Although professional football has been the focus of Jim Irsay’s professional life, he has a personal passion for rock music, American history and pop culture, which led him to assemble a collection of historic and culturally-significant artifacts over several decades that together make up The Jim Irsay Collection. The collection is highlighted by musical instruments and items owned by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Pete Townshend, Les Paul, Janis Joplin, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and other music icons.
An active philanthropist, Irsay transformed his collection into a “traveling museum” and began hosting free exhibitions across the country in fall of 2021. The Jim Irsay Band began with an impromptu jam session at the first exhibition in Nashville, Tenn., featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mike Mills of R.E.M., five-time Grammy® nominee Kenny Wayne Shepherd, guitarist and producer Mike Wanchic (John Mellencamp), and prominent Nashville guitarist Tom Bukovac (played on more than 700 albums with major artists). The group, using some of the classic instruments on display, performed with Irsay to a packed house, giving Irsay the idea to take the band on the road and share the collection with as many people as possible.
Irsay then called on a group of old friends to join him on the road. In addition to Mills, Shepherd, Wanchic and Bukovac, the band grew to include Kenny Aronoff on drums (Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp, The Rolling Stones), three-time Grammy® nominee Billy Branch on harmonica, Danny Nucci on guitar & saxophone (actor, Titanic, The Rock), Michael Ramos on keyboards (Mellencamp, Patti Griffin, Paul Simon) and Carmella Ramsey on violin, mandolin & vocals (Reba McEntire, Olivia Newton-John).
The band has since toured the country along with The Jim Irsay Collection and has featured appearances by legendary guest performers, including Indiana’s own John Mellencamp, Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash), blues pioneer Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson (Heart), John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Natalie Merchant (formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), country music superstar Vince Gill, Indianapolis’ own John Hiatt, four-time Grammy® nominee Robert Randolph and Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band).
