Delta boat ride through Gaylord Opryland Hotel
A day in Nashville, Tennessee hits all the high notes.
I have to admit that (shhhh) I never really was much of a country music fan. But after spending 24 hours in Nashville (which proudly goes by the moniker “Music City”) completely immersed in music lore, I had gained a whole new appreciation for the genre.
Elvis actually cut 200 records at RCA Studio B
My first stop was the legendary RCA Studio B (“home of 1,000 hits.”) After cutting my very first record there—after only one take—I was shocked by the absence of screaming groupies who should have been clamoring for my autograph after such an auspicious debut. Maybe it had something to do with the rather dated song choice, Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” or perhaps it’s because anyone can book a group tour here that includes a live recording session… no matter, I just listened to my CD again and Elvis and I sounded really good!
Me tickling the same ivories that Elvis did
It was fascinating to hear the background studio lore about the many greats who recorded there—like Elvis, who recorded more than 200 records there and you can actually sit and play on the very same piano he used. Unreal. A few other studio-hit-makers include Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton.
Our guide had us spellbound when he shared a poignant story about Dolly writing the blockbuster hit, “I Will Always Love You”. It was not written to a lover but to say good-by to her duet partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner, from whom she was professionally splitting at the time. He was very bitter about the break-up and didn’t speak to her for years. However when he was in the hospital with lung cancer, he asked Dolly come sing it to him one more time before he died. (Read more at www.countrymusichalloffame.org)
The Great Room at Fontanel
This was just one of many highlights during my magical musical day in Nashville. The amuse-bouche was a visit to the Fontanel Mansion, former home of Country Music Hall of Famer, Barbara Mandrell. The log cabin, measuring a mere 27,000 square feet, had been bumped down a log or two from its’ former status as The World’s Biggest Log House.
Last June the current owners, Dale Morris and Mark Oswald, who manage some big name artists such as Alabama, Kenny Chesney, and The Eagles among others, decided to open it for tours, led by storytellers and musicians.
The warm home is filled with family photos and both personal and country music memorabilia. Tours start in the Great Room (that can easily hold 200 people under the 35 ft. high cathedral ceiling) then meander through the bedrooms (Barbara and hubby Ken’s bed had a mirrored canopy) to Barbara’s master bathroom, which our guide claimed also doubled as her main office. To prove his point her he picked up her personal phone book on the bathroom counter which held not only her business contacts but also the numbers for Billy Joel, Naomi Judd, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Morgan Fairchild, Oprah Winfrey and even President Jimmy Carter.
The two guest bedrooms share a bathroom because although the family enjoyed having guests they didn’t want to encourage lengthy stays. As we headed down to the massive pool atrium we were greeted with a cheery “Hi” from Jaime, a casually attractive blond who turned out to be Barbara’s daughter. Although it has been many years since the family lived here, this engaging young woman moved back to town to serve as the hospitality director for the new owners. She graciously took the time to show us a couple of her favorite spots and regaled us with amusing family anecdotes, since her goal was to “have us feeling like friends of the family” by the time we left. When asked who had impressed her most out of all the famous people that had visited the family, she quickly replied, “Oprah and John Stamos, because not only was he gorgeous but he taught me to do a back flip off the diving board. But I’ll always have a special love for LL Cool J because he was the first man who made me feel pretty.”
The Grand Ole Opry, then
Off to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, to experience the country music story as told over the last 100 years. A new exhibit, Dreaming My Dreams: The Journey Continues-1960’s to the Present is the follow-up to the crowd-pleaser, Sing me back home: The Journey Begins-Folk Roots to the 1960’s. Plan on spending at least a couple of hours to enjoy all the rare video clips, sound recordings and showcases filled with the artists’ stage costumes, musical memorabilia and personal artifacts, ranging from scribbled song lyrics to pimped-out cars. I even spied a four-necked steel guitar that “my friend” Barbara Mandrell, played onstage as a child.
If you need to bring home any prezzies or want to pick up some cd’s, stop in at the humongous gift store which has many country music compilations that are perfect for a novice country music listener. The store offers a wide variety of souvenirs, including the wildly addictive candy treat, Nashville’s own “ColtsBolts” a sooper rich blend of chocolate, peanut butter and almonds.
Next up is a quick detour over to the historic Ryman Auditorium a.k.a. “The Mother Church of Country Music” by Nashvillians. It was originally built in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. In 9014, it morphed into an acoustically perfect performance hall, the Ryman Auditorium, where Houdini, Mae West, Bob Hope, Elvis, Katherine Hepburn and many other famous figures graced the stage. Then from 1943-1974 it became home to the legendary Grand Ole Opry. This National Historic Landmark is open for tours during the day and hosts a variety of special events and concerts at night.
The Grand Ole Opry, now, starring Keith Urban
Finally it was time to head to take my seat at the world’s longest-running radio broadcast, the Grand Ole Opry. I was really starting to get excited, particularly after I read the evening’s line-up of stars. There was Brett Eldredge (a major hunk) Connie Smith (the most recent Hall of Fame inductee), Mel Tillis (singer/songwriter who wrote “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” -one of the few country songs I actually know) and then I my arms sprouted goose bumps as I came to the final singer… Keith (frikkin’) Urban! No wonder there wasn’t an empty seat in the house.
The format consists of four separate half hour shows which are recorded back to back with different hosts at each performance. All singers, from “up and comers” to music icons, receive a flat $100 payment, which was the reason the last host, Mike Snider shouted out in amazement, “I can’t believe I’m making the same as Keith Urban tonight!”
It was a magical evening and the perfect end to my day in Music City.
When you go:
Eat
Wildhorse Saloon – Put on your dancing boots because after stuffing yourself on some outrageously tasty BBQ (loved the hickory-smoked pulled pork and the fried dill pickles were outrageous once you get a side of ranch dressing for dipping) you can show off the moves you learned during the complimentary line-dancing lesson. And then, wait… is that our recording of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” blasting out of Wildhorses’ state-of-the-art sound system? Yee-haw, we’re famous.
Wildhorsesaloon.com
Sleep
Gaylord Opryland Hotel is the largest non-gaming hotel in America. I’m not sure if it has its own zip code but it does have close to 3,000 guest rooms, nine restaurants/bars, a luxurious spa, salon, state-of-the-art fitness facility, and three swimming pools scattered throughout the nine acres of beautifully landscaped grounds (complete with cascading waterfalls and a Delta riverboat cruise) all under the climate-controlled signature glass atriums. You can even choose a special wake-up call from your favorite country artist.
