Liberace of the Harp Lloyd Lindroth

Lloyd Lindroth was not a character on SCTV, but he could have been. Lloyd moved to Nashville in the early 1980s, and performed on The Nashville Network and Hee Haw. For years he did a Vegas style show in the open air Cascades section of the Opryland Hotel. Here's a postcard that he passed out at one of his Christmas shows, click to enlarge, or for biggest picture, right click and open in a new window.

Listen to Lloyd's Somewhere My Love, from the album "Love Drops" by clicking here.

Lloyd passed away in 1994 at the age of 63, an interesting highlight in Nashville music history.

The York Hotel Court Nashville

I don't think it's here anymore. And I know those trees are gone. 

Click pic to go back in time.

UPDATE: checked it on Google Earth. Hotel is gone, trees ARE there, I-65 is just behind the hill.

Memories of Opryland USA

Opryland USA, or just "Opryland", was a theme park that opened in 1972. It drew people from all over the country to Nashville. Here are some pictures that I took during the height of Opryland's popularity in 1978. These were taken with a 35mm camera, but focus never was my strong point. Click on any pic for a larger version.


The Wabash Cannonball was the third roller coaster to be built at the park. The ground under the loop was always littered with caps and hats that had fallen off. At its peak, Opryland had five roller coasters.


To get these shots, I climbed and stood on the rail of the exit ramp. It took three minutes before security chased me off.


The Tennessee Waltz. Wait one half hour after eating before this ride.

Opryland had many stages with live shows, and music was piped throughout the whole park. You can get the whole experience by listening to Opryland Radio USA on www.live365.com. You'll hear actual recordings of park music and shows. If you keep the sound in the background, it's like you're there! There's also an Opryland Yahoo Group here.


The Flume Zoom was a favorite. Many hats were lost over the drop.


There was a full mechanical arcade. Here's the basketball game. There were also animal games. I wished I'd gotten a pic of the Tic-Tac-Toe playing chickens.


Opryland closed in 1997, but many people didn't realize that. I worked weekly at CMT, and for an entire summer, I would see RVs and vans from all over America pull up to the entrance, just like Walley World. There were full time staffers at the gate just to turn people away. Was the park closed due to insurance concerns, the fact that Dollywood and Branson were luring away customers, or new ownership that just didn't care? The debate continues.

Nashville Municipal Auditorium 1962

Here's a postcard of the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, all shiny and new in 1962. Over the years, I've seen a huge selection of acts there: Three Dog Night, Tom Jones, Beach Boys, George Wallace, Journey, Ronald McDonald Circus, and more. It's been overtaked by the 25,000 seat Sommet Center, but still hosts some shows. See the Municipal today here.
Click for larger pic.

The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville TN

One of the coolest places in Nashville is the Lane Motor Museum, which has the largest collection of European cars outside of Europe. How did Nashville get this lucky?


There are so many cars here that I'm just going to post a lot of pics. Click any one for a larger view. Thanks to my brother Tom for taking most of these great shots.



Many two and three wheel vehicles are on display.



Do not miss this museum if you're anywhere in the Nashville area. Tickets are only $5, and there are many special events through the year. They even take the cars out on the road a couple of times each summer.


Military vehicles, too. Here's an amphibious troop carrier parked out back.


An amphibious car.







A French propellor car. It's even road licensed in France.



Here's a 1980 electric car with the battery in the front bumper.






This one is right out of Roger Rabbit.

Belle-Aire Motel

Another classic motel from the pre-interstate days, when Route 41 was the main drag from Chicago to Miami. The Belle-Aire was in the southeast part of Nashville on Murfreesboro Road. Click for larger pic.

Noel Hotel Nashville

Here's a postcard of the Noel Hotel in Nashville, an art deco wonder. It was built in 1929, and is still in use as a bank building today. You can see a picture of it under construction in 1929, click here. To see what the building looks like today, click here. Click the postcard for a larger version.

Flaming Steer Restaurant & Anchor Motel

Here's another postcard, this time from Nashville. The Anchor Motel and the Flaming Steer Restarant were next door to each other on West End Avenue. Check out the prices on the Flaming Steer sign. I think this card is from the early 70s. Both places are gone now, replaced by a Hampton Inn.