Music museum expands reach with archive, library

[March 01, 2010]  CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland has fascinating relics like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" mask. Soon it'll have space to showcase its interesting but less flashy artifacts.

The museum will open its library and archives later this year in a $12 million high-tech building it shares with Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) Community College's creative arts programs.

Jim Morrison's first poem will be there as well as and letters from the Grateful Dead, Whitney Houston, Patti Smith and others. There will also be old audio and video recordings, contracts, album covers, posters and scrap books.

Student and professional singer Tracy Marie hopes the museum-college collaboration will encourage young artists to aspire to have their campus studio work enshrined in the archive.

[Associated Press; By THOMAS J. SHEERAN]

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