Keith Urban Joins Call to Preserve Nashville’s Music Row
10 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Keith Urban Joins Call to Preserve Nashville’s Music Row
The past few months, several artists have spoken up about the rapid development happening on Nashville’s 16th and 17th Avenue South, known as Music Row. Keith Urban has joined the call to preserve the historic part of the city in a short editorial he penned for The Tennessean.
In the article, he explained:
Evolution is a constant part of music and life, but for me what’s always been at
the heart of country music is simplicity and community. Music Row is where the
past, present and future meet, and that’s a vital part of keeping balance. You can
feel it as you drive along 16th and 17th avenues and see so many original
buildings, including RCA’s Studios A and B; the house where Warner Brothers
first opened their doors; Quad Studios, where Neil Young recorded “Harvest”;
and Hillbilly Central, where Waylon Jennings and the boys transformed the status
quo by revolutionizing the way artists could take creative control. … Not to
mention the countless publishing houses where classic songs were and are
written, pitched and demoed.
Several older buildings have already been replaced with new apartment buildings, but plans for continued development and a luxury hotel were threatening some of the most beloved spots, including RCA Studios A and B. I understand that tourism is a massive source of revenue for the city of Nashville, but what is the point of bringing in tourists to stay in a hotel which is located where the music history they came here to see used to be. Downtown Nashville has plenty of hotel rooms. Or they can take a taxi, or even (gasp!) walk the few blocks to Music Row. Why do the hotels need to be located, literally, on top of the sights tourists came to see?
The ABC show Nashville, the inclusion of Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and Brad Paisley is TV talent shows, all increased the city’s visibility and popularity. This is a very good thing. But with all the extra tourist tax dollars, why does the city not spend some money to improve the public transport system so tourists can get around to all the must-see locations?
Keith ends expressing the wish that not only those already here, but also the new fans of the city will join the fight for historic preservation.
I sincerely hope that those who have made Nashville their home over the years,
and those who have recently discovered our fair city, will come together as a
united front and continue to be vocal about preserving and fortifying our beloved
Music Row.
Liv Carter
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
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