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Songs for Sound
An intimate night at the Grand Ole Opry
An intimate night at the Grand Ole Opry House with friends: Brett James, Jason Sellers, Natalie Hemby, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher and other guests. This charity event
Carl Sublett Retrospective
presented by Haynes Galleries
A retrospective of works by master watercolorist Carl Sublett is being shown at Haynes Gallery in Midtown. The artist, who died in 2008 at the age of 89, breathed motion
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THE BLOWOUT CO.
The Blowout Co. introduces a new Brentwood location.
TOP DOCTORS IN NASHVILLE
Nashville's finest medical professionals — the top doctors in town
Nashville's Most Beautiful People 2010
Written By: Nashville Lifestyles
Photographers: Various
There’s a soap opera called The Bold and the Beautiful, and the title might be as much an apt description of Billy Currington as anything else we can imagine. Boldness he has in spades—he made a huge splash on the Nashville scene when he released his self-titled album on Mercury Nashville in 2003, and he’s only gotten bigger. He’s still feeling the good vibes from his 2008 release, A Little Bit of Everything, and we are all jonesin’ for more from this talented performer.
“My definition of a beautiful person,” he says after being asked what he finds attractive, “is someone having a soul sweeter and prettier than the biggest sunset on the most perfect island. Stripped down greener than the fields of Kentucky blue and more free than the wind.”
If you gave Currington a day to escape, he says he’d spend it checking tides, surfing and then crabbing or fishing in the afternoon. At the moment, his notion of joy is surfing and casting for bait fish from a standup paddleboard.
We’ve got no doubt he’ll redefine beautiful over and over in songs to come, but we like his notions of things just as he says them today, right here.
“My life motto is actually a quote from the movie Wedding Crashers: ‘Rule number 76: Play like a champion.’” For her, beauty is not an excuse to sit out on life’s opportunities. Instead, she follows her mother’s advice: “Beauty is as beauty does.” Her aspirations to travel, write songs and volunteer make her fit that definition of beauty. As for her beauty qualifications for men, Tucker has high standards: “I love Justin Timberlake! He’s practically the perfect man.”
Huff—who sees herself as a “work in progress”—tells us a beautiful person is “someone who doesn’t try to be anyone else besides who they are at the core.” We’re inclined to agree. The gorgeous and talented Liquid Digital Media recording artist—daughter of legendary producer Dann Huff and granddaughter of songwriter and arranger Ronn Huff—is blessed with a sensational voice, and takes inspiration from her talented family as she pursues her pop career.
In the Belmont grad’s eyes, mom Shari is the most beautiful person around, and says, “Your state of mind can really affect your outward appearance.” Dinner with friends happens at Miyako Sushi in Brentwood. “Dragon rolls, mmmmm ...”
For Benjamin, beauty’s all about the radiance that comes from dedicating yourself to the people that mean the most to you. An only child, his friends have become like family. Although he spends much of his time serving all kinds of people in the community—from coaching middle school sports to volunteering for the American Cancer Society, and even giving snorkeling lessons in the Caribbean—he is happiest when he prioritizes spending time with his friends. His ideal day? “On a beach with good friends, cold drinks and live music.”
Though he sees beauty in many of the people he admires most, from his wife to his icons in the music industry, few would suspect the person that holds Troy’s utmost respect: Batman. Considering that for Troy beauty is “an unselfishness that doesn’t require a payback or reward for doing what’s right,” the superhero is a natural addition to his list. A real-life man he admires? “Charlie Daniels. He is a man of great faith, family value, a great American and has a heart of gold.”
A woman with a zen-like outlook, Beth believes that life is about savoring the beauty that the world offers us. Fittingly, she can almost always be found around food or nature: she spends much of her time cooking, hiking through Percy Warner Park, photographing homemade dinners and frequenting Rumba and Whiskey Kitchen. Her beauty secrets revolve around this refreshing life outlook as well—she embraces her naturally wavy hair by keeping a constant supply of Aveda’s “Go Curly” products on hand, to help show off her marvelous hair.
A true Texan at heart, J.T. says, “Life has no limitations except the ones you make.” Considering his dream to dive with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa (Hodges is a scuba diver), it seems as if he has decided to nix the second half of that quote—he’s not going to be setting any limitations. Things he does restrict himself to? Just one: His couch on game days. After all, as much as Texans value the expansiveness of the open range, there is one more thing they take quite seriously—and that would be those Cowboys. Are you ready for some football?
“If I’m going to start now, I might as well start big!” Cindy says, laughing, about how she’s tackling her new musical hobby. Having chosen Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” as her first piano piece to master, Cindy’s fearless attitude makes her a must-have on our list. When asked to describe herself, she says, “I give my all.” Whether that be finding the courage to start her own business, running three half marathons or consistently volunteering through Hands On Nashville, Cindy’s ambition beautifies her from the inside out. Even when daydreaming about a wide-open day with no obligations, Cindy’s prerogative is simple: Live it up!
“Preserve the Sexy.” That’s what Max wrote into the “House Rules” at the Patterson House. For Max, sexiness—actually an amazing and ephemeral quality—clearly matters. An equally important dimension of beauty more closely aligns with his little known title as an ordained minister. He says a beautiful person is “someone who does the right thing when nobody is watching.” When no one is around, Max does just that—in his spare time he coaches basketball at Kipp Academy. Between his sense of humor, his great smile and his dedication to the community, we have only one thing to say. Max, please preserve the sexy.
Jason Babin is a fan of the great outdoors, and he lists hunting and time spent in the wilds of nature as his favorite activities. He loves to escape to his ranch in Texas, although he also admits to adoring Jamaica, the special place he proposed to his beloved wife Sara. You don’t find much of the beauty of nature in the rough and tumble world of the NFL, but he’s got plenty of beauty to come home to in Sara and his sons Maddux and Talan. He’s a big fan of Sly Stallone and Tom Selleck circa his Magnum, P.I. days—and we think those are perfect rugged, manly ideals for this guy’s guy.
Jenny Telwar describes herself as a “charming, charismatic, caffeinated catalyst.” It’s an apt description of a woman who says she acquired and built her company through sheer determination—and probably one who loves a good cup of coffee. The letter “c” stands out in her worldview even further, as she names confidence as the quality that makes people most attractive. When not devoted to work or her two daughters, she dreams of owning a sailboat in the Caribbean, works out with Pure Barre and Chris McClintock, and enjoys watching the UFC fights.
Gregory Byerline
Tallant has an Emmy to his credit from his days in San Francisco, and a big audience here in Middle Tennessee, but his greatest inspiration is his 9-year-old niece Lily, currently battling cancer. “Her fight and determination is unmatched,” he says. He loves to cook, but when he’s not in the kitchen himself, you might find him at Taco Mamacita. Asked what he hopes to learn, he says, “Clearly, I need to learn how to write a song. I had no idea how much cash there is to be made as a songwriter.” With his tongue often firmly in cheek, he makes us laugh, and likewise, we expect to see a lot more of this talented and great-looking personality.
The mother of six and president of a large non-profit organization, Mary Beth keeps her beauty secrets quick and easy: a few products tossed in her cart at Target, walk-in shops for pedicures and the quiet confidence that when it comes to beauty, it’s simply “what is in the heart that matters.” Though she loves Nashville and treasures spending time at home with her family, Mary Beth dreams big when it comes to traveling. She claims her ideal vacation spot is “hands down, Hawaii” and she’s “always wanted to go to Bora Bora where the huts are built over the water.”
Outgoing and fiercely independent, Dilsia says of herself, “Just because I am a girl doesn’t mean I don’t get my hands dirty.” She drives a motorcycle, does her own car maintenance and is planning to sky dive before the end of the year. This outlook on life puts her in league with Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox—not surprisingly, her two favorite celebrities. If the Transformers star needs a new stunt double, Crest Cadillac’s reception desk might just be the right place to find her. That is, of course, if Dilsia isn’t free-falling through the sky that day.
Whether because of his incredibly good looks, his position as team captain for the Predators or his ridiculous, net-breaking, game-tying goal for Canada in the Olympic hockey finals this year, Shea has what it takes to make any girl swoon. Advice for guys left in his wake? “Hair gel.” His life motto: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” This ambitious athlete doesn’t just walk down the right track, he skates—and he isn’t satisfied with stopping there. When asked about a skill he wants to learn, Shea quips, “Speed skating.”
While waking up at 1 a.m. every morning might take a toll on some, Amy is primped and polished to perfection before going on camera. Though she looks gorgeous on screen, she relishes the days when she can let go—“no makeup, just a headband, sunglasses, flip flops and a Sonic Route 44 Diet Coke!” Other times she feels beautiful? “My children bring me the most joy,” she says. “Their laughter brings me the most smiles.” If you already have your fill on smiley natural beauty, however, check out Haute Salon and Spa or Trace Skin Care, two of Amy’s favorites for keeping herself looking amazing.
If you haven’t already figured out that belly dancing can help make you beautiful, Robbie Melton can set an example for you. She can shimmy with the best of them, and understands that grace, confidence and toned muscles will always make you look gorgeous. The devoted wife, mother and grandmother’s own definition of a beautiful person, however, is someone who “sees the beauty in others beyond their faults.” Her hero? Her father, Bronson L. Gentry, Sr., who she says stood up against all odds.
Lake Eakin has lived in the same house for 20 years—it’s here she raised her four sons—and she’s been married to the same man for 27 years. That underlines her staying power, so we’re not surprised to also discover she trained for and ran the 2003 New York City Marathon with a girlfriend, and that she’s a dedicated blood donor. One day, she hopes to learn how to sail, but right now, she can find contentment driving out to the country and daydreaming, or enjoying Percy Warner Park. We envy her serenity, devotion and endurance as much as her loveliness, inside and out.
When it comes to working out, Jerome admits a slight problem: “I typically get sidetracked having a conversation instead of actually getting to work out.” While most of us would feel guilty skipping our workout because of catching up with friends, Jerome says, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When it comes to feeling great, the workout is incidental; feeling great evolves from good relationships.” His entire outlook on life and beauty follows this philosophy. For him, a beautiful person is “engaged deeply in the world around them. It’s somebody who others enjoy and who enjoys life themselves.”
Her obsessions with football, ketchup, the lake and “To Kill a Mockingbird” instantly make Laura the classic All-American girl. However, Laura is more than that—she’s the embodiment, the epitome of a Nashvillian, through and through. “Nashville is my home and music is in my blood,” says the vibrant graduate of Harpeth Hall and Belmont University. Her picks for the best of the city after 24 years of research? Patterson House, Monkee’s of Nashville, Sweet CeCe’s and Trumps Salon. If she were to leave the city, however, she would follow her weakness for beautiful sunsets to Santorini, Greece. We’re hoping she sticks around, no matter how gorgeous the Greek isles happen to be.
A man with two demanding careers, Jonathan quickly learned the value of effective time management, partly by fully appreciating everything his neighborhood has to offer. To him, Belmont Boulevard is the most beautiful place in Nashville because it exhibits this same balance he finds attractive in people—the balance between work and play. He explains, “Where in a big city can you walk to work, then walk to some of the greatest places to shop and eat with your friends?” His grounded prioritizing allows him to spend time doing what he loves: designing, recording music and being with friends.
Clearly a dancer, Sadie lists bobby pins and deodorant as her only beauty essentials. Though her dancing exudes confidence, she admits she is actually quite reserved: “I’m shy. My stage persona is exactly that—a persona.” For an instant boost of boldness, she does what any woman would do: She finds her perfect shade of red lipstick. “I have to put on red lipstick before a studio run of a show. I’m convinced it improves my technique.”
Despite basing his whole professional life on interaction with people, Joshua admits, “I’m a total introvert.” In his free time, he prefers intimate dinners to parties and home workouts to crowded gyms. Working out is only part of Joshua’s philosophy about beauty. For him, beauty is, literally, all about what’s on the inside. He explains that instead of focusing on outside beauty, eating healthy food is the “most important grooming you can do.” Some of his beauty secrets? Try vegetable juice or pumpkin blueberry pancakes.
Though gregarious on camera, Janet claims her best days are when she’s alone and relaxing. Of her many talents, Janet is most proud of one that few do well: “I have mastered napping,” she says. “I would love to master the art of being still, really still.” On her ideal day off, Janet would practice this by strolling through Cheekwood, writing in her journal on a bench in Centennial or floating for a couple of hours at Wave Country.
Considering his hit single “Watching You” describes the many mishaps and rewards of parenting, the fact that Rodney Atkins is a family man is no surprise at all. He loves being a dad, no question about it. And he adores his wife: “She is stunning from every angle. She radiates, not only light, but a guiding, up-lifting light that attracts you and ignites the best in you when you’re around [her].” Even though he makes quite a case for his wife, he nominates a runner-up for beautiful sights in Nashville: “The view from the Opry stage is amazing.”
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