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A resolution recognizing J.T. Gray’s induction into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
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WHEREAS, Nashvillian J.T. Gray is a bluegrass singer, guitarist, and owner of The Station Inn located in the Gulch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, J.T. Gray was born in Corinth, Mississippi and is the son of a fiddler and piano player; and
WHEREAS, J.T. Gray moved to Nashville in 1971 to play bluegrass with the Misty Mountain Boys and went on to play gigs with Vassar Clements, the Sullivan Family, Tom T. Hall, and Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys; and
WHEREAS, J.T. Gray bought The Station Inn in 1981 and has owned the venue for 39 of the 46 years it has been in business, effectively turning the venue into Nashville’s unofficial bluegrass hub; and
WHEREAS, like many small venues in Music City, the early years were a struggle, but J.T. Gray successfully turned The Station Inn into a top bluegrass destination featuring the world’s best bluegrass, classic country, Americana, and roots music; and
WHEREAS, The Station Inn played a vital role in carving out a space for bluegrass in Music City during a time when top talent would seldom play in the city; and
WHEREAS, many well-known and emerging bluegrass artists got their start and cultivated their musical careers at The Station Inn, and consider it a “rite of passage”; and
WHEREAS, in a rapidly changing city, The Station Inn remains a steadfast live music venue that feels naturally intimate and authentic; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, J.T. Gray founded Station Inn Records, with its first release being his own album, “It’s About Time”, featuring some of Nashville’s top session players as backers on a collection of traditional country and bluegrass music; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, J.T. Gray helped the venue establish its innovative streaming platform, Station Inn TV, making it possible for people around the world to experience bluegrass and roots music from the comfort of their living room; and
WHEREAS, amid unprecedented circumstances in 2020, J.T. Gray and Station Inn TV have kept the venue’s bluegrass tradition alive by affording the opportunity to showcase artists playing to an empty house through their livestreamed shows; and
WHEREAS, over the years, J.T. Gray has provided a communal space unlike any other for multiple generations of musicians to learn, grow, perform, and make a living playing music; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognizes J.T. Gray’s induction into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and wish him many more years of continued music and success.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing J.T. Gray’s induction into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.