Woohoo - Nashville!!

We didn’t plan to go to Tennessee, but when we found Nashville not too far out of our way . . . how could we not go? 

So yesterday, with just one day to spend there, we squeezed in as much as we could - starting with the 

      Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum 

On the right there?  Big Chet Atkins admirer!

Some of the museum exhibits . . .

Oh, I remember this stuff on TV!

And who all recalls watching this one?  I do!

In the middle?  Yeah - Marty Robbins!!

The King!   Larger than life!

And, yes, his "solid gold" Cadillac - WoW!
Very RITZY!

Hank - another of Harold's faves . . . 

Just "a few" of the gold & platinum LPs

Country Music Hall of Fame

We love Willie!  And he has a Pacific Northwest connection.

Wonderful painting in the Hall of Fame depicts the origins of Country Music!

WOW!  What an excellent collection.  Great exhibits and an unbelievable quantity and array of country music artifacts!!  We spent 4 or 5 hours there and it wasn't nearly enough. Hope to return one day!

On the boulevard between the Museum and "Studio B" we passed Union Station!

The Union Station where Alison Krause got the name for her band.

Our tour of RCA Studio B on renowned Music Row was one of the highlights of the day . . . an almost magical place where many, many smash hits were recorded - and history (and memories) were made!

Our guide there made the studio come alive. We listened to the music and heard great stories about some of the best-known artists.

When I closed my eyes, I could hear them all. Can you hear some of them now?  Charley Pride, Hank Snow, Waylon Jennings (lookin' spiffy in the old days!), The Everly Brothers.  And more - Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson!!  The list goes on and on . . . and that great old music sure does take me back . . . . 

Here I am - sitting at the very piano actually played by Elvis, Floyd Cramer
 and too many others to mention. All the artists who recorded here
used it.  I picked out a few bars of "Tammy."
YES! I tickled the very same ivories as ELVIS!!

The Museum, Hall of Fame and Studio B were all awesome! But then there was more! We went back into town after dark to check out the night music scene on Lower Broadway.

Nashville skyline at sunset as we were driving in.

We strolled along Lower Broadway, music spilling out of the honky tonks onto the sidewalks. We stopped into a few of the clubs for a taste of the Nashville sound!

At Layla's - an OK girl band . . .

See Harold behind the Legend's Honky-Tonk Hero guitar?
(Hey - he looks like one of the "legends")

This place was packed!  Jimmy Buffet's Nashville Margaritaville!!

The old Ernest Tubb Record Shop dates back to the early years of country music! It hasn't changed much, except for the addition of CDs and DVDs.  And they still sell vinyl!

 

Harold perusing Ernest Tubb's inventory!

Nashville's Lower Broadway night scene.
Stayed out late - had a great time!

SO HAPPY we got a taste of Nashville!  Next time, though, I'm going to the Grand Ole Opry!!

OK, now we are like trail horses headed for the stable at the end of the day! 

Guess we're getting antsy to get home to family and friends . . .