Earth, Wind & Fire once asked: “Do you remember the 21st night of September?” and it’s been stuck in our heads ever since.
Today, we dug through the archives to find some Nashville moments in time from some 21st nights (and days) of September.
1920: Tennessee State Fair | Local merchants were encouraged to close for “Nashville Day” at the Tennessee State Fair. In fact, it was requested that Gov. Roberts and Mayor Gupton declare “Nashville Day” a legal holiday “in order to allow all employees and interested persons everywhere to attend.”
1922: Old Fiddlers’ Contest | Fiddle players from across the state arrived in Music City for the Old Fiddlers’ Contest. The gathering at Ryman Auditorium was expected to be the “largest number of bow artists that ever assembled under one roof.”
1925: Tennessee War Memorial Building | The Tennessee War Memorial Building was dedicated and opened to the public. Since then, the building has hosted inaugurations, the Grand Ole Opry (1939-1943), the Nashville Symphony (1946-1980), and other events.
The War Memorial Building, known today as War Memorial Auditorium, in 1955. | Photo via Tennessee State Library and Archives
1960: John F. Kennedy | Less than two months before being elected president, then-US Senator John F. Kennedy visited Nashville and the Tennessee State Fair on Farmers Day. Read his speech in full.
1978: Nashville Symphony | The Nashville Symphony’s 1978-1979 season opened on this day with then-Music Director Michael Charry conducting in Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn.”
1992: Ozzy Osbourne | Allll aboard to the now-defunct Starwood Amphitheatre, where the English rocker was joined by Alice in Chains. It appears there’s footage of him performing “Crazy Train.” (Psst, scroll to the end of the newsletter to help us solve a mystery.)
2012: Kings of Leon | Kings of Leon formed in Nashville in 1999 and released their debut album, “Youth & Young Manhood,” in 2003. However, it was on this day in 2012 that the band of brothers (and cousin) received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.
2013: Taylor Swift | A decade before Swift’s record-breaking three-night run at Nissan Stadium, she took the stage at Bridgestone Arena for “The Red” tour with surprise performances by Ed Sheeran and Hunter Hayes.
