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Susan R. Pollack<\/span> Nashville \u2014 Who needs Hollywood when stars may be spotted around practically every corner in Nashville?<\/p>\n You never know when \u2013 or where \u2013 you\u2019ll run into celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Jack White, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Rae Cyrus, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Kidman or many others who call Nashville home.<\/p>\n Among them, of course, is country legend Dolly Parton, who lives in a tony suburb 20 minutes south and is honored annually on Aug. 5, Nashville\u2019s designated \u201cDolly Parton Day.\u201d<\/p>\n At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a new exhibit, \u201cDolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker,\u201d showcases her signature style, from iconic outfits and instruments to rare photographs and handwritten lyrics. Timed tickets are available daily, through Sept. 30.<\/p>\n Dolly has been the talk of the town all summer, thanks to the pre-Broadway world premiere of \u201cDolly: A True Original Musical,\u201d which formally opens Friday, Aug. 8 after several weeks in previews. It runs through Aug. 31 in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Nashville\u2019s Belmont University.<\/p>\n Showcasing new songs and lyrics by Dolly herself, plus familiar hits including \u201cI Will Always Love You,\u201d \u201cJolene,\u201d and \u201c9 to 5,\u201d it tells Parton\u2019s rags-to-rhinestones story with fresh insights, especially regarding her nearly six-decade marriage to Carl Dean, who died in March. The musical, with three actresses portraying Dolly, has its sights set on Broadway in New York in 2026.<\/p>\n Nashville, nicknamed \u201cMusic City,\u201d boasts a Broadway of its own, the raucous downtown strip of flashy honky-tonks and star bars owned or fronted by celebrities such as Jason Aldean, John Rich, Miranda Lambert, and Blake Shelton. Nicknamed \u2018Honky Tonk Highway,\u2019 it is ground zero for Nashville\u2019s country culture and a magnet for music fans, including roaming packs of bachelorette partiers in sequined T-shirts, cowboy hats and boots.<\/p>\n Beyond all the noise and neon, Nashville is a treasure trove of music history and attractions \u2013and not just country.<\/p>\n Most everyone has heard of the Grand Ole Opry, celebrating its 100th<\/sup> anniversary this year, and the storied Ryman Auditorium, which once housed it, but my favorite attraction during a midweek stay was something of a sleeper, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.<\/p>\n Located in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, it celebrates the artists, engineers and producers who have shaped the sound of popular music across all genres. From Jimi Hendrix\u2019s smoke-filled stage at an early Nashville gig, Glenn Campbell\u2019s tartan kilt, and instruments galore to JFK\u2019s stereo, Ringo Starr\u2019s red vinyl raincoat and a fascinating exhibit on Motown\u2019s Funk Brothers, the museum offers a comprehensive \u2013 and eclectic – <\/strong>look at the world of music.<\/p>\n Visitors can get into the act, too, in a sound booth and on a stage, singing back-up for Ray Charles, in the Grammy Museum Gallery.<\/p>\n Stepping onto the iconic stage and preening for a souvenir photo is a tour highlight at the nearby Ryman Auditorium, the churchlike former home of the Grand Ole Opry, also known as the birthplace of bluegrass. With original wooden pews and more modern stained-glass windows, the so-called Mother Church of Country Music started as a nondenominational tabernacle and has hosted thousands of musicians in its 133-year history; it continues to stage live performances.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll learn about the musical legends who performed on the Ryman stage in its Opry era, 1943-1974, on tours, both self-led and guided. And, in the Rock Hall exhibit (in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), you may be surprised at some of the more than 100 rock stars, including Diana Ross and REM, who have performed on the legendary stage.<\/p>\n The Grand Ole Opry, the show that made country music famous, moved to the much-larger Opry House, 20 minutes away, in 1974. In keeping with century-old tradition, shows are broadcast live on the radio, typically at least three per week. Each show features a dozen performers, from country music greats to newcomers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Throughout October, the Opry\u2019s official birthday month, every show will feature special photo ops, plaza parties and more. To cap off the yearlong observance, the Opry\u2019s actual 100th<\/sup> anniversary show, on Nov. 28, will commemorate Uncle Jimmy Thompson\u2019s first Grand Ole Opry fiddle performance and celebrate the Opry\u2019s 100 years of country music through the decades.<\/p>\n One of the newer attractions on the Nashville scene is the National Museum of African American Music, across the street from the Ryman. Opened in 2021, the one-of-a-kind venue traces the deep influence of African American music across a wide array of genres including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, hip-hop and rap.<\/p>\n Displays of instruments and stage costumes combine with touchscreen stations and interactive sound stations to tell the story in cleverly-named galleries such as Wade in the Water, One Nation Under a Groove and Rivers of Rhythm. Featured artists include Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Lionel Ritchie, and Beyonce.<\/p>\n Visiting all these attractions is sure to work up an appetite. Don\u2019t leave town without trying some famous Nashville hot chicken \u2014 fried chicken whose flavor is boosted with a spicy cayenne pepper paste and other proprietary spices such as paprika and garlic and onion powders.<\/p>\n The best-known hot chicken versions are Prince\u2019s, who created the concept, and Hattie B\u2019s, a chain with multiple restaurants. But while wandering the Nashville Farmers\u2019 Market one day, I stumbled upon Lilly\u2019s Hot Chicken. I figured since my grandmother\u2019s name was Lillian, I had to try it \u2013 and was glad I did.<\/p>\n I also chatted up restaurant owner Chris Lilly and his son, Chris Lilly II. The elder Lilly, former information technology director for nearby Murfreesboro, said the secret to their moist, crisp chicken is \u201clove\u201d \u2014 and listening to music while frying it.<\/p>\n Detroiters may be interested in a new Nashville restaurant, The Detroit Cowboy, that opened two months ago. It\u2019s a collaboration between Kid Rock and Metro Detroit restaurateur Joe Vicari, owner of Andiamo, who has kept the Joe Muer brand alive.<\/p>\n With an upscale steak and seafood menu, plus music memorabilia from legends such as Eminem, Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Kid Rock himself, The Detroit Cowboy aims to \u201ctake the foo-foo out of fine dining,\u201d Rock said in a statement before its June 3 opening.<\/p>\n Elsewhere around town, try a Goo Goo Cluster, a disc-shaped candy bar made of caramel, marshmallow nougat, roasted peanuts, and milk chocolate. Dating back to 1912 and designated Nashville\u2019s official candy, it ranks as the first combination candy bar. You can even design your own at the Goo Goo Chocolate Co., just south of Broadway on 3rd Avenue, across the street from the Johnny Cash Museum \u2013 yet another fun Nashville attraction.<\/p>\n Dolly Parton play: <\/strong>dollymusical.com<\/a><\/p>\n Eats: <\/strong>lillyshotchicken.com<\/a>; thedetroitcowboy.com<\/a>; googoo.com<\/p>\n Attractions: <\/strong>\u00a0Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, musicianshalloffame.com<\/a>; National Museum of African American Music, nmaam.org<\/a>; Ryman Auditorium, ryman.com<\/a>; Grand Ole Opry, opry.com<\/a><\/p>\n Etc.:<\/strong> Check out the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum\u2019s Taylor Swift Education Center and all the shiny honorary plaques in the Hall of Fame rotunda. countrymusichalloffame.org<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Don\u2019t miss Hatch Show Print, one of America\u2019s oldest working letterpress shops, in the Country Music Hall of Fame lobby. Staffers have designed and handprinted show posters for generations of musicians including Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash since 1879. countrymusichalloffame.org\/experiences\/hatch-show-print<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Visit the Frist Art Museum in Nashville\u2019s former main post office, a beautiful Art Deco building on the National Register of Historic Places, with a great gift shop and frequently-changing exhibits, currently featuring Venice, urban design, and quilts. fristartmuseum.org<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 In the free Tennessee State Museum, near Nashville Farmers\u2019 Market, you\u2019ll find an exhibit about the city\u2019s Kurdish population, the largest in the United States. Now estimated at nearly 20,000, Kurdish refugees first arrived in Nashville in 1976 and have since established a vibrant \u201cLittle Kurdistan\u201d community in South Nashville. tnmuseum.org<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 For a city overview, consider the hop on\/hop off Old Town Trolley Tours, trolleytours.com\/nashville<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0|\u00a0 Special to The Detroit News<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nVisit Nashville<\/h2>\n