Georgia Music Hall of Fame First Friday Event Celebrates R.E.M.

MACON, May 15, 2007 - In commemoration of R.E.M.'s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007, and into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on Sept. 16, 2006, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame presents First Friday Around the Sun: A Celebration of R.E.M. on Fri., June 1, 2007. The free event takes place from 6 – 10 p.m. at the museum, located at 200 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in downtown Macon. First Friday Around The Sun highlights an R.E.M. display guest-curated in January by Chris Bilheimer, the band's art director. Featured items include Michael Stipe's handwritten lyrics for 'It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),' Peter Buck's Rickenbacker guitar and the mandolino he used to compose 'Losing My Religion,' Bill Berry's snare drum from the 'The One I Love' video, one of Mike Mills' Nudie suits, a large cardboard set list detailing all the songs the band rehearsed for the 2005 tour, and dozens more vintage photographs and memorabilia documenting the band's journey since forming in Athens over 25 years ago. In addition, the Hall of Fame's tribute to its 2006 inductees includes historic R.E.M. photos by photographer Sandra Lee Phipps. Featured prints include shots of the band's first gig on April 5, 1980, in a church on Oconee St. in Athens, outtakes from the Murmur photo sessions and other portraits of the band from 1982 and 1983. Modern Skirts, featured on Finest Worksongs: Athens Bands Play the Music of R.E.M., will perform during First Friday Around the Sun. Scheduled for release on May 29, 2007, Finest Worksongs includes guest appearances by R.E.M. members Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe and cuts by Patterson Hood of Drive-by Truckers, Five Eight, Liz Durrett and others. The CD was recorded at Athens' 40 Watt Club on Sept. 12, 2006. First Friday is a monthly event in downtown Macon, Georgia, that features sidewalk music, art exhibits, poetry readings and more. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, is located at 200 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Macon and is open 9 – 5 Monday through Saturday and 1 – 5 on Sundays. First Friday Around the Sun is free; admission during regular hours is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students with ID, $3.50 for ages 4-16 and free for children under four. For more information, call 888-GA-ROCKS, (478) 751-3334 or visit www.georgiamusic.org.