Coventry two-tone museum celebrates city's musical heritage

A museum has opened celebrating the two-tone record label and the rest of Coventry's musical heritage.



The museum charts the area's musical past up to local bands like The Specials and The Selector.

Historian Pete Chambers estimates £25,000 was raised for the museum in the 2-Tone Village in the city.

Neville Staple from The Specials said: "For me it's brilliant because kids who've heard about ska can now come here and find out all about it."

Coventry bands like The Specials and The Selecter played a central part in the growth of two-tone and ska music in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Much of the memorabilia on show has been donated by local people, Mr Chambers said.

These include the original master tapes from The Specials first recording session and a platinum disc awarded to The Moody Blues.

Other artists celebrated include Lieutenant Pigeon, Hazel O'Connor and Pete Waterman.

The museum also features a reconstruction of a 1960s record shop listening booth.

The Coventry Music Museum, which is staffed by volunteers, will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

Coventry's 2-Tone music museum set to expand



A music museum in Coventry is set to expand after attracting 4,500 visitors in a year.

The museum in the 2-Tone Village said it will create three more galleries dedicated to local music.

The museum, which opened on Ball Hill in 2013, charts the area's musical past with exhibits from bands like The Specials and The Selecter.

It said the new areas of the museum will open in an adjoining premises in the spring.

Much of the memorabilia on show has been donated by local people.

Exhibits include the original master tapes from The Specials' first recording session and a platinum disc awarded to The Moody Blues.

Financial director Julie Chambers said the museum's first year had been an "astounding success".

"We expected to be in this position in possibly year three, but opportunities arose and we are looking at more great gallery space," she said.

"It's very exciting."