Nashville is known globally as Music City, and it stands out amongst the biggest cities in America as the home of country music because it was one of the first cities to make music that genre.
In the 1800s, long before rock, pop, rap, and even jazz were born, Nashville became known as a city where soul-filled music artists could meet and collaborate and share their love of music.
The first musicians to put Nashville on the global map were the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who were reported to have even warmed the heart of Queen Victoria in the 1870s.
Nashville, also known as Music City, became the home of country music because this genre was born in Nashville.
The state of Tennessee was among the first in America to celebrate fiddle music for the masses, and gospel music would be added to celebrations until that music transformed into what we call “country music” today.
Today, Music City is home to over 50 thousand jobs in the music industry and provides over $10 billion to Nashville’s booming economy.
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What is the history of country music in Nashville?
The history of country music in Nashville goes back to the 1800s, long before it was called country music.
Gospel tunes were transformed by soul singers into songs that pulled at the heartstrings as often as they pulled at the fiddle strings.
One hymn published out of Nashville in 1824 was called the Western Harmony and is a hymn that is often referred to as the song that started the world of country music.
By the latter part of the 1800s, the now famed Ryman Auditorium was drawing crowds and selling the first bars of country music commercially.
Not only is Nashville the home of country music, but it is also the home of Christian, or gospel, music and home to a booming industry that stimulates the Tennessee economy with over $10 billion USD annually.
The first group said to give Nashville the name of Music City was called the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group of emancipated slaves who were reportedly told by Queen Victoria herself that they came from “the music city.”
The Fisk Jubilee Singers would be the first to make Nashville famous for its musical roots, and also the first to entertain at the Ryman Auditorium in 1892.
How did country music become country music?
In the 1800s, the country was not yet urbanized the way it is today and was an agricultural and rural landscape. The music that rose out of Nashville was celebrated by those that worked the land.
In the evening, the fiddles would come out to bring a new spirit and life to gospel hymns.
Then, the celebrations and songs were about freedom and peace and were sung by emancipated slaves now earning a living that could contribute to the Nashville economy.
These songs of joy, love, and faith would merge energies into a soul that established a music style that would become known as music from the country, or, country music today.
Every authentic music artist today will say there is something about country music that is unmatched on the planet, and Nashville would, of course, agree.
The element of faith is still woven into the fabric of this music style today, as it is a fundamental part of this genre.
By 1943, the auditoriums to celebrate this style needed to become bigger, and the Grand Ole Opry was born.
Today, every country music artist wants to reach this pinnacle of fame by performing at the Grand Ole Opry, which is home to a stage where the best musicians in the world have celebrated their careers.
Where do country music singers perform in Nashville?
True country music singers will perform wherever they can. For those with a true appreciation of the art of country music, one person listening to the words in their song is enough.
At the same time, there is something magical about Music City, where anybody can be discovered at any time.
The Bluebird Café as showcased on the hit show Nashville is a real café that inspires new performers and the big stars of today.
Also in Nashville are the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Cannery Ballroom at Station Inn.
Dolly Parton was a favored performer at the Ryman Auditorium, a venue that was nicknamed the Church of Country Music.
It was also the venue for the funeral of Johnny Cash and has even been used by presidents and opera singers since 1892.
The Grand Ole Opry is second to the Ryman Auditorium as far as prestige and fame for performers today and had its peak right after the Second World War and into the late 1950s.
The Cannery Ballroom is a locale for locals where country music can be found live every day of the week and was put on the map by bluegrass performers in 1974.
Who has been made famous in Nashville?
Many artists have found their big break in Music City, and many, such as Taylor Swift, go there to do just that.
Artists from every genre of music have gotten their start in Nashville, which some say is home to some of the best music technology in the world.
Still, others that are country music to the core will say nothing is country like a good ol’ fashioned fiddle or acoustic guitar.
Songwriters also find a good start in Nashville.
Artists from every genre of music have felt the taste of Music City in order to feel what music being born sounds like.
Bon Jovi, the Black Eyed Peas, Elvis Presley, Michael Bublé, Sheryl Crow, and the Kings of Leon all got some start or created music in Nashville.
These artists are just a few that know that Nashville is a place to be when it comes to generating globally known hits from a city that is on the map for success in a multi-billion-dollar industry.
What are the best places to visit in Nashville for country music?
Nashville is an excellent location for a vacation and is visited by tourists year-round.
The General Jackson Showboat lunch and dinner cruise is an excellent start for anyone that wants to get a taste of country music in Music City.
Here you will see a tour of the Cumberland River and watch the journey of country music in America.
Nashville Night Life Dinner Theater is another favored spot in Nashville. This is an award-winning venue for locals and tourists where past and present country stars perform.
A night here will include dinner and perhaps even some interaction with stars such as Tommy Cash.
Finally, you can’t visit Nashville without seeing the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is a multi-million-dollar venue that offers exactly what its name suggests.
Here you will find every single album that has gone gold to platinum in Nashville and exhibits from the best performers of country music.
You can also tour the infamous RCA Studio B where Elvis Presley recorded songs such as “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”
Do you want to visit Nashville?
Nashville is the home of country music because it was the first city in America to bring life to a music style that merged gospel and acoustic instruments.
Today, it is a land where music is worshipped, and its performers are as well.
Country is a music style that has lasted longer than any other kind of music in American history, with the exception of gospel music.
From country, music styles such as jazz, blues, and others have been born.
Artists from new genres such as rock and alternative draw on the inspiration of country music to perform at their own personal best after being touched by Music City.
For fans of any kind of music, Nashville is a city worth the visit. Do you want to visit Nashville? What is the first place you would want to see?
