Mar 9 2016

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland

Brent

 

Rock and roll Hall of fame clevelandThe Rock and Roll hall of Fame has become one of Cleveland’s most recognizable landmarks and a must see for out of town visitors. Here is a little information about the history of the Rock hall from the official website:

More than 25 years ago, leaders in the music industry joined together to establish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in New York City to celebrate the music and musicians that changed the world. With that, one of the Foundation’s many functions is to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll by inducting them into the Hall of Fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors in 1995 on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that exists to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. It carries out this mission through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.

Officials from Cleveland and the state of Ohio approached the Foundation in 1985 and suggested the construction of a major museum. “We originally planned to purchase a brownstone in New York City in which to house the Hall of Fame, as well as an archive, library and museum,” said Suzan Evans. In November, the city sent a delegation to New York.

“They had these wonderful diagrams for a museum that would be much larger than any town house we had originally thought of,” said Evans. “Our eyebrows were raised, and somebody at the meeting actually passed me a note that said, ‘Pack your bags.’”

As the Foundation considered the offer, several other cities, including New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, Memphis and Chicago, also made offers. The board members visited each city and were greeted with police escorts, public rallies and marching bands.

The first induction dinner was held at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in January 1986. Inductees include Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rodgers and Jimmy Yancey were honored as early influences. The first non-performers honored were producer Sam Phillips and disc jockey Alan Freed. Talent scout/producer John Hammond was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Meanwhile, Cleveland ranked first in a public poll conducted by USA Today asking where the Hall of Fame should be located. After much competition and many visits to potential sites by Foundation members, Cleveland is chosen as the permanent home for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in May of 1986.

Following an extensive search throughout 1987, world-renowned architect I.M. Pei was chosen to design the Museum. Pei had a lot of learning to do. “I didn’t know a thing about rock and roll,” he confessed.

Not to be discouraged the board members took Pei on trips to Memphis and New Orleans and to concerts in New York. “We heard a lot of music, and I finally got it: rock and roll is about energy,” said Pei. He accepted the challenge of designing the world’s first museum dedicated to rock and roll.

On June 7, 1993, ground was broken for the Museum in Cleveland. On hand were I.M. Pei and various board members, including Ahmet Ertegun, Suzan Evans and Jann Wenner. Inductees and other artists present at the ceremony included Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Billy Joel, Sam Phillips, Ruth Brown, Sam Moore of Sam and Dave, Carl Gardner of the Coasters and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum.

Townshend made one of the museum’s significant donations on this occasion – the Gibson J-200 guitar used to compose Tommy, including the classic “Pinball Wizard.”

A year later, under a hot summer sun and Ruby, a larger-than-life inflatable from the Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels tour, the Museum was topped off with the last steel beam in its structure. First-year inductee Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as several Cleveland musicians, performed for a crowd that includes Pei, Wenner, Evans and Ertegun.

On October 13, 1994, Yoko Ono presented a major collection of John Lennon artifacts to the Museum. The collection included lyrics, Lennon’s guitar from the 1965 Beatles concert at Shea Stadium, a pair of eyeglasses and the leather jacket Lennon wore while in Hamburg.

In September of 1995 and after 12 years in the making, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened with a full schedule of events.

On the first day, September 1, the celebration began with a playful parade through the streets of Cleveland, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the Museum. Present for the ceremony were Pei, Ertegun, Wenner, Evans, Ohio Governor George Voinovich, Cleveland Mayor Michael White, Little Richard and Yoko Ono, as well as press from around the world. A gala private dinner attended by board members, celebrities and many Cleveland residents ended the evening in grand style.

The Museum officially opened to the public on Saturday, September 2, which kicked off with a ceremony presenting the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall, the Museum’s main exhibit space named in recognition of the founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The evening culminated with a benefit concert at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. An incredible roster of the rock and roll greats performed– Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, the Pretenders, John Fogerty, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, George Clinton, the Kinks, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Booker T. and the MGs, Eric Burdon and Martha Reeves.

Since the Museum’s opening, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has welcomed nearly eight million visitors from around the world and reaches more than 50,000 students and educators each year through its education programs on site and at great distances.

– Take a moment to find out more about this cool museum: http://www.rockhall.com/

All photos are copyright of  Brent Durken – www.brentdurken.com

To purchase a digital download of this photo for your website or blog please visit: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-zRG6xB/

Purchase a print of this photo: Brent Durken Print Sales

http://brent-durken.pixels.com/


Mar 2 2016

East 4th Street

Brent

East 4th Street

East 4th Street is a major downtown neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, known for its food and  entertainment. The street runs between Euclid Avenue and Prospect Avenue. This area has become something of a trendy hangout and has become a destination for visitors to Cleveland. The area is home to many famous Cleveland restaurants, including The Greenhouse Tavern, Lola, Pickwick and Frolic and The House of Blues. The amazing old Cleveland Arcade is located just across Euclid Avenue from East 4th St.

All photos are copyright of  Brent Durken – www.brentdurken.com

To purchase a digital download of this photo for your website or blog please visit: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-zRG6xB/

Purchase a print of this photo: Brent Durken Print Sales

http://brent-durken.pixels.com/


Nov 17 2012

Cleveland Skyline in Black and White

Brent

Black and white cleveland skyline

This photo of downtown Cleveland was taken from the Columbus Rd. Bridge. From Wikipedia: “Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut’s Western Reserve into townships and a capital city they named “Cleaveland” after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for what would become the modern downtown area, centered on Public Square, before returning home, never again to visit Ohio. The first settler in Cleaveland was Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. The Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814.  In spite of the nearby swampy lowlands and harsh winters, its waterfront location proved to be an advantage. The area began rapid growth after the 1832 completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal. This key link between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes connected the city to the Atlantic Ocean via the Erie Canal and later via the St. Lawrence Seaway; and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Growth continued with added railroad link. Cleveland incorporated as a city in 1836”.

Today’s Quote: “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe”. –  Voltaire


May 18 2012

Old County Courthouse

Brent

cuyahoga county courthouse

2012 marks the 100th birthday of the Cuyahoga County Court House on Lakeside Avenue. The courthouse was designed by Charles Morris along with Lehman and Schmitt and is one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style in the city.

For more info: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=LAS1

“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space”. – Philip Johnson


Mar 28 2012

Skyline of Cleveland

Brent

 

Skyline of ClevelandThe Cleveland Skyline – Cleveland got the nickname “The 6th City” during the early 1900’s when its population made it the 6th largest city in the country. Cleveland had the sixth largest population in the 1910, 1930 and 1940 U.S. Federal census.  As of the 2010 Census, the city proper had a total population of 396,815.  That makes Cleveland the 45th largest city in the United States. That being said Cleveland is part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which in 2000 had a population of 2,945,831,  and ranked as the country’s 14th largest.

Today’s Quote: “I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature”. – John D. Rockefeller


Feb 23 2012

Port of Cleveland

Brent

cleveland port

The Port of Cleveland is located on the shores of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The port handles between 11 million and 16 million tons of cargo and generates approximately $1 billion in trade each year. The moon can be seen in the background behind the Terminal Tower.

Today’s Quote:  “Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats”. – Howard Aiken


Feb 8 2012

Cleveland’s Bridges

Brent

Boating on cuyahoga

Today’s photo was taken near where Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie on a warm summer evening. I like this photo because it shows not only the river but a few of Cleveland’s amazing bridges and buildings in the background.

Check out more about Cleveland’s historic bridges: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=B19

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment” – Jim Rohn


Jan 26 2012

Theater District

Brent

Playhouse Square

Today’s Photo: Playhouse Square

Today’s photo is of a cold evening on Euclid Ave. in the Theater District. On the right you can see the sign for the newly renovated Allen Theater and the Idea Center.

Today’s Quote: “Action is the foundational key to all success”. – Pablo Picasso


Jan 11 2012

Terminal Tower in Black and White

Brent

terminal tower cleveland

The Terminal Tower is located on Public Square and is Cleveland’s signature landmark. It was the second-tallest building in the world when it was completed. The Terminal Tower stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City from its completion in 1930 until 1964.

Today’s Quote: There’s something strange and powerful about black-and-white  imagery. – Stefan Kanfer


Dec 23 2011

Merry Christmas Cleveland

Brent

Cleveland Skyline

Today’s Photo: Merry Christmas Cleveland

Given that this is my last blog post of the week I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. This is one of my favorite photos of downtown at night so I thought I would share it with you.

Today’s Quote:

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home! – Charles Dickens