The country music capital of the world—Nashville is best known for legendary musicians and songwriters who started their careers in the lively honky-tonk bars and famous venues like Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry, and Cannery Ballroom. The city's musical influence goes back to the 1700s with spans many genres—from its early days of fiddle tunes, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Elvis Presley, jazz movement, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Hip Hop, and Rap. Here's how to enjoy the Music City.
Storytellers Museum & Hideaway Farm
The farm originally owned by a revolutionary war hero Andrew Jefferson—became what Johnny Cash called “The Center of My Universe”. Johnny took ownership in the 1970s after learning his accountant embezzled his money to buy the 107-acre farm. The horrible experience was turned to good when Johnny fell in love with the place—becoming a tranquil hideaway after musical tours to relax and recharge—Johnny spent over 30-year on the farm.
The farmhouse is a glimpse of Johnny’s personal life—and The Car Shed exhibits his Paycheck Cadillac and the One-Piece-At-A-Time car from his 1976 hit song.
The Little Stage
A few miles from the Hideaway Farm is the Storytellers Museum. The old abandoned general store along the railroad tracks renovated into a stage by Johnny’s friends Loney Hutchins and Mel McDaniels created a place for young songwriters and musicians to perform—known as Saturday Night in Hickman County. Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, and Carter family members also performed here, and it is where family and friends gathered to celebrated Cash’s 20-year anniversary in the music industry.
The Little Stage was restored in 2016—and continues the tradition of Saturday Night in Hickman County with storytelling and live performances.
Lower Broadway
Center of activity, lower Broadway is full of lively honky-tonk bars featuring venues where Johnny Cash, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, and Kris Kristofferson got their start. Notable stops: Nudie’s Honky Tonk—named after Nudie Cohn, a local tailor who made rhinestone-studded suits for stars like Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, and Elton John. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge—with four stages past musical legends Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Tom Hall, and Johnny Cash. Tootsie’s “Wall of Fame” includes hundreds of photos of past performers. There are plenty of stylish boot stores—Boot Country Betty Boots, Big Time Boots, and many more.
Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Serving country music fans the historic vinyl record shop founded in 1947 by the "Texas Troubadour” Ernest Tubb is the original broadcast site of the second longest-running radio show in history—Midnight Jamboree. Broadcasted every Saturday night the live country music tradition continues at Texas Troubadour Theatre in the Music Valley Village across from the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
Johnny Cash Museum
Dedicated to the life and musical career of Johnny Cash—it is considered the largest most comprehensive collection of memorabilia chronicling Cash’s life and musical achievements through interactive technology, video, letters, costumes, personal letters, and interviews.
The museum spotlight his 97 albums, 107 singles, television music variety show, marriage to June Carter, famous Folsom prison tour, and movie acting career—featuring 1971 western movie, "A Gunfight" with Kirk Douglas and Jane Alexander. And end with an emotional tribute to "Hurt"—an spiritual interpretation of Trent Reznor's from Nine Inch Nails dark lyrics. "Hurt" was one of Cash's last recordings who masterfully took a song of depression and transformed it into a hopeful statement of faith and mortality.
Johnny Cash received 18 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, Gospel Music, Nashville Songwriters, and Memphis Music Halls of Fame.
As Long As The Moon Shall Rise
A mural by artist, Beau Stanton inspired by the song performed by Johnny Cash found on the "Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian" album and speaks to the harsh treatment of the indigenous peoples.
The lyrics, "As long as the moon shall rise, as long as the rivers flow. As long as the sun will shine, as long as the grass shall grow" with bold typography is graphically displayed on the L&C Parking Garage. The artist refers to the style as "Calligrafiti" mixing graffiti and calligraphy.
Nashville is full of iconic and colorful expressions of art with countless photo opportunities to choose from. The city mural tour features over 70 international and local artists taking you through Nashville's coolest neighborhoods including East Nashville, The Nations, The Gulch, and 12 South. A few of the most popular murals are "I Believe in Nashville", "What Lifts You”, "Good Vibes", and "Listening Room".
Music City Walk of Fame
Landmark tribute to musicians, writers, and performers with significant achievements to the world of music and Nashville’s musical heritage.
The Walk of Frame Park is between the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bridgestone Area, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center featuring Roy Orbison, Wynonna Judd, Michael W. Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Steven Curtis Chapman, Rascal Flatts, and few hundred inductees.
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
One of the world’s largest music museums and research centers—dedicated to the preservation of American vernacular music with 350,000 square feet of galleries, retail, the Taylor Swift Education Center, and 776-seat CMA Theater. In the main exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, visitors are immersed in the history, origins, and traditions of country music through the stories and voices of many of its artists, songwriters, and contributors.
The museum documents the early days of folk music to modern country—through Bob Pinson Recorded Sound Collection comprising over 250,000 sound recordings; 500,000 photographs, digital images, and video; 900 musical instruments, including Mother Maybelle Carter's Gibson L-5 guitar; thousands of stage costumes; and iconic vehicles, such as Elvis Presley's 1960 "Solid Gold" Cadillac limousine and Jerry Reed's 1980 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit II.
Ryman Auditorium
From tent revival, grand auditorium, to the Mother Church of Country Music—how saloon and riverboat casino owner created a church that changed music forever. In 1885 Thomas Ryman attended a tent revival where he heard the sermon of evangelist Sam Jones and gave his life to Jesus Christ. Ryman so spiritually inspired was lead to create the Union Gospel Tabernacle which opened in 1892—now known as the Ryman Auditorium.
As the spiritual revival continued world-famous musicians began performing within the auditorium eventually birthing bluegrass—and later best known for the Grand Ole Opry with performances from Mother Maybelle & The Carter Sisters, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton. In 2003 services were held for Johnny Cash's funeral at Ryman Auditorium.
The Grand Ole Opry
Started as the WSM Barn Dance in 1925—the phrase "Grand Ole Opry" was first uttered on NBC's Red Network's Music Appreciation in 1927. As the audiences grew the Opry moved to larger venues in the Hillsboro Theatre, War Memorial Auditorium, The Ryman Auditorium, and eventually to the Opera House.
Nashville Parthenon
The full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens in Centennial Park. Nashville nicknamed, the “Athens of the South”, the 1897 Parthenon, and other ancient inspired buildings were recreated as a part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tennessee’s entry into the union.
Now an art museum, the Nashville Parthenon has a permanent collection of 19th and 20th-century art—and includes plaster reproductions of Parthenon Marbles (Elgin Marbles), originally part of the Greek temple and other buildings of the Acropolis of Athens. They are direct copies of casts created from original Elgin Marbles on display at the British Museum in London. In the center gallery is a modern reproduction of the statue of Athena Parthenos. The statue covered in 8.5 pounds of 23-karat gold leaf—one-third the thickness of tissue paper.
The art and musical influences go beyond country music—and include Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Jack White, Kings of Leon, and many others who came to create music here. And there are plenty more activities to choose from including Belmont Mansion, Patsy Cline Museum, National Museum of African American Music, Willie Nelson & Friends Museum, and Frist Art Museum—so get out and explore.
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Sources: Wikipedia