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LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (NOVEMBER 21, 2019) — Sixty years after the release of their first hit, "Walk, Don't Run," the Ventures are considered the most influential, best-selling instrumental band in rock and roll history. To showcase the group's impact on pop culture, guitar players, and their worldwide fan base, the GRAMMY Museum® proudly announces Walk, Don't Run: 60 Years Of The Ventures, a new exhibit showcasing original items from the group's six-decade career including instruments, tour programs, never-before-seen photos, vinyl, and more. The exhibit will open on Dec. 7, and will run until Aug. 3, 2020.
On Jan. 9, musician Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (who has been associated with The Ventures since the 1980’s and has done recordings with them over the years), Fiona Taylor (Mel Taylor's widow and band manager), and other special guests to be announced soon will be at the Museum to discuss stories behind the exhibit with Scott Goldman in the Clive Davis Theater.
“It’s such an honor to have an exhibit dedicated to The Ventures at the GRAMMY Museum and be recognized for our impact on music history,” said Don Wilson, founding member of the band. “I like to think that, because we ‘Venturized’ the music we recorded and played, we made it instantly recognizable as being The Ventures. We continue to do that, even today.”
Walk, Don't Run: 60 Years Of The Ventures will offer an inside look at how the Ventures grew to be considered one of the most prolific bands in rock music, having recorded more than 250 albums in the past 60 years. The inherent versatility as an instrumental band has allowed the band to explore several musical styles throughout their career, including surf, country, classical, and more. Between 1960 and 1972, 38 of the Ventures albums made it to the charts. Additionally, the Ventures released instructional albums that have made it to the Billboard charts. Many novice guitar players have credited these educational LPs as a direct influence on their own bands, which has earned the Ventures the honorary title of "the band that launched a thousand bands."
"The Ventures have inspired generations of musicians during their storied six-decade career, motivating many artists to follow in their footsteps and start their own projects," said Michael Sticka, GRAMMY Museum President. "As a music museum, we aim to shine a light on music education, and we applaud the Ventures for earning their honorary title of 'the band that launched a thousand bands.' Many thanks to the Ventures and their families for letting us feature items from this important era in music history."
Exhibit highlights include:
• A 1965 Ventures model Mosrite electric guitar
• Fender Limited Edition Ventures Signature guitars (1996)
• Mel Taylor's Gretsch snare drum• Original 45 rpm of "Walk, Don't Run"
• Original test pressing of "Hawaii Five-O"
GRAMMY Museum Members can purchase tickets starting on December 5, and tickets will go on sale to the general public at www.grammymuseum.org starting December 12.
