Far more than just an epicenter of country music, Nashville is a birthplace of songs that stretches farther and wider than most people realize.
Dubbed ''Music City U.S.A.'' back in 1950 by announcer David Cobb on Red Foley's NBC Radio Show, Nashville has embraced its title and established itself as a headquarters for original music. Downtown, it's just as common to see people walking with guitars as it is with briefcases.
People come from all over the country to make and break musical careers here. From the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium to the dim stages of the clubs on Broadway, musicians truly find what they're made of when they get here.
Thousands of people are trying to make musical careers in Music City, some estimate. They can be found just about everywhere -- washing dishes in restaurants, on fliers plastered on the sides of downtown buildings and peddling their albums on street corners and out of the back of their cars.
Some will go on to become household names while others will pack up and leave or eke out livings in low-paying jobs. Randy Travis once worked as a cook at the Nashville Palace. Kathy Mattea worked as a tour guide at the Hall of Fame. And Mark Irwin, a bartender at the Bluebird Café, wrote the Alan Jackson hit Here in the Real World.
Tucked between the honky tonks on Broadway, Hatch Show Print is one of the country's oldest press poster shops and a first stop for self-promoting artists. Founded in 1879, it creates handbills and posters for acts and events all over the Southeast.
The images and posters covering the walls bring visitors to a bygone era of entertainment before the advent of mass advertisements. When the Opry started in the '30s, they found one of the most effective ways to advertise it was through placing cards in the windows of businesses. Hatch Show Print, which now creates posters for clients such as Nike and Bruce Springsteen, still uses old-fashion wood-engraved blocks.
HONKY TONK ROW
Honky Tonk Row is unique in that there is rarely, if ever, a cover charge to get into the clubs. Musicians rely on tips and donations from guests -- every couple of songs, a barmaid or band member will wander through the crowd with a bucket. It is said that Willie Nelson started playing at Tootsie's for only tips and felt there should never be a cover charge to see live music on the row.
Locals, country star wannabes and tourists all mix, mingle and shake their legs while musicians bounce from club to club with guitar in hand.
Just about everything in Nashville can be traced to music. The city is home to the world-famous Country Music Hall of Fame, the Country Music Television network, and it seems as if there is a mini-museum or a handful of shrines to one musician or another in just about every establishment in Nashville.
Restaurants, bars, gift shops, even clothing stores and pawn shops all pay homage to the local music gods. And just when you thought you couldn't escape it all, there's an autographed record of some musical legend in the bathroom.
HALL OF FAME
The Country Music Hall of Fame glorifies everything the struggling artists and songwriters of Nashville are seeking. Covering the long history of country music from its rural roots to modern popularity, the hall -- which relocated to its 130,000 square-foot, three story landmark building in 2001 -- features artifacts, photos, instruments and costumes.
Even those who have only the mildest interest in country music will gain a greater appreciation once they set foot in Nashville. Musical legends from all genres -- from Jimi Hendrix and Roy Orbison to Elvis Presley -- all left seeds in the city.
Regular tours leave the museum and take visitors to Studio B, known as one of the cradles of the ''Nashville sound'' back in the '60s. Built in 1957, it helped establish the city as an international recording center. Studio B has given birth to more than 1,000 top-10 hits, hosting hit makers like Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers. Studio B's most famous guest was Elvis Presley, who recorded more than 200 hits there.
RYMAN AUDITORIUM
Just blocks away from the Hall of Fame is the Ryman Auditorium, a great place to learn about the roots of the Grand Ole Opry. Opened in 1892, the Ryman is known as the ''Mother Church of Country Music'' and it was home to Opry from 1943 to 1974. As the world's longest running live radio program, its performers have been broadcast to millions around the country.
In 1974, the Opry moved to its own theatre, which seats more than 4,000 people and fills up almost every weekend. It showcases a great diversity of country music, with traditional and modern acts and a variety of surprises. Performers have included Garth Brooks, Ricky Scaggs, Clint Black, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill and more. For about $20, guests can hear a three-hour sampling of both country newcomers and legends.
While stardom is big and bright in Nashville, many visitors might be surprised to find an entire subculture of musicians who haven't the slightest desire to be famous -- just the drive to write good music. Unknown names like Gary Burr -- who has written songs for LeAnn Rimes, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Michael Bolton and Lynyrd Skynyrd -- represent the unsung heroes of the music world. A surprising number of these low-profile singer/songwriters with big hits can be found performing just about every night in places like the Bluebird Café, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Robert's Western World.
