Jack White caught flack when hacked e-mails revealed his distaste for the Black Keys allegedly ripping him off...so at least he's generous in acknowledging the musical acts from which he pieced to gather his signature style. The guitarist made a healthy contribution to the National Blues Museum, which is scheduled to open in St. Louis later this year. The organization told media that the dollar figure was in the "six figure" range, according to NME.
According to representatives for the museum, White's donation will go specifically to develop an interactive project called Mix It Up, which will allow visitors to create new blues music using digital editing tools. The process will simultaneously teach users about traditional chord structures within the blues genre, as well as lyrical themes.
"Perhaps as well as anyone, Jack White understands that the blues is truly the foundation of all American music and remains relevant today, said Rob Endicott, Chairman of the Board for the museum. "Through Jack's vision and generosity, we hope to inspire the next generation of blues artists, historians and fans."
Although the museum is based on one of the oldest genres in popular music, it's looking to keep the exhibitions as fresh as possible, featuring interactive and listening capabilities for as many segments as possible. An image at the museum's website details what the Mix It Up exhibit will look like: a translucent cube-shaped room featuring multiple stations for mixing music. Diagrams also indicate attendees will get to do one thing few of the old greats had the chance to do: design their own album art.
Several other notable guitarists have chipped in time and cash to get the National Blues Museum off of the ground, including Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Derek Trucks.
The museum is currently looking at a "late 2015" opening date.
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