If someone came up to you and asked you to create an entire museum with historical rock and roll relics, what would you do? I mean, after you found out that this person was serious, what would you do? Where would you, how would you…what does “create a museum” even mean?!
Well, that’s basically how it went down for Craig J. Inciardi, founding curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and author of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Outrageous, Definitive, Untold History.
In the book, which will be released on September 30, Inciardi recounts his journey from rising legend at Sotheby’s auction house in New York (where he handled iconic pop materials and rock and roll memorabilia on a daily basis) to official curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After being approached by the founders of the museum to travel around the world and gather the best rock and roll pieces for the collection, he got to work. What he didn’t yet know was that the museum was not even a legit place.
Across the book’s 300+ pages, Inciardi takes readers to places like Ozzy Osbourne’s English manor and Keith Moon’s childhood bedroom. He details the moments when he sifted through childhood letters between Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. He tells us about acquiring the glasses that John Lennon wore the day he was murdered, when Yoko Ono showed him a heavy steel briefcase of Lennon’s possessions. Also included are stories about Debbie Harry, Mick Jagger, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and more.
Along with these savory stories is Inciardi’s first-hand account of the museum’s early days. We get the inside scoop on the good, like the induction ceremonies that celebrated overlooked musicians and consisted of amiable jam sessions with friends and family. We also take a look at the bad, like the secret cut-throat induction meetings between top record company execs and managers. Avid fans of rock and roll history get a backstage pass to all the drama, all the fun.
For those who don’t know, Inciardi has curated a variety of award-winning exhibitions for the museum since he started working there in 1991. In 1999, for instance, he curated the “Rock Style” exhibit, which featured a collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. In 2016, Inciardi collaborated with the Newseum in Washington, DC for “Louder Than Words,” an exhibit about rock and roll and politics, and he co-curated the “Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock and Roll” exhibit in 2019. His expertise has also translated to work outside the museum, as he is the co-author of Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll and was also a contributor to the 2020 documentary Jimmy Carter: The Rock and Roll President.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Outrageous, Definitive, Untold History will be released on September 30. You can pre-order a copy here.
