June Founder’s Letter

This is a month of CELEBRATIONS!!!! Father’s Day, Black Music Month, Marriages and Pride Month.

Turn on the air! June is the official beginning of SUMMER!!!!

SYMOR - START YOUR MONTH OFF RIGHT!

JOIN US at Jefferson Street Sound Museum on Monday, June 2, from 7pm-9pm for an OPEN MIC and ARTIST SHOWCASE featuring 14-year-old BRANDON “BB” NELSON with the JUKE JOINT ALLSTARS. Brandon has been playing drums since he was 2 years old. You are in for a treat -”BB” has shared the stage with blues greats Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Jonny Rawls and others.

GET READY TO LAUGH OUT LOUD with MIKE DREW, COMEDIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE.

SYMOR COMMUNITY, IT IS TIME FOR - OPEN MIC!!!!! Calling all talented individuals: singers, musicians, comedians, spoken word and entertainers. This is YOUR TIME TO SHINE!

SYMOR is a FREE event.

**In 1979 President Jimmy Carter proclaimed June, Black Music Month!

Sunday, June 15th is a special day, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!! celebrate your father, grandfather, uncle or that special man in your life!

June is Pride Month. This annual event serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance, diversity, unity, resilience and love.

Juneteenth is Thursday, June 19th. This is a federal holiday we celebrate annually to commemorate the end of slavery.

For those of you tying the knot, getting married-Congratulations!!!

Join us on Saturday, June 21st, from 5pm - 6pm for the Jefferson Street Sound Museum Legacy Series Fireside Chat with JAMES “WATT” WATKINS.

This past April “Watt” received the Jefferson Street Sound Museum Living Legend Award! for playing in the many clubs on historic Jefferson Street, the Original Music Row. “Watt” has helped to preserve the musical legacies of historic Jefferson Street. While serving in the military he integrated six Army bands in the State of Virginia. He taught four years at the Franklin Training School in Franklin, Tennessee and served as their Band Director. “Watt” is a lifetime member of the Nashville Musician’s Union and a founding member of the Phi-Mu-Alpha fraternity. He will share many stories about his journey through the music industry. At the age of 93, ‘Watt’ is still going strong!

A special thank you to Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Marie Sueing, Community Engagement Officer for helping us celebrate Black Music Month!

Step back in time and tour the Museum. Listen and learn about the artists that performed on Historic Jefferson Street from Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, James Brown, Little Richard, Peggy Gaines, Jimmy Church, Frank Howard Jackie Shane, Ike and Tina Turner and more.

For those of you celebrating your birthday this month, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Please come and tour the Museum as we continue to ensure that our history, our sound and our culture is visible and thriving.

Many Blessings,

Lorenzo Washington, JSSM Founder and Curator

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Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville

"Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” tells the story of Jefferson Street in North Nashville, a proud and resilient community that thrived during the Civil Rights Era, was deeply affected by the construction of Interstate 40 and is now fostering the future identity of Nashville’s Black community.

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A tour of the Jefferson Street Sound Museum will allow you to explore the BEST of the past!

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“Our group thoroughly enjoyed visiting your establishment, we truly appreciate you guys allowing us to visit after hours. The stories that you and Lorenzo shared were truly inspiring. We certainly want to come visit you guys again.”

–Max Houston, group organizer from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, on a 9 day tour of civil rights sights in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.

The Museum welcomes students and visitors from all over the world.

Kings Academy 6th and 7th graders visited the Jefferson Street Sound Museum. A great group of students!

High school students from the Vanderbilt University Summer Camp tour the Jefferson Street Sound Museum.

Students were from all over the United States: Washington State, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Puerto Rico, Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida, and Washington D.C.

Students from the Trombone Shorty Foundation visit Lorenzo Washington and the Jefferson Street Sound Museum.

The Original Music Row.

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Rising Above

Lorenzo Washington, founder and curator of JSSM writes about his life on Jefferson Street.

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