Nashville: 'I visited the home of Dolly Parton - her legacy lives on'

However, two days into our trip to the Tennessee capital, news broke that the Queen of Country, Dolly Parton, had died at the age of 80.

Would this mean that the place which she is most associated with would go into mourning and Music City USA would be temporarily plunged into silence?

On the contrary, Nashville’s residents and the thousands of visiting tourists came together to pay their respects and celebrate the life and legacy of the legendary performer and philanthropist.

Fans gathered to lay flowers at her plaque on the Music City Walk of Fame, Nashville’s landmarks were lit up in her honour, and Mother Nature even got in on the act, lighting up the sky in Dolly pink at sunrise and sunset.

Although she sadly won’t be around to see the opening of her new Songteller Hotel, the performers at the Listening Room Cafe and the Grand Ole Opry’s Opry100 shows did her proud.

Music City’s main attraction is undoubtably Broadway, the world-famous ‘Honky Tonk Highway’ and entertainment mecca, often likened to a country version of the Las Vegas Strip.

Dipping in and out of the bars co-owned by music superstars Jelly Roll, Kid Rock, Eric Church, Justin Timberlake and Jon Bon Jovi, as well as Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, my wife Rachel and I were swept up by it all.

We flew into Nashville from Manchester via Dublin with Aer Lingus. And although it was a long journey, we began our travel day refreshed after a night at the brand-new Dakota Hotel Manchester Airport.

Then, as soon as we touched down in Nashville (there are plans to rename it in Dolly’s honour) and walked into the Downtown area, our excitement was ramped up to 11.

Even off Broadway, there are live performers at the speakeasies, lounges and bars on the cobblestone pathways around Printer’s Alley. The Urban Cowboy Bar in particular is well worth a visit.

Of course, it’s country and western music that dominates the Tennessee sound waves, and although Rachel and I weren’t fully signed-up fans beforehand, we were instantly converted.

During the days, we visited to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which has a Dolly-themed display, and country music’s ‘Mother Church’, the breathtaking Ryman Auditorium, where she first performed at the Grand Ole Opry, aged just 13.

Nashville’s culinary scene is also taking off. We enjoyed breakfast at the hugely popular Butter Milk Ranch in the trendy 12South neighbourhood, as well as a delightful lunch at French brasserie Pastis in the upcoming Westwood-Houston area.

You can’t visit Music City without trying some crispy Nashville hot chicken, and we pulled up stools to much down on wings and tenders at the world-famous Hattie B’s.

We also had a signature G&D burger and Faroe Island salmon in Gray & Dudley, while at Husk on Rutledge Street, we were treated to heritage pork and Mississippi catfish.

However, the culinary highlight of the week was in the hip and edgy Gulch neighbourhood, the base for the second half of our trip, The Thompson Nashville, by Hyatt. At Luogo, executive chef Anthony Scotto has brought a taste of NYC to Nashville.

As well as being a thriving culinary destination, Nashville also has a flourishing art scene and a storied history. After checking into The Untitled Hotel Nashville, we were given a tour of the building’s galleries by curator Anna McKeown, and stopped off at the Frist Art Museum to view paintings by Pollock, Picasso and Dali.

We also spent a morning at Belle Meade plantation, hearing all about the history of the estate and indulging in wine-and-food pairings with the entertaining sommelier.

For those partial to a dram of whiskey, one of the stops on the hop-on-hop-off Old Town Trolley Tour is the Nelson’s Green Briar Distillery, which also offers tours and tastings.

Sport is also big business in Nashville.

The Tennessee Titans’ new Nissan Stadium has been chosen to host the 2030 Super Bowl, while the multi-purpose Bridgestone Arena has recently hosted gigs by Tate McRae, Tame Impala and Sabrina Carpenter, and is home to the Nashville Predators NHL franchise.

On our final night in Nashville, we headed back down to Broadway, and two days on from Dolly’s passing, bubbles were drifting from the rooftop bars onto the street below, while almost all the musicians in the honky-tonks began their sets with versions of 9 to 5, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors or Islands in the Stream.

The rags-to-rhinestones story of the Queen of Country has inspired millions of people around the world, and a small part of her incredible legacy is the growing popularity of her adopted home city, Nashville, which will host the star-studded ‘party of a lifetime’ DollyFest, along with London, in her memory in 2027.

Even when her death was announced, the music didn’t stop. To paraphrase one of her signature hits, the people of Music City USA will always love Dolly.

Although I’ve only visited once (so far), I’m certain that I will always love Nashville.

Richard Jones and his wife were guests of Visit Nashville TN (visitmusiccity.com)

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies four times per week from Dublin to Nashville, with return fares from £671. The airline also offers connecting flights to Dublin from all major UK airports, including Manchester.

The Dakota Manchester Airport offers the Eat, Sleep, Dakota package, including valet parking, a hotel stay, chauffeur-driven transport to the terminal, and an allocation towards dinner at The Grill and breakfast.(dakotahotels.co.uk/manchester-airport).