Virtual halls of fame for metal rock music, Texas songwriters, sports technology and more

For every physical hall of fame in the United States, there are multiple virtual halls of fame for every conceivable passion and pursuit. I’ve spotlighted many over the years at Tech-media-tainment.
What follows are a few more.

Metal Hall of Fame

As the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame continues to snub heavy metal rock, fans of the genre need their own hall to honor the greats. Enter the Metal Hall of Fame. It has been inducting bands, musicians and executives since 2017. Twisted Sister headlined the 2023 class.
The Metal Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to enshrining the iconic bands, industry executives and musicians who are responsible for making hard rock and metal music what it is today. The Metal Hall of Fame also is part of the non-profit organization DAD (Drums and Disabilities), which helps children and adults fight disabilities on a global basis.
The Metal Hall holds its Annual Hall of Heavy Metal History Awards Gala every January in Anaheim, Calif.
The Metal Hall of Fame is not to be confused with the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame, which currently exists only as a Facebook page.
There’s also the Decibel Hall of Fame, which honors “extreme music’s most important albums.” Decibel Magazine, “the world’s foremost heavy metal authority,” chooses the albums.

Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame is a project of the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association. The group is dedicated to honoring and celebrating Texas songwriters who have played an important role in defining and interpreting Texas’ distinctive culture.
The group produces a Homecoming Weekend celebration, including the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Show, in Austin, Texas.

Sports Technology Hall of Fame

The Sports Technology Awards celebrate tech-led innovations in sports. This year, the body added the Sports Technology Hall of Fame to the honors it bestows. Among the first eight inductees were the NBA, NFL and Ticketmaster.

Aspen Hall of Fame

The Aspen Hall of Fame was established in 1986-87 “to recognize and honor those individuals who have had a significant and lasting impact on the Aspen/Snowmass communities – economically, physically, spiritually, ethically or intellectually.” The group holds an annual banquet to celebrate the inductees.

Tire Industry Hall of Fame

The Tire Industry Association created its TIA Hall of Fame to “honor, preserve and perpetuate the names and outstanding accomplishments of personalities who have brought lasting fame to the tire, rubber and transportation industries.” The group started inducting honorees in 1985.

Convenience Store Hall of Fame

Convenience Store News honors the industry’s most influential retail and supplier executives with the Convenience Store News Hall of Fame. The publication holds an annual gala to recognize the honorees for their contributions to the convenience store industry.

Piano Teachers Hall of Fame

Piano maker Steinway & Sons honors music instructors with its Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame. The award recognizes piano teachers in North America for their commitment and passion for piano education.

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Halls of fame for sports media pros, political consultants, jewelry retailers (June 20, 2022)

Newest physical hall of fame is devoted to home furnishings

The newest physical hall of fame in the United States is the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame in High Point, N.C.
The hall opened April 22 and is designed to preserve the history of the industry and celebrate individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to it.
Two permanent displays highlight the role of the industry in American life and the evolution of the High Point Market into the “Home Furnishings Capital of the World.”
Opening exhibits include the Iconic Design Spotlight, which focuses on four iconic home furnishings designs and the impact they’ve had on the industry and consumer lifestyles. There’s also the Gallery of Invention, which provides a timeline of key industry events; an Innovation Showcase and a Future Projections spotlight.
Estimated at $150 billion annually, the home furnishings industry in the U.S touches every room in the home, producing and selling products that range from sofas, tables and mattresses to lamps, rugs and accessories.
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame is one of 493 physical halls of fame in the North America. For a complete list of halls of fame in North America check out this Google map: “Halls of fame in the U.S. and Canada.”

Photos: American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame

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Newest physical halls of fame open for sailing, baking, comic-book characters (June 19, 2022)

Country Music Hall of Fame museum puts the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum to shame

I recently toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. Although my music sensibilities tend more to rock and pop, I thought the Country Music Hall was an excellent experience.
The museum is well organized and does a great job of educating visitors about the history of the genre, its influences and evolution. It also does a superb job of funneling visitors through the facility in an orderly fashion.
The same cannot be said about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. That museum is a disorganized facility with a poor visitor flow. It has great exhibits, mostly on the lower level, but visitors get no sense of the history of the genre, where it started and where it is today. It’s a mess.
I hope that with the planned expansion of the Rock Hall museum that management will do a better job with how it is organized and with the information it provides.

Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. (Country Music Hall of Fame)

Awesome visit today to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It puts the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to shame. pic.twitter.com/n0O6oFH41t

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) May 13, 2023

Taylor Swift is well represented at the Country Music Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/qxf7jtapQG

— Patrick Seitz (@PatrickSeitz) May 13, 2023

Rock Hall induction looking more like Kennedy Center Honors

No offense to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees for 2023, but this class seems more fitting for a stodgy Kennedy Center Honors show.
This year’s Rock Hall class includes such perfectly pleasant performers as Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan, George Michael, The Spinners and Willie Nelson. Rage Against the Machine seems like the only inductee likely to bring some visceral excitement to the induction ceremony on Nov. 3 in New York.
The 2023 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are all worthy individuals but there’s not a lot of edge there. When many people think of rock and roll, they think of the rebels, the bad seeds and the troublemakers – artists that parents don’t approve of. I don’t sense that with this year’s class. They all seem safe to me.