COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM TO OPEN NEW EXHIBITION, ROGER MILLER: WIT, WISDOM, AND WONDER

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will explore the life and career of Country Music Hall of Fame member Roger Miller in a new exhibition. Roger Miller: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder follows the story of the musical savant whose multifaceted career earned him a flood of accolades and widespread affection from the public. The exhibit is included with museum admission and runs from Friday, Nov. 6, until March 2028. It is supported by All Access Coach Leasing.

Miller (1936-1992) became a country-pop superstar in the 1960s with self-penned crossover hits like "Dang Me" and "King of the Road." At the height of the British Invasion, Miller won 11 Grammy awards, and he was the first country artist to win a Tony. He was a true renaissance man, mastering multiple crafts as a songwriter, singer, fiddler, guitarist, drummer, film and television star, Las Vegas headliner and Broadway composer.

Recognized for his quick wit, Miller's natural comedic ability was so sharp that Nashville songwriters were known to trail him around town, hoping to collect lines that flew from his mouth. He counted songwriting giants Bill Anderson and Willie Nelson among his closest friends, and has influenced countless others, including John Prine, Toby Keith and Kacey Musgraves.

"Roger Miller was a singular creative force," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "Though considered a musical genius and humorist, his greatest gift may have been his ability to connect with people. He channeled his many sides into fantastically absurd, touching and astute songwriting that still resonates today."

The exhibit will feature a short film produced by the museum and narrated by Country Music Hall of Fame member Marty Stuart. Visitors will see clothing, awards, handwritten notes, song manuscripts, instruments and rare footage of Miller's television appearances and performances.

Examples of items to be displayed include: 

• Fiddle – When Miller was around 10 years old, musician and actor Sheb Wooley, who was married to Roger's cousin Melva at the time and lived nearby, bought him this fiddle.
• Drawing – During his senior year in high school, Roger Miller drew this portrait of one of his musical heroes, Hank Williams.
• Army shirt – Miller wore this shirt while serving in the U.S. Army from March 1954 to March 1957. He was stationed in South Korea for a time, where he drove a Jeep and played in a country band with other soldiers.
• Guitar – This 1963 Gibson C-1E nylon-string model was Miller's primary guitar for most of the 1960s. He used it to write, record and perform many of his biggest hits, including "King of the Road."
• Song manuscript and statuette – The credit card application, on which he started writing lyrics to "King of the Road," and a wood carving of a hobo, which inspired him to finish writing the song, are housed together in a shadow box built by Miller.
• Grammy awards – Miller won 11 Grammy awards in 1965 and 1966. In addition to Miller's wins in nine country music categories, "King of the Road" earned him Grammys for Best Contemporary (Rock & Roll) Single and Best Contemporary (Rock & Roll) Vocal Performance, Male.
• Hand-written notes – Roger Miller often wrote down song ideas and lyrics on scrap pieces of paper. Mary Miller, Roger's wife, called them his "droppings."
• Motorcycle – Miller purchased this Honda CA95 Benly Touring 150 motorcycle in 1965, following his financial windfall with the success of "Dang Me," "Chug-a-Lug" and "King of the Road."
• Western shirt – Miller wore this western shirt, designed by Manuel Cuevas, when he performed at a taping of "Roger Miller: A Soundstage Special" at WTTW Studios in Chicago in 1982.
• Tony award and tuxedo – Miller won this Tony award for "Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre" for the Broadway musical "Big River," for which he wrote all the songs. The musical won a total of seven Tonys. He wore this tuxedo at the 39th Annual Tony Awards, June 2, 1985.

Miller was inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995. For more information on his life and career, read Miller's Country Music Hall of Fame bio.

Exhibit Companion Catalog

An illustrated and in-depth exhibit catalog will supplement the gallery presentation, featuring historical photographs and artifacts from the exhibit. It includes a foreword by Grammy award-winning artist Dwight Yoakam. The catalog is available through The Museum Store beginning Nov. 6. It is made possible through support from Maverick Nashville and will be widely available in bookstores and online outlets through a distribution partnership with the University of Illinois Press.

Exhibit Playlist

The official exhibit playlist, compiled by the museum's curatorial staff, is now available on major streaming platforms.

Upcoming Programs

In support of the exhibit, the museum will host a variety of public programs during its run. Upcoming programs include: 

• Panel Discussion – Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 p.m. (Ford Theater)
  
  The museum will host a conversation with some of the people who knew Miller best: the late musician's wife, Mary Miller, a former member of Kenny Rogers' band the First Edition; Country Music Hall of Fame member and Miller's close friend Bill Anderson, who first met Miller in Atlanta in the 1950s when both were struggling songwriters; and Randy Hart, Miller's musical director and bandleader of eight years who currently serves as staff pianist and assistant music director at the Grand Ole Opry. The talk will be hosted by the museum's exhibit co-curator Erin Osmon and illustrated with archival images, audio and video from the museum's collection.
• Songwriter Session with Dean Miller – Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027, at noon (Ford Theater)
  
  Dean Miller is Roger's son and an accomplished singer and songwriter. He will perform and discuss some of his father's songs, as well as his own. During Songwriter Sessions at the museum, songwriters share stories and songs behind classic and current hits.

The programs are included with museum admission with reservations encouraged in advance. Visit the museum's website to reserve tickets and learn more about the exhibit.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:

The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. Among the most-visited history museums in the United States, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was awarded the country's highest honor in the arts, the National Medal of Arts, in 2024. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B^®, Hatch Show Print^® poster shop, Haley Gallery, CMA Theater, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

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SOURCE Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum