The Trolley Tour Times – Nashville Edition

NASHVILLE CITY

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DID YOU KNOW?

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT NASHVILLE

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• Nashville’s 42-foot-tall statue of the Greek goddess Athena, which you can find inside the city’s famous full-size replica of the Parthenon, is the tallest enclosed sculpture in the western hemisphere. The statue’s spear was made from a McDonald’s flagpole.

• William Strickland, the architect of the Tennessee

State Capitol, is buried within its walls. Additionally, both former U.S. president James K. Polk and his wife are buried in a tomb on the statehouse grounds that was also designed by Strickland.

• When seen from above, the building which houses the Country Music Hall of Fame looks like a bass clef.

President Richard Nixon plays piano at the Grand Ole Opry.

• President Richard Nixon performed on the Grand Ole Opry during its first show at its current venue, Grand Opry House, in 1974. Nixon played “God Bless America” on the piano.

• Originally called WSM Barn Dance in honor of a similar radio program that aired in Chicago, Nashville’s famous weekly country music show was renamed Grand Ole Opry by George Hay on December 10, 1927. It is the world’s longest-running weekly radio program.

• Legend has it that Nashville’s famous hot chicken was created in the 1930s by a scorned lover out for revenge. When Thornton Prince’s girlfriend suspected him of becoming too friendly with another woman, she added extra spicy seasonings to the batter of his fried chicken as punishment. Thornton, however, liked the fiery flavor so much that, after refining the recipe, he opened a restaurant: Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, which still exists today.

CITY FACTFILE

• Nashville is known for its whiskey distilleries, although they haven’t been without their challenges. Prohibition, the banning of alcohol, started earlier and lasted longer in Tennessee than in other states–28 years in total as opposed to 13.

• Sea captain William Driver, who lived in Nashville, is credited with giving the American national flag its popular nickname “Old Glory.”

• The first FM-broadcasting license in the U.S. went to Nashville’s WSM radio station in 1941. David Cobb, a WSM announcer in the 1950s, is credited with being the first person to refer to Nashville as “Music City.”

• The 33-story AT&T building, below, which is nicknamed the “Batman Building” thanks to its resemblance to the Caped Crusader’s mask, is the tallest building in the state of Tennessee.

• During Tomato Art Fest in August, people dress up in vegetable costumes, enjoy tomato-related artworks and drink Bloody Marys. Each year, a King and Queen Tomato are also chosen to lead a fun tomato-themed street parade.

• William Walker of Nashville, below, became the president of Nicaragua in 1856. He is so far the only American to become president of another country.

CITY FLAG

STATE FLAG

FOUNDED December 25, 1779

PERMANENT CAPITAL OF TENNESSEE from 1843 AREA

497 square miles POPULATION

678,851 (2021)

DEMONYM Nashvillian NICKNAMES

Music City, Athens of the South, Smashville, Cashville, Nashvegas, Powder City

SPORTS TEAMS

• Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church is one of only a few examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the United States. It was originally built in 1814 and renovated in 1851.

• According to one famous story, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase “good to the last drop” after drinking a cup of local Nashville coffee. Although he almost certainly never said this, the Maxwell House coffee company still uses the catchy slogan.

• Nashville is home to the world’s largest festival of songwriters, Tin Pan South. The festival attracts around 350 songwriters who perform original music in venues across the city. Discover

• Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish community in the continent of North America.

• While recording a Christmas album during July in the historic RCA Studio B, “The King” Elvis Presley was struggling to get into the festive spirit. So the sound crew hung colored lights to put Presley in a Christmas mood. They are still hanging in the recording booth in Studio B today!

Tennessee Titans (NFL) founded in 1959 Nashville SC (MLS) founded in 2016 Nashville Predators (NHL) founded in 1997 Nashville Sounds (MILB) founded in 1978

TAKE A TOUR OF NASHVILLE

YOUR INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE MUST-SEE SIGHTS OF MUSIC CITY

1 MARATHON MOTOR WORKS

Learn about the epic quest to find a car from this retired factory on page 16.Marathon Village is now home to various attractions, including a museum, shops, and restaurants.

FISK UNIVERSITY

Find out more about Nashville’s famous Fisk University Jubilee Singers on page 9.

SARAH CANNON CANCER INSTITUTE

Learn about the medical research and treatment center named after Nashville’s much-loved country star Minnie Pearl on page 16.

2 CENTENNIAL PARK

Centennial Park was home to Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition in 1897, which you can read more about on page 11. Don’t miss the Parthenon, with its enormous statue of Athena.

3 MIDTOWN

In Midtown you can find

Just Love Coffee Cafe, try Nashville’s famous hot chicken, and discover other local dining.

4 BELMONT MANSION

Located on the campus of Belmont University, Belmont Mansion is the largest house museum in Tennessee. At this stop you can also check out the Gallery of Iconic Guitars.

5 THE GULCH

The Gulch historic neighborhood is home to the Station Inn, Lucchese boots, and fine shopping and dining.

6 UNION STATION AND FRIST ART MUSEUM

At this stop you can explore the Union Station Hotel, the Art Deco-style Frist Art Museum, and the Customs House.

BRIDGESTONE ARENA

Learn the surprising history of the NHL’s Nashville Predators’ mascot on page 17.

7 COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Read about the history of the Country Music Hall of Fame on page 16. Nearby is the Goo Goo Chocolate Co., home to the first combination candy bar, which you can read about on page 10. Don’t miss Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Johnny Cash Museum, and the Patsy Cline Museum.

8 201 BROADWAY

This stop is where you’ll find Nissan Stadium. Relive the famous “Music City Miracle,” one of the NFL’s most unforgettable plays, on page 18, and find out more about Nashville’s epic country music gathering, CMA Fest, on page 19. You can also catch some views of the Cumberland River and the Ghost Ballet statue at this stop.

FORT NASHBOROUGH

Discover this famous site from the founding of Nashville and learn about its early settlers and their conflicts with the Indigenous people of the area on page 6.

9 RYMAN AUDITORIUM

Learn about the Ryman’s founding as the Union Gospel Tabernacle on page 10 and its time as the home of the Grand Ole Opry on page 14. At this stop you can also visit the National Museum of African American Music, the AT&T “Batman” Building, and more.

10 LEGISLATIVE PLAZA

Read about the construction of the Tennessee State Capitol on page 7 and the state’s important role in the 19th Amendment on page 14.

11 MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM

Learn more music history, and don’t miss the Chet Atkins Statue!

12 FARMERS’ MARKET

Grab a bite to eat and check out the Pathway of History, Tennessee State Museum, and the 95-bell carillon.

13 CAPITOL VIEW

Check out great dining and shopping options here.

FORT NEGLEY

Learn more about the Civil War’s decisive Battle of Nashville on page 8.

ABOUT THIS NEWSPAPER

Through newspaper-style articles, the Trolley Tour Times tells the story of Nashville—from early times to today—as if it were happening right now!

Here’s what’s inside:

STORY OF NASHVILLE

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A series of newspaperstyle articles capturing key moments in the story.

QR codes appear on selected articles in the newspaper. Focus the camera of a smartphone or tablet on any QR code and click on the link that appears, and you will be transported to a piece of related digital content.

MUSIC CITY’S GREATEST HITS!

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Twenty-two moments in Nashville music history. Plus, meet 40 famous music-makers with connections to the city.

NASHVILLE HALL OF FAME

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THINGS TO DO

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Recommendations for things to see and do in Nashville. Plus, test your newfound knowledge of the city with our family quiz and word search.

COLONISTS FOUND FORT NASHBOROUGH

NEW SETTLEMENT NAMED AFTER FALLEN HERO OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

By our field reporter December 25, 1779

A band of colonists crossed an ice-covered Cumberland River on Christmas Day to start their new settlement, Fort Nashborough. For now, they are setting up temporary shelters. Their families and friends will be joining them in several months.

The leader of the settlement, Colonel James Robertson, said that the new town will have 20 log cabins on two acres of land, surrounded by a protective fence. It is named after General Francis Nash, who died fighting the British in 1777.

This is the first time that colonists have attempted to settle the area, although the region has been used for years as a hunting ground. Cherokee, Muscogee, and white frontiersmen have all hunted here. Richard Henderson of the Transylvania Land Company purchased the land from the Cherokee Nation in 1777. However, the Chickamauga Cherokees say the deal was not legal. Chickamauga Chief Drag-

ging Canoe has warned that he will make the ground “dark and bloody” if colonists try to settle here and people are worried that there will be war between the Chickamauga Cherokees and the new settlers.

Robertson, however, says that people shoud not be worried. The colonel reminded reporters that all of his people are Overmountain Men, the best frontiersmen in Appalachia. We are perfectly safe, he promised.

The Battle of the Bluffs

By our Indigenous affairs correspondent April 2, 1781

Chief Dragging Canoe was serious when he said the colonists could expect retaliation for invading Cherokee territory. A war party made a daring raid on Fort Nashborough tonight. The raid resulted in the colonists losing five men and 19 horses.

TIMELINE

1700

A record of key events in U.S. history from 1700 to the present day. Events related to Nashville are highlighted in orange.

The plan began with a clever ruse. Three Cherokee warriors

1710

French fur traders establish a trading post in the area which becomes known as French Lick. It is the future site of the city of Nashville.

1738, January 6

Inventor Samuel Morse gives the first public demonstration of the telegraph. The new Morse Code system is named for him.

OUR NEW STATE

approached the fort walls. They fired their weapons at the night guard, then ran away from the fort. As Dragging Canoe had hoped, Colonel James Robertson and his Overmountain Men left the fort to chase the warriors.

In their hurry, the Overmountain Men rode past 200 warriors hiding in the forest. This group blocked the path back to the fort

1750

1775, April 19

as 200 more warriors attacked from beyond a nearby stream. Robertson and his party were surrounded.

Only the release of Fort Nashborough’s many dogs, previously trained to attack on sight, saved the settlers from total defeat. After the battle, Chief Dragging Canoe promised that this was only the first attack of many.

The first shots of the Revolutionary War are fired between colonists and British troops in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.

A modern replica of the original Fort Nashborough.

STATE CAPITOL!

Nashville learns to sing

By our city reporter December 11, 1824

Our proud young city can now add another type of business to its list of homegrown industries: music publishing!

1776, July 4

The Declaration of Independence is signed in Pennsylvania as all 13 American colonies declare themselves free of British rule.

Singing masters Allen D. Carden and Samuel J. Rogers are printing a new hymnal, The Western Harmony. According to Carden, the book includes “a choice collection of tunes for church service, some of them

1779, December 25 Fort Nashborough is founded by James Robertson, a leader of the Overmountain Men, and John Donelson.

CITIZENS CELEBRATE COMPLETION OF EPIC 14-YEAR BUILDING PROJECT

By our city reporter March 19, 1859

Fourteen years have passed since construction workers laid the cornerstone for our new state capitol, but the wait is finally over. The Tennessee State Capitol is complete.

The long process of building the Capitol began in 1845, two years after our fair city became Tennessee’s capital. Philadelphian architect William Strickland was hired to build it. As a lover of the Greek Revival style, Strickland based his design on Greek temples. He also wanted it to have a cupola, a belfry-like structure on top of the building’s dome, that could be illuminated at night like a lantern.

Strickland’s stone masons used Tennessee limestone, which was dragged from a quarry about a mile away, usually by imprisoned or enslaved people. The final stone of the building was laid on July 21, 1855.

William Strickland did not live to see his design finished. He died in 1854. However, his son Francis W. Strickland supervised most of the structure’s completion. The younger Strickland also granted his father’s

entirely new,” as well as “a few of the most approved anthems.”

The tunebook also includes instructions for how to sing,

1789, February 4 George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, is unanimously elected the 1st president of the United States.

Above: Plans for Tennessee’s State Capitol. Below: Its architect William Strickland.

wish: William Strickland was buried in the Capitol’s northeast wall, so that he would always be a part of his greatest accomplishment.

The Capitol cost Tennessee taxpayers a mighty $900,000. The state government means to get our money out of it, though. All three branches will be meeting inside it for the foreseeable future.

which should be useful during singing school lessons.

Copies of The Western Harmony are being printed with the equipment of Carey Harris’s newspaper, The Nashville Republican. They will be available to purchase at the bookstores of Robert Bily & Elliott and Dr. Hayes, but also shipped to other towns in nearby states.

While not as popular as they once were, singing schools continue to do solid business throughout the States. Masters at these schools often print their own hymnals for their students to use. However, a regional release such as The Western Harmony is quite rare. The book is expected to put Nashville on the music publishing map.

1850 1800

1819

The General Jackson, named for General (and future president) Andrew Jackson, becomes the first steamboat to serve Nashville.

1843, October 7

Nashville is named

Tennessee’s permanent state capital. Kingston, Knoxville, and Murfreesboro were all prior locations of the capital.

1859

Tennessee’s State Capitol Building, designed by William Strickland, is finished, 14 years after contruction began (see above).

UNION LANDS DECISIVE BLOW AT BATTLE OF NASHVILLE

GENERAL HOOD’S

BRAVE ATTEMPT

TO

RETAKE

THE CITY FROM OCCUPYING UNION ARMY ENDS IN DEFEAT

1861, April 12

The Civil War begins as Confederate troops capture Fort Sumter in Charleston from the Union.

1861, June 8 Tennessee secedes from the United States to join the Confederate States of America.

By our war correspondent December 17, 1864

The Army of Tennessee’s attempt to take Nashville back from the Union Army has ended in disaster. Southern soldiers suffered twice as many casualties as their Yankee opponents, and they are now being chased back across the Tennessee River.

The odds were already stacked against Confederate Lieutenant General John B. Hood when he arrived with his men on December 2. His opponent, Union Major General George H. Thomas, “the Rock of Chickamauga,” had 55,000 soldiers in the city. Hood had only 30,000

1864, December 15-16

The Battle of Nashville ends with a Union victory, ending Tennessee’s involvement in the Civil War.

and had already fought a hard battle in Franklin, Tennessee.

Nevertheless, Hood was determined to retake Nashville. He had his soldiers make a line four miles wide and build barriers of earth to defend themselves against the Union’s charge. That charge came at 6:00 a.m. on December 15. Thomas’s strategy

1865, April 9

The Civil War ends as General Lee surrenders to General Grant following defeat at the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

1865, December 6

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which formally abolishes the institution of slavery, is ratified.

Above: General John B. Hood (on the right) surveys his troops at the midpoint of the battle.

Left: General Hood and his opponent, General George H. Thomas (on the right).

THE BATTLE OF NASHVILLE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

Ahead of the battle, General Hood had arranged his Confederate forces into a four-mile line straddling four of the roads to the south of Nashville. His troops built a series of earth fortifications to defend against attack by Union forces. At the same time, much of the Confederate cavalry was sent to engage Union forces at nearby Murfreesboro.

General Thomas’s plan was to tie down his opponents’ right flank while a larger force of Union infantry and cavalry overwhelmed their fortifications and decimated the Confederate left. At 6:00 a.m. Major James Steedman led the first phase of the assault against the Army of Tennessee.

Steedman succeeded in keeping the Confederate right flank tied down until midday, when the main Union force advanced on Hood’s fortifications to the left. Hood’s troops started to break, and by nightfall his forces had retreated to take up new positions two miles south of their original defenses.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Jubilee Singers hit the right note with Queen Victoria

By our entertainment editor April 1873

Nashville is abuzz with the news that Fisk’s University’s premier singing group, the Jubilee Singers, has recently sung for the Queen of England.

Daniel,” and “Go Down Moses,” but were unsure at the time if Her Majesty enjoyed any of them. The Queen did not applaud or thank them.

The next day, Hood reformed his troops around Shy’s Hill to the west and Overton’s Hill to the east. Union forces then attacked both hills. Their first attempt to take Overton’s Hill failed, but by late afternoon Shy’s Hill was claimed by Union forces, and the confidence of Confederate troops on Overton’s Hill started to waiver. A second assault on Overton’s Hill led to a rout of Confederate forces. Hood then ordered a mass

was to keep the Tennessee Army busy on the right while smashing through its lines on the left. The plan worked. By nightfall, the Southerners were retreating.

On December 16, the Army of Tennessee reassembled a couple of miles south of the city, on Shy’s Hill and Overton’s Hill. The Yankees followed and attacked

1870

1866, July 24

Tennessee is the first Confederate state to rejoin the Union following the end of the Civil War.

1871

retreat south to the city of Franklin.

AFTERMATH

Of the 30,000 Confederate troops who fought here, around 6,000 were

The Fisk Jubilee Singers are formed by George L. White to help raise funds for the Fisk Free Colored School (now Fisk University).

casualties. Of the 55,000 troops of Thomas’s Union army, 3,000 were casualties. Following this crushing defeat, Hood gave up his command in shame.

again. Their first assault on Overton’s Hill failed but by 4:00 p.m. they had taken Shy’s Hill. A second charge on Overton’s Hill followed, and Hood knew the battle was over. He ordered a mass retreat back to Franklin.

With this new defeat, it may be said that the Civil War in Tennessee is at an end.

1872, March 1

Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, is established by Congress.

The chance to perform for Her Majesty was completely unexpected. While touring England, the Singers performed for the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. During the show, however, the Queen made a surprise appearance. She was interested in the group and summoned them to a private room for a personal performance.

According to group member Benjamin Holmes, the Queen knew about African-American spirituals and asked for several songs by name. The Jubilee Singers sang “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Did the Lord Deliver

As it turns out, Her Majesty thought highly of her guests.“They sing extremely well together,” she reportedly commented. George L. White, the Jubilee Singers’ director, says that this approval has opened doors for the ensemble all over England. This publicity boost is a great development for the Jubilee Singers’ mission to raise money for Fisk University’s first permanent building, which will be appropriately named Jubilee Hall.

Find out about the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.

1873, April

While on tour, the Fisk Jubilee Singers are unexpectedly asked to perform for Britain’s Queen Victoria (see above).

1876, March 7

The scientist and engineer Alexander Graham Bell wins a patent for his groundbreaking new invention: the telephone.

MONTGOMERY HILL

FRANKLIN PIKE

OVERTON HILL

The Jubilee Singers were a celebrated a cappella musical group.

The view from Fort Negley in Nashville.

Sound of music fills Union Gospel Tabernacle HAPPY 100 TH

By our entertainment reporter May 5, 1892

The newest and most beautiful church in Nashville might become known not only for its services, but also for its shows.

Although the building’s purpose was supposed to be “strictly religious,” the new Union Gospel Tabernacle held a concert last night for the May Music Festival. Attendees heard the skillful playing of the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, perhaps the most famous orchestra in America.

The president of the Tabernacle’s board of directors, riverboat tycoon Thomas G. Ryman, explained that there was really no other choice but to rent out the church for events. The Tabernacle needs the money to stay open, since its construction went $20,000 over budget. However, the management will make sure that all shows contribute to the “religion, morality, and the elevation of humanity to a higher plan and more usefulness.”

If anyone has the right to open the Tabernacle (called Union because it is meant to unify all faiths) up for other purposes, it is Captain Ryman. The business -

man is the main reason that the Tabernacle exists. After Ryman “got religion” during the preaching of traveling minister Samuel Jones, Ryman felt called to build a space where men such as Jones could minister to large crowds. Seven years later, Ryman has made his ambitious vision a reality.

1881, October 26

A gunfight takes place at the O.K.

Corral in Arizona involving Sheriff Wyatt Earp and other famous names of the American west.

1886, October 28

The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland.

Goo Goo Clusters: a new kind of candy

Despite all his work, Ryman wants no recognition. The Union Gospel Tabernacle is all about faith, he says. The rest ultimately does not matter.

1890

1892, January 15

James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball and the first official game is played in Springfield, Mass., five days later.

By our food reporter October 24, 1912

The good folks at Nashville’s own Standard Candy Company have announced a brand-new snack for sweet-toothed Nashvillians: the world’s first combination candy bar!

1897, May 1

Standard Candy is calling their roundish mounds of caramel, marshmallow nougat, fresh

The Tennessee Centennial Exposition, a celebration of the state’s 100th anniversary, opens in Nashville (see above).

1900

1897, September 1

The era of mass public transport begins with the opening of the first subway in North America in Boston, Mass.

1903, December 17 Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright achieve the first powered airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Above: the Tabernacle, preacher Samuel Jones (left) and Captain Ryman. Left: the celebrated Theodore Thomas Orchestra performs the first musical concert at the venue.

Right: the team at Standard Candy create more treats.

TH BIRTHDAY, TENNESSEE!

roasted peanuts, and milk chocolate “Goo Goo Clusters.” According to Howell H. Campbell, owner of the Standard Candy Company, the memorable name was suggested to him by a woman on the streetcar he takes to work. The company already produces a variety of popular candies, including suckers, marshmal -

1910

1904, December 23

Thomas G. Ryman dies, leading the Union Gospel Tabernacle to be renamed the Ryman Auditorium in his honor.

PRESIDENT OPENS TENNESSEE’S CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION IN STYLE

By our entertainment critic May 2, 1897

The state of Tennessee kicked off its hundredth birthday party yesterday—and what a start!

Seven hundred miles away at the White House, President William McKinley himself pressed a button that fired a cannon here at the fair. After the boom, exposition president J.W. Thomas declared, “I now proclaim the Tennessee Centennial Exposition open to the world.” With that announcement, the gates were thrown open for the crowds to enter.

Those crowds found almost one hundred colorful buildings on two hundred acres of land. Many of the buildings are quite large. The Fine Arts Building is an impressive full-scale reproduction of the Parthenon in Greece, and the Memphis Building is a replica of the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.

Each building contains new wonders. Parents can observe a

THE ORIGINAL GOO GOO CLUSTER

Milk chocolate

Peanuts

Caramel Marshmallow

1910

Marathon Motor Works relocates its factory from Jackson, Tenn., to Nashville. All aspects of its car production are handled here.

Above: Replicas of the Greek Parthenon and Great Pyramid of Cheops are illuminated at night.

new form of education called “kindergarten” in the Children’s Building. In the Education and Hygiene Building, visitors can learn about the new development of X-ray technology.

Perhaps the most beautiful exhibit, however, is the Negro Building. A showcase of African-American history and culture, the exhibit tells “the story of achievement under obstacles often seemingly impossible to overcome.” The building includes two 90-foot towers that allow visitors to look out over the fairgrounds.

All told, the Centennial Exposition is an amazing experience that is suitable for the whole family. All Nashvillians are highly encouraged to visit before the Expo ends on October 31.

Our critic’s rating: 

lows, and Belle-Camp fine chocolates, but the Goo Goo Cluster is the first product it is selling that has been invented by its own in-house team. It will be advertising the Goo Goo Cluster as a “Nourishing Lunch for a Nickel.”

Anyone interested in trying Goo Goo Clusters can do so for themselves by visiting the Stand-

ard Candy Company at Clark and First Avenue North or by stopping by at any of Nashville’s finer candy counters.

Feeling hungry? Check out the best restaurants in Nashville on our website.

1912, April 14-15

After striking an iceberg during its maiden voyage, the “unsinkable” Titanic sinks in the north Atlantic. More than 1,500 lives are lost.

1912, October 24

The Standard Candy Company invents the world’s first combination candy bar, the Goo Goo Cluster (see above).

1873

Fisk Jubilee Singers Perform for Queen Victoria

The Fisk Jubilee Singers leave their university to embark on a tour of Europe, where they unexpectedly perform for Britain’s Queen Victoria.

October 6 is still celebrated at Fisk University as “Jubilee Day.”

1896

National Baptist Publishing Board

Begins Dr. Richard Henry Boyd, right, a formerly enslaved person, founded the National Baptist Publishing Board, which would go on to produce millions of pieces of literature, including hymns, tunes, and songbooks.

1925

The Grand Ole Opry Has Its First Show

1946

R&B Comes to Nashville

Disc jockey Gene Nobles experimented with playing rhythm and blues records on WLAC radio—and the audience’s response convinced Nobles he was on to something.

1947

“Near You” Launches Nashville’s Recording Industry Released on Nashville’s Bullet Records, the success of Francis Craig and Kermit Goell’s “Near You” effectively launched Nashville’s recording industry.

1949

George D. Hay launched the WSM Barn Dance, later to be renamed the Grand Ole Opry. Its first act was 77-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson.

1926

Opry’s First African American Member DeFord Bailey, the “Harmonica Wizard,” made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He was the show’s first African American member.

1942

Nashville Gets A Music Publishing Company

“King of Country Music” Roy Acuff and songwriter Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose, Nashville’s first music publishing company. Among the songs Acuff-Rose would publish: Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” and the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love.”

1945

The Birth of Bluegrass

C CITY’S G R EAT 22CLASSICMOMENTS IN N A SHVILLEMU

“Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy” by Red Foley

Recorded at the Castle Recording Company, the first major commercial recording enterprise in Music City, “Chattanoogie...” became the first million-selling country hit actually made in Nashville.

1954

The First Recording Studio on Music Row

Owen and Harold Bradley bought a house at 804 16th Avenue South, turning it into the first recording studio on what is now known as Music Row.

1960

Tootsie Buys Mom’s Bar

In December of this year, Grand Ole Opry star Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys introduced a new music genre on the Ryman Auditorium stage: a style of music now known as bluegrass!

Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess purchased a bar called “Mom’s” near the Ryman Auditorium. It would become an important venue for up-andcoming musicians, including Patsy Cline and Hank Williams.

1962

ATEST HIT MUSICHISTORY

Jimi Hendrix Learns to Play

A 19-year-old Jimmy (with a “y”!) Hendrix began playing at the club Del Morocco with the band the King Kasuals. Later, Hendrix would say, “That’s where I learned to play, really, in Nashville.”

1966

DID YOU KNOW?

1972 Fan Fair Welcomes Country Fans

Nashville is home to more than 180 music venues, from huge stadiums to intimate bars.

Bob Dylan Plants His Flag

In 1972, WSM and the Country Music Association launched Fan Fair, a showcase of the best in country music. Today, Fan Fair is named CMA Fest.

1973

The Koinonia Coffeehouse Opens

MUSIC HALL OF FAME

40 famous music-makers with connections to Nashville

Roy Acuff (1903-1992) country, folk, gospel

Chet Atkins (1924-2001) country, rock, pop, folk

DeFord Bailey (1899-1982) country, blues

Boudleaux & Felice Bryant (active until 2003) country

Reba McEntire (1955-present) country, gospel

Bill Monroe (1911-1996) bluegrass, country, gospel, folk, blues

Willie Nelson, left (1933-present) country, jazz, blues, gospel

Against the wish of his managers and recording executives, Dylan recorded his seventh album, Blonde on Blonde, at Nashville’s Columbia Recording Studios. He would keep recording in Nashville thereafter.

Koinonia’s (Greek for “fellowship”) celebrated coffeehouse opened in 1973. The birthplace of contemporary Christian music in Nashville, artists such as Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith started off by singing at this little shop across from Belmont Church.

1973

The Stringbean Memorial Dogwood Tree Is Planted

A dogwood tree was planted as a living memorial to the Opry’s finest comedic banjo player, Dave “Stringbean” Akeman, and his wife, Estell Akeman.

Garth Brooks (1962-present) country

Johnny Cash (1932-2003) country, rock, folk, blues

The Chicks (formed 1989) country, bluegrass

Roy Clark (1933-2018) country, rockabilly

Patsy Cline (1932-1963) country, pop, gospel

Miley Cyrus (1992-present) pop, rock, country

Minnie Pearl (1912-1996) country

Dolly Parton (1946-present) country, rock, bluegrass, gospel

Ray Price (1926-2013) swing, country, pop

Charley Pride (1934-2020) country, gospel

Little Richard (1932-2020) rock, R&B, soul, gospel

Jimmie Rodgers (18971933) country, blues, folk

1967

Dolly Parton Debuts

Dolly Parton was welcomed onto the Porter Wagoner Show—and booed! Fans of the show wanted back the previous co-host, Norma Jean. They soon came to enjoy Dolly just as much, though.

Elvis Holds a Marathon

Elvis Presley recorded more than 30 songs in just five days at Nashville’s own RCA Studio B, including “Tomorrow Never Comes” and “There Goes My Everything.” This astonishing feat came to be known as “the marathon sessions.”

1974

The Grand Ole Opry Moves

The Grand Ole Opry moved from its old home at the Ryman Auditorium to its current home, the Grand Ole Opry House.

1989

“Garth Brooks” Is Released Garth Brooks’s self-titled first album took country music by storm, eventually selling more than 10 million copies.

2001

Taylor Swift Introduces Herself

An 11-year-old Taylor Swift visited every record label on Music Row to introduce herself and drop off a copy of her demo.

2017 Country Music Supports the Predators

The Predators’ first run at the Stanley Cup brought out all of Nashville’s country music stars. Singers who sang the National Anthem included Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood.

Charlie Daniels (1936-2020) rock, country

Amy Grant (1960-present) Christian, pop rock, gospel

Merle Haggard (1937-2016) country

Bobby Hebb (1938-2010) R&B, soul

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) rock, blues, R&B

Kings of Leon (formed 1999) rock

Alan Jackson (1958-present) country

Waylon Jennings (1937-2002) country

George Jones (1931-2013) country, gospel

Lady A (formed 2006) country

Loretta Lynn (1932-2022) country

Earl Scruggs (1924-2012) bluegrass, country, gospel

Kenneth Schermerhorn (1929-2005) classical

George Strait (1952-present) country

Taylor Swift (1989-present) pop, country, folk, rock

Ernest Tubb (1914-1984) country

Shania Twain (1965present) country, pop

Jack White (1975-present) rock, folk, country

Hank Williams (1923-1953) country

CeCe Winans, left (1964-present) gospel, Christian, R&B

Tammy Wynette (1942-1998) country

A GREAT DAY FOR DEMOCRACY!

CRUCIAL TENNESSEE VICTORY WILL GIVE WOMEN ACROSS AMERICA

THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN ELECTIONS

By our politics reporter

August 18, 1920

The Tennessee House of Representatives has voted to ratify the 19th Amendment, a vital tipping point for women’s rights in America. Since thirty-five other states have already ratified the amendment, this decision means that it will soon be legal for women to vote in elections in the United States.

The vote was not a foregone conclusion. Only yesterday, Suffragists and Anti-Suffragists in the House of Representatives were deadlocked over the issue, 48 votes to 48. In a shocking turn-

around, however, Representative Harry T. Burn of Niota changed his vote today to support

Grand Ole Opry finds famous new home

By our entertainment editor

June 5, 1943

Starting tonight at 8:00 p.m., fans of the Grand Ole Opry will now be able to see their favorite country music radio show recorded live every Saturday night at the Ryman Auditorium.

Harry Stone, manager of the Grand Ole Opry show and its broadcasting station 650 AM WSM, is probably relieved to have found at least a semi-permanent home for his popular program. The Grand Ole Opry’s live audience has outgrown four different venues since the show began airing in 1925.

1917, April 6

The United States enters the First World War more than two and a half years after the devastating conflict first began in Europe.

Campaigners for women’s suffrage celebrate victory in Tennessee.

ratification, breaking the tie. Rep. Burn has not yet made any comment on his sudden

There was some doubt that Lula Naff, the manager of the Ryman Auditorium, would agree to host the Grand Ole Opry. The grande dame’s dislike of so-called “hillbilly” music is well-known. However, Naff has an eye for a good business deal, and Stone will reportedly be paying $100 per night.

Stone is certain to receive a good return on that sum. Almost since the program first began (as the WSM Barn Dance), the Grand Ole Opry has been a hit.

Indeed, many people credit the program with the

1920, August 18

Tennessee ratifies the 19th Amendment, which gives women the right to vote in elections in the United States (see above).

1922, April 18

Sixteen-year-old John “Jack” DeWitt sets up a twentywatt transmitter at his Nashville school, creating Tennessee’s first radio station.

Black and white civil rights campaigners travel on buses together to oppose racial segregation.

change of heart. In fact, nobody can even find him. The rumor is that he is hiding from many furious people somewhere in the Capitol’s attic.

However, sources are saying that Burn decided to change his vote after receiving a letter from his own mother, Febb Ensminger Burn. The letter told her son in no uncertain terms to “hurray and vote for Suffrage.”

The revolutionary bill is currently on its way to the desk of Tennessee Governor Albert H. Roberts, who will now provide it with his official certification.

popularity of country music today. The show has introduced audiences across America to such talents as Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, and Minnie Pearl.

Entertaining the nation: some of the acts who have performed on the Grand Ole Opry show.

Find out more about the history of the Ryman Auditorium on our website.

1941, December 7

The United States enters the Second World War after the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japan.

1929

The Wall Street stock market crash leads to poverty for millions, helping to precipitate the Great Depression of the 1930s.

1920 1930 1940

1943, June 5

‘FREEDOM RIDERS’ FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

STUDENT ACTIVISTS BOARD BUSES FROM NASHVILLE TO PROTEST SEGREGATION

By our special correspondent May 17, 1961

Ten members of the civil rights group called the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee (SNCC) boarded buses in Nashville today bound for Alabama. The student activists’ trip is a defiant challenge against the Southern states’ segregation of Black and white customers in bus terminals.

According to the law, Black patrons should be served at the bus terminals just like white ones. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in the case of Boynton v. Virginia that segregation in travel facilities is unconstitutional. However, Black people who enter “whites-only” bus terminals, restaurants, and restrooms are still targets of violence and arrest.

The Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) held the first “Freedom Rides” by sending two buses of Black and white activists down from Washington, D.C., on May 14. When the first bus reached Anniston, AL., however, it was bombed. The riders

1955, December 1

1958, November 17

The phrase “Nashville Sound” is coined in an article in The Music Reporter about country singer Jim Reeves.

survived the fire by escaping through the bus’s windows. When the second bus arrived an hour later, Klansmen boarded it and beat all of the riders. The police offered no protection. Despite the danger, says SNCC organizer Diane Nash, “The students have decided that we can’t let violence overcome. We are coming into Birmingham to continue the Freedom Ride.”

This is not the first major civil rights action by Nashville’s college students. Nashville residents will remember when the SNCC protested segregation of Nashville’s stores by holding “sit-ins” at lunch counters. The students endured much abuse but were ultimately victorious.

1961, May 17

Civil rights activists set off on “Freedom Rides” from Nashville, hoping to integrate the South’s highway facilities (see above).

1963, November 22

John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, is assassinated in Houston, Texas. He is succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Grand Ole Opry moves to the Ryman Auditorium, which will remain its home for the next 31 years (see above left).

1954

Producer Owen Bradley and his brother Harold convert a house into the first recording studio on Nashville’s Music Row.

Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger; Parks’s defiance inspires the civil rights movement.

1950

1960

A bus containing Black and white activists was bombed.

CELEBRATING COUNTRY MUSIC’S BIGGEST STARS

By our music critic

April 1, 1967

After four years of anticipation, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville is now open to the public.

The museum, which cost $500,000 to build, is appropriately located on the city’s famous “Music Row,” at Division Street and 16th Avenue. Visitors to the Hall of Fame can see the Hall of Fame members’ plaques, previously on display at the Tennessee State Museum, as well as unique photographs, musical instruments, and documents related to famous country music artists.

The opening was celebrated yesterday evening with a star-studded gala. Among the 500 guests were country music legends such as Eddy Arnold, Hank Cochran, Minnie Pearl, and Faron Young, as well as other VIPs including former Tennessee governor Frank Clement. Country Music Association (CMA) board chairman

Marathon car comes home

By our lifestyle reporter October 30, 1990

One of the few remaining automobiles produced by Nashville’s

1964

The recording studio that will one day be known as RCA Studio A is built by country musicians Chet Atkins and Harold and Owen Bradley.

1967, April 1

historic Marathon Motor Works factory is back in its birthplace. For Barry Walker, the return of the Marathon car represents the end of a long quest. A lover of his-

The Country Music Hall of Fame is established by the Country Music Awards. Today, the Hall of Fame has more than 150 inductees.

The Country Music Hall of Fame itself was established by the CMA in 1961. The first inducted members were Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams. Even then, the CMA was planning to build a museum. The CMA announced the project in 1963 and began work in 1964.

The CMA adds that work has not yet stopped. The museum plans to create a Country Music Foundation Library in 1968, which will preserve historically and culturally unique resources.

MINNIE PEARL’S INSPIRING LEGACY

HOW THE POPULAR COMIC STAR IS HELPING TO SAVE LIVES AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL

By our city correspondent January 22, 1991

The Centennial Medical Center has announced that its cancer center will bear the name of retired comedian Sarah Cannon, best known to her millions of fans by her stage name, Minnie Pearl. The decision was made in recognition of Cannon’s longtime support for cancer research and education.

Although she was best known for her humor, she also sang and played the piano.

1969, July 20

NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first human beings ever to walk on the surface of the Moon.

the Country Music Hall of Fame

our website.

tory, Walker purchased the old Marathon Motor Works building in 1986 and has renovated it as a new space for shops, galleries, and other businesses. He became fascinated with the idea of finding one of the cars the factory had produced.

Walker’s search for the car

1970

1971

Cannon was a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry radio program for 50 years, as well as on the long-running television show Hee Haw for much of its run.

Cannon began serving as a spokeswoman for cancer charities after receiving treatment for her own breast cancer. The popular country music star had a double mastectomy in 1985. For her work, the American Cancer Society honored her with its Courage Award in 1987, which was presented to her by President Ronald Reagan.

“Cancer is a very personal topic for me,” the 78-year-old musical performer said. “But it is a disease that you can live with.”

The first microprocessors are developed by Texas Instruments and Intel, helping to revolutionize the world of computing.

1972, June 17

Following a politically motivated breakin, the Watergate crisis begins. It will lead to the resignation of President Nixon.

The history of Marathon Motor Works was nearly forgotten until Walker renewed interest in the company.

1974, March 15

The Grand Ole Opry airs its last show at the Ryman before moving to the new Grand Ole Opry House, where it remains to this day.

Above: Exhibits at the current Hall of Fame, including Elvis Presley’s custom Gold Cadillac.

Ray Horton cut a ribbon with a pair of giant scissors.

took him all over the U.S. He put ads in magazines offering rewards for information.

At one point he even scuba-dived in the waters of a reservoir, thinking one car had

been submerged. Finally, he discovered one in Houston, Texas, still being used in parades.

Buying the car back and bringing it back for res -

1977, May 25

George Lucas’s epic sciencefiction movie Star Wars opens in cinemas and soon becomes the highest-grossing film of all time.

1989, November

toration hasn’t satisfied Walker, though. Since its return, other people have called with tips about other Marathons. One car might be in Australia. Walker is already planning to investigate, so maybe his Marathon car quest has only just begun.

How the Predators got their name

By our sports reporter September 25, 1997

Nashville’s newest sports team has unveiled its mascot. The National Hockey League (NHL) team will be represented by Gnash, a sabertooth tiger.

In choosing the team’s icon, franchise owner Craig Leopold was inspired by one of Nashville’s wonders: the First American Cave in downtown Nashville.

In August 1971, construction workers were digging the foundation for a new building when they discovered a collection of ancient bones. The bones included a nineinch fang and the foreleg bone

For her support of cancer charities, a Nashville hospital renames its cancer center after Sarah Cannon, AKA Minnie Pearl (see above). 1980

The Berlin Wall falls, reuniting East and West Germany and further thawing relations between the United States and the U.S.S.R.

1991, January 22

of a saber-toothed tiger. Technically, the bones of the “tiger” that the workers found belonged to a smilodon, which were 800-pound relatives of today’s cats. They lived until roughly 11,000 years ago, roaming from California to Tennessee and all the way down into Brazil. Now that a mascot has been chosen, the fans are being asked to pick a team name. Of the four options— Fury, Ice Tigers, Predators, and Attack—Predators is proving the most popular.

1997, February

The Simpsons becomes the longest-running animated television series in United States history, overtaking The Flintstones

Above: A saber-toothed tiger’s skull. Left: Gnash the mascot.

TITANS CONJURE A ‘MUSIC CITY

TENNESSEE TITANS STUN BUFFALO BILLS WITH ONE OF NFL’S MOST OUTRAGEOUS PLAYS

By our sports reporter January 8, 2000

The Tennessee Titans pulled off an upset victory at the Adelphia Coliseum on Saturday that is sure to go down in sports history.

Competing for a place in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the Titans trailed the Buffalo Bills by a single point with 16 seconds

2000, January 8

The extraordinary “Music City Miracle” play gives the Tennessee Titans a thrilling 22-16 playoff win over the Buffalo Bills (see above).

2001, April 8

left on the clock. Lorenzo Neal fielded a short, high kick-off and passed the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck, who threw it across the field to wide receiver Kevin Dyson. Dyson sprinted 75 yards down the left sideline to score a touchdown. This extraordinary play gave the Tennessee Titans a stunning 22-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer to hold all four major golf titles at the same time as he wins the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

2001, September 11

After coordinated hijacked plane attacks are carried out by the terrorist group al-Qaeda, the U.S. declares a “war on terror.”

2006, October 17

The population of the U.S. reaches the milestone of 300 million, taking around 40 years to grow from 200 million in the mid-1960s.

Above: Wide receiver Kevin Dyson heads for the end zone. Left: Tight end Frank Wycheck.

“It’s a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!” radio broadcaster Mike Keith shouted as the play was made.

However, the “Music City Miracle,” as the play has become known, had to survive a video review. The crowd waited breathlessly for referee Phil Luckett to announce whether

the cross-field throw from Wycheck to Dyson was legal. When Luckett declared that it was, the Coliseum exploded. “This will go down in history,” Titans owner Bud Adams reportedly told Wycheck later. “There’s never been another one like it, and I’ve been in this forty years.”

Watch the thrilling “Music City Miracle” final play that gave the Titans an amazing win.

2008, August 17

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps wins his eighth gold medal of the Beijing Olympic Games, passing Mark Spitz’s record of seven.

CITY MIRACLE’

SUPER BOWL RUN ENDS IN AGONIZING DEFEAT

50 YEARS OF CMA FEST

By our entertainment reporter June 8, 2023

Fifty years ago on April 12, 1972, a small country music festival called Fan Fair opened for the first time at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium.

The Music City Miracle helped the Titans on their way to becoming American Football Conference (AFC) champions for the first time, as they beat the Indianapolis Colts and then the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans then faced the St. Louis Rams at Super Bowl XXXIV, where they lost by a touchdown in another thrilling game that went down to the final play (shown above).

The following week was not particularly successful. The vendors barely broke even because only 5,000 people showed up. Those 5,000 people had an amazing time, however, because more than 100 country music stars joined the party to sing and sign autographs, including Roy Acuff, Dolly Parton, and Ernest Tubb. Those 5,000 people told their friends and the following year, 7,000 came.

Fast forward 48 more years and Fan Fair is now CMA Fest, the longest-running country music festival in the world. Last

2020 2010

2010, May 3

The Cumberland River rises to an astonishing 52.55 feet, flooding all of Nashville and causing more than $2 billion of property damage.

2016, November 2

The Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series after 108 years, ending the longest drought in baseball history.

2020, March 13

A state of national emergency is declared by the U.S. government in response to the rapidly escalating COVID-19 pandemic.

CMA Fest is the world’s longest-running country music festival. year an estimated 80,000 fans descended on the Music City Center and Nissan Stadium each day of the event to see 150 artists.

“From a fan’s perspective, there’s nothing else like it in the world,” says singer-songwriter Luke Combs, who will perform at Nissan Stadium tonight. This year’s 50th-anniversary

2021, December 25 NASA launches the James Webb Space Telescope. It is designed to look deep into space at the oldest stars and galaxies.

celebration promises to be even bigger. CMA Fest expects no fewer than 90,000 fans per day will watch almost 300 acts.

2023, June Nashville’s CMA Fest, the world’s longestrunning country music festival, celebrates its 50th birthday (see above).

Watch Tim McGraw perform with local Nashville students at CMA Fest 2023.

NASHVILLE FLOOD The city has been brought to its knees by the worst flooding in living memory, writes our chief reporter. After torrential rainfall on May 1-2, 2010, eleven people in Nashville have died and 10,000 are now displaced from their homes. Even the Grand Ole Opry stage is underwater.

HALL OF FAME

MEET SOME OF THE INSPIRING AND

INFLUENTIAL

PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM OR CONNECTED TO THE CITY OF NASHVILLE

Bill Frist 1952 –

As a doctor, Frist performed historic transplant surgeries. As a senator, he later became U.S. Majority Leader.

James Napier 1845 – 1940

Napier, a politican, is one of just five African-Americans with their signatures on American currency.

Alan LeQuire 1955 –This Nashvillian sculptor is best known for the statue of Athena that stands in Nashville’s Parthenon.

Thomas G. Ryman 1841 – 1904

Thomas Ryman helped fund the Union Gospel Tabernacle, which is known today as the Ryman Auditorium.

Lula C. Naff 1875 –1960

Naff was general manager of the Ryman Audtorium. She helped turn the Ryman into the famous venue it is today.

William James Morrison 1860 – 1926

In 1897, Morrison, a dentist, partnered with John C. Wharton to create the firstever batch of cotton candy.

Frank George “Noodles” Hahn 1879 – 1960

Hahn was the last baseball player to pitch a no-hitter in the 19th century and the first to pitch one in the 20th.

Anne Dallas Dudley 1876 – 1955

A leader in the women’s suffrage movement, Dudley was the first woman to give an open-air speech in Nashville.

Reese Witherspoon 1976 –Raised in Nashville, the famous film and TV actress still uses her platform to promote the city and its culture today.

John Lewis 1940 – 2020

One of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Lewis studied at the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville.

Ted Rhodes 1913 - 1969

Theodore “Ted” Rhodes, who was born in Nashville, is recognized as the first African-American professional golfer.

1923 – 2008

Native Nashvillian Bettie Page’s blue eyes and unique look made her a famous model and actress.

1854 – 1921

Nat Love, who was born into enslavement, became a cowboy and famously wrote about his adventures.

1933 – 2016

A women’s rights activist, Eskind became the first woman in Tennessee to be elected to statewide office.

2012 –

America’s most famous pug has won awards, appeared in music videos, and even voice-acted for a movie!

Nicole Kidman

1967 –

Since marrying country music star Keith Urban in 2006, actress Kidman has made Nashville her home.

Randall Jarrell

1914 – 1965

A novelist, critic, children’s author, essayist, and poet, Jarrell served as the U.S.’s eleventh Poet Laureate.

1938 –Lawyer and activist Berry served as Chairwoman of the U.S. Commisson on Civil Rights from 1993 to 2004.

Ann Patchett

1963 –Patchett wrote the awardwinning novel Bel Canto She now runs a bookstore here, Parnassus Books.

1914

to join

Natalia Dyer

1995 –

The Stranger Things actress and Nashville native Natalia Dyer graduated from the Nashville School of Arts.

1957 – 2007

Bobby Hamilton was a top motorsport driver and team owner, winning two NASCAR series championships.

Beverly Briley

– 1980

Clifton Beverly Briley was Nashville’s first elected mayor, a role in which he served from 1963 to 1975.

Mary Frances Berry

Doug the Pug

Nat Love

Diane Nash 1938 –Civil rights leader Nash was attending Fisk University when she decided

the Civil Rights Movement.

Jane Eskind

Julian Bond 1940 – 2015

A co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Bond was an important civil rights activist who was later elected to the Georgia legislature.

Bill Belichick 1952 –Belichick is one of the greatest sports coaches of all time, having won eight Super Bowl rings, six with the New England Patriots.

Oprah Winfrey 1954 –

Not everyone knows that the famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey got her start as a news anchor right here in Nashville.

Bettie Page

Bobby Hamilton

THE BIG NASHVILLE QUIZ

TEST YOUR NEWFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC CITY WITH OUR MULTIPLE-CHOICE FAMILY QUIZ

(TIP: ANSWERS TO ALL THE QUESTIONS CAN BE FOUND SOMEWHERE IN THIS NEWSPAPER)

1The city of Nashville was officially established on what popular holiday?

a. Fourth of July

b. New Year’s Day

c. Christmas Day

d. Halloween

2 Nashville’s Fisk University Jubilee Singers performed for which of these famous monarchs?

a. Queen Victoria

b. Queen Elizabeth

c. Czar Nicholas II

d. Henry VIII

3 What is the name of the river that runs through the city of Nashville?

a. Mississippi

b. Cumberland

c. Cucumber

d. Nile

7 THINGS TO DO

4 What famous Nashville radio program, which introduced stars such as Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, and the beloved Minnie Pearl, was initially called the WSM Barn Dance?

a. Grand Ole Opera

b. Grand Ole Oprah

c. Grand Ole Opry

d. Grand Ole Oppenheimer

5 The so-called “Music City Miracle” was a famous play in which sport?

a. Hockey

b. Football

c. Soccer

d. Water polo

6 The Western Harmony, the first music book published in Nashville, was a book of what type of music?

a. Hymns

b. Folk songs

c. Metal

d. Reggae

7 Which of these is NOT a nickname for the city of Nashville?

a. Music City

b. Smashville

c. Nashvegas

d. City of Love

8 The Nashville Predators hockey team’s mascot was inspired by a fossil find of which prehistoric creature?

a. T.rex

b. Woolly mammoth

c. Saber-tooth tiger

d. Megalodon

9 Nashville’s distinctive AT&T building, the tallest

building in Tennessee, is known by what other name?

a. The Superman Building

b. The Batman Building

c. The Harley Quinn Building

d. The Aquaman Building

10 Nashville’s full-scale replica of the Parthenon was originally built for what important celebration?

a. Millennial Exposition

b. Centennial Exposition

c. Athenial Exposition

d. World’s Fair

11 When did the Country Music Hall of Fame open?

a. 1907

b. 1937

c. 1967

d. 1997

12 The architect of which important Nashville building is buried within its walls?

a. State Capitol Building

b. Batman Building

c. Ryman Auditorium

d. The Parthenon

13 Dragging Canoe, who led a daring raid on Fort Nashborough, was a famous chief of which Indigenous tribe?

a. Chocktaw

b. Cherokee

c. Sioux

d. Lakota

14 The original Goo Goo Clusters candy bar was made of milk chocolate with which additional ingredients?

a. Caramel, nougat, peanuts

b. Caramel, nougat, almonds

c. Marzipan, toffee, walnuts

d. Cookie, caramel, peanuts

15 Tennessee played a key role in the ratification of which amendment to the U.S. Constitution that grants women the right to vote?

a. First Amendment

b. Second Amendment

c. Thirteenth Amendment

d. Nineteenth Amendment

Take in a Show

From the Ryman Auditorium to the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville is full of entertainment. Look out for opportunities to take a backstage tour!

MUSIC CITY WORD SEARCH

Can you find 20 words and phrases related to Nashville hidden in our jumbo word search puzzle?

G Q D O I V S G O O W S Y E P E

N I G H A R P O H W M U V U S J I A E S

D T D R T M L S L R N B L A R F P E T S

T A B E R N A C L E T A R C O O K I C E

W N R D U M Y R B T O G S C O H V S O E

H S E R S R F K P M E P V H Q O L U Q G

S Q G Q R F I L X U A E R W V H G I Q G

A I D W H G M Y L C H T I Y N I X O X P

N I U Q H P D B B F F B Y R P I L Q O M

G S R E G N I S E E L I B U J Q W L J G

Z K N O T R A P Y L L O D W N A A C E P

MUSIC ROW

NASHVILLE

DOLLY PARTON

MUSIC CITY

OPRAH

PARTHENON

SMASHVILLE

TABERNACLE

TAYLOR SWIFT

TENNESSEE

TITANS

TROLLEY TOUR

IMAGE CREDITS

Selected library images from: Getty Images; iStock; Shutterstock; Alamy; NASA. The publisher would like to thank the following for reproducing their photographs and

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Discover the legacy of “Music City” and Nashville’s famous restaurants and attractions with the Old Town Trolley Tour or Soul of Music City Night Tour.

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