Country Music and Truth

by Paula Gail Benson

As Killer Nashville approaches at the end of August, I’ve been binge watching Nashville, the musical/soap opera drama TV series that aired on ABC from 2012 until 2016 and on CMT from 2016 to 2018. It’s now available to view on Netflix.

From the beginning, the episodes chronicle the careers of Rayna Jaymes (played by Connie Britton), an established country star trying to maintain and improve her place in the industry, and Juliette Barnes (played by Hayden Panettiere), a newcomer ready to take Rayna’s place as the Queen of Country Music. An interesting dynamic between these characters that helps to showcase locations in Nashville is that Rayna comes from “old money” and had to leave her wealthy home at sixteen to pursue music. Through her eyes and her family’s activities, viewers see the symphony, political events, Vanderbilt University and Hospital, and private schools. In contrast, Juliette was raised by an addicted mother in a trailer park. Her experience has hardened her from beyond scrappy to mean and vindictive. She confronts a lot of trouble, most of it arising from her own actions.

Both have frequented the Bluebird Café, a small restaurant/performance venue in a strip mall that opened in 1982 and has become a mecca for established and aspiring song writers. I think the series made it look a lot easier to get a seat or a place on stage at the Bluebird than it actually is.

The show has been praised because it features music as much as drama. The actors sang the songs they performed and some of them have gone on from the series to develop musical careers.

During one trip to Nashville, I met a young Uber driver who worked to transport actors and crew to the locations. It was interesting to hear how Nashville embraced the series. The driver had made enough from the work to take a trip to Europe. A great return.

My parents met in Nashville. Seeing the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry (which I attended with Debra Goldstein to see Garth Brooks) have special meaning to me.

What I’ve particularly enjoyed is how the series depicts the unseen aspects of the music industry, especially what it’s like to write a song. There are lots of scenes where people try composing alone, then turn to work with others to come up with lyrics and tunes. New artists are encouraged to draw upon their own experiences, to describe situations that touch them personally.

The personal connection is a strong identifier with the musicians depicted on Nashville. I know that fiction authors don’t always tell stories based on their own lives or experiences, but many do feel it’s important to keep faith with their readers by maintaining certain elements. I pondered on that as I watched Nashville and saw how language and brands were carefully chosen and protected. Maybe that’s why it is so important to write from a place and about a situation that truly resonates with you. I think that’s what Nashville is trying to tell us: being true to yourself is a quality that readers and fans appreciate and respect.

I hope you will have the chance to experience Nashville in person. It has its own special magic.