Washington Dignitaries Turn Out For CMA Board

Yesterday (3/9), the Library of Congress and the Country Music Association hosted a day-long program for the CMA Board of Directors at the nation’s library, including a comprehensive tour of the historic Jefferson Building; an extensive orientation to the Library’s music, sound recording, and folk collections; a reception with members of the House of Representatives, Senate, and invited dignitaries; followed by a concert in the Coolidge Auditorium.

Attending the reception in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress were nearly 400 Washington luminaries including U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; members of the Tennessee delegation including U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn,

Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper and Bart Gordon; and the Ambassador of New Zealand, Roy Ferguson, to name a few.

“The purpose of our events here at the Library of Congress are meant to bring attention to these fine collections and help this incredible institution build on the Library’s already unparalleled archive of sound recordings,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “The foundation has been laid for future programs and educational opportunities for country music lovers around the world”

To commemorate the events, CMA donated a leather-bound DVD collection of four decades of CMA Awards broadcasts, anniversary specials, and the CMA Music Festival television specials to the Library’s archive. In addition, Steve Buchanan, President of the CMA Board of Directors, presented Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington with an autographed first printing of Marty Stuart’s photo journal Country Music: The Masters.

“These donations are a complete musical journal of the country music format: the music, the stars, the themes that have defined the genre for 40 plus years,” said Moore.