As People magazine notes, the exhibit offers a glimpse into how hard Church worked to get to where he is today. Items like Swift's gold record prove that his journey wasn't always easy.

The record's presence testifies to how Church, 38, has sometimes paid a price for stubbornly going his own way – and that he also has a sense of humor about it. No doubt the Flatts dismissal was a low, but the exhibit, which opens Friday, salutes a career that's had many more highs.
Church showed up at the downtown Nashville museum on Thursday night to soak it all in and, as he said, get “blown away” (though he confessed he was also sidetracked by Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard artifacts on display nearby).

During a reception, Church recalled a “distinct memory” of walking by the Hall of Fame 15 years ago when he was a struggling songwriter who'd been told ” ‘no' a bunch.”

“If I had a time machine to go back and tell that guy what would happen over the next 10 or 15 years, neither one of us would believe it,” he told the gathering of about 150 friends, associates, and media.

The exhibit runs through February, so if you're an Eric Church fan, you still have time to learn all about how your favorite country music superstar found success! The exhibit certainly sounds inspirational, and we bet it's been packed!

Article Source: People

Photo: NANCY KRUH