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Topic: Who were the first musicians in Nashville? |
Al Collinsworth
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Posted 17 Sep 2009 11:48 am |
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Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 11 Nov 2009 3:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Stephen Gregory
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Posted 17 Sep 2009 1:18 pm
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| Nashville’s earliest settlers celebrated in the late 1700s with fiddle tunes and buck dancing after safely disembarking on the shores of the Cumberland River, a spot now commemorated on First Avenue North with a replica of the original Fort Nashborough. Nashville’s first “celebrity,” the noted frontiersman and Congressman Davy Crockett was known far and wide for his colorful stories and fiddle playin |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2009 4:14 pm
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Gee, and I thought it was Roy Acuff and Eddie Aronld. 
I'd say the Indians were doing some picking before the others got there. The Indians were supposedly around Nashville for several hundred years before the first settlers. |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 17 Sep 2009 10:25 pm
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There's an excellent book about early Nashville music available (though it doesn't cover the music of the people that had already lived here for centuries when the first "settlers" moved in).
http://www.nashvillescene.com/2008-10-23/arts/tracing-music-city-s-family-tree/
The city already drew musical attention way before there was a "country music" industry, and the Ryman auditorium drew lots of big names before there was ever an Opry there. Here's a quote I saved from another book recently, referring to the late 1800s:
“There was not a city in the U.S. of equal size that showed as much interest in music as Nashville…organ, flute, harp and piano concerts were well attended… minstrel melodies were quite popular.”
The first 2 musician's unions in the U.S were in Tennessee; first Memphis in 1902 and then Nashville.
Before coming across this stuff in the last few months I'd always assumed the first musician in Nashville was Bobbe Seymour!  |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 4:33 am
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Pete you cracked me up |
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Joe Casey
From:
Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 6:25 am
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I'm more concerned with who will be the last two.  Oh we are not talking about Country Musicians   |
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Bill Mayville
From:
Las Vegas Nevada * R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 9:15 am First to land in Nashville
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No joking around here.
I am positive I read where the first
musicians in Nasville were Mormans.
They they left for Mesa Ar.
I hope I may be right.
Bill Mayville
_________________
Bill Mayville
06 Jackson Commemorative ,S 10
Black.For Sale . $18,000 Kidding |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 10:03 am
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| Buddy Crow Feather and Mini Pocahontas. |
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Al Collinsworth
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 12:30 pm
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Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 11 Nov 2009 3:04 am; edited 3 times in total |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 12:43 pm
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| Darn. |
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 6:01 pm
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| Quote: |
| Before coming across this stuff in the last few months I'd always assumed the first musician in Nashville was Bobbe Seymour! |
| Quote: |
| I am positive I read where the first musicians in Nasville were Mormans. |
Well, Bobbe has had multiple wives.....
love ya man
_________________
Scott Shipley Facebook |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2009 9:39 pm
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Don't know WHO was first. But some of the LAST REAL ones that have left the building [Ryman] Roy,Earnest,Hank,Williams,Snow,Locklin.Patsy,Porter,etc,just a FEW real ones left when they are gone it's over.Nashville then can change the signs from Country music capitol to Rock and roll heaven.Allmost there now. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 7:32 am
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This is the first thread I remember seeing on the topic of Nashville's very early musical history, I think that's great. I hope there's some more input, it's an interesting subject...
On the other hand I'll bet there have been thousands of threads on all the reasons why people think Nashville sucks now, with often the same people posting variations of basically the same things over and over, week after week; that's fine, it's a predictable part of the forum. But this is a very different subject; do we really need to turn this thread into one of those threads?
Last edited by Pete Finney on 19 Sep 2009 9:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 8:35 am
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| the Fruit Jar Drinkers. cc |
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Tommy Minniear
From:
Logansport, Indiana
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 8:47 am
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Here is a great book written by Ruth White, wife of steel guitarist Howard White.
It has a world of information about the rythmn and blues scene that existed in Nashville at one time. The cool thing about this book is it gives locations and information to where thriving blues clubs existed. It tells of a Nashvile seldom revealed. It is available thru the Country Music Hall of fame for $18.95.
 You Can Make it if You Try: The Ted Jarrett Story of R & B in Nashville by Ted Jarrett and Ruth White (CMF Press/Hillsboro Press 2005) |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 9:23 am
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That book about Ted Jarrett is great... The Country Music hall of Fame did a major exhibit and series of programs on the Rhythm and Blues scene in Nashville in the 40's, 50's and 60's; it was called "Night Train to Nashville" and they also released two great double CD's by the same title, the first one won a Grammy.
From what I've read over the years the first Nashville music to really become known elsewhere would be the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who started touring in the 1870's to raise money for Fisk University. Apparently they were a sensation in concert halls all over, especially in Europe, and are credited with introducing "Negro Spirituals", as they were called then, to the world. There has been a version of this group ever since and they're still active today.
Last edited by Pete Finney on 19 Sep 2009 9:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 9:24 am
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Another book on this subject that some of you may find interesting is Tennessee Music by Peter Coats Zimmerman. He breaks the story down by style: Old-time, Blues and Roots, Gospel, Bluegrass, Country, Soul and New Acoustic. He also looks at regions: East Tennessee, Nashville, Middle Tennessee, Memphis and West Tennessee. There are lots of great photos from Furry Lewis to Dolly Parton to Steve Cropper to the Carter family to Emmylou to ... even some dobro and steel players. There is a Discography and Bibliography, but this is not an academic work. It's more of a cheer leading CofC sort of thing, very readable. I had a copy some years ago that I sent to my brother. This may be out of print now, but I found copy on the web recently.
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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Al Collinsworth
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 9:35 am
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Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 11 Nov 2009 3:04 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 12:37 pm
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| Pete Finney wrote: |
This is the first thread I remember seeing on the topic of Nashville's very early musical history, I think that's great. I hope there's some more input, it's an interesting subject...
On the other hand I'll bet there have been thousands of threads on all the reasons why people think Nashville sucks now, with often the same people posting variations of basically the same things over and over, week after week; that's fine, it's a predictable part of the forum. But this is a very different subject; do we really need to turn this thread into one of those threads? |
I plead guilty to that.  Maybe those Mormons thought Nashville sucked back then for some reason and that's why they fled to Mesa, AZ?
These is an interesting topic. I am most concerned about when people started flocking to Nashville because of the music industry than was developing there. I have to think that the Opry had a lot to do with that. You know Bristol, TN/VA was a big music town with Ralph Peer in the early days. |
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Paul Norman
From:
Washington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 1:39 pm
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I remember Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold and Mother Maybelle, but I dont remember Davy Crockett and them
1700's. That's too far back. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 11:19 am
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davy....davy crockett......king of the wild frontier....
i'm pretty sure bobbe sold him his first fiddle!
and then bobbe upholstered the seats in his cobra with beaver pelts.....and of course, the mandatory raccoon tail on the antenna.
(bobbe was always interested in the many varieties of beaver and tail) |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 2:12 pm
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Davie Crockett is one fiddler that didn't do too well in Texas. Make love, not war!
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