Ryman Auditorium is without music

In one photo you see Riverboat Captain Thomas "Tom" Green Ryman (1841 - 1904). He was a successful businessman who built the Union Gospel Tabernacle, which later became a performance hall and Nashville landmark known today as the Ryman Auditorium.

The statue of the man holding a guitar is none other than the famous Little Jimmy Dickens (1920 - 2015). The 4'11" entertainer was known for his bigger than life personality, novelty songs, comedy and his rhinestone-studded outfits.

Unlike the photos here, the Ryman is usually seen with lines of people waiting for tours or to get into the building for a concert. Today (3/19/2020), there were only two people taking photos in front of the building due to COVID-19.

Parking lots and streets around the Ryman were nearly empty.

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Construction Nearly Grinds to a Halt, thanks to COVID-19 in the now quiet Music City

MARCH 19, 2020: Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in America, but construction has come to a grinding halt due to COVID-19.

In 2018 the Music City landed in Forbes magazine as being the 7th fastest growing city in the US. Today, the city looks abandoned in some areas.

Few People on the Streets - Other than the less fortunate without a home

By far, the majority of people on the downtown streets of Nashville were homeless persons and not tourist. Those who called the street home, they talked about how the area has been deserted for days. Not only was the area without visiting tourist, it was also without a large presence of law enforcement, which is something that has never been seen in Music City.

Of the businesses that were open in the downtown area, procedures of serving guests was different.

At an ice cream shop filled with only one customer, samples of flavors were met with a pause as if you were speaking a foreign language. The guest was told that samples are not being served at this time due to the coronavirus.

Of the few bars that were open, musicians played for only a small handful of guests, very small handful.

Closing Time... Due to COVID-19

Some of the Music City bars were completely empty while others had a band playing for only a handful of customers.

Of the bars that were closed, signs adorned the windows and doors highlighting COVID-19. The message was simple, yet over-explained by some establishments. The wording was similar from sign to sign stating that they were closed at the request of Nashville Mayor John Cooper who had ordered the shutdown after receiving word from the Metro Health Department that closing was the best option to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In the photo on the top right a sign read, “UPS - PLEASE TEXT BETSY FOR PICKUP, THANKS.”

EMPTY Nashville on March 19, 2020: COVID-19

The changes brought on by COVID-19 are having a huge negative impact on businesses all around the country.

In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee said…

If a mandate is proclaimed to keep everyone in the Volunteer state home, it could mean stricter enforcement of new rules or regulations.

The Mayor of Nashville already asked that bars shut down, but many have remained open. The Governor stated...