Situated just over the town line in Stockbridge among the barns and outbuildings of the 1901 Wheatleigh estate, the Music Inn was opened in 1950 by Stephanie and Phillip Barber as a groundbreaking stage for jazz and blues performers, and the short-lived but culturally significant Lenox School of Jazz.
In 1979, long after evolving into the Berkshire Music Barn as an open-air stage for rock acts, the Music Inn closed. By the mid-1980s, the grounds were transformed into the White Pines condominium complex near Stockbridge Bowl.
Among the many performers featured during the venue's three-decade heyday: Woody Guthrie, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Carly and Lucy Simon, Don McLean, The Band, Arlo Guthrie, The Kinks, Bob Marley and the Allman Brothers, to name just a few.
Purchase our photos at SmugMug.com.
Sound engineers monitor decibel levels from the stage of Music Inn, which opened its 1976 season on June 12, 1976 under court edict to suppress sound lefel to not exceed 65 decibels at the property line. 2500 people attended
- EAGLE FILE PHOTO
Sound engineers monitor decibel levels from the stage of Music Inn, which opened its 1976 season on June 12, 1976 under court edict to suppress sound lefel to not exceed 65 decibels at the property line. 2500 people attended
More like this...

Music Inn opened its 9th season, the weekend of June 17, 1978. Performers included Bob Marley and the Wailers, and Climax Blues Band
- EAGLE FILE PHOTO
Music Inn opened its 9th season, the weekend of June 17, 1978. Performers included Bob Marley and the Wailers, and Climax Blues Band

Sound engineers monitor decibel levels from the stage of Music Inn, which opened its 1976 season on June 12, 1976 under court edict to suppress sound lefel to not exceed 65 decibels at the property line. 2500 people attended
- EAGLE FILE PHOTO
Sound engineers monitor decibel levels from the stage of Music Inn, which opened its 1976 season on June 12, 1976 under court edict to suppress sound lefel to not exceed 65 decibels at the property line. 2500 people attended
More like this...
More information
The late Derek Gentile originally shared this column in October 2014.
Wheatleigh, the Italian villa of Countess Georgie Bruce Cook de Heredia and Count Carlos de Heredia was built for Georgie Cook as a wedding pr…
Van Morrison, known for breakout hits like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Moondance,” has been added to the Popular Artists series at Tanglewood, where he will perform Sept. 4.