Knoxville Music: How a Small Tennessee City Helped Shape American Music

When people think of country music, they picture Nashville. But a lot of Knoxville music history came first. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Knoxville radio stations put stars on the air before most of the world knew their names—Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Kitty Wells, and a 10-year-old girl from Sevier County named Dolly Parton.

Knoxville music grew out of everything that met in this Appalachian valley: fiddle tunes and ballads from the British Isles, gospel from local churches, the blues and brass bands of the city's Black community, and the jazz that filled Jackson Avenue at night. All of it mixed together on the airwaves and in the clubs, and some of it still plays on downtown streets today.

TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF KNOXVILLE:

The Sounds of Knoxville Walking Tour is a self-guided GPS audio tour through the places where Knoxville's music history happened. It starts at 319 North Gay Street and ends at the Andrew Johnson Hotel.

Along the way you'll learn:

• Where a young Dolly Parton sang on the radio for the first time

• How a record store speaker in Market Square helped launch Elvis Presley

• Which club hosted Garth Brooks before he became a superstar

• The mystery of Hank Williams's last night in Knoxville

The walk takes about an hour.

Check out the Sounds of Knoxville Walking Tour here.

THE RADIO SHOWS THAT MADE THE STARS:

WNOX's Midday Merry-Go-Round—Six days a week at noon, folks across East Tennessee tuned in to this live show, which helped launch Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Kitty Wells, and Archie Campbell. The station's call letters were a nod to the city's name: K-N-O-X.

WIVK—At 319 North Gay Street, this station's studio put trailblazing women like Molly O'Day, Bonnie Lou Moore, Kitty Wells, and Dolly Parton on the air.

WROL—In the late 1940s, this station's studio inside the Holston building recorded bluegrass pioneers Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

KNOXVILLE MUSIC LEGENDS:

Dolly Parton—Born in nearby Sevier County, she first performed on Knoxville radio at age 10.

Roy Acuff—He climbed the stairs of the Andrew Johnson Hotel to play on the radio and fiddled for his first big audience at the Tennessee Theatre in 1932.

The Everly Brothers—Don and Phil Everly moved to Knoxville in 1953, went to West High School, and got their big break thanks to Chet Atkins.

Arthur Q. Smith—A nearly forgotten songwriter who wrote songs in a Gay Street sandwich shop booth, sometimes trading them away to cover his tab.

The Tennessee Chocolate Drops—This string band recorded "Vine Street Rag," named for the heart of Knoxville's Black neighborhood.

WHERE TO HEAR KNOXVILLE MUSIC TODAY:

The WDVX Blue Plate Special—A free, live lunchtime radio show featuring bluegrass, folk, and country artists. Check WDVX for the current schedule and location.

The Tennessee Theatre—Knoxville's grand 1928 movie palace still hosts concerts and touring shows.

The Bijou Theatre—Open since 1909, it has hosted everyone from John Philip Sousa to Dizzy Gillespie.

Boyd's Jig & Reel—An Old City pub with traditional Celtic, Old Time, and bluegrass sessions several nights a week.

The Mill & Mine—A former warehouse turned music venue for rock, indie, and country shows.

Market Square—Free summer concerts, including shows by the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra.

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

Want the full breakdown—where to eat, where to stay, and the best things to do in Knoxville, TN? Our Knoxville travel guide covers all of it.

Check out our Knoxville travel guide to plan your trip.