NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Most people know Chattanooga for its stunning mountains and rivers. But tucked into the city’s history is a vibrant music scene that helped shape American blues — one that thrived along a stretch of road known simply as “The Big 9.”
Ninth Street, on Chattanooga’s west side, was once the heartbeat of Black commerce and culture. Hospitals, barbershops and restaurants lined the road, and the music never stopped.
“I still have the taste in my mouth from the best hamburgers that were made at a place right on West Ninth Street,” said Dr. Clark “Deacon Bluz” White, a sociologist and blues impresario who grew up in the neighborhood.
At the far end of the street sat Blue Goose Hollow — what Dr. White calls one of the main cultural hubs where the blues took root…