Virgin Australia Voyeur — December 2017

HE HIGHER THE hair, the
closer to Jesus, is the gospel
according to superstar Dolly
Parton, among others. At
3.30pm on a Saturday, it’s
also the sentiment of 13-year-
old Grace Farmer as she hits the stage
at a Nashville honky-tonk, belting out
contemporary country hits alongside
a local band. The mixed crowd — from
bachelorette parties to groups of silver-
haired senior citizens — sings along and
then happily hands over tips as Farmer
moves through the room after the set,
her father following close behind. In a
town where music is a way of life, not
to mention big business, a teenager
performing in a bar is nothing unusual.
In fact, she has been singing here since
she was nine. “Oh yes,” she says excitedly,
“I want to be a professional singer.”
The Stage on Broadway, where the
young Farmer is performing, is one of
the many honky-tonks (live music bars)
lining Nashville’s Broadway. There’s no
cover charge or minimum number of
drinks, and many ofer tunes from 11am
until 2am, 365 days a year. In Robert’s
Western World next door, the band
doing the 2pm set has the crowd on
their feet with Johnny Cash favourites.
Each honky-tonk has its own style and,
while many of the performers are trying
to catch their big break, you might also
see established stars such as Keith Urban
or Dwight Yoakam take to the stage.
Music is the unrelenting thread that
weaves through Luxury Gold by Insight
Vacation’s ‘Southern Grace’ itinerary,
with the tour group ofered exclusive
experiences such as private access to
Nashville’s historic RCA Studio B (where
Elvis Presley recorded more than half
his catalogue) and the chance to record
a group version of Can’t Help Falling in
Love. Listening to the song in the studio
with the lights turned of — as they were
when Elvis recorded Are You Lonesome
Tonight? at 4am on 4 April 1960 — is a
magical moment, even if you’re not an
Elvis fan. (By the way, that bang you
hear at the end of the track? That’s Elvis
bumping into the microphone — it was
dark, after all.) It’s moments like these
that make this high-end coach trip such
a fascinating way to see the US states of
Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.