On Oct 2nd 1954, a young artist performed his one and only time at the hallowed venue, after singing
I guess you don't always get it right!!
In my chase to learn about Americana, Hollywood, and Music there are but a handful of bucket list venue's that top the heap. This is the story ...nay, legend of my relationship with one such place, now on the National Register of Historic landmarks as designated January 3rd 2001.
This is "The Ryman Auditorium".
You know that question people always ask you, who would you like to meet from History dead or alive and have dinner with, well instead I've always had the notion that during the course of my life I would like to see concerts or shows at classic venues that are haunted with the talents of the past, my list sequestered deeply into the recess of my mind, I mean how could this kid from Bolton ever visit The Hollywood Bowl, or be live at the Greek, or listen to WSM at The Grand Ole Opry??
Life has a way of turning tricks and thinking I may have piqued at Wembley Stadium (the real one before they knocked it down to build something much less than its former self) on July 13th 1985.
....The summer of 1990 finds me walking past a very glamorously run down Victorian era brick building, in an as yet non-gentrified, highly debatable, lower end of Broadway in Nashville TN.
The musical ghosts of those hallowed halls, still hovering behind the red brick, deserted and run down now, but as if time travel were possible, the thoughts stream fast as I imagine myself sitting on one of the wooden pews, how many stories they could tell me, Caruso singing here in 1919, Helen Keller's lecture was the first sell out of the building in 1913, or Harry Houdini performing in 1923, never mind the likes of Johnny Cash in 56 or Patsy Cline in 60 along with the magical list of Little Jimmy Dickens, Bob Hope, Hank Williams or Minnie pearl in 64....
Its too late, what was once the thriving cultural center of Nashville is now left to the fates of time, I walk past trying to sneak a peak and am left to wonder, just wonder....
Strong people and strong buildings survive, so here I am almost 30 years later, and the storied building is once again the thriving centerpiece Thomas Ryman always intended it to be, when he opened it as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892 for his friend Evangelist Sam Jones...Ryman died in 1904 and his memorial service was held at the tabernacle, during the service Jones proposed renaming the building in honor of his friend, and the Ryman Auditorium was born, sadly just two years later Jones himself passed away.
The building designed as a place of worship carried on this way until in need of funds, Widow Lula Naff started leasing and booking events to fill her time, she became the buildings manager in 1920
Naff had a knack of getting world renown entertainers to perform here, despite Jim Crow laws, audiences were always integrated despite the signs saying it shouldn't be, a pioneer in her time she retired in 1955 and passed away in 1960.
The musical ghosts of those hallowed halls, still hovering behind the red brick, deserted and run down now, but as if time travel were possible, the thoughts stream fast as I imagine myself sitting on one of the wooden pews, how many stories they could tell me, Caruso singing here in 1919, Helen Keller's lecture was the first sell out of the building in 1913, or Harry Houdini performing in 1923, never mind the likes of Johnny Cash in 56 or Patsy Cline in 60 along with the magical list of Little Jimmy Dickens, Bob Hope, Hank Williams or Minnie pearl in 64....
Its too late, what was once the thriving cultural center of Nashville is now left to the fates of time, I walk past trying to sneak a peak and am left to wonder, just wonder....
Strong people and strong buildings survive, so here I am almost 30 years later, and the storied building is once again the thriving centerpiece Thomas Ryman always intended it to be, when he opened it as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892 for his friend Evangelist Sam Jones...Ryman died in 1904 and his memorial service was held at the tabernacle, during the service Jones proposed renaming the building in honor of his friend, and the Ryman Auditorium was born, sadly just two years later Jones himself passed away.
The building designed as a place of worship carried on this way until in need of funds, Widow Lula Naff started leasing and booking events to fill her time, she became the buildings manager in 1920
Naff had a knack of getting world renown entertainers to perform here, despite Jim Crow laws, audiences were always integrated despite the signs saying it shouldn't be, a pioneer in her time she retired in 1955 and passed away in 1960.
Why is this hallowed ground? ...The list of events and performers that have tripped the light fantastic and their spirits that still swirl are brought all that much closer to me as I cross the threshold for the first time.
I am deliberately early, walking up the central red velvet stairwell it dawns on me how it hasn't changed, creaking wood banisters, solid wood pews , stained glass windows, walking to the center I look down onto the stage, its simple, the swooped curtain ready to be drawn, an inkling of modern technology as I pop back to reality and see the TV screens advertising the coming events. It doesn't matter, I'm here.
Sitting for a while to take it in, the mind explodes with an overwhelming gratefulness to the people who fought so hard to keep this place and great music alive. The walls tell the stories with all the one off Hatch posters declaring who played here and each one signed, its the bedroom wall of my youth.
Hatch Posters Ryman Walls pic Benny Santini
Its a place you dream of playing, its a place you dream of visiting, to see a show, to walk the halls, to enter into the myth brought to life, the legend.
With all the sincerity I can muster, it is...like going to church.
#bennysantiniproductions
#grahamsataconcertagain
I've got Soul but I'm not a soldier
Check out the Ryman "Who's played Me?" Blog for a Historic list of the players
