Eric Church's 'Restless Soul' is on display at a new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit

A few decades ago, it seemed pretty unlikely that the story of a tall, shaggy-haired kid from North Carolina with a knack for Music Row rabble-rousing would one day be on display inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

"We were not a candidate for this early on," said Eric Church, a CMA Entertainer of the Year who carved his own path with marathon live shows, rowdy anthems, and surprise album releases.

On opening night of his new Hall of Fame exhibit — called "Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul" — the 46-year-old stares into the expansive floor-to-ceiling display from behind his signature sunglasses, adding: "There's something to doin' it your own way."

Country Music Hall of Fame curators opened "Country Heart, Restless Soul" last week at a reception with Church alongside family, friends, and collaborators. Located in a first-floor space that previously held exhibits highlighting Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton, country music faithful can visit the new attraction until June 2024.

Along with the exhibit opening, Church serves as the Hall of Fame's 2023 artist-in-residence, a rare honor that includes a pair of intimate shows inside the CMA Theater next month.

"When you go through this in life, you just don't have time to look at stuff like that," he said moments after walking through the exhibit for his first time. "I was reminded of so many things that I had forgotten about. We don't get to do that when we're out there in the tornado."

"Country Heart, Restless Soul" highlights include:

• A look at Church's upbringing through yearbooks, childhood photos, and music-making anecdotes.

• Tour memorabilia and behind-the-scenes artifacts from his years on the road, including a jacket worn during a "Star-Spangled Banner" performance at Super Bowl LV.

• A copy of a hand-written letter from Bruce Springsteen complimenting Church on the success of his 2011 single "Springsteen."

• A gold album gifted from a young Taylor Swift after a dust-up on the road helped the young singer score her first major opening slot.

• Original drafts to song lyrics, including Church staple "Smoke a Little Smoke."

The exhibit traces Church's upbringing in the shadow of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains through his early years defined by late-night shows inside rock clubs and on honky-tonk stages. It chronicles linchpin moments on Music Row, like when he bet his career on an against-the-grain single, "Smoke a Little Smoke," and got booted from his slot opening a Rascal Flatts arena tour for playing too long and too loud (Swift replaced Church on the tour, delivering the aforementioned gold album with a "thank you" note).

And the exhibit begins in-part with one of Church's first on-stage appearances — as a 4-year-old singing Oak Ridge Boys classic "Elvira" in a local talent show.

"I've always thought about, how did we do it back then? It had to be either somebody playing it or a tapedeck-type thing," Church said when asked about a newspaper clipping from the show. "I wonder how that even happened. You're talking about 1981. I'm not even sure how that went down."

And unlike fuzzy childhood memories, Church said he remembers the exact moment in 2012 that he received a handwritten note from Springsteen. In the letter, Springsteen wrote: "my family and I got a big kick out of ‘Springsteen’ (and a good song too!)."

"His tour manager had come to (our) show in New Hampshire," Church said. "I got in the car to leave and on the way to the airport I was reading it, realizing what it was. I was like, 'Holy s---.'"

The exhibit opens at a page-turning point in Church's career. He's expanding his reach beyond music with projects like small-batch branded whiskey (part of newly launched liquor line Outsiders Spirits), a new Lower Broadway entertainment complex — called Chief's, of course (with an opening date as yet to be announced) — and a bid for partial ownership in the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA franchise.

How does Church describe the next chapter in his story?

"If you look at the music and integrity and the authenticity ... it's still based on that," Church said. "I wouldn't have any of those things if we didn't have the reputation we do in music. None of 'em. Zero. Based on having that, it's kinda fun — at least I'm having fun — going out and doing some of those things."

But for now, he's focused on the road. Earlier this year, Church launched the "Outsiders Revival" tour, his first major run without a new album to promote. Playing in amphitheaters with support from a rotating cast of like-minded artists, Church enlists a massive band that includes a horn section and trio of backing singers. Together, they deliver soulful, freewheeling sets that dig deep into Church's catalog (and include the occasional Grateful Dead cover).

Unlike some tenured artists who spend summers on the road, this tour isn't a collection of greatest hits. And that's the way Church likes it. After all, he didn't get this far by playing by someone else's rules.

"You're not playing 'Record Year'? No, we're not. You're not playing 'Talladega'? No, we're not," Church said. "We're just not playing those songs. We're gonna play what we're playing ... and it's working. People are digging it. It's soulful. It's a lot of jamming. That's what this tour is. But we're not playing a lot of hits."

Find more information on "Country Heart, Restless Soul" at countrymusichalloffame.org.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Eric Church on his new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit: Interview