5 Tennessee Cities Where Music Matters
Tennessee's music scene is more than that of the renowned Music City. Check out these five cities off the beaten path, making beats that are music to our ears.
Music infuses nearly every nook and cranny in Tennessee. From live music at a large venue to the tinkling of piano keys in an intimate club, if it’s playing, you’ll hear it here.
Music also resonates from places like hotel rooftops, vineyards, amphitheaters and caves (yes, the subterranean kind!). There are statues, studios, markers, museums, homes, theaters and bars where music is honored and applauded.
We can claim Elvis and Dolly and Johnny and Justin, but there’s so much music created, mixed recorded and sung in Tennessee, it echoes from the biggest city to the smallest town.
Of course, Nashville is known around the globe as Music City, but several other places have their own harmonious history. Here are five other Tennessee cities where the music plays on.
In This Article
1. Bristol, TN
Bristol is really where it all began. Back in 1927, a cross-section of Appalachian music, known as the “Big Bang of Country Music,” was recorded during the Bristol Sessions. This defining moment started the rise of the country music sound, with early artists like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family making a name for themselves.
Discover those early melodies and their significance at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, which documents the rise of this influential genre and its impact on the world. In addition to the exhibits, various speakers, programs, and monthly jam sessions are scheduled, which will have your toes tapping and your hands clapping to old-time, country and blues tunes.
Mark your calendars for the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, an annual three-day festival that brings the tunes to life. The Bristol Sessions influenced a wide range of music, and the event — held in downtown Bristol the second weekend in September — features more than 100 bands on 17 stages.
2. Chattanooga, TN
Who hasn’t sung along to the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s famous “Chattanooga Choo Choo”? It was recorded in 1941, but the catchy tune continues to be played today. The famed hotel of the same name was actually the inspiration for the smash hit.
Blues singer Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga and began busking on the city streets as a young girl. She catapulted to the forefront during the Jazz Age and was known as the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center honors the “Empress of the Blues” while preserving the city’s African American history and culture.
Chattanooga’s Tivoli Theatre, one of the first air-conditioned public buildings in this country, is a blast from the past. An ornate 1920s picture palace, the theater today presents music, theater and comedy shows. The “Jewel of the South” is the place to hear country, folk and jazz, as well as frequent concerts by the Chattanooga Symphony.
Guitar lovers won’t want to miss Songbirds Guitar, Pop and Culture Museum, located in the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel and home to some 550 guitars from the 1930s to the 1970s, including some rare instruments from Gibson, Fender and Gretsch. In addition, the museum hosts a variety of live music events.
Finally, if you want to sing under the stars, head to September’s Moon River Music Festival on the banks of the Tennessee River to sway to more than 20 performances by a diverse group of musical acts.
3. Jackson, TN
A blend of country and western and R&B, rockabilly took the country by storm in the mid-1950s, and it all started in Jackson. The city was the home of early pioneer Carl Perkins for many years, and his famous hit, “Blue Suede Shoes,” characterized the rockabilly style. He went on to record other songs such as “Honey Don’t” and “Matchbox” at Sun Studio in Memphis. Other well-known musicians who were born or spent time in Jackson include Big Maybelle, LOLO and W.S. “Fluke” Holland, who was a drummer for both Perkins and Johnny Cash.
The Legends of Tennessee Music Museum houses a vast collection of memorabilia that tells the story of rockabilly and is housed in the historic Andrew Carnegie Library in downtown Jackson. The history of America’s first Hard Rock Cafe is also on view, with artifacts about the iconic restaurant’s opening in Jackson in 1983.
Bring a blanket and chair — and pack a picnic — for an evening of music at Jackson’s AMP at the Market, a series of seasonal free concerts at the amphitheater that resonate through the night air.
Finally, take your pick of the many clubs where you can hear live music across the city, with 30 to 50 shows each weekend, ranging from gospel and country to blues and disco.
4. Knoxville, TN
Known as the Cradle of Country Music for its role in the promotion of country music, Knoxville showcases its history at the Cradle of Country Music Park, which opened in 1986. The park is part of the East Tennessee Historical Society’s Cradle of County Music Walking Tour, which explains the city’s ties to some of country’s crooners, such as Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Roy Acuff and others. Look for a new art installation to open at the park in 2024.
You can see today’s hitmakers at the historic Bijou Theatre. This 200-seat venue regularly features bluegrass, country, opera and chamber music, including the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Built in 1909, the Bijou is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pack a lunch and head to the WDVX Blue Plate Special®, a free live performance radio show held in front of a live audience inside the Knoxville Visitor Center at high noon most days of the week. Music varies from country and Celtic to blues, bluegrass and rockabilly.
Knoxville will forever be associated with the hit “Rocky Top,” which is played at every University of Knoxville home football game. The song was recorded in 1967 by the Osborne Brothers and rings out across the state at all kinds of events today.
5. Memphis, TN
The American art form known as the blues started on Beale Street in Memphis when W.C. Handy penned “Memphis Blues” in 1912. Today, Beale is the place to hear blues (and rock) blasting from the many clubs and restaurants along the popular downtown thoroughfare. In fact, Beale Street was named the Home of the Blues by an act of Congress in 1977. For more about the blues, don’t miss the Blues Hall of Fame Museum.
Memphis is also known as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, with artists like Elvis Presley turning out worldwide hits from Sun Studio. The Memphis recording studio is also where musicians like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerrie Lee Lewis recorded in the 1950s. Music lovers will want to visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum to get a glimpse into the history of these two art forms.
Speaking of Elvis, fans from around the world flock to see his Graceland home and large entertainment complex dedicated to the life and career of the American legend.
Music festivals and concerts abound in Memphis, including Gonerfest (spun from Goner Records in the Cooper-Young neighborhood), Mempho Music Fest, the Soulsville USA Festival and the summer Overton Park Shell concert series.
Want more? Check out Tennessee Music Pathways for more on the many places that inspired the music across the state.
