I’ve been to Nashville, for that matter I’ve been to Memphis too. Both places I said I’d go back to and spend more time there. I’ve seen a Friday night performance of the Grand Ole Opry, which was by the way absolutely grand. I stayed at a very nice hotel a mere few blocks from the Gaylord Opry Land Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry itself. I wandered around the Garylord hotel and sat at a rotating bar before walking over to the where the Opry takes place. No longer in the Ryman Auditorium (although they do have the center piece of the stage from the orginial Ryman in the new one) the Grand Old Opry is still a lot like it was in the 1930’s. I have to think that playing the Opry for most musicians is still something they get nervous about, even if it’s just a little bit and even if they says it’s excitement not nerves. Spending less than 24hrs there in Nashville I would’ve never imagined where I was could have flooded at all, non the less a staggering two feet above the stage. Submersing the six foot circle of original oak stage from the Ryman where legends like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline stood and sang and a vast majority of the seats in the auditorium. Devastating if you ask me. Not to mention the damage to the rest of Nashville itself.
The flooding, which has NEVER happened in Nashville to this level got hardly any news time and was mentioned in almost a passing fashion. Sure I understand we have a much bigger ecological issue on our hands and hundreds of thousands of peoples livelihoods will be affected (thanks BP)… but I think that the people of Nashville have reacted and acted with such class, neighbors helping each other without a second thought. Self reliant and determined, Nashville just proves itself to be a great city. Even if you’re not a country music fan, this is part of our history, the history of America, that if you ask me is news worthy.
Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson, AP
The area in the back right hand corner is parking lot, the largest building is the Opry auditorium itself.
I’ve been to Nashville, for that matter I’ve been to Memphis too. Both places I said I’d go back to and spend more time there. I’ve seen a Friday night performance of the Grand Ole Opry, which was by the way absolutely grand. I stayed at a very nice hotel a mere few blocks from the Gaylord Opry Land Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry itself. I wandered around the Garylord hotel and sat at a rotating bar before walking over to the where the Opry takes place. No longer in the Ryman Auditorium (although they do have the center piece of the stage from the orginial Ryman in the new one) the Grand Old Opry is still a lot like it was in the 1930’s. I have to think that playing the Opry for most musicians is still something they get nervous about, even if it’s just a little bit and even if they says it’s excitement not nerves. Spending less than 24hrs there in Nashville I would’ve never imagined where I was could have flooded at all, non the less a staggering two feet above the stage. Submersing the six foot circle of original oak stage from the Ryman where legends like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline stood and sang and a vast majority of the seats in the auditorium. Devastating if you ask me. Not to mention the damage to the rest of Nashville itself.
The flooding, which has NEVER happened in Nashville to this level got hardly any news time and was mentioned in almost a passing fashion. Sure I understand we have a much bigger ecological issue on our hands and hundreds of thousands of peoples livelihoods will be affected (thanks BP)… but I think that the people of Nashville have reacted and acted with such class, neighbors helping each other without a second thought. Self reliant and determined, Nashville just proves itself to be a great city. Even if you’re not a country music fan, this is part of our history, the history of America, that if you ask me is news worthy.
Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson, AP
The area in the back right hand corner is parking lot, the largest building is the Opry auditorium itself.
