Scott Sohr: Nashville’s Historic Music Venues Are Unforgettable

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Nashville, Tennessee-based businessman Scott Sohr has nearly three decades of management experience garnered from a diverse range of business interests. Scott Sohr is a self-made entrepreneur who believes that finding an industry’s top talent and turning it loose upon opportunities is the most reliable key to success.

Scott Sohr Nashville

From Ghosts to Gokey, Nashville’s two main performance venues delight every onstage interest, says Scott Sohr. Today, Scott Sohr, Nashville-based real estate developer and the mind behind some of Williamson County’s most luxurious communities, talks about why his roots remain firmly planted in Music City.

ZRYLW: Good morning, thank you for being here today.

Scott Sohr: No problem, I’m always happy to talk about my hometown.

ZRYLW: Let’s talk music. Nashville has it. Where can future Nashvillians find it?

Scott Sohr: All over really—a quick walk downtown will offer visitors a chance to sample the best of Nashville’s up-and-coming artists.

ZRYLW: What about big venues with big name headliners?

Scott Sohr: That’s easy: the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry.

ZRYLW: What kinds of events could one expect stumble upon at these two gems?

Scott Sohr: The Opry has shows every week. Everyone from industry veterans Crystal Gayle and Collin Raye to American Idol icons like Danny Gokey have marched their boots across this star-making stage.

ZRYLW: And the Ryman?

Scott Sohr: The Ryman isn’t called the Mother Church of Country Music for nothing! Greats like Merle Haggard and Trace Adkins regularly play here.

ZRYLW: The Ryman doesn’t just host country music, right?

Scott Sohr: No, the venue is popular with bands and audiences of all genres. Comedian Daniel Tosh and alternative band Primus have both graced the stage of the Ryman.

ZRYLW: And stage performances?

Scott Sohr: Soon, the Ryman will host a theatrical performance of the Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. The venue has also played home to the Academy of Country Music Honors Ceremony.

ZRYLW: Back to the Opry, we understand it has a pretty interesting history?

Scott Sohr: It does, yes. The Opry started out as an old time barn dance back in 1925. The current venue derives is moniker from a passing statement made on-air in 1927. That night, program director Judge Hay made the play on words following a musical selection of classical music from the Grand Opera.

ZRYLW: And thus was born the Opry.

Scott Sohr: That unintentional rebranding is perhaps the greatest accident in country music’s history.

ZRYLW: Agreed. What about the Ryman—how did it become a Nashville attraction?

Scott Sohr: Well, that’s an interesting story too. The “Mother Church” was actually a place of worship in the beginning. The Union Gospel Tabernacle was built in 1892 by a repenting riverboat captain, Thomas Ryman.

ZRYLW: The Opry and the Ryman are connected, aren’t they?

Scott Sohr: Yes, actually, the Opry is the reason the Ryman became such an iconic structure. The building was once the home of the Opry for more than three decades.

ZRYLW: The Ryman is an official landmark for Nashville, right?

Scott Sohr: Yes, it was labeled a National Historic Landmark in 2001, 30 years after being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ZRYLW: That’s all the time we have for today. Thank you again for speaking with us, we hope our readers will take the time to visit your fair city.

Scott Sohr: We do love tourists, and I think they will find Nashville a hot spot for the entire family. I know I do and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

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