Woodlawn Memorial Park (Nashville, Tennessee)

Woodlawn Memorial Park is one of the largest cemeteries in Nashville, located at 660 Thompson Lane, a site rich in history. Its land was originally a Revolutionary War land grant of 968 acres given to John Topp in 1788,^[1] eight years before Tennessee became a US state. In 1836 it became known as "Melrose" when US Senator Alexander Barrow purchased it and built a fine mansion with that name. The property served as a field hospital in 1865 during American Civil War Battle of Nashville.^[1] The site was established as a cemetery in the 1930s, and in 1993 the property, then reduced to 205 acres, was acquired by Roesch-Patton Corporation.^[1]

Not to be confused with Woodlawn Memorial Park (Colma, California).

Among those interred or entombed in the cemetery, there are many prominent members of Nashville's country music industry. In June 2018, Woodlawn installed the "Lynn Anderson Rose Garden", consisting of 200 Lynn Anderson Hybrid Rose Bushes (named for the singer by the National Rose Society of America), as a place of reflection and meditation in honor of the star's signature song.^[2]^[3]

(1924–2002), songwriter

Joe Allison

(1927–2011), country music singer, songwriter, and mother to country musician Lynn Anderson.

Liz Anderson

(1947–2015), Country music singer

Lynn Anderson

(1918–2008), Country Music Singer, Recording Executive, Producer and Country Music Hall of Fame Member

Eddy Arnold

(1928–2009), country music singer, Grand Ole Opry member

Ernie Ashworth

(1978–2014), professional football player/Placekicker for the Tennessee Titans

Rob Bironas

(1931–2002), Songwriters Hall of Fame member

Otis Blackwell

(1874–1946), president of Lipscomb University.^[4]

H. Leo Boles

(1915–1998), record producer, Country Music Hall of Fame member, Academy Award nominee

Owen Bradley

(1934–2015), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Jim Ed Brown

(1920–1987), Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame member

Boudleaux Bryant

(1925–2003), Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame member

Felice Bryant

(1963–1984), boxer

Billy Collins

(1931–2018), country music songwriter

Jerry Chesnut

(1920–2015), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Little Jimmy Dickens

(1913–1975), Major League Baseball Player, Manager Boston Braves, Chicago White Sox

Kerby Farrell

(1910–1968), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Red Foley

(1931–2018), drummer

D. J. Fontana

(1895–1977), Churches of Christ minister, editor of the Gospel Advocate

Benton Cordell Goodpasture

(1940–2011), singer and songwriter

Dobie Gray

(1948–1998), Professional football player Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants and Detroit Lions

Vernon Holland

(1926–1979), musician – considered by many in the country music industry to be the first great Nashville session fiddler

Tommy Jackson

(1931–2013), Country Music Hall of Fame Singer

George Jones

(1885–1973), ornithologist

Amelia Laskey

(1943–1992), drummer

Larrie Londin

(1929–2000), decorated soldier, Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Neal Matthews, Jr.

Claudette Frady-Orbison (1941–1966), wife of legendary singer . She died when her motorcycle was hit by a truck. She is buried with her two young boys, Roy Dewayne Orbison (1958–1968) and Anthony King Orbison (1962–1968), who died together in a house fire

Roy Orbison

Joe Moscheo (1937–2016), singer, and Elvis backup

The Imperials

(1942–2020) country singer and songwriter

K.T. Oslin

(1938–2003), country singer

Johnny Paycheck

(1933–2005), Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame songwriter

Ben Peters

(1955–1994), noted audio engineer

Lynn Peterzell

(1921–1991), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Webb Pierce

(1934–2008), Gospel singer and songwriter. Named songwriter of the century in the early 1990s, Grammy and Dove winner, Gospel Music Hall of Fame for self and family group The Rambos, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, composed over 2,500 songs

Dottie Rambo

(1925–1982), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Marty Robbins

(1937–2008), Country music singer and Actor

Jerry Reed

(1948–2009), 1980s country singer, of 1970s pop/rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley

Dan Seals

(1939-2024), singer and songwriter

Margo Smith

(1917–1980), country singer

Red Sovine

(1920–1999), gospel music singer

Brock Speer

(1933–1978), country singer

Mel Street

(1924–1998), singer, Elvis' backup

JD Sumner

(1953–2001), Country singer, songwriter. He was a member of Blackhawk

Van Stephenson

(1924–2013), singer The Jordanaires

Gordon Stoker

(1938–2004), songwriter, singer, musician, Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Mack Vickery

(1927–2007), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Porter Wagoner

(1942–1998), Country Music Hall of Fame singer

Tammy Wynette

at Find a Grave