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Country music has a diversity problem. This program is trying to help

Oct 23, 2024
The Equal Access program works to remove barriers for marginalized performers and businesspeople in country music.
Artist Nick Tabron performs at CMT's Equal Access Showcase at City Winery Nashville on September 26, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Leah Puttkammer/Getty Images

3 years after bombing, Nashville wants tourists to give its downtown another chance

Jun 7, 2024
Fewer pedestrians are wandering onto popular 2nd Avenue, hurting businesses. That’s prompted an initiative to help boost foot traffic.
A sign points pedestrians to Second Avenue, where businesses are rebuilding after a 2020 bombing.
Cynthia Abrams/WPLN

New Tennessee law aims to protect musicians from generative AI

Mar 28, 2024
Tennessee, home to the capital of country music, became the first state to target the unauthorized use of AI to replicate musicians’ voices.
Country music artist Luke Bryan speaks during the signing of Tennessee's ELVIS Act in Nashville on March 21.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Human Artistry Campaign

Sunbelt cities top the list of booming U.S. job markets

Apr 3, 2023
Nine of the 10 hottest big city job markets in 2022 were in the South, according to an analysis from the Wall Street Journal and Moody's Analytics.
Nashville topped the list for 2022's hottest job market among major metropolitan areas.
Donald Miralle/Getty Images for Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Supply chain issues mean hot chicken business in Nashville sometimes has to wing it

Sep 20, 2022
Bird flu, rising costs and other supply chain issues make it harder for one restaurant to get the right parts of the bird for the city's signature dish.
Bolton's manager Dollye Mathews says the restaurant has had trouble getting the right cuts of meat for months. That, plus inflation, has caused the business to raise prices on customers.
Alexis Marshall/WPLN

As small music venues close in Nashville, some see erosion of Music City's culture

Jun 10, 2022
Some spaces that have provided a stage for up-and-coming musicians over the years are in jeopardy because of the booming real estate market.
Artist Tristen Gaspadarek performs a farewell show at Mercy Lounge, which recently closed in Nashville.
Paige Pfleger/WPLN News

For Black entrepreneurs in Nashville, a pop-up market brings new opportunity

Apr 14, 2022
The pandemic spurred a small-business boom, and that included many Black entrepreneurs looking for new ways to reach consumers.
Karii Jones, the owner of Majik Trap, sets up her booth at Black Market. Majik Trap sells oils, incense and crystals.
Ambriehl Crutchfield/WPLN

For public good, not for profit.

Nashville's downtown is still recovering a year after a bombing rocked the area

Dec 24, 2021
The Christmas Day bombing impacted dozens of businesses. Some have relocated, while others are waiting for the city to rebuild.
Buildings damaged in the Christmas Day 2020 bombing stand on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville. Some businesses have relocated out of the district.
Damon Mitchell/WPLN News

Hot property market puts Nashville record shop, and other small businesses, at risk

Dec 17, 2021
The owners of the Groove are struggling to come up with $500,000 to buy the bungalow that houses their store.
The Groove is a small record shop whose owners hope to buy the property they work in so the business can survive.
Paige Pfleger

How corporate real estate investors affect tight housing markets

Dec 15, 2021
A researcher found that five real estate Investment corporations own more than 5% of the single-family housing stock in a county just outside Nashville.
Out-of-state investors are partially fueling Nashville's hot housing market. Above: A row of new brick homes in suburban Nashville.
rdegrie via Getty Images