by Rod Williams, June 2, 2026- This is a great video telling the Nashville story. It covers the founding up until the present day.
I love this city. There is no other place I would rather live. I have lived here most of my adult life, and I have embraced all the city has to offer. I lived in Nashville for about five years in the early seventies and then work took me away, and I lived in upper East Tennessee for about six years before retuning.
During that first stay in Nashville and then for about six or so years after returning to Nashville, I was a "honky tonk hero." I am not a musician nor a songwriter, but I was a super fan. I was one of those guys you see wearing a cowboy hat and boots whose hobby is immersing himself in the music scene. I went to live music events, including following bands that played small bars, and usually I would go to two or three writers' nights a week. I was here when the outlaw movement happened in Nashville and saw a lot of people who went on to become famous and kind of got to know some of them. I attended almost all of the Charlie Daniels' Jam events. I learned how to crash the parties during the annual D J conventions. The D J convention was the precursor to Fan Fair and the CMA Fest. During the convention, I would take a couple days off from work and go to parties and receptions and see lots of live music. The concerts were for the benefit of Country Music D J's and the record labels would all host big concerts with almost all of their roster of artists. They pulled out all stops. I love being part of that Nashville.
In addition to the music side of Nashville, I experienced a lot else the city had to offer. Except for the winter months, there was always some kind of community festival, either commemorating a historic event, a season, a holiday, a food, or a particular neighborhood. This being Nashville, almost any event for any purpose would have live music. I took in as many of the festivals and special events as I could.
Being the State capital, there was an energy and a vibe the city had that was exciting. During my time away from Nashville, I returned for about four months as a college student and served as an intern working for the State legislature. That gave me an insight into State government, and I developed a greater appreciation of our state and Nashville.
In 1980 I ran for a seat on the Metro Council and won. This was before there were term limits, when there was very little turnover in the Council, and there were fewer opportunities to serve. Serving in the Metro Council certainly curtailed my hanging out in bars and my hobby of immersing myself in the music scene. I served on the Council for ten years. If you take the job seriously, it takes all of your time that is not devoted to earning a living. I took the job seriously. I was very engaged in the business of the city and tried to have an impact. Being one of the few conservatives on the Council and being one of the youngest members to ever serve in the body, I felt I had to be better informed and better prepared than most of my colleagues. I served on the Planning Committee of the Council, which is one of the more demanding committee assignments. My stint in the Council made me more vested in Nashville. I still follow closely what happens in local government.
After leaving the Council, I worked for a community-based organization that had several missions, but most of my work involved working with low-income people and helping them become homeowners. The work was rewarding, and in this capacity I worked with other non-profit organizations, service providers, funders, churches, and government. This kept me engaged with the city and was another tie to the city that others may not experience.
I have seen Nashville change a lot over the years. There was a period in the seventies and early eighties when Lower Broadway was only home to about four bars, and the main businesses were pawn shops, furniture stores and adult book stores. It was pretty seedy back then. In 2020, the Ryman reopened and new life was breathed into the area, and Lower Broadway began to grow and grew to become the madhouse it is now.
A lot of people who live here like to trash-talk Nashville. I am not one of them. Nashville has changed but it is still Nashville. There are dozens of bars frequented by tourists where the band is playing someone else's music and trying to sound just like the original, but if you look, there are still venues where new bands develop and where writers try out new material. If you want to experience Nashville off Broadway, I suggest Dee's Country Lounge, Santa's Pub, or the Idle Hour. I am an old man now and don't have the desire to hang out in bars anymore, and music, while still important to me is not my main interest anymore, so I don't know all the places where music is being created, but I know there are still lots of places where aspiring songwriters and performers hone their craft.
While many say they hate Lower Broad, I don't. It can be overwhelming at times. A few times a year, I still hit Lower Broad. I don't mind the crowds and the bachelorette parties. I like seeing people have a good time and enjoy themselves, and I am happy they are doing it my town.
In some ways, Nashville has gotten better. The influx of emigrants has brought a slew of ethnic eateries, and I enjoy discovering new places to eat. Nashville has several five-star Michelin restaurants, not that I have eaten in any of them, but I am glad they are here. Nashville has a much more cosmopolitan feel than it used to, and I don't mind. There are more high-paying jobs, and recent college graduates do not have to move somewhere else to have a good career.
On the other hand, the growth has made housing unaffordable for many young people. Of course, some of that is a national issue, but Nashville's growth has priced many people out of the market. I wish growth had been slower and would slow down. I guess the thing I like least about the new Nashville is the traffic and the lack of parking. There was a time as recent as fifteen years ago or so when Nashvillians would brag that we were a "fifteen-minute city," - you could reach any destination in fifteen minutes. Now, rush hour runs from about 3 PM in the evening to about 6:30 PM. If there is a big sporting event ending and several big conventions in town coming to an end, the drive to the airport, which is about 8 miles east of downtown, making it roughly a 15–25-minute drive under normal traffic conditions, can take an hour or longer. There have been occasions when traffic has been paralyzed, and people have been stuck on the interstate for much longer periods.
There was a time when parking was cheap, and there were parking spaces. I even knew some free parking spaces. Not anymore. I hate having to pull out my phone, use a QR code, put in my license plate number, and then put in a credit card number. Maybe it is because I am old and slow to adapt, but sometimes I may want to go somewhere, but because parking is a hassle and expensive, I won't go.
The change in Nashville has its pluses and its minuses, however, this is still a great city with a soul, but please don't move here.
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