Nashville Scene: Book Recounts Music City's Broadway Scene

Smithsonian Books will soon publish a fascinating look at the re-emergence of Nashville's hopping lower Broadway music and bar scene in the mid-1990s.

"Nashville's Lower Broad: The Street That Music Made," due May 15, tells the story of that part of Music City and the artists that performed there, from Hank Williams and Willie Nelson to BR549, Greg Garing and blues singer Celinda Pink.

When the Grand Ole Opry moved out of the nearby Ryman Auditorium in the 1970s, lower Broadway deteriorated into a seedy area that locals largely avoided. But in the 1990s, the block began to take on a new life. Fans were drawn downtown to hear BR549 and other acts play at such bars as Robert's Western World, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, the Wagon Burner, the Turf and Music City Lounge.

Press materials aptly describe the hardcover tome as "part scrapbook, part bar tour."

The story of that period is well told through 90 gritty black-and-white photographs by documentary photographer Bill Rouda.

Also included is a foreword by artist Lucinda Williams and an introduction by David Eason, a journalism professor and director of the Seigenthaler Center for First Amendment Studies at Middle Tennessee State University.

ON THE ROW: Tim Wipperman joins Equity Music Group in Nashville as chief creative officer. He previously spent nearly 30 years at Warner/Chappell Music in Nashville, most recently as executive VP/GM.

Jeff Meltesen exits his position as marketing director for the Nashville Songwriters Assn. International and the organization's Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival to join Country Weekly magazine as marketing manager.

A Mobile, Ala.-based investment group has purchased Nashville-based American Songwriter magazine for an undisclosed price. The previous owner and publisher, Jim Sharp, has stepped down.

The bimonthly magazine's new management team, associate publisher Robert Clement and editor Douglas Waterman, plan to increase the magazine's newsstand distribution. American Songwriter marks its 20th anniversary this year.



ARTIST NEWS: The Country Music Assn. surprised Wynonna with its Connie B. Gay Award during her April 17 appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Trace Adkins and CMA executive director Ed Benson presented the award to Wynonna for her outstanding service to the CMA.

Last year's "Nashville Star" finalist John Arthur Martinez will release his debut Dualtone Records album, "Lone Starry Night," May 4. Dualtone will market the record with an extensive in-store and radio campaign with a Cinco de Mayo theme in his home state of Texas.

Jim Lauderdale is opening dates on Mary Chapin Carpenter's tour this spring and summer.



SIGNINGS: V-Tone Records has signed singer/songwriter and full-time Bethlehem, Pa., firefighter Anthony Michael James to a recording deal. "Old Friends," his first album for the Compendia-distributed label, comes out July 27.