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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We all know someone who’s a collector of cool stuff. One man’s collection of items belonging to the music greats is a tough one to beat. He’s just opened a space where you can see it for yourself.
„There’s a silver thread that goes through everything in here,“ said Brian Oxley, walking around his new museum in Nashville’s Marathon Village.
If you’re getting a grand tour by Brian, you’ll hear many variations of ‚but wait, there’s more.‘
„And here’s something else!“ Brian excitedly said, leading a visitor to the museum to another spot.
„It’s so cool.“
Brian does have a lot of cool stuff from some of the most famous musicians who ever lived.
I visited Brian a few months ago in Bon Aqua. He’s retired from running a huge service company, and he’s bought Hideaway Farm, long owned by Johnny Cash. Some of Brian’s growing collection remains there, and some of it is now at Marathon Village.
„This museum is called It’s Now Or Never: Museum of Music Icons,“ Brian said.
His very first visitor was Melissa from the Netherlands.
„It’s amazing,“ she said, looking over everything in the room.
„That’s a very important, historic piano,“ Brian told her, leading her to another spot. „Dallas Frazier he wrote the song Elvira on that piano. Now, look over here!“
He pointed to a dress that belonged to Loretta Lynn.
„And! Guess what!“ Brian hurried to another spot.
It was a shirt that was Hank Williams Sr’s.
„One other thing!“ Brian said about another find.
It was an early Nudie jacket that belonged to Tex Williams.
„Maybe just add one more thing!“ Brian said, showing a jacket that belonged to Fats Domino.
„Oh wait! I forgot this one thing!“ he said. „I got a beautiful sign up there of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop from 1970. Guess who I got it from? Mike Wolfe.“
„Okay, I’m gonna tell you one more story!“ he smiled.
There’s a lot in the museum that comes from the now-demolished office of Col. Tom Parker, the manager of Elvis. Elvis often stayed at the house.
„This is from his bedroom floor,“ Brian said, holding up a square of the floor to two visitors.
Part of that house’s carpet is also used in the museum.
„There’s another thing here I want to show you!“ Brian told a visitor. „If you want to take a selfie, that’s Elvis’s vanity. Take a selfie.“
„There’s so much more, but I know how we all have our limits,“ he laughed.
No, Brian. I think we’ve got time for one more.
„This is where Waylon Jennings sat with Johnny Cash celebrating one year of sobriety,“ Brian said, showing a chair. „Anybody out there who’s got an addiction issue, and there’s victory, they’re going to be able to sit there and tell their story.“
Brian’s interest in all of this runs so deep, he figures, ‚why have it if you don’t share with people?‘
„You can sit in the chair, you can wear clothes, you can play the piano,“ he said. „Why did I do this? Well. I wanted to tell the story.“
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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Cole is a person I think everyone should meet. After saving his sister’s life, he’s in a fight for his own. And yet he lives so joyfully, performing on stage and continuing to do what he loves. His family’s story will both inspire you and make you reflect on your own. Click if you want to watch one of the most impressive young men in action, determined to write the lines of his own story despite the circumstances.
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