As a devoted music lover, it’s always been my dream to go to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Museum and, thanks to Hurricane Irene and an unexpected stop through Cleveland, I finally got my wish. There is so much to see that you really do need at least one whole day to experience all the fabulousness. Some points of interest include learning about the early musicians who influenced and shaped what was to become Rock n’ Roll, the history of sound and audio and, of course my favorite and clearly the most dazzling part, the exhibit of artifacts and OUTFITS! As you can imagine, there was no shortage of sequins and rhinestones in the building as people from all genres seem to know that sparkling on stage is a must for any good performance. I was able to snap a few photos which is technically forbidden, but why on earth would I pick this moment in time to start following rules, especially when it’s my duty to share my glittering experiences? Sadly, I was only able to sneak a few shots before my battery wore out (and also due to museum staff lurking about), but here are some of what I was able to capture.
What you don’t see here are gobs of garb from other heavy hitters like Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson (including “The Glove”!), Jimi Hendrix, Elvis and so many more. Timing was also on my side as a special exhibit titled “Women Who Rock” was showing and this was even more sparkle-tastic and included some of my favorite ladies in music including Cher, Heart, The Runaways, Debbie Harry and The Supremes.
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Museum is also the place to go if you want to see many of the top designers to the Superstars under one roof and some of the most legendary are there including Nudie Cohn, Ossie Clark, Bob Mackie, Stephen Sprouse, Micheal Schmidt and Kansai Yamamoto. Now, let me ask you Soldiers- do you happen to notice anyone’s name in particular missing from this list? The answer is Larry LeGaspi, who is not only my idol, but one of the most prolific costume designers in music history. I was perplexed that I didn’t see his name anywhere and then… it hit me. While looking at some George Clinton pieces from the Atomic Dog era, I looked up at the sign and was blindsided because the outfit was credited to “designer Larry Lagatsby“! I was truly in a state of shock and wasn’t sure how to react because after all, I was overjoyed that he actually was included in the exhibit, but such a grave mistake was not tolerable on my part. Should I alert an employee nearby? Do I whip out a Sharpie and fix it myself? Perhaps I go with a classic move, “the meltdown”, then create a scene and wait for an apology? I couldn’t even bring myself to photograph the sign as evidence because it was truly heart wrenching. In the end, I decided not to let this one moment ruin my amazing experience at the museum and that the best thing to do was to go home and write a letter to the curator and explain their mistake, in my most courteous Sparkle Speak of course, and kindly ask them to correct it. While I’m at it, I’m also going to suggest that they change the name to the Rock n’ Roll AND DIsco Hall of Fame, because after all, we like both kinds of music!
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