John Rich warns Nashville's famed Broadway could go dark as businesses face tax death nail

Country star John Rich is warning that Nashvilles Lower Broadway, the iconic entertainment district famous for its glowing neon signs, packed honky-tonks and live country music, could soon begin going dark.

In a video that Rich shared on Facebook last week, the 52-year-old Big & Rich member sounded the alarm, declaring that "the lights are going out on Broadway" as Nashville businesses struggle under mounting property tax bills.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Rich, who owns Redneck Riviera Bar & BBQ on Lower Broadway, argued that sharply higher property assessments along with increased taxes have pushed longtime Broadway establishments to a breaking point, which he said threatened not only the businesses themselves but the live music culture that earned Nashville its "Music City" nickname.

"It was a one-two punch," Rich said. "So the first thing he did was they reappraised everybody's property in the county, in the city, and as soon as they got that done, which was an extremely inflated appraisal rate, then they come in and raise the taxes aggressively on top of these extremely inflated appraisals."

"And with those two things, what you've done is you've now put a death nail in a vast majority of the businesses," he continued. "It's only a matter of time before you're going to see large percentages of the businesses downtown turning out the lights."

"We've already had three in the past two weeks have to shut down. I'm talking major, major, major places that have been there for decades," Rich added.

Though Rich blamed Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell for the overall tax burden, the city's regularly scheduled four-year reappraisal, which took place in 2025, was conducted by the independently elected Davidson County assessor of property.

WATCH: JOHN RICH WARNS TAX ONE-TWO PUNCH THREATENS BROADWAY

The 2025 reappraisal resulted in a 45% median increase in property values countywide. Under Tennessee law, the reappraisal itself is revenue-neutral, meaning the tax rate is adjusted so higher property values don't automatically generate additional revenue for local government.

However, OConnell and the Metro Council subsequently set the Urban Services District tax rate at $2.814 per $100 of assessed value, 26% above the revenue-neutral certified rate, according to the assessors office.

The increases were particularly steep on Lower Broadway, where a 400% increase in real estate values was common, according to a report by Axios Nashville. The outlet also reported that many honky-tonk operators rent their buildings and are responsible for the property taxes under their leases, leaving them to shoulder rising tax bills without benefiting from the increased equity in the properties.

Rich pointed to several Lower Broadway establishments while describing what he sees as a broader threat to businesses in the district.

He cited Nashville Underground, which permanently closed in May after roughly eight years in business, and Acme Feed & Seed, whose owner, Tom Morales, has warned it could close amid a steep increase in its property tax bill. Rich also said he has heard Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, a Broadway fixture since 1994, is considering closing, though Fox News Digital has