In November 2020, the Georgia Music Accord announced a campaign to bring a Grammy Museum to downtown Atlanta — a permanent institution dedicated to the state's outsized role in American music history. The project was co-chaired by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, the Atlanta rapper and actor, and Joel Katz, one of the most influential entertainment lawyers in the country.
Georgia has produced some of the most consequential figures in popular music: James Brown, the Allman Brothers Band, R.E.M., OutKast, Usher, and generations of gospel, blues, country, and hip-hop artists who shaped entire genres. But the state has never had a permanent institution that tells that story in one place. The Grammy Museum would change that.
The Foundation
A $500,000 feasibility study, underwritten by the State of Georgia and Fulton County, had already been completed, confirming that the project was viable and that downtown Atlanta — near the city's existing tourism cluster of the Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and Centennial Olympic Park — was the right location.
Brad Olecki, CEO of the Georgia Music Accord, described the expected impact: "We think this is something that's going to have a tremendous economic impact in Georgia." The organization planned to fund the museum through a combination of private donations, corporate sponsorships, and government support.
More Than a Museum
The Grammy Museum concept extended beyond exhibits. Plans called for an educational component with elementary and secondary curriculum designed to introduce students to music industry careers, and a "scoring stage" — a professional facility for mixing music for film, television, and video games. The scoring stage would position Atlanta as a competitor to Los Angeles and Nashville in post-production music work, leveraging the state's already massive film industry.
Keith Perissi, director of the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program at Kennesaw State University, noted that 60 percent of the program's graduates remain in Georgia — evidence that the talent pipeline exists and that a Grammy Museum could serve as both a cultural anchor and a professional resource for the next generation of music industry professionals.
For downtown Atlanta, a Grammy Museum would add a cultural institution that does something none of the existing attractions do: celebrate the creative output of the people who live here. The Aquarium showcases marine life. The World of Coca-Cola tells a corporate story. A Grammy Museum would tell Georgia's story — in its own voice, in its own city.
Original reporting by GPB News, Georgia Public Broadcasting, November 11, 2020.