1303 16th Avenue South/1225, 1227, 1301, 1303, 1305 16th Avenue South

1303 16th Avenue South/1225, 1227, 1301, 1303, 1305 16th Avenue South. . CREATING A SPOTLIGHT: TELLING MUSIC'S STORY , PLA Media has placed major record and Independent artists in the spotlight since the 1980s with campaigns that include media coverage, special events and promotions. The award- winning company also helps music lovers discover attractions like the Americana Music Triangle, museums honoring Tina Turner, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash, Skull's Rainbow Room, Nudie's Honky Tonk, and events including the Pilgrimage Music Festival. Founder Pam Lewis has helped shape the careers of many country stars including Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, The Judds, and Alabama. , After starting in New York City as part of the original publicity and marketing team of WASEC (Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company) which launched MTV, Nickelodeon, and The Movie Channel, Lewis came to Nashville in the early 1980s as the company's national media director. Her next stop was RCA Records before opening Pam Lewis and Associates (which became PLA Media) in 1985 Lewis has received recognition and awards from Billboard, Performance Magazine, Nashville Business Journal, Country Music Association, American Biographical Institute, International Society of Poets, and Tennessee Association of Museums. She has also been recognized with awards for her preservation work and advocacy across the state. , DISCOVERING GARTH BROOKS AND TRISHA YEARWOOD , In 1987, Pam Lewis and music industry veteran Bob Doyle formed Doyle Lewis Management. Their first client was an unknown Oklahoma crooner named Garth Brooks. Lewis and Doyle arranged for Capitol Records president and staff to hear Brooks sing. The result was a record deal and the Garthmania phenomenon-million selling records, packed concerts at stadiums and multiple awards. , AMONG THE ARTISTS PLA MEDIA HAS WORKED WITH , Lynn Anderson , T. Bone Burnett , Brooks and Dunn , Steve Earle , Lee Greenwood , Boney James , Nicolette Larson , Lyle Lovett , Tim McGraw , Lorrie Morgan , Gary Morris , Michael Martin Murphy , Charley Pride , Chase Rice , Diamond Rio , Dan Seals , Ashton Shepherd , Russ Taff , Tiffany , Bryan White , Steve Winwood , Andy Williams , Devin Williams , Michelle Wright , Yanni , Townes Van Zandt. , Lewis also managed Trisha Yearwood's early career, landing a record deal at MCA Records and guiding the release of Yearwood's debut album in 1991. Yearwood became the first female country artist to sell one million copies of her first single "She's in Love With The Boy." , Photo caption (Top right) Pam Lewis and Jay Orr, Senior Director for Research, Editorial and Content at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, celebrate a special occasion with country artist Lynn Anderson. Anderson, whose career spanned almost 50 years, was best known for her signature song "Rose Garden." , Photo caption (center): Pam Lewis and Garth Brooks celebrate the artist's first gold record self-titled album. Recorded at Jack's Tracks on Music Row, the album was released in 1989 and featured Brooks' first two award-winning hits: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "The Dance." The album eventually sold more than ten million units. , , Photo caption (bottom left): Pam Lewis (front row, second from left) and music industry friends celebrate the release of Trisha Yearwood's self-debut album in 1991. The album featured Yearwood's "She's in Love with the Boy." , 1308 16TH AVE. SOUTH: ALLENTOWN RECORDING STUDIOS , Across the street is Allentown Recording Studios, owned by Garth Brooks. The early 20th century house was purchased by legendary producer Cowboy Jack Clement in 1971 and converted to Jack's Tracks. In 1970, producer Allen Reynolds bought the studio, producing hits for Crystal Gayle, Kathy Mattea, Hal Ketchum, Don Williams, and others. Reynolds produced all of Garth Brooks' records (except one) in this studio. In 2012, Brooks bought the studio and renamed It Allentown Recording Studios in honor of his producer. In 2018, Brooks completed construction of a large studio on the back of the building. , NASHVILLE'S MUSIC PROW 1225, 1227, 1301, 1303, 1305 16TH AVENUE SOUTH, BEFORE MUSIC ROW , Long before becoming Music Row, this land belonged to Judge Oliver Hayes, father of Adelicia Hayes who built Belmont Mansion. By the early 20th century, this area had become a fashionable streetcar suburb filled with homes, churches, a fire hall and grocery stores. Nearby were Vanderbilt University and Ward-Belmont College for Women (today's co-ed Belmont University). In 1904, this street was renamed from Belmont to 16th Avenue and Addison became 17th Avenue. By the 1930s, these streets were lined with Victorian, Four Square, Tudor Revival, Bungalow, and Craftsman-style homes. , BECOMING MUSIC ROW , The transition of these five homes into being part of Music Row followed a tradition that started in 1954 when brothers Owen and Harold Bradley moved their recording studio and Decca Records office into an old home on this street. Other music businesses followed and by the early 1960s, the area was known as Music Row. These homes, built between 1920 and 1924, were primarily rental houses and apartments through the 1980s. Only one house, at 1225 16th Ave. S., was used by music businesses during these years. , Image caption: This 1900 map created by the Sanborn Map Company's fire insurance maps shows the buildings on the streets that would later become Music Row. The highlighted are show the location of 1225, 1227, 1301, 1303, and 1305 16th Avenue South which were private residences in 1930. -Maps courtesy of Metro Nashville Archives , MUSIC ROW CHAMPION , In the early 1990s, Pam Lewis purchased and restored these five blighted buildings. Locating her office at 1303 16th Avenue S, she leased the others to music industry businesses, making them a part of Music Row. They have continuously housed music industry offices including public relations, songwriting, management, music instruction, and legal and accountant businesses. Lewis was awarded a certificate of merit from the Tennessee Historical Commission for the rehabilitations. , LIZ ROSE MUSIC PUBLISHING 1305 16TH AVENUE S. , Grammy-winning songwriter Liz Rose helped launch the career of Taylor Swift, co-writing 20 of Swift's songs including "Tim McGraw," "Teardrops on My Guitar," and "You Belong With Me." Rose has penned hits for many other artists including Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood. She located her publishing company in this building from 2012 to 2019. , 1225 16TH AVENUE SOUTH , In 1975, this home was the office of Dot Records, an independent record company that operated from 1950 to 1979. Starting in Gallatin, Tennessee, the label moved to California, changed owners several times and issued records in every musical genre before ABC moved its headquarters back to Nashville to focus on country music. In 1979, MCA bought the label and issued records by Jan Howard, Jim Ed Brown and Tompall Glaser. Big Machine Records revived the label in 2014 with artists Maddie and Tae, Drake White and Steven Tyler. , From 1977-1980, this building was occupied by Pi-Gem Music, founded by Nashville talent manager Jack Johnson, country legend Charley Pride, and RCA head Jerry Bradley. , Managing the company was Tom Collins, manager for Barbara Mandrell, Ronnie Milsap, and others. , Pi-Gem had tremendous success with songwriters such as Kye Fleming who wrote "Smoky Mountain Rain," a major hit for Ronnie Milsap, and "Nobody," a No. 1 hit for Sylvia. Pi-Gem was sold to the (Lawrence) Welk Music Group in 1981, and Collins left to form his own company. , I had originally started the company with Jack Johnson, my manager during the early years of my career. Pi-Gem had been named after my astrological sign, which is Pisces and his astrological sign which was Gemini. , -Charley Pride , From 1982-1985, Don Gant Enterprises was located here. Gant was a singer, songwriter and producer who had been part of the group Neon Philharmonic in the late 1960s. He later joined MGM Records where he produced records for Jimmy Buffet, Roy Orbison, Lefty Frizzell, and Eddy Raven, before moving to ABC Records. Other music businesses occupying this building in the 1980s included Old Friends Music, Golden Bridge Music, and Mighty Pretty Music., Pam Lewis owned the property from 1993-1995 when she renovated the building and leased it to Travel Stars, a music industry travel company.