Tom T.'s Hall of Fame Guitar
Country Music Weekly (1996)

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After wringing the best songs out of his guitar, Tom T. Hall has donated it to the Country Music Foundation.

"I haven't written a song on that guitar for four or five years," Tom T. told COUNTRY WEEKLY at the ceremony held at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

"That guitar's given up all the songs it had in it. It was just lying around gathering dust, and I didn't want anything to happen to it or its strings, so I donated it."

The acoustic Gibson six-string was across Tom T.'s lap when he wrote such classics as "Harper Valley P.T.A.", "Old Dogs, Children And Watermelon Wine" and "Ballad of Forty Dollars."

Tom T., famed for his storytelling style of writing and singing, originally bought the guitar for $99 from singer/songwriter Merle Kilgore, who was at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings and Ralph Emery were also there, along with Jeannie C. Riley, who rose to stardom singing "Harper Valley P.T.A."
"Touching that guitar was like touching the Liberty Bell," Jeannie said. "That song meant freedom for me."

"I've probably recorded more songs of Tom's than anybody," added Bobby Bare. "I believe he's an American icon. I always have."

Songwriting is a gift that never left him, said Tom T., who has written songs for 45 of his 60 years. "I've been fortunate that the music's been there whenever I've needed it. Songwriting is like walking pneumonia. You die in the process, but you don't know you have it."

For a personal touch, a lunch of chicken, shrimp, salads, sandwiches and cheesecake was prepared by Tom's wife, Dixie. "My wife brought in the shrimp from Florida, and worked yesterday and most of the night," said Tom T. "She wanted to make it special."

-Nick Krewen