My District: Is Home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

• Author: Rassenfoss, Joe

"My District" gives NCSL members a chance to talk about life in the places they represent, from the high-profile events to the fun facts only the locals know. Let us know what's great about your district!

Rock 'n' roll wasn't invented in Cleveland, but the city can lay claim to launching the genre's national acceptance. That's thanks to pioneering disc jockey Alan Freed, who in the '50s gave rock its first exposure at a major urban radio station, WJW, and staged what many consider the first ever rock 'n' roll concert in the city on the shores of Lake Erie.

Fast forward to 1986, when the recently founded Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was looking for a permanent home. Cleveland officials bid aggressively and won.

The I.M. Pei-designed museum, which sits alongside Lake Erie, opened in 1995 with a star-studded concert that included the likes of James Brown, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin and Johnny Cash.

The museum, which now has more than 350 inductees, has become a must-visit destination for music fans from around the world. All those visitors add up to a significant economic impact for Cleveland and Ohio. The Hall of Fame reported in 2018 that the museum had a total impact of $199 million in business sales in Cuyahoga County and that visitors in 2017 spent an estimated $127.4 million on-site and at other businesses in the county. In all, visitors generated nearly $13.4 million in state and local tax revenues.

Induction ceremonies, which are held annually, are presented in Cleveland periodically. But the 2022 class of inductees--which ranges from Judas Priest to Dolly Parton, Eminem to Eurythmics and more--will be celebrated this year with a ceremony and concert on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles. It will be broadcast by HBO.

We spoke with Sen. Dale Martin (D) and Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D), whose districts include the Hall of Fame, about the museum and other Cleveland attractions.

Did you grow up near the Hall of Fame? Do you remember its construction or opening concert?

Upchurch: Wow, time sure flies. I don't remember much about the opening concert. However, I can remember my family being excited about going to the Hall for the first time.

Martin: I grew up about 15 minutes away in the Hough neighborhood. I didn't work on the construction project, but I did work for Cleveland Public Power, and it was our job to make sure, if anything went wrong with the power over there, to get it back running again.

Are you a big music fan? What...