Nashville, the Country Music Capital of the World isn't called "Music City" for nothing.
For a deep dive into Nashville's back catalogue, you should start your initiation at the revered Ryman Auditorium: the "Mother Church of Country Music." Its back-story is enthralling, named in honour of the riverboat captain and Nashville businessman who fundraised for the venue to be built in the late 1880s.
1943 was the year that its greatest legacy began, when Lula signed a contract to rent the Ryman out on Saturday nights for a popular live radio show. Yes, the Grand Ole Opry. In 1974, the Opry's fame necessitated it finding a new and bigger venue, which is a short drive out of town in Music Valley. I attended an evening show at the celebrated venue, which is celebrating its 75th year.
Grand Ole Opry.
This live radio broadcast is an American institution, originally broadcast every Saturday night, but is now broadcast virtually every night of the year, in deference to its extraordinary popularity.
Their stellar roster includes Trace Adkins, Garth Brooks, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood. It's a classy and highly engaging encounter with Nashville music royalty, with each show showcasing half a dozen artists performing 30-minute sets.
Ryman Auditorium.
Taking pride of place on centre-stage, is the venerated "unbroken circle," transplanted from the floor of the Ryman stage to the Grand Ole' Opry, and where a galaxy of music gods electrified their audiences, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. www.opry.com
Another Nashville essential is the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, a colossal facility befitting country music's grand pantheon. I perused the multitude of plaques lining the walls of the towering rotunda, which pay homage to all of the inductees in the Hall of Fame.
Lower Broadway, courtesy of Music City
The permanent exhibition galleries span two floors, walking you through the history of country music from its humble roots in the rural South, with compelling multi-media displays.
The museum groans with over 2.5 million artifacts, one-of-a-kind recordings, instruments and costumes, including Hank Williams's cherished Martin guitar and Elvis Presley's solid gold Cadillac.
Music literally spills out into the streets.
Take a guided tour of the nearby RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley recorded 262 songs including his Christmas album. The red, green and blue lightbulbs, designed to help the King get into the festive spirit in July, are still there. He also recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" here.
Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene" are just some of the 1000 hits that were created in Nashville's oldest surviving studio.
Nashville lights up.
This humble building on Music Row finally closed in 1977, but the big four music labels, including Sony BMG and Universal Music still have swanky offices here. Walking around Music Row, a regular procession of gleaming limos would pull up and pull out of the offices, with country music celebrities on-board, perhaps re-signing for another album.
Opened five years ago, the Johnny Cash Museum should definitely be on your short-list, with a compelling collection of personal artifacts on display, ranging from his custom-made Gibson J200 guitar, gold records, and costumes.
Interactive displays vividly bring to life the story of the legendary Man in Black and include stations where you can remix his songs and listen to other artists cover his music. The adjoining Patsy Cline Museum is also superb, who tragically was killed in a plane crash while returning to Nashville.
Southern charm in Nashville.
Live music literally spills into the streets in Nashville, particularly on lower Broadway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, which is more informally known as Honkytonk Row.
Studded with neon-spangled bars and clubs, the street positively throbs with live country and bluegrass music, rock, jazz, blues and folk. You can bar-hop by day and by night, across all genres.
Some venues have giant open windows, so that they artists totally ham it up for the impromptu crowds that gather outside on the footpath, dancing and singing along. It is absolutely electrifying.
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is the queen of Nashville honky-tonks, she's loud, crowded, and just 37 steps from the Ryman. Virtually every country-music star and wannabe has frequented this institution, where three bands often perform at once inside the pulsating venue. Launching the careers of so many country greats, a young Willie Nelson turned heads with his song :Crazy", at Tootsie's in the early '60s.
"Meat-and-three" restaurants are embedded in the Southern dining scene. Just three blocks south of Broadway in trendy SoBro, I fell in love with Martin's Barbeque Joint, which the locals fawn over.
They proudly proclaim they don't own a microwave or a freezer and they're sticklers for the West-Tennessee style of whole hog barbecue. They smoke their hogs for a full day and serve it until it runs out—period.
The place has four fire pits, each slow-roasting a whole hog at a time, lending succulent, melt-in-your-mouth flavour to the pulled pork sandwiches and BBQ ribs. Their Redneck Taco with pulled pork and coleslaw served on cornbread hoe-cake is divine.
Just two minutes walk away is the chic and urban SoBro Guest House. Blending the services of a high-end boutique hotel with the comforts of home, this fun and funky property is very high tech with mobile self-check-in and free self-parking.
Martins BBQ
This all-suites property has all of your needs covered, from French press coffee and a fully equipped kitchen to washer and dryer. From cloud-comfortable bedding and comfy couches, to plush guest robes, it's delightfully indulgent.
All sorts of special touches sweeten the experience, from the daily dispatch of helpful hints and tips to the in-suite record player and vinyl collection. I absolutely loved it and you will too. www.sobroguesthouse.com
There is a palpable spark permeating Nashville. Whether you're heading to Nashville with just your guitar and a dream, or for multi-sensory holiday bliss, Nashville's star dust will cast you under its spell. www.visitmusiccity.com
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Southern charm in Nashville.
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