Music Row

Music Row is an area just to the southwest of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the country music, gospel music, and Christian music industries. Centered around 16th Ave S and 17th Ave S (called Music Square East and Music Square West, respectively, within the Music Row area), along with several side streets, Music Row is widely considered the heart of Nashville's entertainment industry. In this area, one will find the offices of numerous record labels, publishing houses, music licensing firms, recording studios, video production houses, radio networks, and radio stations. Many country music songs reference 16th Avenue.

Related Topics:
Nashville, Tennessee - Country music - Gospel music - Christian music

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The Country Music Hall of Fame was once located at the corner of Music Square East and Division Street, but the building has since been torn down and the museum moved to a new state-of-the-art building eleven blocks away in Downtown Nashville in 2001. One area of Music Row, along Demonbreun Street, was once littered with tourist attractions and museums of various country music stars. These began to disappear in the late 1990s after the closing of Opryland USA theme park (and subsequent reduction of tourist traffic) and the announced move of the Hall of Fame. The strip sat vacant for a few years, but has been recently redeveloped into a number of upscale restaurants and bars serving the Downtown and Music Row areas.

Related Topics:
Country Music Hall of Fame - 2001 - Opryland USA

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At the confluence of Demonbreun Street, Division Street, 16th Avenue North, and Music Square East is the "Music Row Roundabout," a circular intersection designed to accommodate a continuous flow of traffic. Flanking the intersection to the west is Owen Bradley Park, a very small park dedicated to notable songwriter, performer, and publisher Owen Bradley. Within the park is a small statue of Bradley behind a piano. Inside the roundabout is a large statue ("Musica") depicting nude dancers. The statue was the subject of a controversy upon its 2002 unveiling, led by religious and parenting groups offended by the nudity of the statue. However, it has since become somewhat of a cliché. Among locals, "Musica" is sometimes referred to as "The Nekkid Statues."

Related Topics:
Roundabout - Songwriter - 2002 - Cliché

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