From honky-tonks to GooGoo Clusters, Lucy Corne immerses herself in Nashville life and emerges with a new-found respect for country music.
By: Lucy Corne
Best places to visit in Nashville
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Allow at least two hours to explore this vast museum of music history and try your hand at singing a country song.
Conveniently located just off Broadway, the small but excellent Johnny Cash Museum houses a comprehensive collection of personal memorabilia, including the poem he wrote after June Carter’s funeral.
Founded in the 1920s as a country music radio show, the Opry has operated as a stage show since the ’40s. Grand Ole Opry House was opened in 1974 by then President Richard Nixon, who performed live at the launch. Book ahead for live shows or backstage tours.
Built as a tabernacle in 1892, the Ryman has become a place where people come to worship their country music heroes and it’s known as the “Mother Church of Country Music”. The Grand Ole Opry was hosted here from 1943 to 1974 and today there are regular concerts within its hallowed walls. If you’re pushed for time, simply take a self-guided tour, although the entertaining guided backstage tour is highly recommended.
West of downtown you’ll find the streets lined with recording studios where many a country music career has been launched. Among them is the historic RCA Studio B, where major stars like Elvis recorded many of their hits. Tours are arranged through the Country Music Hall of Fame.
by Lucy Corne
