Right on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rises in front of you. This building is a museum and hall of fame that documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other personnel who influenced its development. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983 by Ahmet Ertegun, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, who brought together people like Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, record executives Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods, and attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans.
The Foundation began inducting artists in 1986, and after a long search for the right city Cleveland was chosen in 1986 as the Hall of Fame’s permanent home. Architect I. M. Pei designed this new museum, which was dedicated on September 1, 1995. As you listen, imagine the conversations that led to these choices, the committee that also considered cities such as Philadelphia and Memphis, and the transition from idea to physical place.
Ahmet Ertegun founded this Hall of Fame in 1983, and Cleveland won the permanent home in 1986, for you to explore.