Country music is being streamlined up the charts as a new pop-leaning genre resurgence has taken over pop culture. In turn, the latest crop of country stars has taken over Nashville, a sacred ground to the genre with high standards for their country artists. While much of the city’s famous Broadway Street is now overpopulated with bars catering to the new crowd of country fans, there are still a select few honky tonks that are sticking to tradition and keeping the spirit of the city alive. Robert’s Western World has been providing an authentic honky tonk experience for over 25 years, and they are just getting started.
Owned by renowned musician JesseLee Jones and fronted by his band, Brazilbilly, Robert’s has become a haven for those who want a sense of what Nashville used to be while discovering new artists from across the honky tonk world. From authentic cuisine to the nostalgic and pure music they put on stage, long-standing country fanatics find solace in Robert’s.
Glide had the pleasure of speaking to Robert’s Western World about their upcoming 25th anniversary, their historic in-house band, and the venue’s dedication to honky tonk. Check out our entire conversation below.
Can you tell me a little bit about your house band, Brazilbilly? How did JesseLee first take over Robert’s, and what makes this band so special?
JesseLee came from very humble means in São Paulo, Brazil, before he arrived in the US in 1984, robbed of his belongings on a Greyhound bus on his first day in the USA, and unable to speak the language. He made his way to Peoria, IL where he was taken in by a family associated with his church. He worked hard babysitting, cooking, doing household chores, and delivering newspapers in exchange for room and board. He began to learn English by watching “Sesame Street.”
JesseLee moved to Nashville in the early ’90s and worked hard to make a name for himself as a musician in “Music City,” and that included a job cleaning floors at Robert’s Western World. It was Robert Moore, founder of Robert’s Western World, who first recognized his potential and booked him to play there in the spring of 1995. A member of BR-549, which was the house band at the time, called JesseLee the “Brazilian Hillbilly.” He instantaneously became known as Brazilbilly.
On August 5, 1999, Robert Moore decided it was time to pass the torch and chose JesseLee Jones to take over. At that time, JesseLee and his band, Brazilbilly, had been playing as the house band since 1995 and are now arguably the longest-running house band in downtown Nashville!
The building that hosts Robert’s has been through many changes and was built decades ago.
What is it like working with a historic building like this, and what are some benefits to hosting a honky tonk in such a storied location?
This building has seen it all! It stands in the shadow of the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Ole Opry, and is one of the oldest buildings in downtown. This building was once used as a warehouse and office space for river merchants. From the late 1950s to the early 1980s, our building served as the home of the Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company, where Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons, two of the greatest steel guitar players in history, manufactured and sold some of the best steel guitars and other musical instruments ever made for popular bands like The Monkees, Yes, and Poco. Even Willie Nelson purchased his now famous “Trigger” right here in 1969 after it was built by Shot Jackson himself.
Booking shows at a honky tonk must be different from booking a regular venue. How do artists like Dave Cox become rotating regulars, and what are some benefits of being an all-day live music venue?
We have live music playing in Robert’s 17 hours a day, seven days a week. Most of Robert’s house bands have been playing our stage for years. Dave Cox came as a recommendation by one of the BR5-49 members. He had been working at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and wrote several letters to JesseLee requesting an audition. Now Dave is one of our longest-running bands!
Your building once served as the home of Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company – how do you pay homage to those guitars within your confines today, either musically or artifact-wise?
As it stands now on Broadway, Robert’s is the only pedal steel-friendly venue left and is the last of the TRUE Honky Tonks on Broadway, despite what others might proclaim. It’s not a real honky tonk if you’re not playing REAL honky tonk music, and in our case, “The music that made Music City.”
Our Balcony Bar is nicknamed the “Sho-Bud Balcony Bar.” On the wall, you’ll find old photos and even an old Sho-Bud sales receipt framed. And if you’re sitting at the bar on the balcony, you’ll notice a hand-painted steel guitar neck on the bar!
You guys have had some legends perform at your venue. Who are some of your favorites, and what do you recall as some of the more memorable sit appearances at Robert’s?
What we say about Robert’s is, “You never know who’s going to show up!” and it’s so true. We have celebrities, athletes, politicians, and, of course, musicians popping into Robert’s all the time. We’re often an after-Ryman hang-out spot for bands playing the Ryman Auditorium or the Bridgestone Arena, and many of those artists will jump up on stage and sing a couple with our bands. Some of our memorable performances include everyone from Dolly Parton, Wanda Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Robert Earl Keen, Wynonna Judd, and Dierks Bentley, to Don Helms, Chris Pratt, “Bubbles” from Trailer Park Boys, Kacey Musgraves, Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, Joe Walsh, The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., and many, many more. The list goes on forever…
Nashville, especially Broadway, has changed a lot over the past few years. How has Robert’s Western World adapted to the new landscape of the city, and in what ways is it keeping the authenticity of Nashville alive?
It hasn’t changed! We’re committed to keeping the legacy of Robert’s Western World and all that it stands for in place despite all the changes going on around us. It’s a combination of a lot of things that keep us authentic, but most of all, it’s the heart and soul of Robert’s…it’s just who we are and who we’ve always been. There’s a different air in here. It’s about the music first, the people second, ice cold drinks, good food, and reasonable prices here at Robert’s, and it always will be. We ain’t changin’. “Where the music is old, and the beer is ice cold” ~Emily Ann Jones*
*(Emily Ann is JesseLee’s wife and runs Robert’s with him)
For sign lovers- can you tell us about your neon sign and its history?
Our sign is the original Hank Snow School of Music sign, which was repurposed as the “Sho-Bud” steel guitar sign and what is now Robert’s Western World sign. About seven years ago, it needing an overhaul, and the city wouldn’t let it slide any longer due to safety concerns, so we saved as much of the original sign as possible to implement what you see now.
What was it like putting together the lineup for your 25th Anniversary party? Is there any connective tissue that strings all of these bands together?
We have so much talent that plays the Robert’s stage on any given night of the week. Members of the Robert’s house bands have toured with the best of the best, like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Travis Tritt, Josh Turner, Porter Wagoner, The Judds, Raul Malo & The Mavericks, Jim Lauderdale, American Aquarium, Lynda Carter, Asleep at The Wheel, Carrie Underwood, Ernest Tubb, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Sierra Ferrell, and the list goes on and on. Others are members of the Grand Ole Opry house band, have recorded on major labels, and are highly sought-after studio musicians, so programming an event like our 25th is the easy part – the hard part is finding enough time in the schedule to get all that great talent on stage.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the 25th anniversary? Besides some great bands, what else does Robert’s have planned?
Besides two outdoor stages of live music all day, consuming the 400 block of Lower Broadway, we’ll have some very special guests in attendance. The Honky Tonk grill will be serving our world-famous “Recession Special” – a fried bologna sandwich, bag of Lay’s Potato Chips, a Moon Pie, and a cold PBR, still just $6. We will have two outdoor bars set up, as well as a few local vendors, that include; “Ranger Stitch,” “Ellie Monster” vintage designs, “Goodbuy Girls” vintage, and even the famous tattoo artist “Adam the Kid” of Kustom Thrills Tattoo Studio on site doing the one and only famous Robert’s “R” door stamp tattoos!!!
