Music
City…and my favorite city…Nashville, Tennessee! If I had to sum up the character of Nashville in just a few
words, it would be entertaining, creative, humble and inviting! NBC’s Today Show recently named Nashville one of the five friendliest cities in America.
Bizjournals.com ranked Nashville as the third
best city, behind only New York City and San Francisco, in terms of
cultural amenities. Country music finds its
way into your heart and connects with your soul. But what makes the music really special are
the singers and songwriters behind the hits.
Unlike other major entertainment cities, Nashville is a close knit community of
artists who tout themselves as being just like everybody else.
Performer Craig Morgan is one
such example. I had the extreme honor of
attending the Grand Ole Opry the night he was inducted as its 67th
member. He told us it had been his dream
for so long to become part of the Opry, and when they surprised him with his
invitation while performing at Fort
Bragg, he walked right
off the stage to try and gather his composure.
It was truly amazing to hear Craig speak about his journey as a
performer and about all the people who have meant so much to him along the
way. But what impressed me
the most was
his extremely humble demeanor.
When you visit Nashville, you must see a show at the
Opry. The Opry can be heard on the
legendary radio station 650 AM, where it all started in 1925. It is still staged live every week and is America’s
longest running radio show, in continuous production for 80 years. You never know who will make a surprise
appearance. You’ll see classic country artists such as Little Jimmy Dickens, to
contemporary performers like Carrie Underwood and Rodney Atkins. The Opry square dancers are a lot of fun, as
are the live commercials for the sponsors.
The atmosphere and dress are casual and they offer refreshments you can
bring into the performance.
A tour of the Opry is really
neat, as you get to see what goes on backstage, the dressing rooms, and what
it’s like to stand on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
For a few months out of the year, when the Radio City Rockettes come to
the Opry, the show is held at its original venue, the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman, situated in downtown Nashville, is a national
landmark and was originally built as a church is 1892. It was home of the Grand Ole Opry from
1943-1974, and was completely renovated in 1994. Today, the Ryman continues it’s more than 100
year tradition by offering a variety of entertainment from artists such as
Bruce Springsteen to Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow. Be sure to take the behind-the-scenes tour to
take in the true legendary history of the Ryman. It has been called the
“Carnegie Hall of the South” for its incredible acoustics, and has been named,
by Pollstar Magazine, as the best auditorium in the nation in which to
experience live music.
Two other must-see attractions
include the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B. The
Country Music Hall of Fame is filled with rich history and sounds of country music
stars, past and present. Currently on
display is “The Williams Family Legacy.” The museum does a wonderful job of
highlighting the struggles and musical successes of Hank Williams, Hank
Williams Jr. and his descendants. The
Country Music Hall of Fame opened originally in 1967 on Music Row and moved to
downtown Nashville
in 2001. With over 800,000 items in its
collection, I challenge you to check out this museum even if you’re not a
country fan. I guarantee by the end of
your tour, you will be!
RCA Studio B is known as the home
of 1000 hits and is a tour not to be missed.
You can buy your tickets in conjunction with the Country Music Hall of
Fame. Many famous artists once recorded their infamous country hits here,
including Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, and the Everly Brothers. Just recently, artists such as Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill used the
studio to record an upcoming Christmas album.
As an extra treat, you can play Elvis’ Steinway piano and test out the
acoustics for yourself. You’ll even get
a copy of your recording to take home.
With Nashville being home to so many talented
songwriters and performers, you won’t have any difficulty finding a live
performance venue. In the downtown area,
the streets are lined with honky tonks such as Tootsies Orchard Lounge,
Legends, Roberts and the Wildhorse Saloon, which has delicious BBQ, line
dancing, and various genres of bands. I
had my first fried pickle at the Wildhorse and it was yummy! The Bluebird Café is a casual venue for
top-notch songwriters and performers. I
would definitely incorporate the Bluebird Café into your itinerary. We watched the incredibly talented Victoria
Shaw and Gary Burr perform songs they have written for such artists as Leanne Rimes
and Ricky Martin. Making a surprise appearance
was singer Ty Herndon, which was a definite treat.
You can spend a night or day
downtown going from one honky tonk to another, which all feature country and
bluegrass music. Anyone coming to Nashville hoping to be
discovered will audition for the opportunity to sing in one of these
venues. What’s amazing is that all of
the music is always top notch. Lining
the streets of downtown are country karaoke bars, cowboy boot shops, record
shops, your standard souvenir shops, and hatch show print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops
in America.
Over the years their posters have featured a host of country music performers
ranging from Hall of Famers Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and Johnny Cash to
present-day stars Garth
Brooks, Wynonna Judd and
Shania Twain. The best barbeque in Nashville is located in
the middle of the honky tonks with the Ryman in its backyard. Jack’s BBQ is a must eat while in Nashville. Anyone who comes to or lives in Nashville knows about
Jacks. Choose from pulled pork, chicken, turkey, or beef brisket sandwhiches
and platters, the great side dishes, and one or all of the many mild, sweet, or
hot sauces.
If you’re more in the mood for a sit down dinner, head over to F. Scott’s
Restaurant and Jazz Bar. Dolly Parton
and Fred Thompson are a few of the many who have eaten the delicious cuisine
and drank the magnificent wine. The menu
changes four times a year and features the freshest ingredients available. This coupled with the great service and delightful
jazz, makes F. Scotts a perfect place to enjoy dinner after a day of
sightseeing in Music
City.
So with all these fun and memorable venues to check out, you just have to choose
a place to stay. Hands down, you’ll want
to experience the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The resort is huge, housing 2,881 rooms with
a ¼ mile river running through it with the Delta Riverboat giving tours of the
beautiful lush gardens and waterfalls. The
resort also features live entertainment in venues such as Jack Daniel’s Saloon
and Findley’s Irish Pub. With eleven
restaurants and lounges, there’s something for everyone. The Water’s Edge Marketplace Buffet serves up
a delicious breakfast with fresh squeezed juices, an omelet station, a variety
of fruit, cereals and other breakfast favorites. There’s plenty of shopping in many of the
resort’s boutique stores for those seeking a Nashville souvenir or a new outfit. In addition to the great shopping and
restaurants, the part of the resort known as “The District” is home to Fuse,
the newest, hottest, Vegas-style nightclub in Nashville.
The club features a vodka locker, go-go dancers, and very tasty, unique
drinks such as candy, which features Bacardi and a big ball of cotton candy! It might sound strange, but as the cotton
candy is absorbed by the liquor, it makes for a very sweet drink!
So whether or not you are a country fan, you will be after visiting Nashville! The creative energy is contagious!
Take a trip, change a
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