The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is gearing up to open another exhibit, this time for country duo Florida Georgia Line.
Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong will open on Jan. 21, 2022, and run almost a full year until Jan. 1, 2023. The exhibit will give visitors an unprecedented view into the lives of FGL members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, specifically how their relationship first started and how the pair have leaned into incorporating cross-genre influences into their country songs.
“Florida Georgia Line expanded the country music audience and created some of the most popular recordings in the genre’s history by embracing hip-hop and rock influences,” says museum CEO Kyle Young in a press release.
“In less than a decade, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard have had 25 singles reach gold, platinum or multi-platinum status, with two of those singles — ‘Cruise’ and ‘Meant to Be’ — reaching the elite plateau of diamond sales certification. Very few artists in any genre accomplish that feat even once. The museum looks forward to exploring the duo’s distinctive music and career in this special exhibit.”
Fans interested in visiting the exhibit can expect to find a number of personal items on display, including a saxophone that Hubbard played as a kid, Kelley’s high school baseball hat he wore as part of the Seabreeze Fighting Sandcrabs and even Hubbard’s first guitar — a Sigma DM-3 acoustic.
In addition to mementos from their formative years, Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong will also feature artifacts from their prolific career including awards, costumes and instruments. Highlights include their diamond certification award for “Cruise” issued by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Takamine GB7C Garth Brooks Signature acoustic guitar that Kelley strummed while writing the song.
“I still remember being at the Country Q studio with BK [Brian Kelley] recording ‘Cruise,’ and having this feeling like we had created something special,” Hubbard says. “And I’ll never forget when BK said, ‘We’re gonna sell a million copies of this song.’ I thought he was shooting for the stars then! Neither of us had any idea what would happen next.”
He continues, “To be chosen for an exhibit is the ultimate honor as an artist, and we can’t thank the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum enough. I can’t wait for opening day, when we can stand back and take in this blessing with everyone that’s supported us along the way.”
The significance of being honored with their own exhibit isn’t lost on Kelley, either.
“… It’s truly mind-blowing. We are both dreamers and always striving to go big,” he says. “To have the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum now feature our wild ride is surreal and humbling. I couldn’t be more excited about this exhibit and to be able to relive each step of our journey. Here’s to the good times!”
Both Hubbard and Kelley will be on hand at the museum’s CMA Theater on Feb. 6 to celebrate the exhibit’s opening. In addition to taking about the artifacts in the exhibit and the personal stories behind them, the duo are slated to play a few songs. Tickets for this event will go on sale on Dec. 10.
More information about Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong is available on the museum’s official website.
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