The Women Who Shaped Nashville and Local Women-Owned Businesses to Visit Now

Is it us or is everyone flocking to Nashville lately? We get the draw: Music City has some of the best live music in the world, not to mention a nationally-acclaimed restaurant scene, great shopping, beautiful foothill scenery & hikes, vibrant seasons, pro sports, and some really nice people.

Ever wonder who made Nashville this way, and how it grew (and grew, and grew…) to be the populous and ultra-hip city that it is today? Women, did, that’s who! Here are a few of the women throughout Nashville’s history that have shaped the city into what it is today.

The Women Who Shaped Nashville

Patsy Cline, Musician

Considered one of the most influential female vocalists of the 20^th century, country star Patsy Cline’s music has influenced performers of all kinds of genres. Born in Virginia, Cline began to gain notoriety around the age of 15 and soon reached stardom with her hit Walkin’ After Midnight.

She moved to Nashville to further her career and became a forerunner for women in country music. The hits continued with songs like Crazy and I Fall to Pieces. She was one of the first women in the country to sell records en masse and headline concerts.

Though her life ended in a plane crash at just 30 years old, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.

Check Out: The Patsy Cline Museum

Dolly Parton, Country Music Legend

Musician. Philanthropist. Actress. Businesswoman.

Described as a “country music legend,” just about everyone loves Dolly Parton. With a career spanning over 50 years, Parton has composed over 3,000 songs including the hits I Will Always Love You and Jolene and received 11 Grammy Awards. As one of 12 children in East Tennessee, her early life was marked with poverty, but her house was full of love and music.

After performing as a kid in her local church, she began to get radio gigs and even played The Grand Ole Opry. The day after graduating high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville and began songwriting for country stars like Hank Williams Jr. as well as writing and recording dozens of her own hits. She demonstrated business savvy on several occasions, refusing to sign away rights to songs she wrote and eventually opening a number of popular entertainment venues like Dollywood.

She has devoted her life to philanthropy, focusing on improving access to education, fighting poverty, and advancing healthcare. Both Cline and Parton helped put Nashville on the map as the country music capital of the world.

Diane Nash, Civil Rights Activist

In 1960, Nash helped organize Nashville’s first sit-in. Nash and a group of fellow Black and White college students sat at an all-white lunch counter and refused to leave when they were denied service.

Later, she marched to the steps of the capitol, addressed Nashville’s mayor directly with TV cameras rolling, and encouraged him to admit that he believed segregation was morally wrong. Just three weeks later, Nashville began desegregating its public facilities, years before Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Check Out: PBS Media’s coverage of Diane Nash and the Sit-Ins

Martha Ingram, Philanthropist and Patron of the Arts

If you have the chance to catch a performance at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center or the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Martha Ingram is to thank. In the 70’s, after moving from New Orleans, she led the movement to grow and improve Nashville’s arts scene.

She has served on the boards for the Nashville Ballet and the Nashville Opera, and is heavily involved in local philanthropy and in providing grants for the arts and education, as well as supporting community enrichment through her namesake organization Ingram Charities.

Nashville Women-Owned Businesses to Support

For Lunch: Radish Kitchen – West Nashville

Healthy salads, grain bowls, and pita wraps all made in-house and from scratch — sounds pretty great, right? Owner Amanda Frederickson thought so, so she made it happen at two different locations (one in Nashville, and a new one in Franklin). Prior to opening Radish, Amanda published cookbooks and worked in the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen.

For Brunch: lou – East Nashville

Chef-Owner Mailea Weger has cooked in and operated restaurants in some pretty chic places like Los Angeles and Paris. But she’s made her home in Nashville and gifted its people lou. The lou team stays busy dreaming up seasonal share plates, whipping up cakes, and offering some of the best natural wines in Nashville. The atmosphere is a delight.

For Shopping: Emerson Grace – 12 South

Owner Kimberly Lewis’ Instagram videos walking viewers through the newest women’s fashion pieces she’s curated for her boutique are semi-addictive. In part because the pieces are beautiful, but in equal measure because Kim draws viewers in with her warmth, charisma, and styling expertise. With brands like Agolde, Isabel Marant, Clare V, and Ulla Johnson, you’re likely to find your Nashville splurge souvenir here.

For Cocktails: Old Glory – Edgehill

Located in what used to be the enormous boiler room for White Way Cleaners, you’ll be taken aback by the massively tall ceilings, exposed brick, and 1920’s equipment the minute you step foot into this cool, underground speakeasy. Sister co-owners Alexis and Britt Soler serve up exceptional cocktails with interest-provoking ingredients like lychee jelly, blistered Shishito peppers, honeydew, and coconut cream.

Where to Stay: The Kimpton Aertson Hotel

Check out our full series celebrating Women’s History Month by following the tag below.