Rock & Roll Hall of Fame displays inductee artifacts

CLEVELAND — You may not put Dionne Warwick and Ozzy Osbourne in the same sentence unless you’re talking about two of the all-time greatest. 

Some of their personal items along with items from all of the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be on display starting Friday.

The very guitar that Jimmy Buffet used to write his now legendary song, “Margaritaville,” is on display at Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

“We have a lot of fan favorites from Ozzy Osbourne to Cher to Cool & the Gang to Jimmy Buffet — something for everybody,” said Amanda Pecsenye, director of curatorial affairs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Just a week before the 2024 induction ceremony, artifacts from all 16 inductees are being showcased, from a sweater belonging to the British-American rock band Foreigner to Mary J. Blige’s white knee-high boots.

The exhibit is packed with items dating back decades and covers genres from rap and funk to heavy metal and blues.

A curator for the rock hall said fans may even broaden their musical palates.

If you’re a big Ozzie or Dionne Warwick fan, you’re going to come and see that exhibit and then learn a little bit about the other artists, said Andy Leach, senior director, museum and archival collections at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

But the exhibit is about more than just music; it’s about history. Sometimes the items come with their backstory, but not always.

“It’s like playing detective a little bit. Do Google searches and watch concert videos and find out when and where these pieces were used,” Pecsenye said.