING CONCERT
JACKSON BROWNE AND MELISSA ETHERIDGE PLAYING AT THE ROCK HALL OPENING CONCERT
LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame leadership team is dedicated to bringing the museum’s vision of engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll to life.

ROCK & ROLL LANDMARKS
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