In Memoriam
“True creativity, that which withstands the test of time, requires a synergy of seemingly different viewpoints, talents and experiences joined together toward a unified heartfelt message.”
A Dear Friend in the High Mountain Breezes Pays Tribute and Says Farewell to an Old Friend, Joe Chambers
I have been thinking a lot about our dear friend Joe Chambers. It’s very sad that we lost him. Joe was a great friend and a tireless supporter of musicians everywhere. I’ve seen many touching posts about him on Facebook and everyone loved him. It’s taken me a few days to get my thoughts together and figure out what I would like to share about Joe.
I’m very grateful that I got to visit with him shortly before he passed and what he wanted to talk about was The Musicians Hall of Fame, his dream and creation, and many of the wonderful events they put on. And he was still excited about an upcoming induction ceremony and a new book about the guitars in the MHOF. So I thought a good way to honor him would be to share about some of those things so people that didn’t know the story would learn more about his incredible dedication and love for the music and the musicians that created it.
Joe had a dream about opening a special museum to honor musicians from different eras, genres, and cities across the U.S.A. And in 2006 he and his wife Linda made that dream a reality when they opened the first Musicians Hall of Fame. Using mostly their own funds they bought and refurbished a very cool building in downtown Nashville and designed and built the displays that housed many historical instruments used by the players to record the classic records we’ve all enjoyed through the years. It was an awesome place.
But a few years later he found out his building was in the footprint of a new convention center Nashville was planning. And in the end, using the eminent domain law, the city forced him to take an offer that was little more than 50% of what his building was appraised for.
At first the city promised them a space in the new center, even going as far as having Joe draw the plans up. Only to find out that in the end, the city reneged on this and left Joe and the MHOF out.
After being offered no money for loss of business and very little for relocation or storage he was forced to leave his building. As a goodwill gesture to the people of Nashville and so folks could learn more about the museum Joe charged no admission the last weekend it was open and tons of people showed up to see it.
Joe decided to move his instruments into storage at Soundcheck Storage till he figured out his next move. Unfortunately, while they were there Nashville had the 2010 flood and his locker was totally flooded. Many of the classic instruments were seriously damaged, some seemingly beyond repair.
After all these events most people would have quit. But not Joe. Since his payment from the city was not enough for him to rebuild in downtown Nashville, he started looking at moving the MHOF to other cities. And he tried exhibiting some of the instruments at a fair up north which was very well received.
But after receiving literally thousands of letters, emails and phone calls about the importance of keeping the MHOF in Nashville (Music City USA) the city finally offered Joe a space in the bottom level of the Municipal Auditorium. While it was blocks away from the tourist traffic on Lower Broadway, and there were still many obstacles to overcome, Joe accepted their offer.
Those of you who have been to the MHOF and have seen how wonderful it is today should know that when Joe and Linda got there it was just bare walls, a cement floor and a bunch of support columns. Everything else: all the great exhibits, display cases, theater, stage, etc. was designed, created and installed by Joe and at their expense. (with some help from a few generous donors). So, it is truly a labor of love and a dream brought into reality in spite of a number of huge obstacles.
And then there are the induction ceremonies. Just awesome events that Joe loved to concoct and facilitate, even though he was lucky to break even on them financially.
The first one in 2007 honored The Wrecking Crew, The Nashville A Team, The Funk Brothers, The Memphis Boys and The Tennessee Two (Johnny Cash’s first band). An unbelievable lineup and you can’t even count the amount of hit records created by all those honored that night. And through the years his ceremonies continued to honor so many. And so sweet to see so many musicians rightfully honored for their contributions to music before they passed: Larry Knechtel, Urial Jones, Eddie Willis, Bob Babbitt, Velma Smith, Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton, Bob Moore, Jimmy Capps, Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson, Duck Dunn, Barry Beckett, Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins, Al Delory, Ben Keith, Reggie Young, Bobby Emmons, Mike Leech, Dick Dale and others.
But when you talked to Joe, while he was proud of what he created, it was always about the museum and the musicians and never about him. He was one of the most humble guys I’ve ever known.
On a personal note, Joe was a great friend of mine. I loved talking with him about all his plans and instruments he was acquiring. And the interviews he did with so many classic players. He was a living music history book. He was wonderful to our band The G-Men. He included really nice exhibits for us in both the 1st and 2nd Museums. And he also facilitated our interactive exhibit in the Grammy Museum. And we were very honored to be inducted into the MHOF in 2016.
And he always included me in the house band for the induction ceremonies and special events which enabled me to play with many of my heroes and were some of the highlights of my career. I am forever grateful to him for that.
I will really miss him and his positive, kind spirit. And the way his excitement was so contagious. His faith, dedication and perseverance were a huge inspiration.
If you come to Nashville, please do yourself a favor and visit the Musicians Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful place. As Joe always said “Come see what you’ve heard”.
Rest In Peace Joe and thank you for your friendship and for all you did. You made all our lives richer just by knowing you. And prayers for peace and comfort for Linda and all of Joe’s beautiful family.
Friend, Chris
Chris Leuzinger
October 4, 2022
Photos courtesy Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
A Dear Friend gone to soon – In February 2020, are hearts were forever broken and left with a void when the Lord called Jim Paul Blair home. J.P. was a long-time dear friend and co-writing friend of High Mountain Breezes. Jim was a wonderful human being who loved life, his music, his friends and most importantly his family. We think about Jim and miss him every day. Something tells us that he is keeping those angels up in Heaven on their toes with his great sense of humor and entertained with his truly amazing musical talents. Jim’s memory will always be a part of the High Mountain Breezes in the songs we wrote together. You can hear his spirit in “Slow Drift” & “Only When It Rains”.
J.P. Had a life long love for the work of his music idol, Hank Williams. Watch this clip and you too will fall in love with our buddy.