Monday morning our 5th wheel went into Kamper’s
Supply garage service bay for service. A new inverter was installed to fix the RV's 12-volt system. Our kitchen/living room slide needed a repair so it would close all the way. Parts needed to be ordered so more work would be done
later in the week when they arrived. Shirley and Marvin graciously let us spend
the day in their living room since our “home” wasn’t available. So, I sat and
worked on the blog for last week, and Dick worked on upgrading one of their
computers. The day was rather chilly, just 54° and rainy, so that worked for
us. That evening we had dinner with Marv and Shirley at a Mexican restaurant in
nearby Marion, IL, La Fiesta. We noshed on chips and salsa, taco salad, chicken
fajita quesadilla, enchiladas, and grilled shrimp. Yummy! And, their margaritas
weren’t bad either!
Tuesday was another rainy and cold day, with temps in the
50s again. Brrr! Dick took the big black truck in for an oil change that
morning. I did a few things around the camper (we got it back from service
Monday evening), and spent some time knitting and computing. When Dick got back
we tackled the bedroom slide and bed issue. Yea! He fixed it! That bed will
never come away from the slide wall again!
That evening Marvin and Shirley and Dick and I drove into
Carbondale, near Southern Illinois University, to have dinner at Pagliai’s
Pizza with friends Randy and Jeri. All but Marvin had their special pasta
dinner; he enjoyed a huge plate of spaghetti with meat sauce. Good stuff! Then,
it was off to Marvin and Shirley’s where we spent an evening playing 7s from
Hell, a game new to Dick and me. The women won the evening! Yahoo!
On Wednesday morning more work was done on the camper. A new
skylight over the bathroom and rubber gaskets around the kitchen/living room
slide needed to be installed. Dick worked on one of the office computers while
I read and knitted. That evening was dinner at Backyard Burger for burgers, with
Marvin and Shirley, and Randy and Jeri. Yum! Then, it was off to Randy and
Jeri’s for another round of 7s. The men won. Dang.
Thursday Dick continued to work on one of the office computers at
Kamper’s Supply, while I knitted and computed. This would be our last day with
them before hitting the road Friday. We did a bit of shopping at Kamper’s
Supply, too, purchasing 2 new chairs, an aluminum table and new mat stakes.
(Love shopping there!) Then, it was off to Hobby Lobby for a new knitting needle
and a bit more yarn (can never have enough!), and a stop to fuel the truck.
That evening we had dinner at Golden Corral with Marv and Shirley, Randy and
Jeri, and an evening of 7s. Again, the men won... Boo…
On the road again! Friday was a good day for a drive from
Carterville, IL to Nashville,TN, with occasional rain and lots of traffic the
closer we got to Nashville, just 190 miles away. Temps were in the high 50s
that morning, but warmed to the mid-60s by the time we arrived at our new
destination. Our new “park” was at The Fairgrounds Nashville. Here there are no
amenities, but we had full hookup and there is a security patrol. And, we’re
very close to downtown where we wanted to spend lots of time.
There’s more to Nashville than being the Country Music
Capital of the World. It’s also the capital of the state of Tennessee and home
to numerous colleges and universities. Nashville has experienced tremendous
growth since the 1970s, with the construction or renovation of several city
landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Nashville Public
Library, the Bridgestone Arena (home to the Predators hockey team), and Nissan
Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans). Today, Nashville is one of the fastest
growing areas of what’s called the Upland South. There are over 100 cranes in
Nashville, being used to build, build, build. It’s been said that about 90,000
people move into Nashville every year. Wow!
However, we were there for the music.
Weather promised to cooperate during our stay, and we were
not disappointed. Saturday dawned bright and sunny with temps starting out in
the low 60s. There was a breeze to keep us cool the entire day, as temps rose
to the high 80s later in the day.
We headed downtown, parking across from Music City center
along Korean Veterans Boulevard. We wanted to take in as much of the Nashville
scene during the day as possible. We first oriented ourselves to downtown and
Honky Tonk Row, which seems to be the center of action. There were lots of
people and quite a party atmosphere, even at mid-morning. Live music poured
from every bar/restaurant on the Row, and smiles were on everyone’s faces. Very
cool!
We found we had to walk 7 blocks up hill (who knew Nashville was so hilly?) to the Musicians Hall of
Fame and Museum, our first stop of the day. This is one place not to miss, as
this hall of fame honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument.
Inductees are nominated by current members of the American Federation of
Musicians and by other music industry professionals. The first annual inductee
celebration was held in 2007 inducting folks we hadn’t heard of (and who we
later learned were studio musicians), such as The Funk Brothers, The Nashville
A-Team, The Wrecking Crew, and others. However, we know of the performers at
that first event: Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, B.J. Thomas, George
Jones, and others. Subsequent inductees included, among others: (2008) The
Crickets, Duane Eddy, and Booker T and the MGs; (2009) Chet Atkins, Toto, and
Charlie Daniels; (2014) Barbara Mandrell, Peter Frampton, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
and Roy Orbison. (The 4-year absence was due to the relocation of the Hall of
Fames. Under the rules of eminent domain, the city of Nashville purchased their
original property in February 2010 in order to make room for the new Music City
Center, and in August 2013 the Hall of Fame reopened its doors at its current
location.)
The museum is divided into cities that have a history of
recorded music, like Detroit, Nashville, Muscle Shoals, L.A., Memphis and New
York. These places had musicians who were there when the recording industry was
evolving and were able to play whatever was needed of them regardless of style.
This is where the A-Team, The Memphis Boys, The Funk Brothers and The Wrecking
Crew got their names, some becoming hit bands themselves, like Booker T and
MGs, and Toto. From the late 50s through the mid-80s these studio musicians
played on 80-90% of all records recorded in these music centers. Following are
just a couple of the highlights.
Glen Campbell started out
as a session guitar player, appearing on hits by Herb Alpert, The Monkees, The
Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, to name a few. During his 50+ years
in show business, Glen Campbell released more than 70 albums, sold 45 million
records and accumulated 12 Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums, and 1 Double
Platinum albums. His hits include his recordings of “Gentle on My Mind,” “By the Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,”
“Galveston,” “Rhinestone Cowboy,” and
“Southern Nights.”
Then, there’s the tribute
to Roy Orbison. In this exhibit are the prescription sunglasses that become the
Orbison trademark, his 1957 Gibson Byrdland guitar, model airplanes and boats
that was his hobby, the cast from his injury in a motorcycle accident, a 1961
Gibson 335 guitar used in recording of “Pretty Woman.” Orbison’s influence on
music as a writer, singer, and musician is immeasurable; he influenced artists
like the Beatles, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few (excerpted
from a statement by Joe Chambers, Founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame and
Museum).
The Musicians Hall of Fame
recently opened the GRAMMY Museum (April 2016) as part of a partnership
orchestrated by a record label executive and a philanthropist. This interactive
exhibit is designed to appeal to students who will be able to explore the creative
process of writing, recording, and producing music. Recording studios are
available for use.
We were starving after our walk uphill and down, and the 2½
hours we spent at the Musicians Hall of Fame, so food was our next order of
business. We decided on “linner” at Rippy’s Ribs on 5th and
Broadway. I had a rib sandwich, while Dick had a chicken wrap. Good food,
lively atmosphere, and wonderful live music!
Nashville hosts quite a party atmosphere, and we saw lots of
bachelorette parties celebrating the brides’ last days of freedom.
Live music is performed at every restaurant and bar along
Honky Tonk Row from about 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. These musicians are hoping
to get “found” moving them to a recording deal. Pretty cool, and they were all
really good! What makes one group or individual better than the next, on their
way (hopefully) to being discovered…??
Sunday was another beautiful day in this city of music, with
temps starting out at 57°, eventually climbing to the high 80s. We scheduled a
walking tour of downtown Nashville, starting at 12:30, so off we went. We
decided to park at the Nashville Public Library and walk the 2½ blocks to
Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop where our tour would begin. The Docent, Kelsie, was
wonderful, sharing quite a few tidbits and anecdotes about well known—and some
not so well known—country music stars. She was very knowledgeable and
entertaining, and knew quite a bit (she’s been in Nashville for over 28 years).
Throughout the record shop, along with CDs, DVDs, books,
knick-knacks and autographed photos, are framed photos of Loretta Lynn, Hank
Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny and June Cash, Brenda Lee, Chet Atkins, and of
course, Ernest Tubbs, among many, many others. It’s quite the repository of
photos of country music stars! At the back of the store is a small stage that
is still used for special performances by country stars, for special events.
The store isn’t that big, so the crowds really pack in! On the stage are orange
crates that were used by Loretta Lynn, and others, so that those in the back
could see as well as hear her sing.
From there we crossed the street to “Legends Corner,” just
one of the many honky tonks on the street. Here, Keith Urban was discovered, as
well as many, many other artists. As I mentioned, live music was being played
everywhere, and this was no exception. Lefty Ferguson and his Right Hand Band
were playing—and they were really good! Here are just a few photos taken inside
Legends. The walls were lined with photos and album covers, almost like
wallpaper, plus 5 original 78 RPM Elvis records from Sun Records (Memphis), a
set of KISS dolls, a 12-string autographed guitar once owned by Johnny Cash,
and musical instruments from all over the world. Crazy guitars also graced the
walls, as you’ll see from the photos, along with memorabilia such as the first
albums done by many of country music’s Legends. It’s been voted #1 Country Bar
in Nashville and, it appears, it’s well deserved.
From Legends we walked up the street a bit to the Ryman
Auditorium, the 5th home of the Grand Ole Opry. I was so intrigued
by the Ryman Auditorium story, that I’m sharing most of it with you. (Unfortunately,
we ran out of time during our stay in Nashville, so we weren’t able to take the
tour. Next time...)
Ryman Auditorium was built as a Union Gospel Mission in 1891,
whose construction was spearheaded by a Nashville businessman who owned several
saloons and a fleet of riverboats. He attended one of the revival meetings
intending to heckle, but was instead converted into a devout Christian, and
soon thereafter pledged to build the tabernacle so the people of Nashville
could attend a large-scale revival indoors. It took 7 years to build, at the
then cost of $100,000.
Though the building was designed to be a house of worship,
it was often leased to non-religious events in an effort to pay off its debts
($20,000) and remain open. Lula C. Naff, a local widow and mother, took over
booking and promoting speaking engagements and concerts, boxing matches and
other attractions. Her ability to book stage shows and entertainers kept the
Ryman at the forefront of Nashville’s conscience and enhanced the city’s
reputation as a cultural center for the performing arts. Lectures by Presidents
Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft, as well as performances by W.C. Fields, Will
Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope, Harry Houdini and John Philip Sousa earned
the Ryman the nickname “The Carnegie Hall of the South.”
Early on the Ryman lacked a true backstage area, and had
only 1 dressing room for the men, while the women were relegated to an
inadequate ladies’ restroom. This caused many performers to have to wait in the
wings, the narrow hallways, and the alley behind the building’s south wall,
which incidentally led to the back door of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and other
bars, where they would drink alongside and often perform for patrons--thus, the
notoriety of the honky-tonk bars along lower east Broadway.
The Grand Ole Opry was first broadcast from the Ryman on
June 5, 1943, and originated from there every week for nearly 31 years, with
every show sold out and hundreds turned away. The show could be heard in 30
states across the eastern part of the nation; parts of the show were also
broadcast on network radio and TV to a wider audience. Combining the current
usage with the building’s origin as a house of worship, the Ryman earned the
nickname “The Mother Church of Country Music,” which it still holds today.
The Ryman, then governed by a Board of Directors, was
eventually sold to WSM, Inc. in 1963, who also owned the Opry, for $207,500.
The company made minor improvements to the Ryman, but soon began making plans
to move it to a new custom-built location altogether, allowing for better radio
and TV production facilities, and better facilities for the performers and
audiences alike. Thus Opryland USA was born.
The Ryman Auditorium sat decaying and mostly vacant for
nearly 20 years, as the homeless moved in, pigeons and rats took over, windows
were broken and some of the wood in the building was used for fires by the
homeless to keep warm. However, the building continued to stand and despite its
deteriorating condition it was never totally closed. It still held an
attraction for tourists. Even while the building was vacant it still had life.
Portions of major motion pictures continued to be filmed on location there,
including Coal Miner’s Daughter
(Loretta Lynn), Sweet Dreams (Patsy
Cline), Honkytonk Man (Clint
Eastwood), and John Carpenter’s Elvis.
The sale of all WSM and Opryland properties in 1983 to
Gaylord Entertainment Company included the Ryman Auditorium, most certainly
saved it from demolition. In 1989 Gaylord Entertainment began work to beautify
Ryman’s exterior, including a new roof, replacement of broken windows and bricks,
and wood repair. The interior was left untouched until 1992 when plans were
made to renovate and expand the entire building. Renovations began in 1993,
including restoring the wooden pews (original to the building and still serve
as the auditorium’s seating), a remodeled and restored balcony, new backstage
facilities, a lobby, restrooms, concessions, offices, and a grand staircase
leading to the balcony. A new entry and plaza was added, and air conditioning
was added for the first time. In 2012 the stage was replaced to triple the
stage’s load capacity and ensure that the venue would remain viable as a
concert venue in the future. Additional renovations were made in 2015 to
include more lobby space, expanded restrooms, concessions, a gift shop, and a
restaurant called “Café Lula,” named in memory of Lula C. Naff. Also added was
a 100-seat theater which houses a short biographical film on the history of the
Ryman.
Experts have praised Ryman Auditorium’s acoustics, calling
them the best in the world, rivaling the Morman Tabernacle and Carnegie Hall.
Ryman Auditorium is now is on the National Register of Historic Places (1971),
and was further designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001. It’s a
2,362-seat live performance venue.
I’m so sorry we didn’t have time to see this fabulous piece
of music history. Next time…
Our next stop was the alley behind Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge,
which I mentioned earlier. Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, owner from 1960 to
1978, wanted the building painted; a painter mistakenly painted the exterior
orchid purple. The color was never changed and became Tootsie’s signature
color. A portion of “Coal Miner’s
Daughter” was filmed here. It’s said that Willie Nelson received his first
songwriting gig after singing at Tootsies! Tootsie was known to be generous to
struggling musicians and would often slip 5’s and 10’s into their pockets. It’s
also said that she had a cigar box behind the counter full of IOU’s from when
she had given food and drinks to hungry writers and pickers. And, at the end of
the year a bunch of Opry performers would pay off all those IOU’s so Tootsie
wouldn’t lose any money. She was buried in 1978 in an orchid gown, with and
orchid placed in the orchid-colored casket. 2010 marked Tootsie’s 50th
anniversary with performances at the Ryman from Kris Kristofferson, Little
Jimmy Dickens, and Mel Tills, among others.
From there we walked through the alley to 4th
Street and down to Broadway, where we stopped at Savannah Candy Kitchen for a
taste of their pralines, and a look at their massive array of candies, ice
cream, and other stuff. Wow!
Then, it was on to a stop in front of the Johnny Cash
Museum. We didn’t go in on Saturday, but did stop in on Sunday when we went
back downtown
On to the Walk of Fame Park. The Music City Walk of Fame is
a walk that honors significant contributors to Nashville’s musical heritage and
significant achievements in the music industry. Each honoree is commemorated
with a large stainless steel and terrazzo star embedded in the sidewalk. It was
established in 2006 by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Gibson
Guitars is a founding sponsor. Today, there are about 50 stars on that walk.
More will be added this year.
We decided to have dinner at Jack’s BBQ on Honky Tonk Row, a
famed eatery among the locals. No, we didn’t see anyone famous… We had
sandwiches made with smoked turkey and BBQ brisket. (The turkey was better.)
Then, back to the parking lot at the Nashville Library.
Unfortunately the exit was a bit too narrow for our dually. We damaged the
right rear fender. Dang! Thank goodness we didn’t take out the ticket booth!
We made a stop at Walmart before heading back to our camper
for the evening. We were tired, and both slept very well Sunday night!
We decided to include Monday’s adventure in this blog since
we leave Nashville Tuesday. After a stop at a local post office we headed into
Nashville to visit the famed Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (yesterday
we saw the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Different place; slightly
different name.) We opted to park at Nissan Stadium and walk the ¾ mile across
the Shelby Street Bridge. Beautiful day, lovely walk. From the bridge we had a
lovely view of the parks along Cumberland River and the parks that line it.
Then it was on to the Country Music Hall of Fame, with a
brief stop at the Johnny Cash Museum.
His museum held a plethora of memorabilia, articles for
purchase and his museum. All manner of
memorabilia were for sale, but we didn’t buy. Nor did we pay the $18 per person
to walk through his museum.
Instead, we headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
We spent almost 3 hours at this huge tribute to country
music and its musicians. What a place! It covers just a mere 350,000 square
feet!
There are permanent exhibits, as well as featured exhibits, a Taylor
Swift education center, and the Hall of Fame Rotunda which is a hallowed room
designed to recognize each Hall of Fame member in a space and fashion befitting
the most esteemed honor in country music.
One of the features this month was a
tribute to Bob Dylan, in honor of his 75th birthday.
The 2 floors of the Museum’s gallery follow the evolution of
country music within the context of American history. Artifacts, video footage,
sound recordings, biographical panels, guitars, clothing and memorabilia, and
audio tours tell the stores of those who have helped shape country music. Oh,
and then there’s Elvis’s gold Cadillac and his gold piano, and a Pontiac
belonging to Webb Pierce complete with coins, guns and rifles adorning it.
The 5,300 square foot Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda
inspires reverence for the deepest roots of music. The bronze plaques are place
randomly around the room, except for the newest inductees, whose plaques are
placed alongside the painting, The
Sources of Country Music, by Thomas Hart Benton. Commissioned by the
Country Music Hall of Fame, it was completed in 1975 by the 85-year old artist—an
impressive physical achievement.
Election to this Hall of Fame is country music’s highest
honor. Since 1961, over 147 people or groups have been added to the Country
Hall of Fame membership list. Three more will be added this year. We were
amazed.
By the time we were done at the Hall of Fame and Museum we
were pretty bushed. We still had a bit of a walk from there to our truck,
parked across the Cumberland River at Nissan Stadium, about a mile+ away. The
sun was beating down and the temps had reached the mid- to high 90s, so we were
glad to head back to our camper. Whew!
We considered driving to the Opry Hotel and seeing the Grand
Ole Opry building, but that will have to wait ‘til next time we visit. We think
we need about a month here!
That’s it for this week. Hope you enjoyed our blog for this
week. We sure enjoyed our time here in Nashville!
Hugs,
RJ and Gail
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