Marty Stuart started collecting country music memorabilia as a boy, hiding guitars and costumes in his bedroom. He kept touring and rescuing pieces people threw away for 50 years. It became the largest private collection of country music artifacts in the world: more than 22,000 pieces, including items from Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, and Elvis. He gave it all to the public for free.
He Spent 50 Years Rescuing Country Music, Then Gave It Away
When Chris Stapleton stepped up to perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame in August 2024, he wasn't playing just any guitar. It was Johnny Cash's own Martin D-45, on loan from the largest private collection of country music artifacts in the world. That collection belonged to one man: Marty Stuart.
A Bedroom Full of History
Long before he was a Grammy-winning artist and Grand Ole Opry star, Marty Stuart was a kid in Philadelphia, Mississippi, squirreling away country music memorabilia in his bedroom.
As he grew older and started touring with the genre's biggest names, the habit never left him. He kept picking up instruments, letters, and stage costumes that other people were ready to let go of.
The Suits Nobody Else Wanted
Stuart's timing mattered. During the 1990s, rhinestone-covered stage suits and other vintage country wardrobe pieces fell out of fashion, and plenty of it ended up discarded or forgotten in closets and storage rooms.
Stuart kept rescuing it, piece by piece, alongside handwritten song manuscripts and instruments tied to some of the genre's founding figures.
22,000 Pieces of American Music
Over roughly 50 years, the collection grew into something no other private collector in the world could match: more than 22,000 items, including over 1,000 stage costumes, 100 instruments, and 50 original song manuscripts.
Pieces trace back to Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Loretta Lynn.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has called it the largest private assemblage of country music artifacts anywhere on Earth.
A Gift to Everyone
In August 2024, Stuart's entire collection officially joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's permanent collection, free of charge.
At a celebration in the museum's Ford Theater, Stapleton played Cash's guitar, Vince Gill played George Jones' 1958 Martin D-28, and Shawn Camp performed on a guitar that once belonged to Lester Flatt, the bluegrass legend who gave a teenage Stuart his start in music.
"This is a top of the world moment for me," Stuart said. "To have my collection live alongside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's is monumental."
Part of the collection will also travel to the Congress of Country Music in Stuart's hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi, under a partnership with the Hall of Fame.
What started as a boy hiding guitars in his bedroom is now something anyone can walk in and see for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many items are in Marty Stuart's country music collection?
What artists are represented in Marty Stuart's collection?
Did Marty Stuart donate his collection to the Country Music Hall of Fame?
When did Marty Stuart start collecting country music memorabilia?
Will any of Marty Stuart's collection be displayed outside Nashville?
Verified Fact
This fact has been reviewed and verified against original sources.
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Claims checked
- 22,000+ items, largest private assemblage of country music artifacts in the world
- Breakdown (1,000+ costumes, instruments, manuscripts)
- Named artists (Cash, Cline, Hank Williams, Elvis + others in FAQ)
- Donation for free (not purchase), foundation funding for the transfer/exhibit
- 1990s rhinestone-suit rescue (as an adult, items discarded/thrown away)
- Largest PRIVATE assemblage wording (not no museum could match)
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