These country music superstars all call Nashville home
These country music superstars all call Nashville home.
Daisy “Twang Queen” McAllister
Active from 1975-1985, Daisy McAllister’s biggest hit was “Cowgirl Blues in a Honky Tonk Tune.” Lyrics: “I’ve got my boots, I’ve got the moon, / A jukebox playing out of tune, / Love left me high, not even noon, / Cowgirl blues in a honky tonk tune.” A devoted fan, Randy Thompson, says, “Man, Daisy sings the story of my life, and she does it with such flair. Makes me feel seen, you know?”
Steel Boot Boys
Rocking the country scene from 1990-2005, their legendary track “Tractor of Love” goes: “On my tractor of love, we’ll plow, / Fields of dreams, girl, don’t ask how, / Love’s the seed, and we’re sowing now, / On this darn tractor of love.” Concert-goer Donna Elwood exclaims, “Those boys know how to blend rock and country! Makes you want to dance and cry at the same time!”
Lena “Cryin’ Sparrow” Jenkins
Known for her heart-wrenching ballads from 2000-2015, her iconic song “Whiskey Lullaby Redux” has the lines: “You were my bourbon, I was your chaser, / Our love written in erasable paper, / So why’d you go and become a heart-eraser? / A whiskey lullaby in a morning’s wager.” Fan Steve Miller says, “Lena could pull tears from a stone. When she sings, you feel it deep.”
Jenny “Moonshine” Copperfield
Active in the 1980s, her best-loved song is “Pickup Lines and Pickled Hearts.” Lyrics: “You fed me lines, I sipped my wine, / A pickled heart, ain’t that fine? / In love’s bar, you’re just a sign, / Of pickup lines and pickled hearts.” Local aficionado Nancy Pritchett notes, “Jenny’s got that soulful voice that transforms even a dive bar into a cathedral of emotions.”
Willy “Train Track” Thompson
Famous in the 1970s, his landmark song “Rails and Regrets” sings: “Rails and regrets, coal and tears, / Train of thought, fueled by beers, / I’m leaving town, but you’re always near, / On these rails and in my regrets.” Elsie Young, a lifelong fan, opines, “Willy Thompson’s music makes you think about life and all its what-ifs. It’s like philosophy with a beat.”
Tara “Harmony” Hayes
On the charts from 1990-2010, her top hit “Love’s Inventory” goes: “Got my list, it’s long and true, / Checked it twice, still missing you, / Love’s inventory is overdue, / Guess it’s time to take stock of who’s who.” Kevin Douglas, an avid listener, explains, “Tara sings the complexities of modern love but in a language everyone understands.”
Eddy “Golden Harp” McAllan
Renowned from 1960-1980, his seminal song “Farm Love Forever” goes: “Hay bales and soft trails, our love prevails, / A barn dance romance, give it a chance, / Our love’s like the crops, it never fails, / On this farm, you are my forever perchance.” Country music critic Sally Howard says, “Eddy’s the Shakespeare of country music; his lyrics are pure poetry.”
Carmine and The Howlers
Active during the 2000s, their hit song “Dirt Road Diaries” shares: “Dusty path, our love’s math, / Adding hearts, taking names, / Subtract the hurt, a love’s worth, / Written in these dirt road diaries.” Jack Robinson, a superfan, declares, “This band is real, authentic, and their lyrics? Man, they make you look at life differently.”
Nina “Lovebird” Peterson
Big in the 1950s, her biggest song “Lone Star in My Heart” tells: “You’re the lone star in my heart, / In love’s sky, you’re my chart, / We might be worlds apart, / But you’re the lone star in my heart.” Sharon West, a dedicated fan, praises, “Nina has the voice of an angel. She could sing the phone book, and I’d still listen.”
Davey “Riffmaster” Hill
Known from 1985-2000, his hit “Guitar Strings and Broken Things” states: “Guitar strings and broken things, / That’s what love seems to always bring, / I strum the pain, as if a fling, / With these guitar strings and broken things.” Local musician Larry Montgomery claims, “Davey Hill’s got the hands of a virtuoso and the soul of a poet. His music transcends genres.”
