a block over past Broadway to
The Ryman Auditorium, which was
built in 1892 by Thomas Ryman for
revivalist Samuel Porter Jones as
the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Af-
ter Ryman’s death in 1904, it was
renamed Ryman Auditorium and
became a home for entertainment
in the early 20th century. From WC
Fields to Bob Hope, Bob Dylan to
Bruce Springsteen, many of the
biggest names have taken stage
at the Ryman. The church pews
are still there. The displays have
Louis Armstrong’s trumpet as well
as many artifacts from the history
of country music. The Grand Ole
Opry began broadcasting from
the Ryman in 1925 and continued
through 1974 when it moved to
the Opry House in East Nashville.
The Ryman is a true music trea-
sure and, in its way, the real birth-
place of country music as both a
place of worship and a venue for
entertainment dating back to the
age of vaudeville. One can hear
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 58
through the years the gospel and
folk music (bluegrass) blend into
the country music that would later
emanate from both the honky
tonks and radios of America. After
the Ryman visit, we rested outside
next door at a little cafe and then
spent the rest of Thursday walk-
ing up and down Broadway listen-
ing as music bellowed from each
venue, some right next door to
each other. Broadway from 2nd up
to 5th is, on both sides, one honky
tonk after another. We stopped
into a little store at 5th and Broad-
way so I could grab something
to remember the trip by, a pretty
strappin’ guitar strap with NASH-
VILLE MUSIC CITY in big white
letters for my “Countrycaster” Tele.
We returned to the hotel exhaust-
ed and sore from all the walking.
Friday around noon, we headed
out to the last place we wanted to
see, The Musician Hall of Fame.
Honoring those who had made an
impact on American music with-
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