Special exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the launch of the iconic music television network will be on display through end of 2022
Due to popular demand, GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi has announced it will extend the run of its special exhibit, MTV Turns Forty: I Still Want My MTV through the end of 2022. The first major exhibition curated by the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi team, MTV Turns Forty explores the history of the iconic music television network—from the role native Mississippian, Bob Pittman, played in the concept and execution of an idea that revolutionized the music industry, to why, nearly four decades later, people across the world still scream, “I want my MTV!”
“I’m excited to hear that the Grammy Museum in Cleveland is extending the MTV exhibit until the end of the year,” said Alan Hunter, who was one of the five original MTV VJs. “As much as I really want my stuff back, like my Moon Man award and my Michael Jackson ‘Beat It’ jacket, I’m glad to sacrifice so that people who haven’t been able to make it down to this fantastic museum in the heart of the Delta, can finally make the trip.”
“Wish you were around when the M in MTV meant music? GRAMMY Museum Mississippi has you covered with their ultimate immersive MTV experience,” said Martha Quinn, who was one of the five original MTV VJs. “You’ll learn when it comes to MTV memorabilia like interviews and artifacts from MTV’s five original VJs—too much is never enough.”
“I’m delighted that the exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of MTV has been such a huge hit in my home state of Mississippi that they’ve decided to keep it there a little longer,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc., who led the team that created and launched MTV in 1981. “Now more visitors, from the state of Mississippi and beyond, will be able to experience this anniversary celebration and learn about the launch of MTV and its ties to Mississippi.”
“People from all over the country have traveled to Cleveland to see this special exhibit spotlighting the 40th anniversary of MTV, the idea of which was developed by our dear late friend, and first Chair of the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi Board, Lucy Janoush,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. “We are thrilled to be able to keep it open longer so that more visitors have the chance to experience the exhibit and learn about how Mississippi is part of MTV’s history.”
MTV Turns Forty: I Still Want My MTV will be open to the public through the end of 2022. For the exhibit, the Mississippi Museum captured interviews with and artifacts from the four remaining original MTV VJs: Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn. The fifth original MTV VJ, J.J. Jackson, passed away in 2004.
Ten items in the exhibit are provided by Hard Rock International, including items from artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran‘s Simon Le Bon, Dire Straits, Bret Michaels, and more. Hard Rock owns the largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia. Spanning nearly 50 years, the brand’s collection has grown to over 86,000 pieces.
Additionally, MTV Turns Forty features artifacts from Aerosmith, Run-DMC, the MTV Video Music Awards, Bob Pittman, John Sykes, Lucy Janoush, and more.
MTV Turns Forty is sponsored in part by the Maddox Foundation. Exhibit partners include MTV and Hard Rock International. Additional support is provided by corporate sponsors DittyTV, Entergy, and Millsaps College in Mississippi.
