As I drove out along “Music Highway” to Music City the home of Country, Bluegrass and Honky Tonk, a 3 hour drive from Memphis to Nashville. I couldn’t help but think how this road was traveled during the pre-Civil War, Slavery days when this land was infested with bigotry and racism. As I looked at the miles on my odometer I thought, “have we really come far, or are the bigots still among us? I arrived into Downtown Nashville at dusk as with thoughts of the human toll on slavery whirling through my head.
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Mornings in Nashville
An early Morning rise with a walk across city bridge over Cumberland River took me into the old fabled streets of downtown Nashville’s along with its brick and mortar facade you can see the new transition of metal glass and steal high-rises. The music culture was still alive here with over 120 live music venues, many are on Broadway street the heart of old Downtown Nashville near the riverside. The famous & long lived A.M. WSM radio is still broadcasting to over 30 states. Since its inception in 1926 and today, the original Grand Ole Opry has been renovated and is hosting concerts 15 minutes east of Nashville.
Back in downtown, the historical Ryman Auditorium is must see. The Ryman Auditorium is the sister venue of Grand Ole Opry and from 1943 to 1974 both locations are catalyst for Gospel Country Bluegrass. From Hank Williams in 1949 to Johnny Cash debut at Grand Ole Opry of 1956 also marked first meeting between Johnny Cash and of multi talented June Carter of Mother Maybelle & The Carter Sisters act. This romantic story of the Cash couple in music industry has been enamored by many fans. It was another ten year’s or so when Johnny Cash was banned from the Ryman Auditorium when in 1965, out of drunken amphetamine fever, Cash kicked and smashed the lights out on front of the iconic stage.
In Downtown Nashville Along Broadway or know as lower Broadway just east leading to The Cumberland River is a strip known as “Honky Tonk Highway” Country Music Live Music Bars since 1930s. One of the earliest known Country musician legends, regarded as “The Father of Country Music” Jimmie Rodgers, began performing there whom attracted many more musicians to come through over the decades such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and so many other’s. Typically “Honky Tonk Highway” Run’s 7 days a week no cover charge at many of the venues where music and drinking begins 10am to 3am and its common practice to encourage new up and comers to perform. Also points of interest is Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline Museums as well legendary RCA Studios which gives tours daily.
A Country Divided
As i veered off “The Music Highway” to begin my journey back home to catch my flight out of New Orlean’s, I wanted to stop in Atlanta Georgia to visit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr birthplace, Ebeneezer Baptist Church ( MLK Senior & Jr where Pastors 1927-68) and MLK Historic Park. Within walking distance of each other, is the Civil Rights Museum and Dr. King’s tomb all located in the Historic Civil Rights Neighborhood of Auburn District of Atlanta Georgia.
Between The American Civil War of 1860s to Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s this part of the adventure made more apparent the Southern Confederate Heritage of the area. I stopped at Lookout Mountain an historical forefront of the Civil War because of the Confederate industrial train system for the war effort against United States Union. The Fort located high up in mountainous scenic view of Chattanooga River and the historic Civil War battlefields.
On my Last 200 miles stretch back to New Orleans i drove through beautiful scenic Tuskegee National Forrest and then stopped for lunch in Capital City of Montgomery Alabama for a quick lunch near Rosa Parks Museum in the Capital City and took a quick photo of of the second White House. The White House most people associated with on Pennsylvania Ave Washington D.C. is the polar opposite within very two different ideologies. The White House of the Confederacy is located in the heart of Capitol City in Montgomery Alabama. The Italianate architect house was built in 1835 and Occupied by the President of the Confederate State 1861-65 until their defeat and surrender to The Union of United States of America.
My very last stop was to visit the Legendary Country Star Hank Williams boyhood house about hour Southeast of Montgomery in small rural town called Georgiana, Alabama. I felt empathy towards folks subject to segregation, humility and suffering of inhumane acts such as the Jim Crow laws through all the Sundown cities rural towns and counties that i navigated through reminded of the current present struggles we are sadly experiencing with the current Republican administration. I only hope that in 2021, we can truly be reunified and finally complete the Civil Rights reconstruction through to its truest form of love and understanding for one and each other.
As I began my drive toward New Orleans and my flight back to Los Angeles, the music of the legendary Blues Master LeadBelly’s Song “Jim Crows Blues” in which Segregation and discrimination are everywhere in every day, life began to reverberate in my head. We cannot go back to dark times like these, not so long ago, where people were judged by the color of their skin and not by the content of their character. Rest in Peace Dr. King, and all the ghosts of other martyr for justice that I encountered along the Blues Highway.
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