Grand Ole Opry
2804 Opryland Dr.
(615) 871-6779

Ryman Auditorium
116 5th Avenue N.
(615) 889-3060

Tootsies Orchid Lounge
422 Broadway
(615) 726-0463

Loveless Café
8400 Highway 100
(615) 646-9700

Swett’s Restaurant
2725 Clifton Ave.
(615) 329-4418

Belle Meade Buffet Cafeteria
4534 Harding Pike
(615) 298-5571

Longhorn Steakhouse
110 Lyle Ave.
(615) 329-9195

12th & Porter
114 12th Ave. N.
(615) 254-7250

Studio 615
1522 Demonbreun St.
(615) 256-4575

Flavour
1522 Demonbreun St. #B
(615) 254-2064

Bamboo
2203 Bandywood Dr.
(615) 298-7474

“I think Center Hill Lake or Old Hickory Lake is probably where’d I like to live if I ever get the chance,” Jamie reveals.

No Place Like Home

Road queen Jamie O’Neal slows down to embrace Music City’s treasures 

Jamie O’Neal spent much of her childhood traveling across America in an RV as a member of her family’s singing group. She called a variety of locales home, from Las Vegas and Los Angeles to Louisville and Hawaii.


With so many miles under her belt, it’s no surprise that the Australian-born star has a special place in her heart for Nashville, her permanent home since 1996. Music City has been good to her, bringing her a recording contract, marriage to producer Rodney Good, birth of daughter Aliyah – and stardom launched with a pair of chart-topping hits, “There Is No Arizona” and “When I Think About Angels.”


As her current hit, “I Love My Life,” climbs the charts, there’s no stopping Jamie’s red-hot career. But even as her life has grown more hectic, she’s made sure to take time and appreciate the city’s treasures. We caught up with her at Nashville International Airport – where else! – to share her favorite places and things to do in Nashville.


“The airport may not be my favorite place,” admits Jamie with a laugh, “though I do think it’s cute when they put up their little stage with the curtain and have live performers. And they have a little shop to buy CDs, I think that’s great.


“If I had friends coming to Nashville I take them to the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Usually people come in around the holidays, and you’ve got to see the Christmas lights. It’s fascinating how they deck out that hotel, inside and out.


“And the Grand Ole Opry is right there, too. You can not come to Nashville and not go to the Opry!”


Jamie has a list of other must-see spots. “Someone who’s never been to Nashville has to go to the Ryman Auditorium - and Tootsies, where you can see country music history on all the photos on the walls. The Hermitage – the furniture and the grounds are so beautiful. For live music, I love 12th & Porter – the sound is good, and it’s got a cool vibe. Then there’s Loveless Café, one of my favorites for fried chicken and biscuits.”


Jamie has a passion for Nashville’s more informal restaurants. “I really like Swett’s, and usually go for the roast beef,” she says. “I also like the Belle Meade Buffet Cafeteria. Roast beef and mashed potatoes and corn and green beans – it’s awesome!”


And for dessert? “The key lime pie with raspberry sauce at the Longhorn is the best!” she raves. “Best I’ve ever had! I go to there just for the pie. Skip dinner – just go straight to dessert!”


Music City also nourishes Jamie’s antique hobby. She loves nothing more than spending a Saturday rummaging through out-of-the-way shops around Nashville.


“I love to drive out to Leipers Fork,” she says. “There are all those little antique stores and little country stores. You can stop in the little gas station and they make sandwiches and serve Coke out of the bottle.


“I also like to go to the Tennessee Fairgrounds when they have the flea market. My husband and I will buy old pieces of furniture, and we’ll re-do them together as a project. I think it makes things in your house special, knowing the piece of furniture has a piece of history, but also that it’s something you can work on to make it better. We do our work in the garage area. My husband is an expert at recovering with fabric, and I do the painting.


“There’s an old chaise that’s in my writing room,” she continues. “When we bought it, we loved the shape, the legs and the wood. But it was the worst green you can imagine! We took off that fabric and did it up. The springs are still shot and it squeaks when you sit down, but it’s one of my favorites. It’s at least 100 years old!”


Shopping for unique clothing is another passion. “I love Studio 615 and Flavour, which are on Demonbreun,” says Jamie. “They’re great little boutiques. I got this top that looks like it was made of handkerchiefs. I know that sounds weird, but it’s like three or four handkerchiefs put together as a top.


“Another shop I like is Bamboo in Green Hills. It’s a little boutique for men & women. They have great jeans and jewelry – and they carry my favorite jewelry, Crystal Gypsy. And for my baby’s clothes, I love Baby Gap and Cradle Coutierre.”


Jamie is also drawn to Nashville’s lakes – in a big way.


“I think Center Hill Lake or Old Hickory Lake is probably where’d I like to live if I ever get the chance,” she reveals. “If you feel like sitting by the lake and having a glass of wine and feeling peaceful, you can. But if you feel like going waterskiing or riding a Waverunner, you can do that, too. That’s the great thing about the water, you’ve got both going on.


“So that’s my dream, to move to the lake one of these days.”


-Rick Taylor