RCA Studio B

This studio was known as “The House That Chet Built.” That’s Chet Atkins—another one of the founders of Music Row—and it was built in 1957.

Chet Atkins was a legendary guitar player, producer, and head of RCA’s Nashville office for a number of years. Hit artists who recorded in this studio include Elvis Presley—who recorded about 260 songs in here—Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, the Everly Brothers, Jim Reeves and George Strait.

In 1970, Chet Atkins hired Jerry Bradley, Owen Bradley’s son, to be his assistant. Bradley became head of the Nashville RCA operation in 1973. He led the organization during the “Outlaw” era, when artists including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Bobby Bare fought for and won greater creative control of their music from record labels. The “Outlaws” were followed by a whole slew of hugely successful RCA acts, including Ronnie Milsap and Alabama.

Following the Mike Curb Family Foundation’s 2002 purchase of RCA Studio B, the space was leased to the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and opened to visitors as part of the museum’s educational mission. The studio’s exterior was renovated, and the interior was returned to its 1960s-era prime—known as the “temple of sound.”

Before we leave, look across Music Square West and down Roy Acuff Place—you’ll see a building that kinda looks like a barn. It was once known as the “Old Mill Studio” and is where Alabama recorded their hits. It’s now home to the Nashville Songwriters Association.

To get the to next stop, you won’t have to go very far. Just turn around and look across the street. Once you have Curb Word Entertainment in your sights, hit the button that says “Next Stop,” click “Arrived,” and press play on the narration.