On Tuesday 3 June 2025, Gene Watson reflected on the glory days of Fan Fair in Nashville in the 1970s.
‘If you’re coming to Nashville for CMA Fest, don’t expect the Music Row area to look like this (as pictured above). Things have changed.
I bet some of you still remember this from the 1970s/1980s.
There were businesses there for Conway Twitty (Friday 1 September 1933 – Saturday 5 June 1993), Hank Williams Jr., and Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017), and even a Shoney’s across the street.
All gone now – mostly bars and a restaurant or two.
CMA Fest in Nashville is now in the history books and, although I didn’t attend, it did stir up lots of memories from attending year after year when it was called Fan Fair.
I also performed at many CMA Fest events over the years.
The one thing that was always consistent was seeing the many wonderful fans there – that plus the hot weather and the chance of rain.
Whatever it’s called, this yearly event in Nashville has always been a way for fans and artists to connect, and I hope that tradition continues.
I think my first time at Fan Fair was 1975, and I was performing 35 years later on the River Stage and the Bridgestone stage.
In 2010, my CMA Fest schedule included singing ‘Farewell Party’, which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 – Thursday 26 July 2007) (United States: No.5 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1979 / Canada: No.9 on the RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1979) seven times in one day with seven different backing bands.
That was brutal, but now it’s something to laugh about.
Sort of’
Source
Gene Watson on Facebook
