Nashville

July 31, 2006



On Stage at the Ryman


In every place we have visited, we always go away thinking that as much as we have seen, there is always more we could have done. This was certainly true in our brief visit to Nashville. Nashville has tons of history and interesting places to see. For music fans there are few places that rival Nashville as a destination.

The one place we wanted to be sure and see was the historic Ryman Auditorium. Built in 1892 as a tabernacle by Captain Thomas Ryman, the landmark building was home to The Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974. Fully restored in 1994, the building now hosts concerts from a variety of the nation’s best musical acts. Filled with the original wooden pews and beautiful stained glass windows the building reportedly has the second best acoustics of any venue in the country behind only the Mormon Tabernacle.

View from the stage



We took the tour and had our photo taken on the stage. It was a really awesome experience to stand on the same stage that has hosted the best musicians in the world. After the tour we continued our exploration of the history of country music by checking out two additional landmarks, Toosie’s Orchid Lounge and Ernest Tubb’s Record Store.





Tootsie’s is the infamous nightclub located just across the alley from the Ryman that has been a watering hole and performance place for most all of the performers who have graced the Ryman stage. Often after performing at the Ryman, musicians would cross the alley and duck into Tootsie’s to put on impromptu performances in the intimate club. It hasn’t changed much in over 50 years, except it now has one of our business cards gracing the walls.



Ernest Tubb’s record store is the home to the famous Mid-Nite Jamboree. Broadcast live every Saturday night for the past 40+ years, the Jamboree has hosted all the greatest stars of country music in an open-mike format. Many of the stars from the Grand Old Opry would just drop in and sing with the house band. It is still selling music as well, not so many albums as CDs these days. Nashville is a great town, one of the places we plan to return to at some point.