HISTORY OF THE MCMA In the Fall of 1976 The First Annual State of Maine Country Music Awards Show was held in the Ballroom of the Eastland Hotel in Portland.  Due to the tremendous response and success of that first awards show, Slim Andrews, Barry Dean, Gini Eaton, and Ed Hazen of WPOR began to discuss the formation of a new organization to bring the Country Music Industry together on a state wide basis, much like the CMA in Nashville. In January of 1977 after a number of phone calls and words of mouth among Bottle Club Owners, Bands, Musicians, Booking Agents, Promoters, Media Representatives and Other Interested People, a meeting was held at the old Single Spur Bottle Club in Windham, Maine.  A thorough discussion was held, a vote was taken and Slim Andrews was elected to be Acting President until regular elections were held in June of that year.  Gini Eaton was the Acting Secretary/Treasurer and Barry Dean headed up the Constitution & By-laws Committee. After much publicity and regular monthly meetings were held, Vi Moody of Norway was elected as the First President in June of 1977.  In August the MCMA was registered with the State and a list of the Charter Members accompanied the Incorporation Papers in Augusta.  Attorney Richard Steeves of Standish handled the Registration and Filing with Augusta and the Maine Country Music Association, Inc. was born! Since those early years a great deal has been accomplished within this great organization.  Although other Country Music Organizations have been created in the State of Maine, MCMA has been, and continues to be, the prime mover of the Country Music Industry within the State. Around 1984 or 1985, in order to obtain our Non-Profit designation from the IRS, we changed our admission requirements to include Fans into full membership, which continues to this day. In November, 2009 Maine Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum was established as a separate entity with Maine County Music Association's blessings. PLEASE CLICK ON OUR LINKS PAGE (above left) RESPOND TO OUR E-MAIL FORM. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU!! .
MAINE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1978 BY MAINE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION, INC AND RELINQUISHED THE CONTROL TO MAINE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM,INC IN NOVEMBER, 2009	THE VERY FIRST HALL OF FAME INDUCTION/CEREMONY-1978 AT THE ITALIAN HERITAGE CENTER-PORTLAND, MAINE.  THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS IN THE PICTURE WHO WERE SUBSEQUENTLY INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME SINCE.
After many years of Fund Raising activities such as Benefits, Jamborees, Raffles, etc, Elmer Larson, Russ Adams and many other members and musicians began an annual 3 day jamboree at the Beaver Brook Campground in Monmouth, and this annual event was instrumental in raising substantial funds towards building a Hall of Fame Building & Museum.  After 28 years of hard and persistent efforts, sufficient funds were raised to allow the purchase of 5+ acres of land in the town of Greene, where we hope to have a building project completed in the next few years.  Since control was relinquished to the Hall of Fame, MCMA still owns  the Greene property.  Building  the proposed Hall of Fame Museum is now on hold. MCMA holds week-end Jamborees at the  Hebron Pines Campground in Hebron, and this successful venture has also been a tremendous help in raising other substantial funds for the organization.  In addition MCMA began holding other Shows on a periodic basis which became known as Country Sundays.  These events at various places around the State have been the life blood of the organization, thanks to the efforts of many of our non-performing members.  MCMA meetings are held the first Tuesday of th month at the  MCMA office in the lower level of the Silver Spur, Route 11/121, Mechanic Falls, Maine at 7:00PM. A number of years ago MCMA established the Northern Chapter and they hold a monthly jam at the American Legion Post in Corinna, Maine on the third Friday nite of the month starting at 6:00PM.  The Northern Chapter meets the last Monday of the month at the Corinna Fire Anex at 7:00PM.  A pot luck supper is held at 6:00PM.  Following the business meting a wonderful acoustic jam is held.