Music Row oral history project, 2015
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Digital audio files and CDs are identified by the project abbreviation: "MROHP" which serves as a prefix. Arranged thereunder alphabetically by the last name of the interviewee.

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library

No audio recording exists for Jerry Bradley, however a typed transcript of the interview is available.

Interviewees include: R.C. Bannon; Terry Bell; Diane Bennett; Hayward Bishop; Jerry Bradley; Lou Bradley; Trey Bruce; Dane Bryant; Steve Buckingham; Craig Campbell; Annie Chapman; Steve Chapman; Juanita Copeland; Sharon Corbitt-House; Stan Dacus; Bruce Dees; Steve Gibson; Dean Graber; Stacy Harris; Whit Hubner; Sherry Huffman; Joe Johnston; Diane Jordan; Les Kerr; J. Fred Knobloch; Hank Levine; Marianna Levine; Kim McLean; Pat McMakin; Jerry Michael; Hunter Moore; Jamie Nichol; Devon O’Day; Scott Pieper; Jeanette Porrazzo; Duane Scott; Lisa Silver; Barbara Martin Stephens; Jana Talbot; Jody Williams.

In library use only. Available by appointment

Scope and Content: This collection includes 35 audio-recorded interviews created in 2015 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with the Music Industry Coalition and the Nashville Public Library. The time periods covered within the interviews range from the 1940s to 2015. Each interview has a transcript, and most have indexes. Primary topics addressed in the interviews include: individuals' stories of how they got started in the music industry; the culture of collaboration created on Music Row; important individuals and groups that influenced the creation and continuation of Music Row and the music industry in Nashville; notable studios like Bradley Studios (also known as "the Quonset hut"), RCA Studios A and B, Decca, and Columbia; music publishing companies; connections to the music business in Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and the experience each interviewee had on Music Row. Genres include country music, but also rock, gospel, pop, R&B, jazz, bluegrass, and even advertising jingles, among others. Roles of the interviewees include singers, songwriters, musicians of various types, sessions players, music producers, executives, audio engineers, real estate professionals, a choreographer, a journalist, publicists, agents, a studio owner, and managers.

Cite as: [individual interview], Music Row Oral History Project, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

System requirements for sound discs: computer with CD drive and MP3 capable software

Interviewees granted copyright to the National Trust for Historic Preservation at the time of recording. Copyright was then deeded to the Nashville Public Library by the National Trust for Historic Preservation when the materials were donated to the library in 2016

National Trust for Historic Preservation;,Gift;,2016.,Acc. 2016.007

Music Row is the neighborhood of 16th and 17th Avenue South that is considered the heart of Nashville's music industry. Music production on the Row began in 1954 with the installation of Bradley Studios on 16th Avenue. RCA Records opened a studio nearby shortly thereafter and, in 1956, brought up-and-coming superstar Elvis Presley from New York City to record his first certified gold record, "Heartbreak Hotel". After the release of this single the national music industry took note of Nashville's recording potential, ushering in a new era for Music City. Within a decade Music Row became a hotspot for artists and music executives of all genres. Close proximity to one another and an open-door policy as a standard created a unique atmosphere that fostered creativity and community.

Music Row's popularity as a music magnet continued to grow through the end of the twentieth century, but in the first decade of the twenty-first century, it faced several struggles. The increasing use of digital downloads, the move of the Country Music Hall of Fame from Music Row to downtown Nashville in 2001, the recession of 2008, the Nashville flood of 2010, and the sudden boom in Nashville's growth which followed, combined to drastically impact Music Row's continued use as a distinct and collaborative music industry hub in the city. Property values soared, and costs became prohibitive to rehabilitate older homes and structures, which formed a core component of Music Row's identity. These factors reached a head in 2014, when the historic RCA Studio A was slated for demolition by developers. This prompted public outcry and action, which ultimately saved Studio A from the wrecking ball. The successful preservation of Studio A emboldened community members to form the Music Industry Coalition and the Music Row Neighborhood Association, local interest groups focused on saving historically significant buildings on Music Row.

In 2015 the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared Music Row a "National Treasure," based both on its historic significance, and threats of development. The Trust partnered with the Metro Historical Commission, the Music Industry Coalition, and Music Row Neighborhood Association to research the history of Music Row, ultimately producing a report recommending its designation as a cultural industry district, and identifying over sixty properties that were eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Carolyn Brackett of the Trust created the Music Row Oral History Project to gather information that would form the basis of a multiple property documentation form about historic resources on Music Row. Together, these two efforts by the Trust helped to place RCA Studio A on the National Register of Historic Places and provided recommendations and guidelines to the Metro Nashville Planning Department as they considered future redevelopment projects in the neighborhood.

In English

Finding aid available in repository;,interview level control.,https://catalog.library.nashville.org/Record/CARL0001048082/DownloadSupplementalFile?fileId=182

Materials created by and in possession of the National Trust for Historic Preservation until donated to the library in 2016.

process;,Sara Brindley;,2016

process;,Cindy Gadley;,2023

describe;,Cindy Gadley;,2024

No further accruals are expected