If you’re ever looking to pay tribute to some of your favorite country artists who have passed away, there’s no better place to do it than Nashville.
Music City is the final resting place for some of country music’s biggest stars. And while some people may not exactly think of visiting a cemetery while on vacation, there are many others who take the opportunity to visit the gravesites and pay tribute to some of country music’s legends when they visit Nashville.
These days there are even tours you can book that will take you to the graves of country stars. But if you’re just looking to do your own tour, there are plenty of country artists buried in Nashville that you can visit during your time here.
Charlie Daniels
The grave for the legendary Charlie Daniels is located at Mount Juliet Memorial Gardens, just outside of Nashville.
Roy Acuff
One of the most popular resting places for some of the biggest names in country music is Spring Hill Cemetery, located not far from the Grand Ole Opry. And one of the graves you’ll find here is Roy Acuff, longtime Opry star and one of the founding fathers of country music.
Earl Scruggs
Right near Acuff also sits the grave of legendary bluegrass musician, and one half of Flatt and Scruggs, Earl Scruggs.
Kitty Wells
You may not recognize the name Wright on her tombstone, but you’ll definitely know Kitty Wells, born Ellen Muriel Deason before marrying country singer Johnnie Wright, for her classic hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Kitty Wells is located in the same garden as Acuff and Scruggs at Spring Hill Cemetery.
Keith Whitley
If you drive a little deeper into Spring Hill Cemetery, you’ll find the grave of one of the greatest country music singers of all time. Keith Whitley’s white tombstone is instantly recognizable from the bluebirds and tributes that fans have left to the hitmaker who tragically passed away in 1989 at the age of 34.
Porter Wagoner
Known for his flashy suits and for discovering a young Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner is buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park along with several other country legends.
Marty Robbins
A country music star and NASCAR driver, Marty Robbins is also buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park, alongside his wife Mari.
Tammy Wynette
Located in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Park, at one time the name on Tammy Wynette’s tomb was changed to reflect her legal name, Virginia Wynette Richardson. But after her daughters requested that it be changed back, they ultimately got a court order restoring Tammy Wynette’s name to her final resting place.
Little Jimmy Dickens
Located not far from Tammy Wynette is Little Jimmy Dickens, with a nearby statue showing just why he got his nickname.
George Jones
You’ll easily be able to find the final resting place of George Jones by the line of cars that’s usually there to pay their respects to the Possum. Located inside the Garden of the Grand Tour, the sign outside welcomes you to “Step Right Up & Come On In” to pay tribute to one of the greatest country singers of all time.
Johnny Paycheck
Also located in the same garden as George Jones, albeit with a smaller monument, is Johnny Paycheck, an outlaw singer in his own right who not only wrote songs for Jones but also played bass and provided harmonies on some Possum’s earlier releases.
Conway Twitty
If you’re looking for the grave marked Conway Twitty, you’re not going to find it. But if you head to Sumner Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, just outside of Nashville, you’ll find the final resting place for Harold Lloyd Jenkins, who was better known by his stage name Conway Twitty.
Johnny Cash
The Man in Black is buried in the Hendersonville Memory Gardens, just outside of Nashville, alongside his wife June Carter Cash. And nearby are many other members of the First Family of Country Music, including Mother Maybelle and her daughters, Anita and Helen Carter.
