Knoxville, Tennessee, has played an important role in the history of country music. The city is known for producing artists such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, and Kelsea Ballerini. However, Knoxville’s music history began long before these modern stars. The Knoxville History Project has released a ‘Walking Music Guide’ that allows people to visit key music sites in the city.
Country music in Knoxville has connections to the city’s 19th-century opera scene. In the 1860s, European immigrants held opera performances in local venues. These events helped establish a tradition of public music gatherings. The first recorded country music show in Knoxville took place in May 1883 at Peter Staub’s Opera House. A fiddler’s jamboree became the main attraction at an event originally focused on opera. While the original opera house no longer exists, other historic sites are still available for visitors.
The Andrew Johnson building, once a hotel near the Gay Street Bridge, is one such site. In 1935, Roy Acuff performed there for WNOX radio. Large crowds led to his eviction from the venue. The building is also known as the last place Hank Williams was seen conscious before his death in 1952. The Bijou Theatre, built in 1909, has hosted many performers, including John Philip Sousa, the Marx Brothers, and Dolly Parton, who filmed a video series there in 2024…