All of my life, I have always been a fan of Rock and Roll. From the first time I heard a classic rock song, I was instantly hooked. And to this day, I still enjoy classic rock more than any other type of music. I listen to Q104.3, New York’s only classic rock station, I usually choose classic rock MP3s over any other type of music I have – and I love to watch documentaries and programs about the early days of rock and roll.

As part of my vacation to Akron Ohio, my friends Tom and Carla chose to add, in addition to the amazing camaraderie and family time we were eager to share – a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. A thirty-something mile trek from Tom and Carla’s house, all fourteen of us climbed into three cars and drove to, “The House That Rock Built” – and I wound up having one of the greatest days of my life.

The six story building, which is shaped like a pyramid, houses a true time capsule of the history of Rock and Roll. From outfits that rock legends wore, to collectibles of them and their band that are probably worth thousands – to actual pages of lyrics to world famous songs that were handwritten by the artists themselves – the “RockHall” is certainly the place to go to see the evolution of Rock and Roll.

We began our tour by learning of the early days of Rock and Roll and the names of those early pioneers who paved the way for what became Rock and Roll. And as the tour moved on – myself and everyone else who ever entered the building got a very thorough and extremely interactive education on what Rock and Roll is – and who made it what it has become.

Besides the films, documentaries and descriptions that the Hall had available, it was the artifacts that were displayed that truly took my breath away. They had, on display, items that were not only one of a kind – but were as priceless as paintings done by Rembrandt and Michelangelo – and just as awe inspiring. From the 1965 Porsche that was owned and driven by Janis Joplin, to Elvis Presley’s first recording contract, which contains his original signature, to the outfits worn by The Supremes when they made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show – to the handwritten lyrics of Walk This Way by Aerosmith – there could not be a more concise and elaborate collection of Rock and Roll history than what is housed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Each time I left one display case and made my way to another one, I was more and more enamored. I could not believe that so many artifacts from each of rock’s Gods and Goddesses were housed in one collection. They had personal and private items from such names as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Otis Redding, Paul Simon, Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, James Taylor, Lou Reed, Jeff Beck and Aretha Franklin. They had Les Paul Guitars owned by the best of rock’s elite, props from some of the most famous concert tours – and items that instantly brought you to tears as soon as you saw them – because they immediately invoked the realization of the meaning of the artifact you were looking at.

The three items that touched me the most and did, in fact, bring me to tears were Bruce Springsteen’s handwritten first draft of his speech inducting Bob Dylan into the Hall, James Taylor and J.D. Souther’s handwritten lyrics to Her Town Too – and a postcard written by John Lennon to his son Julian which included, in John Lennon’s own handwriting, the words, “P.S., the mind is a muscle, exercise it!” As I gazed at those three items and so many more, I found it hard to believe that those items were once owned by Rock and Roll’s most legendary figures. When you enter a room and see a business card for “The Quarry Men” – which was what the Beatles were before they were the Beatles – you can’t help but immediately realize the enormity of what the Beatles were to American Rock and Roll, and instantly understand why a chronological history of their accomplishments is essential to preserve and display for all time.

When the tour of the Hall of Fame was over, I felt more respect and admiration for Rock and Roll then I ever had before. While we all listen to music and know the words to many of Rock’s favorite songs – most of us do not know the stories, the struggles and the situations that led to releasing the songs that changed the fabric and the future of Rock and Roll. We look at these songs as simply anthems for our lives – completely forgetting the story of what the artist went through to take a song that he or she believed in and watch it evolve into a song that deserves its place among the anthems of rock. When Stephen Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith sat down to write Walk This Way, I am sure they hoped that the song would be a hit. Not only did their wish come true – but the piece of paper containing the lyrics they wrote that day now hang in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – serving as a testament to their accomplishments and their place in the annuls of Rock history.

Now that I have had the honor of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I will never listen to a Rock and Roll song quite the same way again. I will also try and learn as much as I can about my favorite Rock and Roll artists and what it took to get them where they are, so I can have a better understanding of the importance of the music I am listening to. And the next time I come to Ohio, I also plan to visit the Hall again, because nothing is better than spending a day with your friends in, “The House That Rock Built” – and learning about the evolution of Rock And Roll.