Before East Tennessee's performers became internationally recognized on the stages of the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, Harlem's Apollo Theater, Broadway's Great White Way, and the sound stages of Hollywood, they won the admiration of their friends and neighbors while performing on Market Square, in downtown radio studios, on street corners, and on the stages of the Tennessee and Bijou.

The names of local legends who planted the seeds of their careers in downtown Knoxville reads like a hall of fame roster in American performing arts and literary history. Downtown is more than a cradle for country music. It is also the early testing ground for rock and roll pioneers, blues and jazz performers, and classical musicians.

Downtown's story is also about storytellers such as James Agee, Cormac McCarthy, and even Mark Twain. And, while Knoxvillians have found their way to fame on the Broadway stage and the Hollywood screen, downtown itself has even played a starring role along the way.

Join us for a walking tour of downtown Knoxville's entertainment and cultural history and learn the surprising influence downtown has had on some of your favorite music, books, and films.