What Not To Miss: Nashville’s Rich Music History

Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, is home to some of the most legendary country music venues in the world. With a rich history of performers and concerts, it’s no wonder Nashville is known as the music city and the songwriters capital of the world.

Music is the heart and soul of the city and it’s people, the festivals, shows, and artists that have called Nashville home, even for a brief period, have had a huge effect on Nashville and what you find there today. Stay at a cozy Nashville hotel near Music Row to get a great music experience during your trip.

Here are some of the must-see sights for any music fan visiting Nashville, Tennessee.

Bluebird Café

Opened in 1982, this intimate 90 seat venue gives you a chance to get behind the chart hits. The original songwriters gather here to perform their work, usually acoustically, to a lucky captivated audience.

Over the years, the venue has hosted nights including performers like Garth Brooks, LeAnn Rimes, and Regie Hamm and to this day you never quite know who you might find on stage. It wasn’t too long ago that Taylor Swift was discovered at this very venue.

Image on Flickr by Cheitz

Grand Ole Opry

A weekly country music stage concert, the Grand Ole Opry was founded on November 28, 1925, and is currently the longest-running radio broadcast in US history.  Originally only an hour long, the show quickly grew in popularity and expanded to 4 hours before making it’s debut on national radio in 1939.

Listening to the Grand Ole Opry quickly became a Saturday night tradition across the country and is considered to have had a huge impact in shaping both Nashville and the country music scene.  Today you can attend one of the shows at the Grand Ole Opry House where it has been broadcasting since 1974.

Ryman Auditorium

Prior to 1974, attending a Grand Ole Opry broadcast would have meant a visit to the Ryman Auditorium. Also known as “The Mother Church of Country Music,” the Auditorium played a huge part in the country music scene, hosting the radio show from 1943.  In order to acknowledge it’s routes, the Grand Ole Opry has returned to the Ryman Auditorium for 3 months annually since 1999.

Although sitting empty for a number of years after the Grand Ole Opry had moved on, the historical importance of the Ryman Auditorium ensured its survival. In the early 90s the venue once again began hosting concerts and after major renovation work has gone from strength to strength since.

Image on Flickr by Shinealight

Music Row

An area close to downtown Nashville, Music Row as it’s known is home to hundreds of businesses related to the music industry. Everything from record labels, licensing firms and studios call the area around 16^th and 17^th Avenue and the surrounding side streets home.

There is plenty to be seen here for a keen music fan and where the tacky tourist museums once sat, you can now find upmarket bars and restaurants serving the key figures in the music industry that understand what an important role Nashville plays in the country music scene.