It was a native Mississippian–Bob Pittman–who helped create and launch MTV almost 40 years ago. The Grammy Museum Mississippi is celebrating the upcoming anniversary with a new exhibit. MTV Turns 40: I Still Want My MTV opens to the public tomorrow (May 14th).
Admission is free Friday and Saturday.
The first major exhibition to be curated by the GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi team, MTV Turns Forty will explore the history of the iconic music brand—from the role of native Mississippian, Bob Pittman, in the concept and execution of an idea that revolutionized the music industry and, to why, nearly four decades later, people across the world still scream, “I want my MTV.” MTV Turns Forty is sponsored in part by the Maddox Foundation. Exhibit partners include MTV and Hard Rock International. Additional support is provided by corporate sponsors DittyTV, Entergy, and Millsaps College in Mississippi.
Exhibit highlights include:
- INTERVIEWS AND ARTIFACTS FROM THE FOUR REMAINING ORIGINAL MTV VJS
- INTERVIEW FOOTAGE, NOTES, SKETCHES, AND MORE ABOUT THE IDEA FOR MTV FROM BOB PITTMAN AND JOHN SYKES, MEMBERS OF THE “INITIAL 8” MTV EXECUTIVE TEAM
- ARTIFACTS AND MEMORABILIA FROM JON BON JOVI, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MADONNA, MICHAEL JACKSON, STING, RUN DMC, KATY PERRY, TAYLOR SWIFT AND MORE
- SPOTLIGHTS ON MANY OF THE PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN MTV’S PROGRAMMING HISTORY FROM YO! MTV RAPS! AND MTV UNPLUGGED TO BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD AND JERSEY SHORE
- INITIAL EXHIBIT SKETCHES FROM THE LATE LUCY JANOUSH, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF THE MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM
- INTERACTIVES AND MORE…
Museum Director Emily Havens discussed the exhibit with Rebecca Turner of Good Things on SuperTalk Mississippi:
