four attractions like the Grand Ole
Opry and The Ryman Auditorium
self-guided tour with other perks.
We used one of the Access passes
for the Country Music Hall of Fame
and Museum and paid $18 each
for a tour of Historic RCA Studio B.
After a short ride on the shuttle to
RCA, I stood in the exact spot Elvis
and The Everly Brothers recorded
some of their biggest hits. “Are
been there since the 50’s. The
same piano was in a photo with
Elvis in the lobby.
By 2:30pm Tuesday, we were
back at the Country Hall of Fame.
We stalked around the halls see-
ing clothes, instruments and video
in both black and white and color
of past artists enshrined in ex-
hibits. Elvis’ gold-plated Caddy,
looked almost brand new. The
I stood in the exact spot Elvis and The Everly
Brothers recorded some of their biggest hits.
You Lonesome Tonight” was re-
corded early in the morning after
Elvis and some of the musicians
went out and had a whole bunch
of cheeseburgers. Our tour guide,
a local musician in Nashville,
turned out the lights and played
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ and I
felt their presence in the darkness
whispering a spectral symphony.
Later in the tour, a visitor played
the Steinway 42 grand piano that’s
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 58
video presentations on bluegrass
and the Grand Ole Opry broad-
casts from the 60s and 70s gave
me a foundation of what I would
learn in the next few days. After
the museum visit, we took a short
walk around the area, saw some
of Broadway and sweated a three
block walk back to our hotel shut-
tle stop. The weather was 80+ and
humid but after a cold Jersey win-
ter it was almost like heaven.
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