Posted October 27, 2025
By BRI PEARSON
NASHVILLE — The lights were off. The air was still. And in the middle of the pitch-dark studio, Elvis Presley stood alone, insisting on just one take for the final track of his 1960 album. “He wanted it to feel like a prayer,” said Tristan, a seasoned tour guide at RCA Studio B. “He didn’t want anyone to breathe too loud.” Due to company policy and security, Tristan provided just his first name.
That’s the kind of story you don’t find on a plaque or in a textbook. It’s the kind you hear only if you step inside the “Home of 1,000 Hits” and let the walls (and the guides) do the talking.
Between 1957 and 1977, more than 18,000 songs were recorded at Studio B in this city, known as the home of country music. More than 1,000 of those recordings were hits. Artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, the Everly Brothers, and Jim Reeves each recorded here.
Elvis alone recorded more than 250 songs in the studio. Hits like “Only the Lonely” by Roy Orbison, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” by the Everly Brothers, and “Gentle on My Mind” by John Hartford were born in this room.
While the Country Music Hall of Fame dazzles with its exhibits and memorabilia, Studio B offers something more intimate. It offers an oral history passed down by guides who know the quirks, conflicts and quiet genius behind the hits.
The tour begins at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where guests check in and browse “The Museum Store,” a retail space filled with rhinestone-studded souvenirs, vinyl records and cowboy boot bottle openers.
“For the quality of the tour, I would say the price was fair,” said Liz Trachsel, a 21-year-old visiting tourist. “I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about the ins and outs of Music Row.”
From there, a shuttle bus takes visitors to Studio B, tucked into Music Row like a time capsule. Built in 1957 and restored in the 1990s, the studio was once the epicenter of the Nashville Sound, a smoother, more commercial style of country music that helped RCA dominate the charts.
Chet Atkins, known as “Mr. Guitar,” ran operations in the early days, producing hits that softened the twang and added strings and background vocals.
Atkins was more than a virtuoso guitarist; he was a pioneering producer who helped define the Nashville Sound and transform Music Row into the recording capital of country music. He co-founded Studio B with Steve Sholes and mentored countless artists and engineers who shaped the genre for generations.
Inside the studio, the tour is as much a history lesson as it is a performance. Guides like Tristan don’t just recite facts—they deliver them with flair. “Dolly Parton’s first day here?” Tristan said, pausing for effect. “She crashed her car into the building. Right into it. Hopped the curb and everything.”
The group laughed, but the moment stuck. So did the story of how Dolly nearly let Elvis record “I Will Always Love You,” until Presley’s manager demanded half the publishing rights. “She said no,” Tristan explained. “And that’s why Elvis never recorded it. Can you imagine?”
“Learning about the beginnings of Dolly Parton and how she almost let Elvis Presley take her most iconic song was the coolest thing I took away from the tour.” Trachsel said.
Visitors are invited to observe the piano Elvis played, to stand where Dolly stood, and to imagine the tension, the triumph and the occasional asbestos scare—a result of the fluffy blue carpet laid in the 1970s.
Colored lights still glow above the soundproofed walls, added later in the 1970s to reflect the emotion of the songs being recorded – an idea brought by Elvis when he turned off every light in the studio to record “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” It remains a fan favorite to this day.
“He once recorded an entire album in one night,” Tristan said. “And for the last song, he turned off every light. He wanted to feel the music, not see it.”
Though Elvis stopped recording there in 1971, his presence lingers in the lights.
The RCA Studio B tour isn’t just a museum; it’s a living archive, kept alive by the voices of those who know its rhythms best. Guides tailor their stories to the group, often sharing lesser-known anecdotes that don’t make it into the brochures.
“It’s not just about the hits,” Tristan said. “It’s about the people who made them happen and the stories they left behind.”
For travelers looking to go beyond the surface of Nashville’s music scene, this tour offers a rare chance to step into the sound booth and hear history hum. Trachsel added, “Overall I thought it was a great experience, but the stories at the end of the tour were definitely the best part.”
Presley may have turned off the lights in 1960, but the stories shared inside Studio B still shine one take at a time.
If You Go
Location: Tours begin at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S., Nashville, TN 37203.
Phone: 615-416-2001.
Tour Hours: Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day).
Admission: Studio B Tour Only: $23 (adult) $18 (children 6 – 12); combo ticket (Studio B + Museum): $54.95; discounts may be available at the front desk if you ask.
Getting There: Shuttle transportation to Studio B is included with ticket purchase. The tour begins at the museum check-in area.
Website: https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/experiences/studio-b.