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Power of Women in Country Music opens at N C Museum of History

Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios Howdy, friends. Lucille here. North Carolina's Museum of History opens its exhibit Friday.The show runs through Feb. 26 and is curated by the GRAMMY Museum.I was lucky enough to preview the small but mighty collection of some of the most iconic female musicians' outfits, instruments and handwritten song lyrics yesterday. I was staring at the dress Shania Twain wore in her "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" music video when I realized something I hadn't thought about before: As a little girl raised in Nashville and Oklahoma City, these are artists who shaped me and so many of the women I know. This exhibit's showcasing of the women who boldly broke through a male-dominated industry unearthed some of my earliest memories. My mom and I were belting "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks on drives together when I was still in carseats. Dolly Parton's trailblazing and enduring relevance is highlighted in a brief biography posted next to two of her dresses and custom banjo.Spending several years of my childhood in Nashville meant I knew who Parton was long before I knew who was president. One portion of the exhibit sheds light on the female artists who took center stage in the 2000s. That transported me back to two years after my family moved to Oklahoma, when Carrie Underwood won "American Idol." Naturally, my cousin and I were obsessed after that. We were two little girls who wore being from the same state as Carrie Underwood like a badge of honor. And it was wonderful learning about women of country music who have North Carolina roots: from Emmylou Harris to Caitlin Cary. A Kasey Musgraves dress, along with three of Taylor Swift's most famous dresses. Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios My favorite part was being reminded of how so many of these women — The Chicks, Parton, Twain, Loretta Lynn — pushed back on society's expectations of them. Even those of us who aren't female musicians stand on their shoulders. And the artists who have emerged more recently — Kasey Musgrave, Brandi Carlile, Yola, Taylor Swift — are continuing that legacy. The bottom line: Just go. I hope it transports you back to formative moments of your life, like it did for me. Get the details . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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