In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named as the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.
The most famous music venue in Nashville, the Ryman Auditorium, was built in 1892 when riverboat captain Tom Ryman completed what was originally named the ”Union Gospel Tabernacle”. When it opened it was the largest auditorium south of the Ohio River. It is nicknamed the “Carnegie Hall of the South” and attracts musicians and fans from all over the world. Ryman Auditorium is called the "Mother Church of Country Music".
Today, you don’t just go to Nashville to hear music. You go to Nashville to make music. There are hundreds of posters, fliers, and Craigslist ads asking for band members along with tons of open mic nights and opportunities.
Music has been the common thread connecting the life and soul of the city and its people. Jefferson Street is a hub for entertainment, music, and nightlife.
Music is a $15.6 billion industry with 182 recording studios, 498 music publishers and 80 record labels in the Nashville region. Nashville has the highest concentration of music industry employees of any city in the world, with nearly 60,000 total. There are more than 150 live music venues in Nashville.
And, there is more to Nashville than music. There are over 90 parks and 75 miles of greenway which includes 190 miles of trails. Nashville is considered one of the best food cities in America.
Nashville's weather and temperature range are fairly moderate compared to many other cities in the United States. The Tennessee climate brings some rainfall in summer, often in the form of brief thunderstorms.
The city's residents enjoy outstanding educational institutions, excellent healthcare facilities, and continued development of the arts. Combine these with the natural beauty, and no state income tax, make Nashville a great place to live.
Nashville is a welcoming place, with the city welcoming an average of nearly 100 new residents every single day. Tourism now surpasses 13.8 million visitors a year. The Grand Ole Opry alone has about a million visitors a year.
In 1925, the radio station WSM launched the broadcast that would be called the Grand Ole Opry securing Nashville’s reputation as a musical center and sparked its durable nickname of Music City. The Opry, still staged live every week, is America’s longest-running radio show, in continuous production for more than 90 years.
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 live music radio show.
Nashville continues to grow it's music character, The Country Music Hall of Fame is located in Nashville. Nashville is popularly referred to as "Music City USA." |
