Nashville’s has it all — country, bluegrass, rock, pop, Americana, gospel, classical, jazz, and blues. Along with hundreds of country stars making their home in Nashville were Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Paul and Linda McCartney rented a farm outside of Nashville years ago. Many other rockers made Music City home. At the world-class Schermerhorn Symphony Center, you might find Bela Fleck or Alison Krauss performing with the Nashville Symphony. There is something for everyone every night. A music smorgasbord!
The Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark, was built as a tabernacle by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892, and served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74. With exceptional acoustics and unique architecture, it is a world-renowned concert hall. Many years before moving to Nashville I took my mother to the Grand Ole Opry House, which replaced the Ryman Auditorium in 1974. Later I attended the Opry with my son, Peter, at the the new facility. A few years after the old Ryman Auditorium was renovated in 1994 and once again a venue for music events, I attended two concerts — George Jones and Elvis Costello.
Before I went to the George Jones concert I was thinking, “I want to see and hear him before he dies drinking himself to death.” His voice had been with me for many years. Some say George had the ultimate country voice. So what a treat it was to be at the “Mother Church” of country music, the Ryman, and hear him sing his great hits! Here is one of my favorites:
A last note on George comes from his fourth wife, Nancy, at the bedside just before he died: "We were standing at the foot of the bed, and George just hadn't said nothing, and all of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and I was fixin' to go toward him, and the doctor kind of held me back, and George said, 'Well, hello there.' He said, 'I've been looking for you, my name's George Jones.’” Just like a country song!
Now to Elvis Costello, the Englishman with country leanings and the partner of the famous jazz singer, Diana Krall. Costello is an encyclopedia of music. His Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink is a 670 page memoir packed with stories and lyrics and more stories. Music was in his DNA, as Costello’s father was Ronald Patrick Ross McManus, an English musician, singer, and trumpet player of Irish descent. Elvis was born Declan MacManus.
Music critics consider Costello to be one of the most gifted and versatile songwriters of his generation. His first album, My Aim Is True (1977), is widely regarded as one of the best debut albums in the history of popular music. (Googled input)
Going to the Ryman to see and hear Costello perform was extra special.
I am going to end with this suggestion from my daughter, Susi. Wow…I didn’t know Bobby Bare Jr. was a favorite of hers. The Ryman is in the first line. The song captures the essence of country music in Nashville. Enjoy.
Yeah, me too. I have skipped or missed a lot of cm over the past decades. My early stuff was Faron Young, Jones, Patsy Cline and the like. Ronnie Milsap, Cash, M. Haggard, Charley Pride, and others is where I left off. So much of the music of the past couple decades sounds like the same Nashville stuff. Not fair. Chris Stapleton seems old timey to me. Of course, Willie Nelson never goes away! In this rant I have short changed some great women. Thanks for your comments.
I think of you as my daughter, the Bobby Bare, Jr fan, is driving at this time from Portland to Seattle to visit her son, one of my grand kids. So so far away from Virginia.
That Bobby Bare song is awesome. I love the overt storytelling style of country music.