Who are those masked women? Why it’s the ladies of Sister Sadie, who found the time on Friday, March 12, to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville and see the display dedicated to them. It’s part of the 2021 edition of the Museum’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit which opened that day.
Each year the Museum creates an exhibit to highlight important trends in country music over the past twelve months. With Sister Sadie breaking new ground as the first all-female act to win the IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year award in 2020, as well as the Vocal Group of the Year, they were a perfect fit for inclusion in 2021.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum agreed, saying that the representation of women was an important consideration.
“As a museum, we document and report on country music history – past and present. Each year through the American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, we explore the music and events that helped to shape it. Amid a global health crisis, a renewed push for social justice, and more, the powerful role of country music and the stories told through it remained constant.”
The Sister Sadie display contains instruments belonging to each of the members, plus a show poster, set lists, and other memorabilia, along with a brief biography of the group. Members include Tina Adair on mandolin, Gena Britt on banjo, Deanie Richardson on fiddle (who was also named the IBMA’s 2020 Fiddle Player of the Year), Hasee Ciaccio on bass, and Jaelee Roberts on guitar.
Speaking as a band, the ladies shared this reaction to seeing the exhibit in the Hall of Fame.
“It was such an emotional and overjoying experience to see our exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame, American Currents: State of the Music. It was also exciting to be able to share this moment with our new guitar player, Jaelee Roberts. We, individually and as a group are grateful and truly humbled to be selected as one of the artists featured in this year’s exhibit. Never in a million years would any of us have ever dreamed that one of our instruments, set lists, or song lyrics be in the same place as our musical heroes and influences. It’s very surreal.”
Prior to Jaelee coming aboard, Dale Ann Bradley had been on guitar, and was a founding member of the band. She left recently to focus on her solo career. Beth Lawrence had been the original bassist.
Tina shared a number of photos they took while visiting the Museum on Friday. We thank her for sharing them, and congratulate Sister Sadie not only for their inclusion in the exhibit, but also for the great year they had to deserve it.
