Celebrating the 80th Birthday of the Grand Ole Opry... The unveiling of the Minnie Pearl bronze statue sculpted by
Bill Rains of Billings, Montana, project developed by Rod Harris Centerville, Tennessee. From left to right Grand Ole
Opry Manager Pete Fisher, Minnie, Sculptor Bill Rains, Rod Harris and Opry Star Steve Wariner, Saturday October 15th
2005. Statue commissioned by Rod and Jennifer Harris Centerville, Tennessee. Photo by Chris Hollo used with
permission.
On October 26, 2005 the bronze likeness was placed on Centerville Square which was by contract agreed to be a
permanent site not to be removed. The site was approved unanimously by the Board of Aldermen.
(In 2009 Centerville Officials breeched the contractual agreement causing the removal by Rod Harris) The Centerville
Board of Mayor and Aldermen reviewed an opinion from its attorney, who advised that the terms of the placement
agreement did not allow them to move the statue. After discussion, the board voted 10-0 to "proceed with plans to
revitalize the Square," as previously approved, "and move it!". A flagrant breech of contract by the Centerville Board of
Aldermen and Mayor against the advice of the attorney.
March, 2011 the Minnie Pearl Bronze fifteen percent larger than life Statue was relocated from The Grinder's Switch
Winery www.gswinery.com in Centerville to Murray State University, Murray Ky. The7-Foot-Tall work of art is on
Exhibit At Wrather West Kentucky Museum on the campus of MSU. Kate Reeves, manager at Wrather Museum, told a
reporter she has always been a Minnie Pearl fan "and am happy for people around here to get to see it." The statue is in
the main exhibit room at the museum, which also currently houses a photography exhibit from the Tennessee Valley
Authority and recently added the Dan Helland Celebrity Photo Exhibit . (NOTE THE ART HAS BEEN MOVED TO
ANOTHER MUSEUM LOCATION TBA)
FYI: As a matter of fact during this entire situation no city official has called and asked to talk. ( We only have five
phone numbers) Early on when I read in the Hickman Times that there were plans to move her I called Mayor Martian
and reminded him of the contract... he said there wasn't one in his possession... I knew he had been given a copy and we
filed a copy with his office and the business office had a copy... so I called my attorney and he said to take him one.... I
did... Anyway there was a lot of crap back and forth--no sincerity shown on the part of the city...that is the first time they
voted her off and stated in a press release either Rod Harris move her or they would.
Got an e-mail in the US-Mail from the new mayor, I answered him by e-mail and told him my attorney was
handling the thing at that time...some back and forth between the city attorney and ours... My attorney
suggested we find out if they were sincere about wanting her back and I said how? That is where the $10,000
came into play as an attorney fee. In my business if a fee is too high we ask to negotiate; our thinking was if they
really wanted her back they would ask to sit down and talk about it. That did not happen and instead they had a
city hall meeting and again voted 10 - 0 to let it go. Sometime at that point they decided to try and raise funds for
another statue, not good business practice to mis-handle a good deal and then ask for money to make another!
Bill Rains of Billings, Montana, project developed by Rod Harris Centerville, Tennessee. From left to right Grand Ole
Opry Manager Pete Fisher, Minnie, Sculptor Bill Rains, Rod Harris and Opry Star Steve Wariner, Saturday October 15th
2005. Statue commissioned by Rod and Jennifer Harris Centerville, Tennessee. Photo by Chris Hollo used with
permission.
On October 26, 2005 the bronze likeness was placed on Centerville Square which was by contract agreed to be a
permanent site not to be removed. The site was approved unanimously by the Board of Aldermen.
(In 2009 Centerville Officials breeched the contractual agreement causing the removal by Rod Harris) The Centerville
Board of Mayor and Aldermen reviewed an opinion from its attorney, who advised that the terms of the placement
agreement did not allow them to move the statue. After discussion, the board voted 10-0 to "proceed with plans to
revitalize the Square," as previously approved, "and move it!". A flagrant breech of contract by the Centerville Board of
Aldermen and Mayor against the advice of the attorney.
March, 2011 the Minnie Pearl Bronze fifteen percent larger than life Statue was relocated from The Grinder's Switch
Winery www.gswinery.com in Centerville to Murray State University, Murray Ky. The7-Foot-Tall work of art is on
Exhibit At Wrather West Kentucky Museum on the campus of MSU. Kate Reeves, manager at Wrather Museum, told a
reporter she has always been a Minnie Pearl fan "and am happy for people around here to get to see it." The statue is in
the main exhibit room at the museum, which also currently houses a photography exhibit from the Tennessee Valley
Authority and recently added the Dan Helland Celebrity Photo Exhibit . (NOTE THE ART HAS BEEN MOVED TO
ANOTHER MUSEUM LOCATION TBA)
FYI: As a matter of fact during this entire situation no city official has called and asked to talk. ( We only have five
phone numbers) Early on when I read in the Hickman Times that there were plans to move her I called Mayor Martian
and reminded him of the contract... he said there wasn't one in his possession... I knew he had been given a copy and we
filed a copy with his office and the business office had a copy... so I called my attorney and he said to take him one.... I
did... Anyway there was a lot of crap back and forth--no sincerity shown on the part of the city...that is the first time they
voted her off and stated in a press release either Rod Harris move her or they would.
Got an e-mail in the US-Mail from the new mayor, I answered him by e-mail and told him my attorney was
handling the thing at that time...some back and forth between the city attorney and ours... My attorney
suggested we find out if they were sincere about wanting her back and I said how? That is where the $10,000
came into play as an attorney fee. In my business if a fee is too high we ask to negotiate; our thinking was if they
really wanted her back they would ask to sit down and talk about it. That did not happen and instead they had a
city hall meeting and again voted 10 - 0 to let it go. Sometime at that point they decided to try and raise funds for
another statue, not good business practice to mis-handle a good deal and then ask for money to make another!
| “don’t ever underestimate jenn-rod artists” |
jenn-rod artist directions
| events |
Copyright 1991-2012 jenn-rod artist directions
| Rod Harris, Garth Brooks, Bill Rains backstage at the Opry |
| Rod at the helm of SeaDora... |
| Rod, Charlie Dick and David McCormick at Ernest Tubb Record Shop |
| Bill Cody, WSM, Coffee, Country and Cody. Rod Harris, Bonnie Sugarman V/P APA Nashville |
