"But someone killed country music, cut out its heart and soul."

June 4, 2019 9:10 AM

Can Nashville's Music Row Be Saved from Demolition? The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Nashville, Tennessee's Music Row (heart of the country music industry for decades) one of its 11 most endangered historic places for 2019.

While the area was named a National Treasure in 2015 (with the help of Ben Folds), demolition and redevelopment have continued. 50 buildings in the neighborhood have been lost to demolition since 2013, and a plan for preservation is being created.

A few of the places hoping to be saved.

posted by soundguy99 (15 comments total)

I'm actually going to Nashville later this summer, and I'll be sure to check out what I can of Music Row. Hopefully, others will still have the chance. It's shameful how the culture and history of US cities are all-too-often ignored for the sake of capitalism. We can't preserve everything, but we do need to preserve some things.
posted by SansPoint at 9:21 AM on June 4, 2019

Hey Nashville, don't be stupid. Don't tear down what people are coming to your city to see.
posted by Liquidwolf at 9:25 AM on June 4, 2019 [3 favorites]

So come all you good time rounders listenin' to my sound
And drink a round to Nashville before they tear it down
posted by lorddimwit at 9:39 AM on June 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

I bet there's a news story here waiting to make the light of day. Everyone in Nashville *knows* that Music Row is important to Nashville. But some people are making a shitload of money...
posted by Oh_Bobloblaw at 11:21 AM on June 4, 2019

Johnny Cash and American Recordings would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support
posted by TedW at 12:04 PM on June 4, 2019 [2 favorites]

On a less flippant note, I would posit that Nashville’s importance to country music (and indeed, music in general) is non-trivial, but also not as important as their publicists would have you think. I’m pretty sure Memphis, Tennessee is important, as are musicians who honed their craft from appalachia through Texas and Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California and a myriad of other locales. It would be great if Nashville were to save the musical heritage that is there, but if not, there are any number of other places with a lot of musical heritage to explore.
posted by TedW at 12:13 PM on June 4, 2019

And here I was expecting a taylor swift post... rim shot
posted by sammyo at 12:17 PM on June 4, 2019

But those 1000 of bachelorette parties aren't gonna find a nice-looking-but-cheaply-made AirbnB to stay for if we let things like historical preservation get in the way.

(Note: I recently took a group trip to Nashville and stayed in an Airbnb so I'll admit to that hypocrisy.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:58 PM on June 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

The heart of country is now on Old Town Road.
posted by Reyturner at 1:01 PM on June 4, 2019 [4 favorites]

Before reading article: I wonder if everything's being torn down for condos?
After reading article: yup condos.
posted by monkeymike at 7:23 PM on June 4, 2019

Rich fuckheads ruin everything.
posted by evilDoug at 8:23 PM on June 4, 2019

Yeah, they build the condos on top of the music and then the residents complain about the noise!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:27 PM on June 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

John Hartford, Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry
posted by mikelieman at 2:43 AM on June 5, 2019

Hey Nashville, don't be stupid. Don't tear down what people are coming to your city to see.


Oh, they already did that with Opryland.


Bastards destroying my childhood.
posted by Fleebnork at 9:16 AM on June 5, 2019

Hey Nashville, don't be stupid. Don't tear down what people are coming to your city to see.

They are drunk on overdevelopment, stupid every day, and there's no sign of that changing course anytime soon. Also, people coming to Nashville are primarily coming for huge events like this weekend's CMA Fest and/or to party on Broadway and in the Gulch. Music Row is meaningless to them.
posted by blucevalo at 10:42 AM on June 6, 2019