NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – From the Music City Center to Nissan Stadium, the man behind shaping Nashville into the destination it is today earned his permanent spot downtown on the Music City Walk of Fame.
Butch Spyridon received the 100th star at the Music City Walk of Fame park Thursday; Garth Brooks inducted him.
“I think it’s only fitting since he created this whole program down here that the 100th star has his name on it,” Brooks said.
The Walk of Fame park is a project Spyridon spearheaded 25 years ago, and from the very spot of his star, a quick 360 of our city and you will see his work all around.
“The next time you are wondering around here going, ‘Ugh, who thinks of all this stuff?’ Butch Spyridon,” Brooks told the audience from the podium.
From the Country Music Hall of Fame to Bridgestone Arena and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Vanderbilt University graduate worked alongside the last six Nashville mayors on nearly every economical development project.
“All the pieces are part of the journey for me. It’s like saying, ‘Do you have a favorite child?’ I love them all,” Spyridon explained.
He was instrumental in recruiting the city’s professional sports teams, his efforts putting Nashville on the map as both a leisure and convention destination, generating $8.8 billion in visitor spending annually.
“We tried to have a little bit of help on all of these things surrounding us today, and ironically they all represent different facets of music and how poetic is that? We live the brand,” Spyridon said smiling.
The brand “Music City” is one he embraced and marketed, leading Nashville to its title of the “it” city.
“Songwriters, the artists, the musicians made us Music City. We amplified it because nobody was doing it,” said Spyridon.
He has kept music at the soul of every project and event, from massive New Years Eve celebrations to the 2019 NFL Draft, which became the most successful event in NFL history.
“Whenever you think you know something that Butch did that brought greatness to this city, you’ll find out 20 other things,” actor Charles Esten told News 2.
While Spyridon remains humble, the stars will be quick to tell you Music City wouldn’t be what it is without him.
“This guy is Nashville,” Brooks said.
Spyridon will retire at the end of June, but his work is far from done. He will continue consulting with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp while chasing big events to Music City, like the Super Bowl and the Final Four, as well as international air service.
Multi-platinum country artist Eric Church and Joe & Linda Chambers, co-founders of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, also received stars at Thursday’s Walk of Fame ceremony.
