Robert’s Western World Celebrates 25 Years on Lower Broadway

Editor’s Note: All photos and reporting by Saving Country Music contributor Kevin Smith.

It was 25 years ago on August 5^th 1999 when young Nashville Lower Broadway performer, Jesse Lee Jones, finalized one of his most important decisions, to buy Roberts Western World from its founder, Robert Moore. It seemed to be the right decision for Jones, a young man from Sao Paulo, Brazil who had literally arrived a few years before to Nashville with very little money or possessions to his name. But he held a great deal of reverence and passion for country music, and he had a fervent desire to be a part of it, somehow.

When JesseLee Jones first approached Robert Moore in 1995, he had one song in his vocabulary that he could sing well—so well in fact that that Moore immediately saw the potential, giving JesseLee his first real platform. That song was “El Paso” by the late great Marty Robbins. Jones and Moore would become lifetime friends, and so began the legacy of JesseLee Jones who became the proprietor of a honky tonk, and one that has only grown in fame and in legend, Roberts Western World.

Now here we are 25 years later, and so much has happened. Along the way, the man of humble origins from Brazil has quite literally seen his life transform in so many startling ways, he could never have foreseen or scripted it.

This past Monday, on August 5^th 2024, JesseLee Jones, his wife Emily Jones, and their two children Pressly and Zane, held a party of epic proportions on Lower Broadway to celebrate those 25 years. It literally was as they say, “one for the ages,” and for those of us who were there, we will not soon forget it. This was one of those extraordinary events when everything came together to create something so magical, years from now it will be heralded as a great celebration of the beauty and relevance of country music, Western swing, and bluegrass. 

In true neighborhood block party fashion, the entire 400 block of lower Broadway was shut down from traffic, and a large stage was erected at each end. The music started at 10:30 am and ran until the last note of Brazilbilly’s closing set, shortly after 11:00 pm. The concept was to take the legacy bands and artists who play Robert’s each week, give them all lengthy sets, and invite special guests to sing and pick. Add on a few members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, a few Grand Ole Opry members, and some dazzling session pickers, and you had a spectacle to marvel. The following are some major highlights and things of significance. 

The Cowpokes set featuring David Ball, Ruby Leigh, Logan Ledger

The Cowpokes are known as the house band of the now famous American Legion Post 82 “Honky-Tonk Tuesday Nights” event that has been going on for years (though the event has moved to Eastside Bowl). They are also regulars at Robert’s. Over the years, this old-timey country and Western band of young traditionalists have backed an impressive number of legends at one time or another.

Frontman Kevin Martin is a very impressive fiddler and packs a tenor voice with a punch. Recent guitar and vocalist addition Brandon Birkedahl brings the baritone vocal in, so essentially you have a band that can sing George Jones and Webb Pierce with equal skill. Pedal steel legend Andy Gibson adds to the magic of their sound. Logan Ledger, who’s making quite a name for himself these days with his honey-voiced baritone, took the stage and sang and picked a few with the boys, and reminisced about the early days of The Cowpokes when he was in the band.

Eventually, 90’s country veteran David Ball joined the fun, singing and picking a few, and they played Ball’s signature tune “Thinkin’ Problem” to a very enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. Though he was a mainstream artist in his heyday, Ball is unapologetically a traditionalist, and is quite happy to play honky tonk music anytime and anywhere.

The guest who by far drew the most attention though, was a young lady who was apparently runner-up on The Voice last year, who wowed the judge, singing Patsy Montana’s “I Want to Be A Cowboys Sweetheart,” Ruby Leigh Pearson. Ruby Leigh showed the crowd what the hype was all about in a very convincing fashion. The Lower Broadway crowd walking the sidewalks on both sides of the street knew exactly who she was, and stopped dead in their tracks when they realized what was happening. A sea of tourists with cell phones held aloft were quieted, holding on to her every note.

Wendy Newcomer Band with Carlene Carter and Jimmy Fortune

Jimmy Fortune is a member of The Country Music Hall of Fame, inducted in 2008 as a 21-year member of The Statler Brothers. Vocal harmony groups in the Country music mainstream have waned in popularity in the last decade, but Jimmy Fortune soldiers ever onward, pursuing a solo career, and managing to keep the flames alive. Backed by Newcomer’s band of first-rate musicians including Grand Ole Opry fiddler Eamon McGloughlin and multi-instrumental threats Rory Hoffman, David Spicher, and others, Fortune came out of the gate swinging heavy with a full on take of the Statler classic, “Flowers on The Wall.”

Perhaps adding an air of authenticity to the roots of the music, June Carter Cash’s daughter, Carlene Carter came to play, sounding strong, bringing sass, and taking full command of the excited crowd. She did have to sit in a chair since she had sprained an ankle, but it didn’t diminish her powers in any way. We were treated to a few of her big hits including “Every Little Thing” as well as a Carter family song. She had her longtime favorite live guitar player, Chris Casello join her onstage; he too is a Robert’s regular performer, and he always makes it move with his searing Telecaster rockabilly licks.

Sarah Gayle Meech with Chuck Mead, Sunny Sweeny, Brennan Leigh, Nikki Lane and Charles Esten

With a lineup like this, as you might imagine, it was one for the ages; at one point you had Brennan Leigh and Sunny Sweeny onstage together with Sarah Gayle, and they brought the party with them. Nikki Lane didn’t disappoint either. She sauntered up in a custom-made outfit that had heads turning and went into a smoldering version of Merle Haggard’s “Big City” and followed it up with Rodney Crowell’s “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This.”

Chuck Mead is like family to Robert’s. His former band BR549 is on the sign for Roberts Western World to this day. In fact, its no exaggeration to say that without the influence of BR549 as the Robert’s house band in the 90s, things may have been dramatically different for the bar and for JesseeLee Jones. Fittingly, Chuck Mead had everyone singing along to his take on the Johnny Horton classic “Cherokee Boogie,” a hit for BR549 back in their heyday. TV star Charles Esten surprised all by burning the stage down with a smoldering take on Waylon’s “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean.”

Bluegrass and Western Swing on Lower Broadway

Western Swing has been a weekly feature at Robert’s for years, and it was well represented with multiple musicians and bands on this day. John England and The Western Swingers put on a killer show early on with Hall of Famer, Grammy winner, and Opry member Ranger Doug sitting in. Western Swing titan Ray Benson sat in with a hand-picked group of pickers and sidemen, including fiddlers Paul Kramer and Eamon McGloughlin and others.

Brennen Leigh sat in with both groups and proved to be the most utilized vocalist of the day—no wonder, when you consider that she recorded an outstanding Western swing album with Asleep at The Wheel backing her. It’s exciting to see this music continue to inspire younger generations, and if Brennan Leigh and others like her have any say in it, it will never die. 

Of particular interest was the fact that the Del McCoury Band and Rhonda Vincent, two of the greatest bluegrass bands of our times played this event. Just last week, JesseLee made his very first musical appearance on The Opry alongside The Del McCoury Band. Del and The Boys didn’t disappoint at all. Typical for a live Del show, he took audience requests, and you could tell there were a sizable amount of true fans in the ever growing crowd as the event unfolded.

The McCourys are mind-blowing pickers and are by far the most awarded IBMA band in history. What a spectacular boost it brought to an already great show. Rhonda Vincent and her band The Rage are heavily awarded too, and the combination was like a one-two knockout punch, energizing the swelling crowd who knew they were witnessing something epic. 

Don Kelley Band guitar showcase

In celebrating the great musicians that have played Robert’s over the years, you absolutely cannot over-emphasize the importance of the Don Kelley Band in showcasing the absolute cream of the crop in country guitar players. The band has been a proving ground for Fender Telecaster guys specifically, and many veterans of the band are now considered among the greatest pickers ever.

One of the evening’s most anticipated sets was a reunion of The Don Kelley Band featuring guitarists Brent Mason, JD Simo, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland, Daniel Donato, Luke McQueery, and David Graham—all alumni of the band and all great in their own way. The big one was Brent Mason, who has become the single greatest studio guitar player of the last three decades. All those ’90s great country records by Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, Alan Jackson, and on and on, featured Mason.

Brent Mason’s carefully crafted techniques are studied by just about all up-and-comers, and probably will be for many more years. Johnny Hiland is visually impaired, but is considered a leading chicken-picking stylist. His playing is nothing short of jaw dropping. Redd Volkaert has the enormous credibility of having played in Haggard’s band. JD Simo can play about any style he wants, and Daniel Donato is a current touring favorite at the moment. Watching these guys jam was an intense experience.

All sorts of Nashville musicians and YouTube content creators were there. It was like watching a horse race with all these hyper-charged thoroughbreds running to get out of the gate. Don Kelley directed them like an orchestra conductor, giving each soloist their time to shine. Bassist Slick Joe Fick also dazzled with his propulsive upright slap bass skills. Songs were just templates for these guys to take turns soloing. It was also one of the most exciting things a Country guitarist will ever witness, and we may never see a similar showcase like it. Several musicians in town came specifically just to see this set. Its one for the history books. 

As this event played out all day on Broadway, you couldn’t help but notice the music that almost none of the music pouring out of the many bars and honky tonks on the strip was country. It was so surreal to be watching a Western swing act on the street, while bad covers of Joan Jett, Guns & Roses, and Fleetwood Mac were pouring out of windows everywhere. While the Robert’s crowds watched actual country music featuring steel guitars, fiddles, the occasional banjo and even an accordion or two, the honky tonks on Lower Broadway served up doses of mediocrity in heaping helpings of classic rock covers of clichéd songs, long ago worn out by radio.

At one point during the day, Robert’s had five pedal steel players onstage demonstrating the glorious history and sounds of the instrument. Pedal steel licks and melodies were soaring all the way down Lower Broad while in the background you could hear eighties metal guitar solos coming from corporate investor-owned soulless bars. Its clear that Roberts Western World, and maybe only a select few others are carrying the traditional music forward, and that’s a shame.

By far though, the biggest and most important take away from this glorious celebration of JesseLee’s honky tonk was a huge surprise for all involved during Sarah Gayle Meech’s set. Someone came up to the stage, flashed a sign at Gayle asking her to pause the show and move to the side of the stage. A group of dark-suited security personnel walked through and secured the perimeter of the stage, and with that, Governor Bill Lee of The State of Tennessee was announced.

Governor Lee had JesseLee, his wife Emily and their two children Pressly and Zane brought to the stage for an important announcement. The Governor began by praising Robert’s Western World as a significant factor in country music history and culture, not only for Lower Broadway and Nashville, but for the State of Tennessee. He congratulated JesseLee on 25 years of ownership and went on to state that Jesse’s accomplishment was very significant, and that his life story was deeply moving. He then opened a folder, pulled out a proclamation declaring in part that on this day of August 5, 2024, and going forward, this date shall be officially declared and known as JesseLee Jones Day for the State of Tennessee.

You could have heard a pin drop in the crowd, and all eyes were focused on JesseLee, who was ever so slightly visibly shaking. He put his hands to his face in disbelief, wiped tears from his eyes and gave the governor a bear hug and then a handshake.

JesseLee Jones raised his arm and waved to the crowd who were applauding, and then walked off the stage having been literally struck speechless. That was a moment to see. The young man, who had fled a bad life in his home country, to seek a better life and follow his country music dreams, who literally clawed his way out of poverty by working hard, enduring adversity, never giving up, and keeping focused on his goals, not only has found his place, but now has an entire day named after him in his adoptive home state of Tennessee.

Not bad at all, I’d say.

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