Music America: Songs That Shaped Us
When?
Thu, February 15, 2024
Where?
LBJ Presidential Library
Information
Lyle Lovett, Alejandro Escovedo, Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Vaughan and Erika Wennerstrom will perform at a February 15 concert, Music America: Songs That Shaped Us
Performances kick off a new Bruce Springsteen Archives music history exhibition opening Presidents’ Day weekend at the LBJ Presidential Library
(Austin, TX) – The LBJ Presidential Library and the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University are delighted to announce that Lyle Lovett, Alejandro Escovedo, Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Vaughan and Erika Wennerstrom will be performing at a concert to celebrate the opening of a new music exhibition at the LBJ Presidential Library.
The concert Music America: Songs That Shaped Us brings these acclaimed artists together to showcase the rich heritage of American music, past and present. The show will take place at 6:30 pm CT on Thursday, February 15, 2024, in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium at the LBJ Presidential Library. Bob Santelli, founding Executive Director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, will briefly interview the artists about what American music looks like through their eyes. The individual discussions will by followed by each artist performing two songs, one of their own original songs and also an interpretation of a classic American song.
The audience will be made up of the Friends of the LBJ Library membership group; it is not open to the public. News media will be invited to cover the concert.
The concert previews the new exhibition, Music America: Iconic Objects from America’s Music History, which opens to the public at the LBJ Presidential Library on Saturday, February 17, during Presidents’ Day weekend. This one-of-a-kind collection will feature more than one hundred objects representing the broad range of American music, spanning decades and genres. For the first time in one place, visitors can see artifacts including:
- Johnny Cash’s letter to Bob Dylan
- Chuck D’s handwritten lyrics to “Fight the Power”
- Woody Guthrie’s signed lyrics to “This Land is Your Land”
- Billie Holiday’s fox fur stole
- Madonna’s wedding dress worn in the “Like a Virgin” video
- Bruce Springsteen’s outfit worn on the “Born in the USA” album cover
Music America is curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music in association with the New Orleans Jazz Museum and Hard Rock International, along with dozens of prominent collectors nationwide. After debuting in Austin, Music America will travel to other presidential libraries and institutions across the country.
About the LBJ Presidential Library
The LBJ Presidential Library, located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, is one of 15 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Dedicated in May 1971, its mission is to preserve and protect the historical materials in its collections and make them readily accessible; to increase public awareness of the American experience through relevant exhibitions and educational programs; and to advance the LBJ Library’s standing as a center for intellectual activity and community leadership while meeting the challenges of a changing world.
The LBJ Library is open daily from 9 am – 5 pm. Last visitor admitted at 4 pm.
About The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music
The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music serves as the official repository for the musical legacy of Bruce Springsteen. The Archives includes photographs, periodicals, oral histories, rare recordings, historic footage, and artifacts related to Springsteen and the E Street Band. The Center for American Music produces museum exhibitions, seminars, concerts, and other public and educational programs that both explore and celebrate the nation’s rich music tradition.
Media contacts:
Anne Wheeler
LBJ Presidential Library
awheeler@lbjfoundation.org
512.731.2351
Eileen Chapman
Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music
