name	Nashville
settlement type	Consolidated city–county
image seal	Nashvilleseal.png
nickname	Music City, Athens of the South
map caption	Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee.
pushpin map	USA Tennessee
coordinates region	US-TN
coordinates display	inline,title
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name	United States
subdivision type1	State
subdivision name1	Tennessee
subdivision type2	County
subdivision name2	Davidson
established title	Founded
established date	1779
established title2	Incorporated
established date2	1806
named for	Francis Nash
leader party	D
leader title	Mayor
leader name	Karl Dean
unit pref	US
total type	Consolidated
area footnotes
area total sq mi	527.9
area land sq mi	504.0
area water sq mi	23.9
elevation ft	597
population total	635,710
population metro	1,582,264
population blank1 title	Balance
population blank1	605,473
population as of	2009
population density sq mi	auto
population demonym	Nashvillians
timezone1	CST
utc offset1	-6
timezone1 dst	CDT
utc offset1 dst	-5
postal code type	ZIP codes
postal code	37201-37250
area code	615
blank1 name sec1	Interstates
blank1 info sec1	I-40, I-24, I-65, and I-440
blank2 name sec1	Waterways
blank2 info sec1	Cumberland River
blank3 name sec1	Airports
blank3 info sec1	Nashville International Airport
blank4 name sec1	Public transit
blank4 info sec1	Nashville MTA
blank5 name sec1	Regional rail
blank5 info sec1	Music City Star
website
footnotes	}}

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home to a large number of colleges and universities. It is most notably known as a center of the music industry, earning it the nickname "Music City".

Nashville has a consolidated city–county government which includes seven smaller municipalities in a two-tier system. The population of Nashville-Davidson County stood at 635,710 as of the 2009 census estimates, according to United States Census Bureau. This makes it the second largest city in Tennessee, after Memphis. This also makes Nashville the fourth largest city in the Southeastern United States. The 2009 population of the entire 13-county Nashville metropolitan area was 1,582,264, making it the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state. The 2009 population of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Columbia combined statistical area, a larger trade area, was estimated at 1,666,210.

History

Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Wataugans in 1779, and was originally called Fort Nashborough, after the American Revolutionary War hero Francis Nash. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location, accessibility as a river port, and its later status as a major railroad center. In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.

By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a very prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war.

Within a few years after the Civil War the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and also developed a solid manufacturing base. The post-Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a newfound prosperity to Nashville. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area.

Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of then-Mayor and later-Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, who made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the downtown Nashville Public Library, the Bridgestone Arena, and LP Field.

In 1997 Nashville was awarded an NHL expansion team which was subsequently named the Nashville Predators. LP Field (formerly Adelphia Coliseum) was built after the National Football League's (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL team debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and LP Field opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and saw a season culminate in the Music City Miracle and a close Super Bowl game that came down to the last play.

Today, the city along the Cumberland River is a crossroads of American culture, and one of the fastest-growing areas of the Upland South.

Geography

Topography

Nashville lies on the Cumberland River in the northwestern portion of the Nashville Basin. Nashville's topography ranges from above sea level at the Cumberland River to above sea level at its highest point.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which of it is land and of it (4.53%) is water.

Climate

Nashville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa''), with generally mild to cool winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly averages range from in January to in July, with a diurnal temperature variation of . In the winter months, snowfall does occur in Nashville but is usually not heavy. Average annual snowfall is about , falling mostly in January and February and occasionally March and December. The largest snow event since 2000 was on January 16, 2003, when Nashville received of snow in a single storm; the largest on record was , received on March 17, 1892. Rainfall is typically greater in winter and spring while autumn is the driest. Spring and fall are generally pleasantly warm but prone to severe thunderstorms, which occasionally bring tornadoes — with recent major events on April 16, 1998; April 7, 2006; February 5, 2008; April 10, 2009; and May 1–2, 2010. Relative humidity in Nashville averages 83% in the mornings and 60% in the afternoons, which is considered moderate for the Southeastern United States. In recent decades, due to urban development, Nashville has developed an urban heat island (UHI); especially on cool, clear nights, temperatures are up to warmer in the heart of the city than in rural outlying areas.

Nashville's long springs and autumns combined with a diverse array of trees and grasses can often make it uncomfortable for allergy sufferers. In 2008, Nashville was ranked as the 18th-worst spring allergy city in the U.S. by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Nashville was on January 21, 1985, and the highest was on July 28, 1952.

Cityscape

The downtown area of Nashville features a diverse assortment of entertainment, dining, cultural and architectural attractions. The Broadway and 2nd Avenue areas feature entertainment venues, night clubs and an assortment of restaurants. North of Broadway lies Nashville's central business district, Legislative Plaza, Capitol Hill and the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall. Cultural and architectural attractions can be found throughout the city.

The downtown area of Nashville is easily accessible. Three major interstate highways (I-40, I-65 and I-24) converge near the core area of downtown, and many regional cities are within a day's driving distance.

Nashville's first skyscraper, the Life & Casualty Tower, was completed in 1957 and started the construction of high rises in downtown Nashville. After the construction of the AT&T; Building (commonly known to locals as the "Batman Building") in 1994, the downtown area saw little construction until the mid-2000s. Many new residential developments have been constructed or are planned for the various neighborhoods of downtown and midtown. A new high rise office building, The Pinnacle, was recently opened in 2010.

Many civic and infrastructure projects are either being planned, in progress, or recently completed. A new MTA bus hub was recently completed in downtown Nashville, as was the Music City Star pilot project. Several public parks have been constructed, such as the Public Square. Riverfront Park is scheduled to be extensively updated. The Music City Center, a convention center project, has been approved for the downtown area and is currently under construction.

Parks and gardens

Metro Board of Parks and Recreation owns and manages of land and 99 parks and greenways (comprising more than 3% of the total area of the county).

Warner Parks, situated on of land, consists of a learning center, of scenic roads, of hiking trails, and of horse trails. It is also the home of the annual Iroquois Steeplechase.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintains parks on Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest Lake. These parks are used for activities such as fishing, waterskiing, sailing and boating. Percy Priest Lake is also home to the Vanderbilt Sailing Club.

Other notable parks in Nashville include Centennial Park, Shelby Park, and Radnor Lake State Natural Area.

Metropolitan area

Nashville has the largest metropolitan area in the state of Tennessee, spanning 13 counties and, , had a population of 1,582,264. The Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses the Middle Tennessee counties of Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson. The 2009 population of the Nashville-Davidson—Murfreesboro—Columbia combined statistical area was estimated at 1,666,210.

Culture

Much of the city's cultural life has revolved around its large university community. Particularly significant in this respect were two groups of critics and writers who were associated with Vanderbilt University in the early twentieth century: the Fugitives and the Agrarians.

Popular destinations include Fort Nashborough and Fort Negley, the former being a reconstruction of the original settlement, the latter being a semi-restored Civil War battle fort; the Tennessee State Museum; and The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The Tennessee State Capitol is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation, while The Hermitage is one of the older presidential homes open to the public.

Dining

Although best known for its music, Nashville is a city filled with countless dining destinations. Some of the more popular types of local cuisine include hot chicken, hot fish, barbecue, and meat and three.

Entertainment and performing arts

Nashville has a vibrant music and entertainment scene spanning a variety of genres. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is the major performing arts center of the city. It is the home of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Opera, the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Nashville Ballet. In September 2006, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened as the home of the Nashville Symphony.

As the city's name itself is a metonym for the country music industry, many popular tourist sites involve country music, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Belcourt Theatre, and Ryman Auditorium. Ryman was home to the ''Grand Ole Opry'' until 1974 when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House, east of downtown. The ''Opry'' plays there several times a week, except for an annual winter run at the Ryman.

Numerous music clubs and honky-tonk bars can be found in downtown Nashville, especially the area encompassing Lower Broadway, Second Avenue, and Printer's Alley, which is often referred to as "the District".

Each year, the CMA Music Festival (formerly known as Fan Fair) brings thousands of country fans to the city. The Tennessee State Fair is also held annually in September.

Nashville was once home of television shows such as ''Hee Haw'' and ''Pop! Goes the Country'', and to the Opryland USA theme park, which operated from 1972 to 1997 before being closed by its owners Gaylord Entertainment, and soon after demolished to make room for the Opry Mills mega-shopping mall.

The Christian pop and rock music industry is based along Nashville's Music Row, with a great influence in neighboring Williamson County. The Christian record companies include EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Label Group and Word Records.

Although Nashville was never known as a jazz town, it did have many great jazz bands, including The Nashville Jazz Machine led by Dave Converse and its current version, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, led by Jim Williamson, as well as The Establishment, led by Billy Adair. The Francis Craig Orchestra entertained Nashvillians from 1929 to 1945 from the Oak Bar and Grille Room in the Hermitage Hotel. Craig's orchestra was also the first to broadcast over local radio station WSM-AM and enjoyed phenomenal success with a 12-year show on the NBC Radio Network. In the late 1930s, he introduced a newcomer, Dinah Shore, a local graduate of Hume Fogg High School and Vanderbilt University.

Radio station WMOT-FM in nearby Murfreesboro has aided significantly in the recent revival of the city's jazz scene, as has the non-profit Nashville Jazz Workshop, which holds concerts and classes in a renovated building in the north Nashville neighborhood of Germantown. Fisk University also maintains a jazz station.

Nashville has an active theatre scene, having several professional and community theatre companies. Most notable of the professional companies are Nashville Children's Theatre, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and the Tennessee Women's Theater Project. Of the community theatres, Circle Players has been in operation for over 60 years.

Tourism

Perhaps the biggest factor in drawing visitors to Nashville is its association with country music. Many visitors to Nashville attend live performances of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running live radio show. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is another major attraction relating to the popularity of country music. The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the Opry Mills regional shopping mall and the ''General Jackson'' showboat, are all located in what is known as Music Valley.

Civil War history is important to the city's tourism industry. Sites pertaining to the Battle of Nashville and the nearby Battle of Franklin and Battle of Stones River can be seen, along with several well-preserved antebellum plantation houses such as Belle Meade Plantation, Carnton plantation in Franklin, and Belmont Mansion.

Nashville has several arts centers and museums, including the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, the Tennessee State Museum, Fisk University's Van Vechten and Aaron Douglas Galleries, Vanderbilt University's Fine Art Gallery and Sarratt Gallery, and the Parthenon. The Nashville Zoo is one of the city's newer attractions.

Major annual events

Event	Month Held and Location
Nashville Film Festival	Weeklong festival in April. It features hundreds of independent films and is one of the biggest film festivals in the Southern United States.
Country Music Marathon	Marathon and half marathon which normally include over 25,000 runners from around the world in April.
Iroquois Steeplechase	Annual steeplechase horse racing event which takes place in May at Percy Warner Park.
CMA Music Festival	A four day event in June featuring performances by country music stars, autograph signings, artist/fan interaction, and other activities for country music fans.
Tomato Art Festival
African Street Festival	Takes place on the campus of Tennessee State University in September.
Tennessee State Fair
Country Music Association Awards	Usually held in November at the Bridgestone Arena and televised nationally to millions of viewers.

Sports

Professional

Nashville has many professional sports teams, most notably the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League and the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Several other pro sports teams also call Nashville home, as does the NCAA college football Music City Bowl. Nashville is also home to the Fairgrounds Speedway, a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racetrack.

! Club !! Sport !! League !! Venue !! Established
Tennessee Titans	Football	National Football League	LP Field	1960
Nashville Predators	Hockey	National Hockey League	Bridgestone Arena	1997
Nashville Sounds	Baseball	Pacific Coast League	Herschel Greer Stadium	1978
Nashville Metros	Soccer		Ezell Park	1989
Nashville Soul	Basketball	American Basketball Association (2000–present)	Nashville Municipal Auditorium	2011

College

Nashville is also home to four Division I athletic programs.

! Program !! Division !! Conference !! Major venues
Vanderbilt Commodores	Division I (NCAA)	[[Southeastern Conference
	Division I (NCAA)	[[Ohio Valley Conference	LP Field (football)Gentry Center (basketball)
	Division I (NCAA)	[[Atlantic Sun Conference	Curb Event Center
	Division I (NCAA)	[[Atlantic Sun Conference	Allen Arena

Media

The daily newspaper in Nashville is ''The Tennessean'', which, until 1998, competed fiercely with the ''Nashville Banner'', another daily paper that was housed in the same building under a joint-operating agreement. ''The Tennessean'' is the city's most widely circulated newspaper, while a smaller free daily called ''The City Paper'' shares the Nashville market. Online news service ''NashvillePost.com'' competes with the printed dailies to break local and state news. Several weekly papers are also published in Nashville, including ''The Nashville Pride'', ''Nashville Business Journal'', ''Nashville Scene'' and ''The Tennessee Tribune''. Historically, ''The Tennessean'' was associated with a broadly liberal editorial policy, while ''The Banner'' carried staunchly conservative views in its editorial pages; ''The Banner''s heritage is carried on these days by ''The City Paper''. The ''Nashville Scene'' is the area's alternative weekly broadsheet. ''The Nashville Pride'' is aimed towards community development and serves Nashville's entrepreneurial population.

Nashville is home to eleven broadcast television stations, although most households are served by direct cable network connections. Comcast Cable has a monopoly on terrestrial cable service in Davidson County (but not throughout the entire media market). Nashville is ranked as the 29th largest television market in the United States.

Nashville is also home to cable networks Country Music Television (CMT), Great American Country (GAC), and RFD-TV, among others. CMT's master control facilities are located in New York City with the other Viacom properties. The Top 20 Countdown and CMT Insider are taped in their Nashville studios. Nashville is also the home and namesake of the NBC country music singing competition ''Nashville Star'', which broadcasts from the Opryland complex. Shop at Home Network was once based in Nashville, but the channel signed off in 2008.

Several dozen FM and AM radio stations broadcast in the Nashville area, including five college stations and one LPFM community radio station. Nashville is ranked as the 44th largest radio market in the United States. WSM-FM is owned by Cumulus Media and is 95.5 FM. WSM-AM, owned by Gaylord Entertainment Company, can be heard nationally on 650 AM or online at WSM Online from its studios located inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. WSM is famous for carrying live broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry, through which it helped spread the popularity of country music in America, and continues to broadcast country music throughout its broadcast day. WLAC, whose over-the-air signal is heard at 1510 AM, is a Clear Channel-owned talk station which was originally sponsored by the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee, and its competitor WWTN is owned by Cumulus.

Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Nashville, including ''The Green Mile'', ''The Last Castle'', ''Gummo'', ''The Thing Called Love'', ''Two Weeks'', ''Coal Miner's Daughter'', ''Nashville'', and ''Country Strong''.

Economy

As the "home of country music", Nashville has become a major music recording and production center. All of the Big Four record labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in the Music Row area. Since the 1960s, Nashville has been the second biggest music production center (after New York) in the U.S. As of 2006, Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of per year and to contribute 19,000 jobs to the Nashville area.

Although Nashville is renowned as a music recording center and tourist destination, its largest industry is actually health care. Nashville is home to more than 250 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of hospitals in the world. As of 2006, it is estimated that the health care industry contributes per year and 94,000 jobs to the Nashville-area economy. The automotive industry is also becoming increasingly important for the entire Middle Tennessee region. Nissan North America moved its corporate headquarters in 2006 from Gardena, California (Los Angeles County) to Franklin. Nissan also has its largest North American manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. Largely as a result of the increased development of Nissan and other Japanese economic interests in the region, Japan moved its New Orleans Consulate-general to Nashville's Palmer Plaza.

Other major industries in Nashville include insurance, finance, and publishing (especially religious publishing). The city hosts headquarters operations for several Protestant denominations, including the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, and the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

Fortune 500 companies within Nashville include Dell, HCA and Dollar General.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

! #	! Employer	! # of Employees
1		20,968
2	Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee	20,162
3		20,000
4		11,496
5	[[Saint Thomas Health Services	6,500
6		5,850
7		5,447
	Walmart	4,500
Gaylord Entertainment	4,500
9	Cracker Barrel Old Country Store	4,189
10	Dell	3,200

Demographics

The data below is for all of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, including other incorporated cities within the consolidated city–county (such as Belle Meade and Berry Hill). See Nashville-Davidson (balance) for demographic data on Nashville-Davidson County excluding separately incorporated cities.

According to the 2009 American Community Survey, there were 628,434 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,204.2 people per square mile (465/km²). There were 282,452 housing units at an average density of 560.4 per square mile (216.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.1% White, 26.8% African American, 8.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 3.1% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.1% from one other race, and 1.2% from two or more races.

There were 254,651 households and 141,469 families (55.6% of households). Of households with families, 37.2% had married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present. 27.9% of all households had children under the age of 18, and 18.8% had at least one member 65 years of age or older. Of the 44.4% of households that are non-families, 36.2% were individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.16.

The age distribution was 22% under 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 33% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 11% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,280, and the median income for a family was $56,923. Males with a year-round, full-time job had a median income of $40,037 versus $34,269 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,056. About 12.2% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Because of its relatively low cost of living and large job market, Nashville has become a popular city for immigrants. Nashville's foreign-born population more than tripled in size between 1990 and 2000, increasing from 12,662 to 39,596. Large groups of Mexicans, Kurds, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Arabs, and Bantus call Nashville home, among other groups. Nashville has the largest Kurdish community in the United States, numbering approximately 11,000. About 60,000 Bhutanese refugees are being admitted to the U.S. and some of them will resettle in Nashville. During the Iraqi election of 2005, Nashville was one of the few international locations where Iraqi expatriates could vote. The American Jewish community in Nashville dates back over 150 years, and numbered about 6,500 in 2001.

Law and government

The city of Nashville and Davidson County merged in 1963 as a way for Nashville to combat the problems of urban sprawl. The combined entity is officially known as "the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County", and is popularly known as "Metro Nashville" or simply "Metro". It offers services such as police, fire, electricity, water and sewage treatment. When the Metro government was formed in 1963, the government was split into two service districts—the "urban services district" and the "general services district." The urban services district encompasses the 1963 boundaries of the former City of Nashville, and the general services district includes the remainder of Davidson County. There are seven smaller municipalities within the consolidated city-county: Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Lakewood, Oak Hill, Goodlettsville (partially), and Ridgetop (partially). These municipalities use a two-tier system of government, with the smaller municipality typically providing police services and the Metro Nashville government providing most other services. Lakewood residents voted in 2010 and 2011 to dissolve its city charter and join the metropolitan government, with both votes passing.

Nashville is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor, and 40-member Metropolitan Council. It uses the strong-mayor form of the mayor–council system. The current mayor of Nashville is Karl Dean. The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of government for Nashville and Davidson County. There are five council members who are elected at large and 35 council members that represent individual districts. The Metro Council has regular meetings that are presided over by the vice-mayor, who is currently Diane Neighbors. The Metro Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm, according to the Metropolitan Charter.

Politics

Nashville has been a Democratic stronghold since at least the end of Reconstruction. While local elections are officially nonpartisan, nearly all of the city's elected officials are known to be Democrats. At the state level, Democrats hold all but one of the city's state house districts and all but one of the city's state senate districts.

Democrats are no less dominant at the federal level. Over the past 100 years, Democratic presidential candidates have carried Nashville/Davidson County in four out of five elections. Normally, Democrats carry Nashville at the presidential level with relatively little difficulty. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore carried Nashville with over 59% of the vote even as he narrowly lost his home state. In the 2004 election, John Kerry carried Nashville with 55% of the vote even as George W. Bush won the state by 14 points. In 2008, Barack Obama carried Nashville with 60% of the vote even as John McCain won Tennessee by 15 points.

At the federal level, Nashville is split between two congressional districts. Nearly all of the city is in the 5th District, currently represented by Democrat Jim Cooper. A Republican has not represented a significant portion of Nashville since 1874. While Republicans made a few spirited challenges in the mid-1960s and early 1970s, they have not made a serious bid for the district since 1972, when the Republican candidate gained only 38% of the vote even as Nixon carried the district in the presidential election by a large margin. The district's best-known congressman was probably Jo Byrns, who represented the district from 1909 to 1936 and was Speaker of the House for much of Franklin Roosevelt's first term as President. Another nationally prominent congressman from Nashville was Percy Priest, who represented the district from 1941 to 1956 and was House Majority Whip from 1949 to 1953. Former mayors Richard Fulton and Bill Boner also sat in the U.S. House before assuming the Metro mayoral office.

All of Nashville was located in a single district for most of the time from Reconstruction until the 2000 Census, when a small portion of southwestern Nashville was drawn into the heavily Republican 7th District. That district is currently represented by Marsha Blackburn of neighboring Williamson County; Blackburn represented much of the Nashville share of the 7th in the state senate from 1998 to 2002.

Education

Public schools

The city is served by the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Private schools

David Lipscomb Campus School

Davidson Academy

Donelson Christian Academy

Christ Presbyterian Academy

Ensworth School

Ezell-Harding Christian School

Franklin Road Academy

Father Ryan

Goodpasture Christian School

Harpeth Hall School

Madison Academy

Montgomery Bell Academy

Nashville Christian School

Nashville International Academy

St. Cecilia Academy

University School of Nashville

Colleges and universities

Nashville is often labeled the "Athens of the South" due to the many colleges and universities in the city and metropolitan area. The colleges and universities in Nashville include American Baptist College, Aquinas College, The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville, Belmont University, Daymar Institute, Fisk University, Free Will Baptist Bible College, John A. Gupton College, International Academy of Design and Technology, Lipscomb University, Meharry Medical College, Nossi College, Nashville School of Law, Nashville Auto Diesel College (a NAFTC Training Center), Nashville State Community College, Strayer University, Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, University of Phoenix, Vanderbilt University, and Watkins College of Art, Design & Film.

Within of Nashville in Murfreesboro is Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), a full-sized public university with Tennessee's largest undergraduate population. Enrollment in post-secondary education in Nashville is around 43,000. Within the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area—which includes MTSU, Cumberland University (Lebanon), Volunteer State Community College (Gallatin), Daymar Institute, and O'More College of Design (Franklin)—total enrollment exceeds 74,000. Within a radius are Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) and Columbia State Community College (Columbia), enrolling an additional 13,600.

Transportation

Nashville is centrally located at the crossroads of three Interstate Highways: I-40, I-24, and I-65. Interstate 440 is a bypass route connecting I-40, I-65, and I-24 south of downtown Nashville. Briley Parkway connects the north side of the city and its interstates. A number of arterial surface roads called "pikes" radiate from the city center; many carry the names of nearby towns to which they lead. Among these are Clarksville Pike, Gallatin Pike, Lebanon Pike, Murfreesboro Pike, Nolensville Pike, and Franklin Pike.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority provides bus transit within the city, out of a newly built hub station downtown. Routes utilize a hub and spoke method. Expansion plans include use of Bus rapid transit for new routes, with the possibility for local rail service at some point in the future.

Nashville is considered a gateway city for rail and air traffic for the Piedmont Atlantic MegaRegion.

The city is served by Nashville International Airport, which was a hub for American Airlines between 1986 and 1995 and is now a mini-hub for Southwest Airlines.

Although it is a major rail hub, with a large CSX Transportation freight rail yard, Nashville is one of the largest cities in the U.S. not served by Amtrak.

Nashville launched a passenger commuter rail system called the Music City Star on September 18, 2006. The only currently operational leg of the system connects the city of Lebanon to downtown Nashville at the Nashville Riverfront. Legs to Clarksville, Murfreesboro and Gallatin are currently in the feasibility study stage. The system plan includes seven legs connecting Nashville to surrounding suburbs.

Notable bridges in the city are:

! Official Name !! Other Names !! Length !! Date Opened
Gateway Bridge	Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge		May 19, 2004
Kelly Miller Smith Bridge	Jefferson Street Bridge		March 2, 1994
Old Hickory Bridge			1929
Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge	Bordeaux Bridge		September 18, 1980
Shelby Street Bridge	Shelby Avenue Bridge		July 5, 1909
Silliman Evans Bridge			1963
Victory Memorial Bridge			July 2, 1956
William Goodwin Bridge	Hobson Pike Bridge
Woodland Street Bridge

Nicknames

Nashville is a colorful, well-known city in several different arenas. As such, it has earned various sobriquets, including: Music City, USA: WSM-AM announcer David Cobb first used this name during a 1950 broadcast and it stuck. It is now the official nickname used by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nashville is the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and many major record labels. This name also dates back to 1874, where after receiving and hearing a performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Queen Victoria of England is reported as saying that "These young people must surely come from a musical city." Athens of the South: Home to twenty-four post-secondary educational institutions, Nashville has long been compared to the ancient city of learning, site of Plato's Academy. Since 1897, a full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon has stood in Nashville, and many examples of classical and neoclassical architecture can be found in the city. The Protestant Vatican or The Buckle of the Bible Belt: Nashville has over 700 churches, several seminaries, a number of Christian music companies, and is the headquarters for the publishing arms of the Southern Baptist Convention (LifeWay Christian Resources), the United Methodist Church (United Methodist Publishing House) and the National Baptist Convention (Sunday School Publishing Board). It is also the seat of the National Baptist Convention, the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the Gideons International, the Gospel Music Association, and Thomas Nelson, the world's largest producer of Bibles. Cashville: Nashville native Young Buck released a successful rap album called ''Straight Outta Cashville'' that has popularized the nickname among a new generation. Little Kurdistan: Nashville has the United States' largest population of Kurdish people, estimated to be around 11,000. Nash Vegas or Nashvegas

Sister cities

Nashville is an active participant in the Sister Cities program and has relationships with the following towns:

Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) Caen (France) Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) Magdeburg (Germany) Mendoza (Argentina) Taiyuan, Shanxi (People's Republic of China)

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, Tennessee

References

Further reading

External links

;Government

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

;Other

Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Nashville historical timeline

Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County

Category:Cities in Tennessee Category:County seats in Tennessee Category:Davidson County, Tennessee Category:Populated places established in 1779 Category:Consolidated city–counties in the United States

af:Nashville ar:ناشفيل، تينيسي ast:Nashville bn:ন্যাশভিল zh-min-nan:Nashville bi:Nashville, Tennessee bs:Nashville bg:Нашвил ca:Nashville cs:Nashville cy:Nashville, Tennessee da:Nashville de:Nashville et:Nashville es:Nashville eo:Naŝvilo (Tenesio) eu:Nashville fa:نشویل fo:Nashville fr:Nashville gl:Nashville ko:내슈빌 hy:Նաշվիլ hr:Nashville, Tennessee io:Nashville, Tennessee ilo:Nashville id:Nashville, Tennessee ia:Nashville, Tennessee ie:Nashville (Tennessee) os:Нашвилл is:Nashville it:Nashville he:נאשוויל pam:Nashville, Tennessee ka:ნეშვილი sw:Nashville, Tennessee ht:Nashville, Tennessee ku:Nashville mrj:Нэшвилл (Теннесси) la:Nasburgum lv:Našvila lt:Nešvilis (Tenesis) lmo:Nashville hu:Nashville mk:Нешвил (Тенеси) mr:नॅशव्हिल, टेनेसी nl:Nashville (Tennessee) ja:ナッシュビル no:Nashville oc:Nashville pnb:ناشولے pl:Nashville pt:Nashville (Tennessee) ro:Nashville, Tennessee ru:Нашвилл sq:Nashville simple:Nashville, Tennessee sk:Nashville (Tennessee) sl:Nashville, Tennessee sr:Нешвил sh:Nashville, Tennessee fi:Nashville sv:Nashville tl:Nashville, Tennessee ta:நாஷ்வில் th:แนชวิลล์ tg:Нашвилл tr:Nashville uk:Нашвілл ug:Nashwil vi:Nashville, Tennessee vo:Nashville (Tennessee) war:Nashville, Tennessee bat-smg:Našvėlis zh:纳什维尔

name	Universal Music Group Nashville
parent	Universal Music Group
founded	MCA Nashville (1945)Mercury Nashville (1945)Lost Highway (2000)
genre	Country
country	United States
location	Nashville, Tennessee
url	http://www.umgnashville.com/ }}

Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, and Lost Highway Records. UMG Nashville not only handles these imprints, but also manages the country music catalogues of record labels Universal Music and predecessor companies acquired over the years including ABC Records, Decca Records, Dot Records, DreamWorks Records, Kapp Records, MGM Records and Polydor Records.

MCA Nashville

MCA Nashville started out as the country music division of Decca Records in 1945, founded by Paul Cohen in New York. In 1947, Cohen hired Owen Bradley as his assistant working in Nashville. The country music division moved to Nashville in 1955 as much of the country music recording business was locating there. Bradley succeeded Cohen as head of Decca's Nashville division in 1958 and developed Decca into a country music powerhouse. Decca Nashville was renamed MCA Nashville in 1973.

In 1979, MCA Nashville absorbed the country music roster (including Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell and The Oak Ridge Boys) and back catalogue of ABC Records including the Dot Records catalogue. In the early 1980s, MCA Nashville signed Reba McEntire (who departed the label in late 2008) and George Strait, two of the greatest selling artists of all time and the mega stars on the record label.

In the 1990s MCA Nashville briefly revived the Decca label for country music releases, but it was shut down after Universal Music absorbed PolyGram and chose to reserve the Decca name for classical music releases. While Decca resumed issuing country music in February 2008, the current Decca country music department has no connection with UMG Nashville. However, MCA Nashville continues to reissue past country releases from Decca, as well as those on the Kapp label.

With the absorption of MCA Records into Geffen Records in 2003, MCA Nashville is now, along with UMG's unit in the Philippines, the only units of Universal Music to still use the MCA name.

Mercury Nashville

The still active Mercury Records was founded in Chicago in 1945 issuing recordings in a variety of genres including country music. The Nashville office of Mercury began as a joint venture between Mercury and "Pappy" Daily's established country music record label Starday Records in January 1957. In July 1958, the Mercury/Starday joint venture was dissolved and Starday record producer Shelby Singleton stayed on with Mercury in Nashville, becoming head of Mercury's Nashville office by 1961. Singleton left Mercury in 1966 to form his own company which bought Sun Records in 1969.

In 1997, PolyGram, which owned Mercury, consolidated all its Nashville operations under the Mercury name.

When PolyGram was purchased by Universal Music Group in 1998, the resulting record label consolidations left Mercury under the The Island Def Jam Music Group umbrella making Mercury in the USA dormant until recently, but still active internationally. The consolidations in Nashville which created UMG Nashville kept the Mercury Nashville imprint active.

Reissues of country music recordings first issued on the MGM, Polydor, and other former PolyGram labels bear the Mercury Nashville imprint (with some exceptions).

Lost Highway Records

right Lost Highway Records was formed by Luke Lewis in 2000, Lost Highway Records operates as a country music label, based out of Nashville, but the label also issues music by alternative rock and alternative country artists such as Morrissey and Ryan Adams. The company's name was inspired by a Hank Williams song. Today the label operates in conjunction with The Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group Nashville. Lost Highway has distributed the soundtracks for ''O' Brother, Where Art Thou?'', ''Deadwood'', and ''Open Season'' by Paul Westerberg. They have also acted as distributor for albums from Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.

See also

Similar sub-divisions of rival companies:

*Sony Music Nashville

*Warner Music Nashville

Artists

External links

Official UMG Nashville Page

Lost Highway Records

References

Category:American record labels Category:Companies based in Nashville, Tennessee Category:American country music record labels

pt:Universal Music Group Nashville ru:Lost Highway Records

Name	Josh Kelley
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	January 30, 1980
Origin	Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Genre	Pop rock, blues rock, country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	2001–present
Label	DNK Records, Hollywood Records, Threshold, MCA Nashville
Associated acts	Lady Antebellum
Website	JoshKelley.com }}

Joshua Bishop "Josh" Kelley (born January 30, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Kelley has recorded for Hollywood Records, Threshold Records and DNK Records as a pop rock artist, and has had four hit singles on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. His songs "Amazing" and "Only You" made top ten on that chart.

In 2010, Kelley signed to MCA Nashville and began a country music career. His debut single on the format, "Georgia Clay", has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs charts. Kelley is the brother of Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley. Kelley is married to actress Katherine Heigl.

Early life

Kelley was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Gayle and Dr. John W. Kelley, a cardiologist. Kelley began his musical career at the age of 11. His younger brother, Charles Kelley, is also a musician and singer in the country trio Lady Antebellum. Kelley started at 11 with his guitar. While he was a teenager, he and his brother Charles formed a band called Inside Blue. By the time he was 14, the band released a CD with five songs in it, which led to a meeting with James Brown.

Kelley attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, and is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Music career

Kelley released his independent album, ''Changing Faces'', in 2001 and signed with Hollywood Records in 2002. Working with John Alagia as his producer, Kelley released the album, ''For the Ride Home'', on June 3, 2003. The album featured his hit song "Amazing," which most people know him by. He also made an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2003.

Even though Kelley has stated that the lyrics from his song "Angeles" were fabricated, he moved to Los Angeles from Georgia and recorded the majority of his second album, ''Almost Honest'', in the studio of his home. ''Almost Honest'' was released on August 23, 2005, and featured the hit single, "Only You."

After asking to be released from his contract with Hollywood Records, Kelley released his third album, ''Just Say The Word'' under his own label named Threshold. The digital version of the album was released through iTunes on June 6, 2006, while the physical album was released in stores in the United States on July 25, 2006. "The Pop Game" was the first single from his self-produced album and was accompanied by a cartoon video.

Kelley's next album, ''Special Company'', was released in the United States on January 14, 2008. His label, Threshold, was renamed DNK Records so as to avoid confusion with another record label by the same name. Kelley also released a digital album that summer titled ''Backwoods'' on July 7. Later that year, Kelley released his latest album, ''To Remember'', on September 23 exclusively through Target stores. The title track was also included on the AT&T; Team USA Soundtrack.

Kelley has toured with many artists including Rod Stewart, Third Eye Blind, Toby Lightman, Counting Crows, and Ryan Cabrera.

Kelley remains a supporter of file sharing applications for independent artists who have a difficult time receiving an audience. In fact, Kelley was "found" after targeting Eric Clinger at Hollywood Records with private spam, "If you like James Taylor, Try Josh Kelley," messages using the Napster program.

In November 2009, Kelley signed with MCA Nashville and began recording his first country album in 2010. The album's first single, "Georgia Clay", was released to country radio in August 2010. The single has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album, also titled ''Georgia Clay'', was released in March 2011.

Personal life

Kelley majored in Art at the University of Mississippi and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He is an avid golfer and attended college on a golf scholarship.

Kelley is married to TV and major motion picture actress Katherine Heigl, who is also the basis of the song he wrote for her, "Hey Katie" The Heigl-Kelley wedding took place at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah. Heigl's ''Grey's Anatomy'' co-stars T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers attended the ceremony, as well as ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff series ''Private Practice'' star Kate Walsh. The ceremony was officiated by Unitarian minister Tom Goldsmith. Heigl walked down the aisle to an acoustic song written by Kelley and performed by a cello and guitar players. According to a source, the bride and groom wrote their own vows. The bridesmaids wore red. The two met in 2005 when Heigl appeared in a video for Kelley's song "Only You."

Kelley and Heigl adopted a 10 month old girl from South Korea. Kelley and Heigl's daughter is named Nancy Leigh, after Heigl's mother and sister (Nancy and Margaret Leigh, respectively), although they have nicknamed her Naleigh.

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
''For the Ride Home''		* Release date: June 3, 2003	Hollywood Records>Hollywood	159	5	—	—
''Almost Honest''		* Release date: August 23, 2005	* Label: Hollywood	114	1	—	—
''Just Say the Word''		* Release date: June 6, 2006	Threshold Records>Threshold	—	—	—	—
''Special Company''		* Release date: February 5, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	7	27	—
''Backwoods''		* Release date: August 20, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	19	—	—
''To Remember''		* Release date: September 29, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	11	—	—
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: March 22, 2011	Universal Music Group Nashville>MCA Nashville	92	—	—	16

Extended plays

Title	Album details
''Josh Kelley Live Session EP''		* Release date: August 2, 2005	* Label: Hollywood Records
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: November 30, 2010	* Label: MCA Nashville

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
2003	! scope="row"	79	—	8	—
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	—	—	24	—
	! scope="row"	—	—	9	—
"Almost Honest"	—	—	29	—
	"Get with It"	—	—	—	—
"Pop Game"	—	—	—	—
"Just Say the Word"	—	—	—	—
2008	"Unfair"	—	—	—	—
2009	"To Remember"	—	27	—	—
2010	"Georgia Clay"	87	—	—	17
2011	! scope="row"				53

Other contributions

!Year	!Song	!Album
"Everybody Wants You"	''The Prince & Me'' (soundtrack)
"Amazing"	''Raising Helen'' (soundtrack)
	"You Are the Woman"
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"	''Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen''
	"Lover Come Up"	''My Super Ex-Girlfriend'' (soundtrack)
"Sunset Lover"
"Feels Like Home"	rowspan=2
"Welcome to This Day (Reprise)"
"You're a Part of Everything"	''Candles on Bay Street'' (soundtrack)
	"Unfair"	''27 Dresses'' (soundtrack)
"You're a Part of Everything"
2009	"Under the Covers"

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	Elliott Lester
2005	"Only You"	Marcus Raboy
2010	"Georgia Clay"	Wes Edwards
2011	"Gone Like That"

References

External links

Official website

The Official Josh Kelley Street Team

Official Josh Kelley Store

Aug. 2006 New York TV interview

Josh Kelley collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

"The Prince & Me" movie

/ Billboard Song Chart History

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Augusta, Georgia Category:University of Mississippi alumni Category:MCA Records artists

cs:Josh Kelley de:Josh Kelley es:Josh Kelley fr:Josh Kelley he:ג'וש קלי pt:Josh Kelley

name	Kip Moore
background	solo_singer
birth place	Tifton, Georgia
genre	Country
occupation	Singer
instrument	Vocals
years active	2010-present
label	MCA Nashville
associated acts	Brett James
notable instruments	}}

Kip Moore (born in Tifton, Georgia) is an American country music singer. He is signed to MCA Nashville and has released his debut single, "Mary Was the Marrying Kind".

Biography

Kip Moore was born in Tifton, Georgia. He began playing guitar while attending college, and made his first public performance at a Mellow Mushroom restaurant in Valdosta, Georgia. After college, he moved to a "little hut" in Hawaii, where he also took up backpacking and surfing.

Moore moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004, where songwriter and producer Brett James helped him sign to a publishing deal. He spent four years in Nashville before signing to a record deal with MCA Nashville. Moore released his debut single "Mary Was the Marrying Kind" in early 2011. Karlie Justus of The 9513 gave the song a "thumbs up", praising the lyrics but criticizing the "heavy-handed production".

The song entered the Hot Country Songs charts at number 58 on the chart dated for the week ending April 2, 2011.

Kip Moore also co-wrote two tracks, "All the Way" and "Let's Fight," from Thompson Square's self-titled debut album, which was released in February 2011. "Let's Fight" was released as Thompson Square's debut single in 2010, and briefly charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart, reaching a peak of number 58.

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="65"
2011		45

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
2011	"Mary Was the Marrying Kind"	Michael Maxxis

References

Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:Living people Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Tift County, Georgia

name	Mallary Hope
background	solo_singer
origin	Cohutta, Georgia, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	Country
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2009–present
label	MCA Nashville
website	Official website }}

Mallary Hope (born in Cohutta, Georgia) is an American country music singer signed to MCA Nashville. She released her debut single, "Love Lives On", in July 2009, followed by an EP of the same name on August 4, 2009. Both this song and its followup, "Blossom in the Dust," have made the Hot Country Songs charts.

Musical career

Mallary Hope released a digital EP entitled ''Love Lives On'' on August 4, 2009. This EP includes the title track, as well as "Times Like These" and "Wildflowers". "Love Lives On" debuted at #57 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts dated for August 22, 2009. Jon Caramanica, from ''The New York Times,'' included Mallary as part of the new face of country music saying, "The next generation proposes a range of options. It includes...young women with a more traditional style, like Mallary Hope." ''CMT.com'' (Country Music Television) praised Hope, saying, "She has a beautifully soothing voice and uses it to its full effect on "Love Lives On," bringing all the sadness out of the song she wrote for her sister and anyone else who has a spouse in the military," and Matt Bjorke of Roughstock said that Hope sounded like a young Faith Hill and that the song "is nevertheless a song that can and should do well at radio." Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs-down, saying that Hope's voice was "derivative" and that the song was "a saccharine, heavy-handed tear-jerker about a passed-away lover." Hope's second single "Blossom in the Dust" was released to radio on February 22, 2010 and debuted at #60 on the chart for the week of March 20, 2010, peaking at #48.

Discography

Extended plays

Title	Album details
''Love Lives On''		* Release date: August 4, 2009	Universal Music Group Nashville>MCA Nashville

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="50"
2009	"Love Lives On"	42
2010	"Blossom in the Dust"	48

Music videos

! Year	Title	! Director
2009	"Love Lives On"	Stephen Shepherd

References

Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:Living people Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Dalton, Georgia