Full Transcript for From The Vault: Tootsie's—Nashville's Most Haunted Honky Tonk

tour, along with our books Southern Ghost Stores, 36 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:11.039 Historical Hauntings, and Southern Ghost Stories Ghost of Gallatin. Today 37 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:14.840 we're going to talk about Tutsi's Orchid Lounge in Nashville. Alan, 38 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:17.879 can you give us some background on this world famous bar. 39 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:23.159 In nineteen sixty former part time country singer and comedian 40 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:28.360 Hattie Louise, best better known as Tutsi, bought the Victorian 41 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.360 building on four twenty two Broadway and opened a bar 42 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:35.159 called Mom's. She wanted to freshen the place up, so 43 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:39.159 she hired Amanda paint it. However, when she came back 44 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:41.520 to check on him, she saw that he had painted 45 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:45.719 the building purple. With her new purple bar, she changed 46 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:49.000 the name to Tutsi's Orchid Lounge. It quickly became the 47 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:53.199 place to be in Nashville. Pattie's timing was impeccable, as 48 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.719 the Grand Ole Opry was red hot and her bar 49 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:59.599 was right by the Ramen Auditorium. Before and after the Opry, 50 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.759 country music fans flogged at Tootsies to hear even more 51 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:06.560 live country music, featuring undiscovered artists such as Willie Nelson 52 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:11.719 and Chris Kristofferson. Willie Nelson actually convinced Patsy Klein's husband 53 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.000 to play the demo for a song he had written 54 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.000 called Crazy Over a Beer at Tootsies in nineteen sixty. 55 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:20.479 A year later, it became one of the biggest hits 56 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:23.879 of all time when Patsy finally recorded it. A few 57 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:27.080 years later, Roger Miller wrote his number one song, Dang 58 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.039 Me in a booth in the back of the bar 59 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:32.960 one night. Anyone who was anyone in country music in 60 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:36.080 the sixties and seventies, they were a regular at Tutsies. 61 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:41.919 Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Chris Kristofferson, Tom T Hall, Little 62 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.080 Jimmy Dickens, Del Reeves, and Buck Owens are just a 63 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:49.280 few of the stars who were regulars at Tutsis. A 64 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.599 loosely kept secret in Nashville was that each night, after 65 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:56.360 a performer finished playing in the opry Tutsi Bess would 66 00:03:56.360 --> 00:03:59.039 put some quarters in the jew box and have several 67 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:02.120 of their songs playing, just to make the singer feel 68 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:03.599 like they were really, really special. 69

00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:09.319 Tales of country music royalty misbehaving was commonplace at Tutsi's. 70 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:13.199 Tom t Hall lost the bet one night and had 71 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.959 to go streaking butt naked through the bar. Willie Nelson 72 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:19.360 got drunk and ran outside and laid down in the 73 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:22.160 street until Bess ran out and told him to come 74 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:27.000 back inside. Chris Kristofferson had gone on record stating that 75 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:31.199 he was arrested several times after leaving Tutsi's, charged with 76 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.800 public intoxication. Things got so bad that that's even like 77 00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:39.639 Christopherson's sleep on the third floor some nights. Chris's buddy 78 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:42.000 Willy and Nelson also had been known to crash at 79 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:44.639 Tutsi's after a long night or when he just needed 80 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.199 a place to crash. There was a belief that if 81 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.079 your picture could get into Tutsy's Wall of Fame, your 82 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:53.279 career would be blessed and you would have a string 83 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:57.120 of hits. After this became common knowledge, the wall began 84 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.639 to spread all over the bar, and country such as 85 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:04.639 Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings pictures were suddenly surrounded by 86 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:08.399 every other country singer who just moved to Nashville. At 87 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.879 one point, it was believed that Tutsis had thousands of 88 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:14.360 pictures of country artists all over the bar. Bess had 89 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:17.040 a soft spot for those up and coming artists and 90 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:19.800 supposedly had a cigar box behind the bar that was 91 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:24.040 filled with IOUs from singers and songwriters who had come 92 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.000 in but couldn't pay their tab. In addition to taking 93 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:30.800 down the amount you owed, she also took down what 94 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:33.720 your talent was. So if someone came in looking for 95 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.319 a drummer and you were listed as a drummer in 96 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.560 the cigar box, Bess would try and help you get 97 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:43.399 a job in the music industry. Originally, Bess reserved the 98 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.160 upstairs for the stars of the Opry on Saturday night. However, 99 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:50.000 she eventually opened the entire bar up so fans could 100 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:54.160 mingle with their favorite performers. Whether you headlined the Opry 101 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:57.759 or were a truck driver from Kansas, Tutsy Best treated 102 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:02.079 everyone the same. That is, unless you were causing trouble. 103 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:05.240 That's when she would break out a three inch hatpin 104 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.560 and stick you in the side with it. The hat 105 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:11.680 pin was given to her by Charlie Pride to protect 106 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.360 herself against some of the rednecks that sometimes got out 107 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:17.399 of hand in the bar. Sometimes she'd break it out 108 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:19.959 and give some of her patrons a little prick to 109 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:22.439 encourage them to get off their barstool and finish their 110 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:23.720 beer a little quicker. 111 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:27.879 When the Opry moved to its current location off Probley 112 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:31.839 Parkway in nineteen seventy four, the area around Tootsie started 113 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:35.160 to go downhill a little bit. Instead of honky tonks, 114 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.639 adult bookstores and peep shows became the norm on Broadway. 115 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:43.199 Hattie was diagnosed with cancer in nineteen seventy three, but 116 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:46.759 held on until February eighteen, nineteen seventy eight, when she 117 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:50.240 died at the age of sixty three. She was buried 118 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:53.680 in an orchid casket holding an orchid in an orchid 119 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:59.279 dress at Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville. After Bess's death, the 120 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:02.319 bar fell to her son, Howard Dodson, and by the 121 00:07:02.360 --> 00:07:04.920 mid eighties, the bar was on the brink of closing 122 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:08.839 after falling into dead In addition to the unpaid bills, 123 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:12.079 the building was falling in on itself and the top 124 00:07:12.120 --> 00:07:15.959 floor had been closed off due to it being so unsafe. 125 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.360 On March thirtieth, nineteen eighty five, a few weeks after 126 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:24.560 celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary, Tutsies closed. Country singer Johnny 127 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.879 Lee came in just before closing time and did a 128 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.680 set and brought the house down with his song looking 129 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:34.279 for Love and All the Wrong Places. Chris Kristofferson and 130 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:37.240 Will and Nelson even popped in to say goodbye. 131 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:42.360 Two months later, after extensive renovations, Tutsi's was reopened after 132 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.639 country singer Johnny Russell bought the bar. In the nineteen nineties, 133 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.720 the bar changed hands again under new ownership, and with 134 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.319 the revitalized downtown, Tutsies began to flourish again as one 135 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:58.240 of the top honky tonks in Nashville. A new generation 136 00:07:58.360 -->

00:08:02.120 of stars such as Travis trip Keith Urban, Vince Kell 137 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:05.120 and others began to pop in and perform at Tutsies 138 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:08.319 every now and then. Even rock and roll legends like 139 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:25.519 Stephen Tyler from Aerosmith popped in and performed a seid occasionally, like. 140 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:28.240 The Rayman, Tutsis is thought to be haunted by the 141 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.839 ghost of Hank Williams Senior. Many patrons say they have 142 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.960 seen Hank's ghost in the alley behind Tutsies that leads 143 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:39.120 to the Roman Auditorium, as well as in the bar. Supposedly, 144 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:41.480 Hank likes to walk back and forth to the Ramen 145 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:46.240 since his spirit has been spotted there too. Chris Christofferson 146 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:48.440 told friends after spending a few nights in the bar 147 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.519 that he knew Tutsies was haunted, and he even saw 148 00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:53.639 the ghost of Hank Williams while he was staying there. 149 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:58.519 Some locals believe that Tutsie herself had he Bess stayed 150 00:08:58.519 --> 00:08:59.639 behind attend after her. 151 00:08:59.679 --> 00:08:59.840 Bar. 152 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:03.919 Employees have seen shadow figures inside the building after they close, 153 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:06.639 and often hear footsteps as they clean up when no 154 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:09.679 one else is around. Locals even claim to have seen 155 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.159 Hattie at the bar when someone starts singing one of 156 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:17.120 her favorite songs. While researching Tutsis, I talked to several employees. 157 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.960 One employee, empactually told me that the only thing that 158 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:24.440 haunts Tutsies are bad decisions. I have to admit that 159 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:27.879 did crack me up a little bit. However, aside from 160 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:30.879 that one person, others I spoke to told me that 161 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:34.440 they believe the bar is haunted in the morning before opening. 162 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:36.679 It is supposedly the creepiest time to be in the 163 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.360 bar when it's quiet and no one else is in 164 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:44.080 the building. Employees admissioned feeling uneasy like someone was watching them. 165 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:46.879 If you are coming into Nashville for the weekend, you 166 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:49.519 have to check out Tutsis and the Sea of Honky 167 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:53.519 Talks along Broadway. Tutsis is the original. They are open 168 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.879 every day ten am to three am. 169 00:09:56.600 --> 00:10:00.519 We hope you enjoyed hearing all about Tutsis. To learn 170 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:04.759 more about the venue or other haunted locations around Music City, 171 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.919 download the Nashville Ghost Map app in iTunes. Also, be 172 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:12.200 sure to check out our website, Southern ghost Stories dot com, 173 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:15.639 as well as our books Southern ghost Stories, Historical Hauntings 174 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.240 and Southern ghost Stories Ghosts of Gallatin. Feel free to 175 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:21.120 leave a comment or send us a message on our 176 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:24.320 Facebook or Instagram accounts let us know about any creepy 177 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:27.960 experiences you may have had. Also, feel free to give 178 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 us some ideas on what location you'd like to hear 179 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:31.440 us talk about on future shows. 180 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:35.679 Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five star review. 181 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:38.919 Those reviews are very helpful and we really appreciate everyone 182 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.679 who's taken a few minutes to do it for us. 183 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.720 Please be sure to check back with us next time, 184 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:47.200 as we discuss the Sultan's Palace in New Orleans, Louisiana. 185 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:52.679 Yeah, today we're going to talk about Tipsy's orchid Lout. 186 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:57.159 Today we're going to talk about tip. 187 00:10:58.320 --> 00:10:59.480 Did you forget where it was? 188 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:04.320 No? No, it just I know it's when I know 189 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:05.480 where Tootsies is. 190 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:13.039 In nineteen sixty, former part time country singer and comedian 191 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:17.679 Hattie Louise TUTSI, I'm going to try to do that again, 192 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:19.320 he said, I'm not going to screw up. 193 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:24.200 Just stop talking. I can talk Hettie's. 194 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.000 Letting me know when you're done. 195 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:31.519 Go ahead. 196 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:43.120 Oh no, I'm laughing. 197 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:48.440 Ah. Things got so bad that best to even let Christopherson, 198 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:53.440 whether you headline the opry or were a truck driver 199 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.919 from Kansas TUTSI best treated everyone the same. That is, 200 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:01.320 unless you are causing trouble. That's when she would break 201 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.759 out a three inch hat pin and stick you in 202 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:06.759 the side with it. I'm gonna say that again. 203 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:11.759 Country singer Johnny Lee came in just before closing time 204 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:14.440 and did a set and brought the house down with 205 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:16.919 his song looking for Love and All the Wrong Places? 206 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:23.399 Christostofferson and Willie Nelson? Was that necessary? 207 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:24.919 It just fucked in my head? 208 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:32.000 Country? Do you want to sing any more songs? 209 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:34.159 You take? 210 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:57.200 Request? Man? That was pretty horrible. Monster City Madhouse a 211 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:00.840 year round online store full of Halloween in classic horror 212 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:04.519 shirts with an emphasis on the vintage look. 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