The Stax Museum [[Grit!) vs The Motown Historical Museum [[Refined?)

[mirage]

Stax Museumhelps land Memphis on National Geographic Bestof the World 2013Among the many exotic destinations around the world that madethe new National Geographic “Best of the World 2013″ list of top 20 places inthe world to visit is the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Citing thecity’s rich musical and civil rights history, the article also reads that thereis “something newly electric in the air, and that, “The Stax Museum of AmericanSoul Music, located on the grounds of the famous Stax Records, is at theforefront of that revival. The museum, along with its StaxMusic Academyand the Soulsville Charter School,celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013 with concerts, parties, and Stax tothe Max, a huge outdoor music festival. It’s far from a solo act. [[PressRelease)
TheStax Museum[[within ten years) proves that investment in its Memphis community is what music can do tochange the world one community at a time … starting with a place called home toits “Memphis Sound”. Stax accoladesdon’t focus entirely upon paying homage to one Mo-man and his LA hand-selectedgroupies. It embraces its colorfulmusic history and its diversity of entertainers and entire cast ofcharacters. Stax became a gritty musicindustry powerhouse that rocked until it got caught up in its own success andmillions went missing. Its reemergenceas a Museum is noteworthy and its reach into its music is now giving back on aglobal platform that will only flourish with quality trustee selection androtation; oversight, responsibility and fiscal accountability of all donations,assets and money. [[Enjoyed a private tour.)
Detroit and Michiganare still waiting for the ramshackle rubble located on Berry Gordy called the Motown Historical Museum to give back.
Butthe Motown Museum operates on exclusivity andexclusion. Motown excludes those“family” individuals who were a valid part of the Motown story by deliberatelyomitting their names, faces and their personas. The best way to eliminate history is to recreate history. Unfortunately, factual history has a way ofbeing resurrected and shaming those that tried to hide the history. Motown was created from one man’s idea; andas his story repeats also from an $800 family investment [[not totallyaccurate). But, how did Motown emerge ata time when race was an enormous setback to any black owned businesses cateringoutside its base?
But,lest I regress. Let us continue tofollow the millions … The Motown Historical Museum is merely a rat-infestednostalgic clubhouse waiting for a demolition crew. It has been missing a local heart and soulfor decades. And the millions missingfrom all its fundraising efforts and largesse dreams to place it on the globalmusic stage has never materialized.
Millionsof dollars have been diverted from its coffers to “unknown” pockets. Instead of a world class Motown music museumlocated in the heart of Detroit … it is just another slum lord owned projectselling itself on the pretext that it needs to be respected for what it gave tothe music industry over fifty years ago.
Stax Museum- investing millions in its community; Motown Historical Museum - millions missingfrom its community. Go figure! [[Best to allow the state and federal governmentbean counters to “Go Figure” the mysterious Motown Museummissing math millions. Accountants lovefinding inaccuracies in bookkeeping.
Hey,Berry can you spare a penny for some Motown Museumluxury upgrades … like mouse traps?

[Kamasu_Jr]

Someone else posted something similar to this before. The Stax museum does give back to the Memphis community and it is flourishing. But its a tourism draw and there is an educational component with the Stax Music Academy. But it had to stand for something because at first, it was criticized for being a waste of tax dollars. But it hired new personnel like Kirk Whalum and broadened its focus and things changed. I'm proud to be on the staff there. It's possible that the Motown Museum needs some changes in its board, especially in the people who handle its money.

[alanh]

Mmm, the comments about the Motown Museum seem harsh. I look forward to hearing from others who are closer to what's going on there or live in Detroit. However I enjoyed my visit many years ago and it's a real honour to go to the actual building/studio where the music was made. I do think that the call for a museum in the heart of Detroit misses the point that the Museum is at the location where it all happened. If a city centre museum were created, what would happen to Hitsville [[which must be preserved)?

I've also been to the Stax Museum [[twice) and really love it. It's well run, well laid out and music lovers can spend a whole day there! But the Stax Museum isn't in the centre of Memphis, yet it's still successful. Although sadly it wasn't able to be developed around the original building, the concept and design has allowed a really in-depth museum experience. And of course there's the Academy which has the excellent educational side to the site.
Well done to Kamasu and all involved.

[Ngroove]

Methinks you never visited the Motown Museum, sincerely....

Myself, been inside a few years ago, it's a most awesome and well historical place, cleaned and preserved as if was still 1961 or so...complete with Supremes gowns, Gordy family residence and furniture, Earl Van Dyke and Joe Hunter pianos in the "snake pit", wall of album covers from their many labels [[Motown, Tamla, Gordy, Soul, VIP, Melody, ect), and the almighty mandatory end-of-tour trip to the gift shop, filled with Motown clothing, CDs, DVDs, artist photos, books, and more.

[smark21]

The downstairs portion of the Motown Museum is excellent, but the exhibits on the second floor looked old and dated when I visited the museum in 2005 or 2006. Have they changed since then? Also, how often does the museum put on special limited run exhibits on various aspects of Motown history and music? That would help.

I’ve never been to the Stax museum as I don’t have any interest in going to Memphis, but if I end up passing through, I would definetly make a stop at the Stax Museum. Glad they got a good thing going there.

[tmd]

Not even close, Stax is not an original, Motown is the real deal- it's as if you are entering the holly grail when you go into the snake pit. Knowing all of the great singers, Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reaves, Adantes , Stevie Wonder , Jr. Walker and on an on. On top of that you are in the same area that the great James Jamerson and the Funk Brothers made all of the greatest music in history.
And to top it off, you are overwhelmed to see the little recording area where HDH and company did all of the great producing.
I would not change a thing. I love Motown and I love the Motown museum. Just go to Trip Advisor and see how they are ranked for the best places to visit in Detroit.
Every true music lover must make the trip in their lifetime.

[thisoldheart]

motown is the real deal! when i went to memphis i stood on the rubble that was the stax studio. later, stax remade a glitzy fake las vegas re-interpretation. i do not want this happening to motown. when you are in the snakepit, it is the real deal. sure it's fifty years old ... it has that wonderful patina of age. don't dare change a thing!

[Kamasu_Jr]

But at least the glitzy version of the Stax Museum is on the spot where the old one existed. A church owned the original structure and it allowed it to deteriorate because it didn't care and considered Stax to be the devil.
The new Stax is bringing back the surrounding neighborhood and attracting visitors/tourists. Plus, new generations can attend the Academy and learn about all kinds of music.
There were many promises made by people involved with the Motown museum that have not been delivered on. There is no Motown school or music academy, the neighborhood surrounding the museum is in need of revitlization and the museum needs to be expanded. I agree they need to keep the original building but expand around it. There are a lot of missed opportunities in Detroit.

[mirage]

But at least the glitzy version of the Stax Museum is on the spot where the old one existed. A church owned the original structure and it allowed it to deteriorate because it didn't care and considered Stax to be the devil.
The new Stax is bringing back the surrounding neighborhood and attracting visitors/tourists. Plus, new generations can attend the Academy and learn about all kinds of music.
There were many promises made by people involved with the Motown museum that have not been delivered on. There is no Motown school or music academy, the neighborhood surrounding the museum is in need of revitlization and the museum needs to be expanded. I agree they need to keep the original building but expand around it.

Stax is on the right music track. Motown is ...

Tourist dollar dependent; sold out media-frenzied “red” ink Hitsvillefundraisers; refurbished second tier piano played at a benefit in NYC restoredby McCartney [[not BB) with the special invite event sponsored by Michiganpatrons [[auction held); funds raised for the Museum from these well-financed events?;community outreach/programming?; technology?; educational involvement?; funds divertedfrom a failed multi-million dollar Motown project that was formally announcedas being partially financed by BB… associated parking lot monies collectedduring the years of this Motown ghost project?
This is not about the historical significance of the literalstructure’s persona [[although it is need of immediate costly renovation/repairsandmouse traps). It is the integrityof the actual Motown story as it unfolded; every Motown family member thathelped make the record label a success; and a city left with a Museum that hasbeen in business for decades with little done to turn it into a powerful music-basedshowcase. Museums upgrade and guardtheir assets and create endowments; they don’t stay stagnant and rely on whathas been; but they focus on what will also be. The world of music is always in an evolution and revolution. Detroit needsmany things to reformulate her infrastructure in the music industry; what itdoes not need is a Museum that has failed miserably at representing the best ofthe future of Detroitin the recording industry.

Maybe BB can start passing his fundraising hat around for a majorMotown Museum penny campaign. Who knows what a million pennies will buy ifthey are not “diverted”.

[Ngroove]

Stax is on the right music track. Motown is ...

Tourist dollar dependent; sold out media-frenzied “red” ink Hitsvillefundraisers; refurbished second tier piano played at a benefit in NYC restoredby McCartney [[not BB) with the special invite event sponsored by Michiganpatrons [[auction held); funds raised for the Museum from these well-financed events?;community outreach/programming?; technology?; educational involvement?; funds divertedfrom a failed multi-million dollar Motown project that was formally announcedas being partially financed by BB… associated parking lot monies collectedduring the years of this Motown ghost project?
This is not about the historical significance of the literalstructure’s persona [[although it is need of immediate costly renovation/repairsandmouse traps). It is the integrityof the actual Motown story as it unfolded; every Motown family member thathelped make the record label a success; and a city left with a Museum that hasbeen in business for decades with little done to turn it into a powerful music-basedshowcase. Museums upgrade and guardtheir assets and create endowments; they don’t stay stagnant and rely on whathas been; but they focus on what will also be. The world of music is always in an evolution and revolution. Detroit needsmany things to reformulate her infrastructure in the music industry; what itdoes not need is a Museum that has failed miserably at representing the best ofthe future of Detroitin the recording industry.

Maybe BB can start passing his fundraising hat around for a majorMotownMuseum penny campaign. Who knows what a million pennies will buy ifthey are not “diverted”.



And WHY exactly are you on the Motown board?????

[jobeterob]

Motown is the real deal
Not even close, Stax is not an original, Motown is the real deal- it's as if you are entering the holly grail when you go into the snake pit. Knowing all of the great singers, Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reaves, Adantes , Stevie Wonder , Jr. Walker and on an on. On top of that you are in the same area that the great James Jamerson and the Funk Brothers made all of the greatest music in history.
And to top it off, you are overwhelmed to see the little recording area where HDH and company did all of the great producing.
I would not change a thing. I love Motown and I love the Motown museum. Just go to Trip Advisor and see how they are ranked for the best places to visit in Detroit.
Every true music lover must make the trip in their lifetime.

Great post TMD. It's great to see someone who is keen on something in life and celebrates all of Motown.

[edafan]

I have been in Studio A

Maybe next summer when I visit Tenn,
I will visit Memphis and Stax

edafan

[midnightman]

I looked at the outlets of the Motown and Stax museums and I have to say:

Motown > Stax all day every day. Stax is cool but Motown is [[still) where it's at.