Blake Guthrie

Tennessee is the birthplace for so much great American music and where new sounds are still being crafted. It’s hard to imagine what popular music would be without the influence of the Volunteer State. Here are a few spots where you can experience the best of the old and the new in the state’s three largest cities.
KNOXVILLE
WDVX and the Blue Plate Special
WDVX, an independent public radio station serving the Knoxville area, is the little station that could. Spotlighting regional, national an...

Covering all of the Georgia breweries and brewpubs outside of Atlanta would be impossible in one article given how the craft beer scene has exploded over the past few years, but here’s a select offering. On the wine front, North Georgia is home to vineyards producing fine vino on par with Europe and California. As with the breweries, there are many more wineries to discover in the state than the ones covered here.
Note: Current Georgia law doesn’t allow breweries to sell beer directly to the ...

Growing up in Alabama, I remember visiting Chattanooga many times on weekend family excursions and Boy Scout outings. We never actually went to Chattanooga proper, but to Lookout Mountain six miles southwest of the city to visit Rock City, see Ruby Falls and ride the Incline Railway. Or we went to the Chickamauga battlefield for camping and history lessons about the Civil War. Except for a visit to the famous choo-choo, tourists setting foot downtown were unheard of back then because there wa...

A recent study by the charity group Help Musicians UK surveyed the health and well-being of working musicians at all levels of the business. According to the results of the survey, mental health issues are a major concern among professional musicians. Over 60 percent of respondents reported dealing with serious psychological issues at some point in their career. And it's worse among musicians who tour on a regular basis. Touring is especially hard on independent acts.
It's not talked about of...

The good thing about being a golfer in the South is that you’re close to some of the best golfing in the country. Here are some Southeastern courses worth checking, not only for the links but what else these clubs and resorts have to offer.
Alabama: almost heaven for golfers
Some of the nation’s best golf is in Alabama. Ross Bridge outside Birmingham and Grand National in Opelika are each part of the popular Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and Golf Digest editors selected both last year as the...

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My father, normally a very gregarious man, was staying quiet and attentive. He’s always been an attentive person, too, but this was a more vigilant type of silent awareness. I suspect it was because he was trying to take in as much as possible, paying close attention to everything he saw and listening intently to everything said.
We were at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters. So there’s that. You’re supposed to be quiet when golf is being played. But even when we were away from th...

Hangout Music Festival
After its inaugural year in 2010, Hangout Music Festival, or simply “Hangout,” as it’s called, grew in popularity at a phenomenal rate. Now it’s one of the more highly anticipated events of the festival season nationwide. Part of the appeal is its Gulf Shores location with stages set up on the beach and the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop, as well as bringing top acts from the rock, pop and hip-hop genres to the Alabama coast for one weekend each May. Another part of the f...

If you’re not from Alabama or haven’t traveled extensively in the Yellowhammer State, you’re in for some surprises. From its biggest cities to its more remote natural wonders, there’s plenty to discover.
Downtown Birmingham’s renaissance
Modern downtown Birmingham has neighborhoods with names like the Loft District and the Theatre District, each containing renovated early-20th-century buildings housing trendy shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. These monikers didn’t exist when ...

Even those who don’t care about zombies will enjoy this little town

Every Sunday night this time of year, millions of people across America are glued to their TV sets, eagerly watching the latest episode of the hit apocalyptic thriller The Walking Dead. Like the swarms of zombies roaming the countryside on the show, herds of The Walking Dead’s die-hard fans are flocking to humble Senoia, Georgia, located about an hour south of Atlanta. The town serves as Woodbury on the series. It also repres...

Discover a different, more dramatic Chattahoochee in Columbus, Georgia

Atlanta screenwriting professor writes book on acti...

Craft brewery opens in Mayberry-like Greensboro, Ge...

Eat and hear Nashville: The best music venues that ...

Discover the Southeast like a local ...

How to see Savannah, Tybee Island (even with a dog ...