When I attend conferences alone, I don't usually make time to take in the local sights. This time both Madeline and I attended a conference in Nashville and took time to take a tour to visit Nashville with a focus on homes of famous and to-be famous country singers and to go to the Grand Ole Opry for a show. During a three-hour tour, we saw the homes or iron gates of a number of singers -- Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Lea Ann Rimes, Faith Hill, plus others. Many of the singers have homes elsewhere but Parton's main home is in Nashville.
The one story I liked most that our tour driver told us was that of Alan Jackson, a singer/song writer with 35 #1 hits, 50 in the Top-10, two Grammys and multiple other awards. He asked his mother in 2002 what she wanted for Christmas. She said that she wanted him to record her favorite Christmas songs. He did so and printed a few copies for the family. When his producer heard the set, he said that it should be published ("Let it Be Christmas") and it was published in October 2002. When this record hit it big, he gave gifts to his sisters and his mother and mother-in-law. For both mothers, he gifted them each $300,000 from royalties because the album was inspired by his mother. He asked them to, in turn, use the money to help others. He basically said that the gift to them was the good feeling they would receive after giving to others.
At the suggestion of our Executive VP, we took in a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Understand that I am not much of a follower of popular music of any genre, so this would not have happened on my own volition. Madeline bought the tickets and we went. It was an enjoyable and refreshing evening! Not only that, we sat just off center stage in the aisle within 10 feet of the singers. Any closer, we would have had to sing with the chorus! Just to prove the point, I took a picture of Little Jimmy Dickens, a member of the County Music hall of Fame, who has been a singer at the Opry for 60 years. He is now 90 years old. He joked, "I'm Willie Nelson after taxes!" He is 4'11" tall. He sang and was the host of a segment of the show. We heard other Opry 'Hall of Famers and award-winning performers like Jeannie Seely, Jean Shepard, and Jack Greene, plus newcomer Jason Jones making his debut on the Opry stage. With 85-years of Opry history, it has to be an awesome experience to sing there.
The current Opry venue was completed in 1974. Its first permanent home was at the Ryman Auditorium (converted from a church) in downtown Nashville (1943-1974). From 1925 to 1943, the Opry rented space in three different locations. We stopped at the Ryman on our tour.
In May 2010, after 14-inches of rain fell, the Cumberland River flooded the Opry with 4-feet of water, damaging and destroying much of the first floor. With the help of alums of the Opry and caring citizens, the Opry was repaired and reopened in September 28, 2010. So nearly one year after the flood, we were privileged to attend a concert. Awesome!
What is this blog about? I found the effort to divert from my normal pattern of life energizing. I fully enjoyed all of it as It provided a mental break we need but don't take enough of. I marveled at the 'family' atmosphere around the people who have sung at the Opry. It's like having belonged to something special and get changed by it. It's a good feeling and one that we all should have by belonging to something outside our ourselves. Maybe that's what this blog is about. I'll keep it in mind.
© Baldwin H. Tom CMC
www.tbgroupconsultants.com
