Blues, bluegrass, country, soul, rock and roll — look at the history of any of these classic music genres and all roads point to Tennessee. Any trip to the great southern US state simply must include the places that provided the soundtrack to the history of popular music.
There’s no better place to start than Nashville, which boldly calls itself Music City, then totally lives up to the boast.
First stop? Pay homage to Ryman Auditorium, built in 1892 in the heart of downtown. This storied building has hosted everyone from Caruso to country legends and arena rock bands. Informative guides offer an extensive tour of the imposing auditorium, fill you in on its history and even give you a chance to get up on that famous stage with a guitar and microphone for photo opportunities.
The Ryman was the original home of The Grand Ole Opry, the iconic country music live show and radio broadcast that has been held every week from 1925. The show is now held at the more modern and vast Grand Ole Opry, a 20-minute drive from downtown. It’s a must-see Nashville experience, a wonderful mix of country music and showbiz glitz.
If you want to catch the best country singer-songwriters in town, then make a beeline for the Bluebird Cafe. Once a week, four artists gather in-the-round and take turns playing their latest tunes with each other. It’s an intimate and electrifying experience. You could be listening to the next Taylor Swift, who was discovered here when she was just 15. On Monday nights it’s open mic night, where young — and not-so-young — hopefuls from all over the world get a shot while the supportive crowd cheers them on.
The Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum is an expertly curated and wonderfully immersive experience and you can buy a ticket that includes a tour of RCA’s legendary Studio B, where everyone Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and many others recorded some of their biggest hits.
It’s not all about country here. The Black Keys and Kings Of Leon call Nashville home and former White Stripes’ mainman Jack White owns Third Man, a music store and venue that’s a temple to retro-futuristic styling, full of gadgets, gizmos and vinyl records from his own label. You can even record your very own 45rpm single inside White’s record booth, which looks like an ancient wooden phonebox.
As the sun goes down you’re probably getting a thirst for a beer or a cocktail and some live music. Head to Broadway and take your pick of honky tonks, including stalwarts Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Most of these places have free entry, a deliciously divey atmosphere and bands that pump out everything from country to blues.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, head to hip East Nashville, where you’ll find some of the city’s best live music bars such as Family Wash (a former laundromat) and the 5 Spot (which features in TV show Nashville) and get to hear the coolest new singers and bands in town.
A three-hour drive west, or a flight of just over an hour, and you’re in Memphis. Naturally, one must immediately pay respects to the King and visit Graceland, which gives you access to Elvis Presley’s private world and let’s you witness a living testament to ’70s interior design.
Next stop is Sun Studios, where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis all got their start. The studio tour takes you through the story of the evolution of rock and roll that took place in this unassuming room with a lino floor and pegboard walls.
Memphis is excellent at preserving and presenting its musical history. The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum is an impressive and interactive journey from the gospel and blues of the deep south to the modern rock era. And the Stax Museum of American Soul Music is dedicated to the legendary label and studio known as “Soulsville USA”, home to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes and more.
As night falls, hit Beale Street. This was central to the city’s jazz and blues scene in the first half of the 20th century before becoming derelict in the ‘60s and finally being revitalised into a tourist-friendly attraction in the ‘80s with bars lining both sides of the road, each one boasting bands that play late into the evening.
“I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale,” sang Marc Cohn in his massive 1991 hit “Walking In Memphis”. Who knows? After your musical journey through Tennessee you might be doing exactly the same thing.
