“The Lights Are Going Out on Broadway”: John Rich Calls on Tennessee Governor to Save Nashville’s Live Music Scene

John Rich is imploring Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to help local venues. In a video posted to Facebook, the Big & Rich singer spoke about the struggle small Nashville venues are facing amid increased property taxes.

“When you think about Nashville, Tennessee, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it live country music? I bet it is,” Rich began. “I bet that’s why you come here, because you want to hear the best of the best. You want to go down and hear band after band. You want to hear that great live country music in what? Music City, USA. Nashville, Tennessee.”

Rich went on to explain that the Nashville mayor and his team recently elevated property values, which, in turn, increased taxes for businesses.

“They slam those taxes through the roof and make it virtually impossible for business owners around Nashville to stay in business,” he said. “It becomes impossible, unsustainable.”

“That is actually happening right now to some of the most legendary honky-tonks and country music establishments of all time, downtown in Nashville,” Rich continued. “The lights are going out on Broadway. We had several close their doors last week. We have several more closing their doors next week and the week after that.”

John Rich Expresses Concern Over Nashville Tourism Decline

Rich went on to reflect on Nashville tourism and how that will be affected should more establishments close.

“We’ve got a Super Bowl coming to Nashville in a few years. Can you imagine the Super Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, and you look down Broadway and only about 30 or 40 percent of those neon signs have electricity still running to them?” Rich asked. “That’s what we’re looking at.”

“What comes from all those people that come downtown into Nashville, all that tourism, all those conventions, all those country music fans that no longer have live country music as a magnet to draw them downtown into Nashville?” he continued. “Well, they stop coming. Then what happens? Well, that tax revenue, boy, it just straight down. Because you’re losing people. You’re losing massive business, because country music, live country music, no longer exists down there.”

Rich called the current state “a 911 kind of situation,” given that those tourism tax dollars are used to fund things like schools and first responders.

In light of that, Rich and a group of business leaders recently met with Cameron Sexton, the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

“He came in to hear from business owners and leaders and say, ‘Guys, how bad is it?’ I’m telling you, there were tears coming out of some eyes. There was anger. There was frustration,” Rich said. “And there was honestly a sense of almost hopelessness, like, we don’t know what to do. We’re going to have to shut our lights off next month or in 60 or 90 days.”

John Rich Asks Governor Bill Lee for Help

As for how the situation gets resolved, Sexton informed the group that a special session with the governor would be required.

After the meeting, both Sexton and State Senator Jack Johnson agreed to ask the governor to call such a session. Rich ended his video message by doing the same.

“Governor Lee, I know it’s your last few months as our governor, your final term, but I would ask you consider one thing: Be a honky-tonk hero,” he said. “… Save the music, the loud music, in downtown Nashville. Have that meeting. Answer that call. Have that special session. Bring them all in.”

“The business leaders will show you the math, will show you what’s happening and how unsustainable and crushing it is. It is absolutely brutal what is happening to some of these businesses,” Rich continued. “Please take that meeting. Please have that session. And please come with a solution. Keep Music City, Music City. We’re counting on you, Governor. Be our honky-tonk hero. I know you can do it.”

Rich also spoke to WKRN, Nashville’s ABC affiliate, about the situation.

“You see these really, really big places starting to close up. Nashville Underground closed up; ACME Feed and Seed is on the verge of closing up. That’s just down on the first block down by the river. You start moving your way up Broadway,” he said. “… The very DNA of what makes Nashville Music City is under threat.”

Neither the mayor’s nor governor’s office provided the outlet with a comment on Rich’s call to action.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The post “The Lights Are Going Out on Broadway”: John Rich Calls on Tennessee Governor to Save Nashville’s Live Music Scene appeared first on American Songwriter.