NASHVILLE, TN - Robert’s Western World, known as Nashville’s Home of Traditional Country Music, has announced a spectacular lineup for its August 4th block party, Robert’s Western World Fan Fair. The schedule includes the venue’s beloved house bands - JesseLee Jones & Brazilbilly, Kelley’s Heroes, Joshua Hedley, The Cowpokes, and more, as well as powerhouses like Marcus King, Elizabeth Cook, Radney Foster, Chuck Mead, The Travelin’ McCourys, and others. And, it’s Nashville, so you never know who just might hop onstage.
From the 1950s until the 1980s, the historic building that houses Robert’s Western World was the Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company, which made custom instruments for everyone from Yes to The Monkees, and sold Willie Nelson his famous guitar, “Trigger,” in 1969. Robert’s is also the only venue on Lower Broadway that still welcomes pedal steel guitars on its stage. In celebration of the instrument’s importance to country music, Robert’s will present a steel players’ extravaganza called “Wanted For Steelin’,” curated by the Sho-Bud steel guitar company. Thirteen-piece Western Swing dance band Eddie Slide and his Cowtown Dozen will get the crowd ready to boogie, and local dance instructor Laura Mae Socks will host a Nashville Street Party and Two-Step Dance Lesson to help attendees brush up on their skills.
Robert’s is taking over the stretch of Lower Broadway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues just outside the venue for the celebration. The all-ages festivities are free and will begin at 10:00 am CT, with bands and special guests performing until 11:00 pm CT between two stages. Click HERE for more event information.
Special merchandise will be available for purchase, including a limited edition t-shirt from Any Old Iron, featuring rhinestone details and classic Western motifs in an exclusive design that celebrates Nashville style, music culture, and the vibrant spirit of Broadway’s iconic Honky Tonk. Kustom Thrills’ own Adam The Kid will be on hand tattooing the iconic Robert’s “R” door stamp, and the bar and grill will be serving up their world-famous “Recession Special” - a fried bologna sandwich, Lay’s potato chips, a Moon Pie, and a cold PBR - still just $6.
Located in the famous historic district of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Robert’s Western World stands in the shadow of the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium – the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. Over the last century, the building that is now home to Robert’s has been used as a warehouse, an office space for river merchants, and for a variety of other purposes. By the early 1980s, the Lower Broadway district had fallen on hard times. In the early 90s, honky tonk entrepreneur Robert Wayne Moore opened Rhinestone Western Wear, which evolved into internationally-renowned live entertainment venue, Robert’s Western World. On August 5, 1999, Moore decided to pass the torch and sold the business to musician JesseLee Jones.
Jones and his wife, Emily Ann, continue their mission to keep traditional country music alive. While Broadway is ever-changing, the family-owned and operated venue is the last of the true honky tonks, and remains a constant, protecting and celebrating the music that made Music City. Now, Robert’s Western World proudly serves almost one million customers a year.
From his humble, and at times troubled, beginnings in São Paulo, Brazil, Jones was influenced by an eclectic repertoire of musical styles. He discovered old-time gospel, traditional country, and rockabilly music and set his sights on a music career in America. Jones immigrated to the U.S. in 1984 and, after a long and rocky journey, he found himself in Peoria, Illinois. Robbed of his belongings on a Greyhound bus on his first day in the country, and unable to speak the language, he was taken in by a family associated with his church. Jones worked hard babysitting, cooking, doing household chores, and delivering newspapers on a long driving route, in exchange for room and board.
Jones moved to Nashville in the early ’90s and set about the hard work of making a name for himself in Music City. It was Moore who first recognized Jones’ potential and booked him to play Robert’s Western World in the spring of 1995. Robert’s house band at the time, BR549, called Jones the “Brazilian Hillbilly,” and he became known as Brazilbilly. Since then, the band has gained much popularity and recognition playing as the house band at Robert’s Western World for the past 29 years, performing sets on Fridays and Saturdays.
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