Strummer holiday

Nashville strikes the right chord for ROBERT HYNES, who also finds that the famed 'Music City' has plenty more strings to its bow...

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Nashville is known the world over for country music, but there is so much more to this city than the sounds of Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton.

It is home to over 700 churches, one of the biggest food courts in the United States and is widely recognised as a national and global leader in the healthcare industry.

Three former US Presidents also lived a large part of their respective lives in the Athens of the South (we'll come to that name later).

But of course music is a massive part of the city that educated Oprah Winfrey and goes right to the core of its fibre.

Honky Tonk Highway on Lower Broadway is home to over 30 bars that provide live music from 10am until 3am every day and there's no cover charge for any of them!

In fact, the cost of many things in Nashville I found much better value than in other US cities, including food, transport and drinks in bars.

A number of them are celebrity-owned and it's not all country music, with bands playing a bit of everything.

I even saw one of them perform Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' and the singer did exactly that by jumping out the window of the bar!

That was in the Lucky Bastard Saloon, which is located across the road from Jon Bon Jovi’s bar, with Luke Bryan's Luke's 32 Bridge a little further down the street just before Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse.

There are more intimate venues away from the madness of Honky Tonk Highway, with The Listening Room located just a short walk away.

Here you will find songwriters telling the stories behind the tunes they have put words to before performing them.

It is a beautiful venue in a relaxing setting and is a must for any fans of an acoustic guitar.

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting Printer’s Alley, which again is just a few minutes' walk away from Honky Tonk Highway.