Tennessee’s Musical Heritage
Photo by Jessica Lewis
Throughout its history, Tennessee has long held a reputation as one of the centers of American music. Tennessee was where country first appeared, and has remained one of the genre’s key areas throughout the years. That’s not to say that Tennessee is only known for its country music, however. The state has also been integral in the histories of jazz, blues, rock, hip hop, and pop.
Some of the cities of Tennessee are especially renowned for their history in music. Perhaps the most important are Nashville, Bristol, Memphis, and Manchester.
Nashville, aptly nicknamed “Music City, USA” has gained a reputation as being the center of the country music genre. The city saw the rise of the Grand Old Opry, the most well-known music venue in all of country music. The city is also home to music venues such as Ryman Auditorium (the site of the original Grand Ole Opry performances), Exit/In, Cannery Ballroom, and the Ascend Ampitheater. If you’re looking for a place to visit to fully immerse yourself in American music, then look no further—Nashville has everything you need.
However, country music itself may have never seen the light of day if not for the city of Bristol. Bristol has been recognized by the U.S. Congress as being the “birthplace of country music.” It was where some of the first country music recordings were made. It was home to the Carter family, which included founding members of the genre such as A.P., Sara, and June Carter.
Another major city in the history of Tennesseean music in Memphis. Situated along the Mississippi River, Memphis served as the birthplace of the blues. Beale Street, in the city’s downtown, was home to many of the music venues where the blues was first played live. Given the major influence that blues has had on other genres, such as rock and R&B, the city can really be seen as where much of the music we know and love today first got its start.
Finally, Manchester, a once lesser-known small town in Middle Tennessee, has risen to prominence in the 21st century as the home of the yearly Bonarroo Festival. The festival draws in people in the high quintuple digits each year to see some of the hottest artists of various genres perform. The festival is so popular that almost everyone in Tennessee knows someone who has attended it before.
The cities of Tennessee aren’t the only major part of American music, however. Several of the nation’s greatest musical artists have a connection with the state. Some were born here, some grew up here, and many others have performed at some of the state’s iconic venues, and recorded with some of Nashville’s well-known recording studios.
Though the sheer number of popular artists with ties to Tennessee would take forever to list, we have made a list of some of the best known musicians from the state, representing various musical genres and decades.
Notable Tennessee Musicians
Big Star, a rock band that laid the foundations for what would become alternative rock, was formed in Memphis in 1971. Fronted by Alex Chilton, the band released several popular songs, such as “Semptember Gurls” and “Thirteen”. Though the band never received the widespread success of some of the other acts at the time, it gained a large cult following, and has been cited by the Replacements and R.E.M., two of the first bands to be called “alternative”, as a major influence. Though the band originally broke up in 1974, it later reunited for much of the 90s and 00s. Unfortunately, the band finally came to an end in 2010 when Chilton died of a heart attack in New Orleans.
Johnny Cash, the Man in Black himself, first moved to Memphis from Arkansas in 1954, when he was 22 years old. Though he represented the genre of country through and through, even most Americans who aren’t fans of the genre know many of the songs he made famous, such as “Ring of Fire”, “Folesom Prison Blues”, and “Jackson”. He was also well known as the husband of June Carter Cash, a member of the Carter family of Bristol, TN. June and Johnny performed as a duo for much of their careers, and remained married until June died in May 2003. He died only a few months later, in September 2003.
Kenny Chesney, a vocalist from Knoxville, has become one of the most popular artists in modern mainstream country music. Born in 1968, Chesney has released over thirty number one singles since his first studio albums in the mid-90s. Chesney made famous several well-known country songs, such as “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”, “When the Sun Goes Down”, and “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem.” In 2015, he was estimated by Forbes to have a yearly income of $42 million.
Miley Cyrus, born Destiny Hope Cyrus, was born in Franklin, TN in 1992. The daughter of 90s country star Billy Ray Cyrus, she first stepped into the spotlight in the mid 2000s as she was cast in the starring role of the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana. After several years only known as a Disney idol, in the 2010s she began to experiment with a more mature, edgy style. Now, Cyrus has had several hit singles, such as “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the USA”, and roles in movies such as Bolt and The Last Song.
B. B. King, born in 1925 in Mississippi, has become cemented in history as one of the most popular blues artists to ever live. King first came to Memphis with Bukka White, a fellow blues artist and King’s mother’s cousin, in 1946. While there, he helped to popularize the music being played on Beale Street. “3 ‘O Clock Blues” and “The Thrill is Gone” are just two examples of the numerous songs he recorded over the course of his seven-decade-spanning career. King received numerous honors including an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2015.
Paramore was formed in the city of Franklin, TN in 2004. Currently consisting of singer Hayley Williams, drummer Zac Farro, and guitarist Taylor York, the band first broke out into the pop-punk scene with their 2005 album All We Know is Falling before releasing the platinum-selling album Riot! just two years later. Featuring popular tracks such as “Misery Business”, “That’s What You Get”, and “Crushcrushcrush”, the album catapulted the Tennessean band into mainstream success. The band has experimented with various styles over the course of their careers, and still have a large following to this day.
Taylor Swift, originally from Pennsylvania, moved to Nashville in 2004 at the age of 14. She originally had success as a pop country artist, with songs such as “You Belong with Me” and “Our Song” before crossing over into mainstream pop with her 2012 album Red. Songs from her mainstream pop era such as “Shake it Off” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” are instantly recognizeable for many Americans. Currently, Swift has ten Grammy awards under her belt, as well as 50 million albums sold worldwide.
Tina Turner, also known as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, has become one of the greatest-selling artists of all time. Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownsville, TN in 1939. She first performed with her then-husband Ike Turner in the 60s and 70s. Later on, she had a popular solo comeback with a string of hits such as “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, “I Don’t Want to Fight”, and “Typical Male”. With over 100 million records sold, welve Grammy awards, and a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Turner has become one of the most popular musical artists in the world.