Song of Hope MusEum

As mentioned in the front-page story, the Song of Hope became a rallying cry for the live music shows in this community. Ultimately the mission statement for the Song of Hope became to preserve the history of Branson’s Live Music Show industry while assisting its advancement into the future. Clearly, this went beyond just the political advocacy, and a historical arm of the Song of Hope was created. It's founder, Alderman Howden (who was named by the Mayor as his Ambassador to the Shows) began chronicling the history of this industry. However, the biggest breakthrough for this historical preservation came when the Jim Stafford Theatre sold, and its contents went up for auction at an estate sale. Alderman Howden was contacted by a former intern of Stafford, Matt Bailey, and they devised a plan to purchase the iconic guitar neck marquee that set atop the building. As you can see from the picture above, that effort was successful, and an entire museum was created around the marquee centerpiece as well as a neon sign graveyard. The museum continues to grow to this day with the efforts of the Song of Hope Historical society and Marshall invites you to pay it a visit the next time you are in Branson.