With Georgia R&B legends including Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and more calling the state home, it’s no surprise that a Georgia city is on the short list of places considered for the new National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
LaMont Robinson, CEO of the Hall of Fame, said he would like to bring the hall and museum to Augusta, according to Augusta news station WRDW.
The Hall of Fame has inducted such music icons as Whitney Houston, James Brown, B.B. King, Sam Cooke and more during the last eight years. The last induction ceremony took place in Detroit, and Robinson said he plans to have the next induction ceremony in Augusta in the summer of 2021.
The project still requires private and public funding as well as the go-ahead from Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis and other city officials.
“Our goal now is to have a face-to-face meeting with the mayor of Augusta and its city officials to get their support for this project that will bring over 500,000 visitors to Augusta, as well as providing over 250 local jobs,” Robinson told the news station.
The Hall of Fame would expand between 30,000- to 50,000-square feet, including a state-of-the art interactive museum featuring 3-D virtual reality exhibits and housing memorabilia of past inductees.
In addition to honoring musical stars of R&B, the museum would pay homage to the radio personalities and other behind-the-scenes heroes of the music genre. For another element of flair, the attraction would also have a Walk of Fame with statues of some of the R&B greats. The goal would be to honor some of Georgia’s R&B legends, such as Ray Charles, Little Richard and Redding, with artist-specific wings.
With a cost estimated between $10 million and $50 million, the Hall of Fame foundation is active working to pursue private donations.
For more on the museum, visit https://www.rbhof.com/.
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