Athens State is pleased to host the Truth is Stranger Than Publicity – Delmore Brothers 100th Anniversary exhibit, opening September 21, in the Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center. This exhibition will highlight Alton’s typewriter and original manuscript of his autobiography, Truth Is Stranger Than Publicity, on loan from the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville through October. It will guide you through excerpts of Alton’s book while focusing on important artifacts, Grammy and Songwriters awards, records, and photographs from Athens State’s Delmore Brothers Collection.
The Delmore Brothers, Alton and Rabon, began their legendary musical career at the Athens Fiddlers Convention in 1926, when the brothers—18 and 10 at the time—entered the contest as a duo and were given their name by a contest official. Born in rural Limestone County, Alabama, to sharecropping parents, the brothers went on to become members of the Grand Ole Opry and inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, earning acclaim for their distinctive “blood harmony” and innovative blend of country, gospel, rhythm and blues, and country boogie. After placing second at the 1926 convention, they won first place in 1930, allowing them to record their first record “Alabama Lullaby” with Columbia Records in 1931. The duo went on to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1933, becoming its most popular act by 1936. Rabon died in 1952 at age 36, followed by Alton in 1964 at age 55, but their pioneering music and intricate harmonies have continued to influence generations of artists across multiple genres.
The Delmore Brothers’ popularity has not waned since their first performance at a Fiddlers Contest back in 1926. Their music is still sought out nationally and internationally by old time music fans and their song “Muddy Water” can be heard on the soundtrack and in a scene of the 2021 Ghostbusters Afterlife movie. Bob Dylan was quoted in the Chicago Tribune in 1985 as saying, “The Delmore Brothers, God, I really loved them! I think they’ve influenced every harmony I’ve ever tried to sing.”
Debby Delmore, Alton’s youngest daughter, generously donated her collection of memorabilia in 2008 and she comes to greet the public every year at the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention during the first week of October. “It was important that we find a place for anyone who is interested in the Delmore Brothers and it is fitting that the collection should go to Athens State because this is where they started their careers. So, they have come full circle back home,” Debby said in 2008.
“This will be the first time the collection has moved from its original home in McCandless Hall since 2008 and is being curated in a fresh and exciting way,” said Museum Curator Lisa Hoffman. “Ongoing research informs the Delmore Brothers accomplishments, and we are thrilled to have the loan from the Country Music Hall of Fame this year to complement the exhibition.”
The Delmore Brothers are a part of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Tour on the Roots of American Music Trail. Look for the sign at the entrance of Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center and scan the QR code to learn more about the Delmore Brothers and listen to an interview with Debby Delmore by Brian Corrigan, historic preservation consultant and UNA alumnus working with UNA Shoals Music Archive.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during normal hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. The Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center will be open extended hours during the Fiddlers Convention, September 30 – October 3, with an opportunity to meet Alton’s daughter, Debby Delmore, during the Convention.
For more information or to inquire about a donation to the Delmore Brothers collection, contact Museum Curator, Lisa Hoffman at 256-233-8184 or [email protected].