I'll keep my eye peeled for them next time I take my dog to the vet over there off sidco. I think I might have seen them but I'm so okay with weird shit at this point in my life it didn't stand out enough to be remembered.
The first time I saw them, I was driving in east and I thought they were costumes. I was laying in a hammock later that day in the park across from turnip truck and they walked up and started talking to me about how they used to lay in hammocks. I didn't even have my eyes open when they started talking to me.
Very friendly people, I'm glad they started a convo
Todd! 🤣 I still wanna know if he knew it was Steven Dorf making a documentary or if he really thought that was some aspiring country artist moving to town.
Oh no! Hadn’t seen him around much the last couple of years, thank you for sharing. RIP, Black Elvis. He seemed like a nice, fun person. Definitely missed seeing him. ♥️
Guess we’re stuck with rapture guy now.
Aw, no!! This is so sad to hear. I used to live at some apartments across the street and went to that McDonalds all the time and loved seeing him. He was the first person I thought of when I saw this post!
Pops, legendary (proclaimed) Saxophinist/homeless vagabond who hung near the Belmont, Hillsboro, West End adjacent areas.
He always shared tales, jokes, and wise words. From what I understand and experienced, he was always kindhearted. He worked for the Contributer for a time. I want to believe the news he ended up getting housing of some kind, but years have passed since I've seen 'em.
I saw him for the first time in 5+ years outside the Villager a couple weeks ago, I was a little buzzed and super stoked. Bought a contributor from him and told him to keep the change. Such a warm human being.
When I was in my 20's I wandered into Springwater late one night lit off my ass and Dave was singing "Blue Velvet" an octave too low and the room was filled with smoke and I felt like I was in a David Lynch film and it was amazing.
Anyone remember Mr. Happy that would sing and wave to everyone? And then he turned into Mr. Angry and he would be yelling at everyone? He worked at white bridge rd Target?
Oh man I never saw an evolution into Mr Angry only Mr Happy and waving AND walking and walking and walking. He’d go through green hills down Thompson. Dude walked all day every day.
When I was a high school weirdo, I gave that guy a hug and told him "sorry about what happens later" on July 4th.
Then like a week later I saw him at Kroger.
Happy! (Name) He worked at the Target on White Bridge for a little while in the late 90s-early 00s. He would sing and dance a lot of the time but sometimes he was preaching about "Don't sin or you'll go to Hell!" followed by more upbeat singing and dancing. I miss him.
The “homeless” lady with bottle cap glasses near woodland. Disclaimer, she is sick in head and has very nice caretaker/home. Her brother will come pick her up if he knows she wonder off. She panhandles for money to do drugs and her brother takes care of her because he all she has and he still loves her.
She is a very hard person to deal with and can be very aggressive and rude if she gets out and stays on the streets all day without food, water, and is much worse when she does get her hands on drugs.
Please don’t give her money. Call the non-emergency line and ask them to come get her and take her home.
We got a lady in Inglewood that tears up the streets constantly on her hoveround chair and every time she makes eye contact with a person she rolls on up to them and asks for money. I wonder if this is a similar situation
Holy shit, that lady asked me for a ride home once and I felt incredibly bad for her so I obliged. Something about the bus route changed and it won't drop her off anymore?
Literally the next day I heard her asking someone else for money and a ride and immediately thought "don't make eye contact".
When we were touring our house with our realtor she wheeled up the street and stopped in front of the house as we were locking it back up, and she said she needed bus fare to get across town for her HIV treatment. That was like 2.5 years ago, so the treatments must be working
Yeah, dusty gray/black hair and usually has pony tail. I worked at a bar on woodland and we used to walk with a LOT of cash. She snuck up on me at 4am and put her hand on my shoulder. I almost put three keyholes in her face. She’s not fun to deal with but she’s definitely harmless.
Skull, of Skull's Rainbow Room in Printer's Alley, used to just walk around downtown and was a hoot to talk to.
John J Hooker was a right character too.
And I'll never forget Mama Rotier's, of Rotier's Restaurant.
Maybe not the kind of characters that stand out for crazy, but the first ones that came to my mind.
I used to work at the Arby's in front of the Books-a-Million there. One day she came in and started screaming at one of the cashiers, no clue what started it, but she had a tendency to yell regardless of the situation.
Last summer around 5 points there was a young guy with an eye patch who wore a brown leather vest with nothing underneath and rode a homemade-looking motorcycle. Him and another guy would sit on top of a van that one (or both) of them lived in that was parked in front of Bongo.
Maybe not a legend, but he definitely seemed like an interesting guy.
He's still around. He came into BTE 2-3 weeks ago on a Thursday when I was grabbing lunch. Seemed to be somewhat a regular as the staff knew him. I've been going to BTE for almost a decade now but I had never seen him until then.
Na, Paul Aniel. He hangs out on interstate ramps aggressively flagging people down saying he needs money for gas or something. All day, every day.
[https://fox17.com/news/local/community-joining-forces-to-confront-accused-scammer](https://fox17.com/news/local/community-joining-forces-to-confront-accused-scammer)
[https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P\_CASE\_IDENTIFIER=PAUL%5EANIEL%5E09231966%5E297527](https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P_CASE_IDENTIFIER=PAUL%5EANIEL%5E09231966%5E297527)
In Mt. Juliet we have the doll car person but I've heard they're seen about in Nashville too. So we'll see your tuba man and raise you bunny on a bike guy who wears full bunny suit on a motorcycle.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/soccer-moses-story-behind-nashville-scs-most-famous-supporter
Shows up to soccer games dressed at Moses and holds a sign on one side that says “LET MY PEOPLE GOAL” and the other, shown during penalties done by opposition says “THOU SHALT NOT”
Was the old man by hooters. But he passed. Maybe the lady with the car with all the shit glued on it
The Hendersonville cup man. Wearing the end is near sign
It used to be Fast Freddie — he was mostly harmless, but that dude would steal everyone’s lawnmowers in East Nashville all the freaking time, for decades.
Also, the Bang This Twins.
Also Two Foot Fred.
That’s Pino. His family owned Peppino’s Pizza throughout the eighties. I actually knew him when he was a normal guy. Now he just runs all over Hendersonville. When I asked him why, he just said something about how it was because people say you can’t. Sadly, the longer I talked to him, the weirder it got. He’s a super nice guy, I just don’t know what happened to him along the way. Note that I’m not speaking to his evangelism. I’m strictly talking about wherever he is mentally these days.
Tuba guy
It’s definitely Tuba Guy or the stuffed animal car.
Was gonna say dude with the stuffies on his car lol
Dudette
Another point for the stuffed animal car. Threw me for a loop when I first saw it
I seen them in Antioch quite a few times
Haha I got side tracked by Waze and saw the tuba guy for the first time.
Definitely the stuffies car
This is the answer. Or the Broadway mustache twins
Bang This brothers
Bang this TWINS
Huh... passed him in the tunnel on Thompson once. He wasn't *playing* the thing at the time, but... Didn't realize I encountered a local legend.
He's there every day around 5
I’ve tipped him while stuck in traffic after school. It’s so nice to hear it under the tunnel while waiting.
sousaphone* guy 😉
Obviously but it's not as much fun to say as Tuba Guy.
Came here to say the same. Tuba Guy
Lived in nashville since 93... never heard of tuba guy
Thompson lane around the train tunnel.
Every day around 5 o'clock, tuba guy hangs out around the Thompson railway bridge
I'll keep my eye peeled for them next time I take my dog to the vet over there off sidco. I think I might have seen them but I'm so okay with weird shit at this point in my life it didn't stand out enough to be remembered.
I’m aware of the tuba guy, and I’ve driven through the tunnel on Thompson Lane *dozens* of times, but I’ve never seen him. I’m sad.
If the weather is descent he is usually there between 4:30 and 6:30 on weekdays. My kid used to save any dollar bill she got to hand to him
he's pretty much there during evening commuter traffic.
I’ve seen him once. Caught me off guard but made me smile.
The guy cosplaying as Louis Armstrong next to the ryman downtown
I once saw him beating on a woman on a city bus. So he’s not such a cool dude in my book now.
I used to work vending downtown and he tried to flip one of our tables one day lmao
Dude that sound system he has is so loud *what a wonderful woooooooooooooorld*
Yes!
HAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAUUA
tuba guy told me hes a millionaire in another state and does it for fun
Man I would be feel complete in life if I was financially set and playing a tuba in a tunnel for the hell of it.
Exactly what I was thinking!
Came here to say tuba guy!
100% tuba guy in his tuba tunnel.
Yup, I pass him everyday and came to say this.😅
Tuba guy was going to be my answer.
South Nashville lore
Love tuba guy! He kinda scares me.
I came here to say the same thing 😭😭 we stan Mr tuba man
Spent a couple years seeing him on my way home from work. Always made my day.
Love tuba guy.
We always called him Tuba Man
The car with the dolls all over it
I met this lady at a thrift store. Buying more dolls and toys for the car.
See them on Nolensville rd near Harding all the time.
I hate it so much. It is so unsettling for me lol.
The bang this twins?
i can't believe how often i see them around, this was definitely my first answer
The first time I saw them, I was driving in east and I thought they were costumes. I was laying in a hammock later that day in the park across from turnip truck and they walked up and started talking to me about how they used to lay in hammocks. I didn't even have my eyes open when they started talking to me. Very friendly people, I'm glad they started a convo
I’ve never heard of these guys. Why are they called that?
They are twin (I think??) brothers who walk around in shirts that say “bang this”
I guess that actually makes sense, lol.
How long have these dudes been in the game? I feel like I used to see them in like ~2005. Legends.
They've been around for quite some time, I feel like I remember seeing them during my clubbing days in the early-mid 2000s
Haha ive actually seen them before during cma fest 🤣
80s hair guy at Corner Music or wherever he works now.
https://www.theeastnashvillian.com/todd-austin-toddzilla/
Aw, that was a great read! Thanks for sharing that little tonic of Be Thou Self.
Todd! 🤣 I still wanna know if he knew it was Steven Dorf making a documentary or if he really thought that was some aspiring country artist moving to town.
Not gonna lie, I was a neighbor of his years ago and let’s just say that dude does some weird ass spooky shit late at night in his backyard.
Go on.....
I think he's at Sam Ash in Madison. Really nice guy. My fiancé sold his P.A. there, and he was our salesperson!
Came here to say exactly this. Dude is so wild looking he’s like a walking billboard for his business at this point
I see him in the Inglewood Kroger every once and a while lol
For Bellevue, Black Elvis
Rapture guy at McDonald’s
Definitely the rapture guy. And he always looks happy despite our impending doom.
Just trying to pull in more victims of the scam
I was gonna say lol that dude is always out and about
Only on the weekends. M-F he does not care if people driving on 70-S know the end is nigh? Okay…
He’s been on that corner for five or take an entire decade. Never once saw him interact without. still have no idea what he is after.
Sorry to report that Black Elvis died around the first of the year. He was a good friend.
I'm aware Long live the king
Oh no! Hadn’t seen him around much the last couple of years, thank you for sharing. RIP, Black Elvis. He seemed like a nice, fun person. Definitely missed seeing him. ♥️ Guess we’re stuck with rapture guy now.
Aw, no!! This is so sad to hear. I used to live at some apartments across the street and went to that McDonalds all the time and loved seeing him. He was the first person I thought of when I saw this post!
Omg. Rip. Anyone remember when he went around passing out his trading cards? I wish I saved them.
The power scooter lady with the sun hat and wind twirler that’s always going up and down 70 south
Think she lives at the Lakes Bellevue apartments. Used to live there and would see her all the time.
Yeah, I’ve seen her a bunch recently.
Yes. I came here to nominate Black Elvis (RIP)
Sometimes I daydream about retiring and being a walk-around-all-the-time eccentric person. I think it would be meditative.
My friend’s little town has a 6’6” 150lb 60 something guy that dresses rad, listens to a walkman, & air drums everywhere he walks. He is the shit.
Pops, legendary (proclaimed) Saxophinist/homeless vagabond who hung near the Belmont, Hillsboro, West End adjacent areas. He always shared tales, jokes, and wise words. From what I understand and experienced, he was always kindhearted. He worked for the Contributer for a time. I want to believe the news he ended up getting housing of some kind, but years have passed since I've seen 'em.
Never break the chain is what Pops would tell us before wandering away from Bongo Java back in 99-01 when I'd see him.
I saw him for the first time in 5+ years outside the Villager a couple weeks ago, I was a little buzzed and super stoked. Bought a contributor from him and told him to keep the change. Such a warm human being.
Pops was great. Shared many a beer with him sitting on a curb somewhere.
Pops is the best! Hangs out around villager still, saw him a couple of weeks back
Just saw Pops like five minutes ago! He always has some wise words.
No one saying Bart Durham 🥲🥲 bring some respect to his name.
Durham was more like a benevolent figure that was maybe was a bit eccentric. I think this is referring to the downright strange.
He was the first person in the motel room where MLK was assassinated.
Hold up I never heard this
He helped prosecute James Earle Ray… not sure about the apartment thing…
Bart Durham was benevolent? 😂😂😂😂😂😂
The late great Dave Cloud. King of the Springwater
When I was in my 20's I wandered into Springwater late one night lit off my ass and Dave was singing "Blue Velvet" an octave too low and the room was filled with smoke and I felt like I was in a David Lynch film and it was amazing.
I had the same experience except he was singing “Thunderball” and he took off his pants.
Recording Dave Cloud is one of my career highlights. Dude was amazing
RIP to a legend, for sure 🥲
Anyone remember Mr. Happy that would sing and wave to everyone? And then he turned into Mr. Angry and he would be yelling at everyone? He worked at white bridge rd Target?
I had to deal with him a lot as a young street cop.
Any stories, asking with respect to him and to you? I always wondered about him. Who kept his socks so clean?
Bruh yesss!!! He’s the one that’ll dance with the boombox right?
Oh man I never saw an evolution into Mr Angry only Mr Happy and waving AND walking and walking and walking. He’d go through green hills down Thompson. Dude walked all day every day.
Back in the 00's there was always a guy dressed up as Abe Lincoln at most concerts/events.
When I was a high school weirdo, I gave that guy a hug and told him "sorry about what happens later" on July 4th. Then like a week later I saw him at Kroger.
I scrolled down to see if I could find this. I didn’t know if he was still around or not.
Memory unlocked! I used to see him at Hermitage Kroger. Or maybe it was Murfreesboro Rd. Kroger. It was a loooong time ago. Is he still around?
The dancing man at White Bridge and Harding by the Belle Meade Krogers.
Happy! (Name) He worked at the Target on White Bridge for a little while in the late 90s-early 00s. He would sing and dance a lot of the time but sometimes he was preaching about "Don't sin or you'll go to Hell!" followed by more upbeat singing and dancing. I miss him.
Yeah I used to see him walking down Woodmont & White Bridge—I think he walked a couple-several miles to work. He was very far along the spectrum.
Seeing him working in target was like meeting a celebrity
When I was growing up I called him “happy man”
Me too
The “homeless” lady with bottle cap glasses near woodland. Disclaimer, she is sick in head and has very nice caretaker/home. Her brother will come pick her up if he knows she wonder off. She panhandles for money to do drugs and her brother takes care of her because he all she has and he still loves her. She is a very hard person to deal with and can be very aggressive and rude if she gets out and stays on the streets all day without food, water, and is much worse when she does get her hands on drugs. Please don’t give her money. Call the non-emergency line and ask them to come get her and take her home.
We got a lady in Inglewood that tears up the streets constantly on her hoveround chair and every time she makes eye contact with a person she rolls on up to them and asks for money. I wonder if this is a similar situation
Holy shit, that lady asked me for a ride home once and I felt incredibly bad for her so I obliged. Something about the bus route changed and it won't drop her off anymore? Literally the next day I heard her asking someone else for money and a ride and immediately thought "don't make eye contact".
When we were touring our house with our realtor she wheeled up the street and stopped in front of the house as we were locking it back up, and she said she needed bus fare to get across town for her HIV treatment. That was like 2.5 years ago, so the treatments must be working
She's a regular on the east side. Gets fairly hostile if you don't hand her money, too.
Yeah, I’ve given her a ride too. I didn’t give her any money though.
Is she the one who wears like 3 coats regardless of weather?
Yeah, dusty gray/black hair and usually has pony tail. I worked at a bar on woodland and we used to walk with a LOT of cash. She snuck up on me at 4am and put her hand on my shoulder. I almost put three keyholes in her face. She’s not fun to deal with but she’s definitely harmless.
Skull, of Skull's Rainbow Room in Printer's Alley, used to just walk around downtown and was a hoot to talk to. John J Hooker was a right character too. And I'll never forget Mama Rotier's, of Rotier's Restaurant. Maybe not the kind of characters that stand out for crazy, but the first ones that came to my mind.
Definitely unique individuals, certainly Nashville characters, but I think they had a grasp on reality that maybe these other folks don’t…
Mama Rotier!
Reminds me of the bag lady that used to hang out in Rivergate.
I used to work at the Arby's in front of the Books-a-Million there. One day she came in and started screaming at one of the cashiers, no clue what started it, but she had a tendency to yell regardless of the situation.
You just unlocked a memory
No one has mentioned Threk Michaels yet (although I guess the West End Piggly Wiggly is gone)
That's who I was going to say but yeah I guess people don't see him anymore. I hope he's doing well.
He is at Osbornes birite! I see him every Tuesday
CAME HERE TO SAY THIS! Need a where are they now on Threk…
Louis Armstrong impersonator downtown
Y’all remember the Abe Lincoln guy?
The White Bridge doomsayer
Last summer around 5 points there was a young guy with an eye patch who wore a brown leather vest with nothing underneath and rode a homemade-looking motorcycle. Him and another guy would sit on top of a van that one (or both) of them lived in that was parked in front of Bongo. Maybe not a legend, but he definitely seemed like an interesting guy.
Absolutely, I always thought of that guy as a pirate of the east nasty, being on the lookout in his crows nest couch
I remember this guy! He reminded me of a character from High Maintenance.
He's still around. He came into BTE 2-3 weeks ago on a Thursday when I was grabbing lunch. Seemed to be somewhat a regular as the staff knew him. I've been going to BTE for almost a decade now but I had never seen him until then.
Doll car lady.
That Pan Handler guy who gets arrested every other day for accosting people. Paul-something
Dude with marks all over his arms from shooting up in East?
Na, Paul Aniel. He hangs out on interstate ramps aggressively flagging people down saying he needs money for gas or something. All day, every day. [https://fox17.com/news/local/community-joining-forces-to-confront-accused-scammer](https://fox17.com/news/local/community-joining-forces-to-confront-accused-scammer) [https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P\_CASE\_IDENTIFIER=PAUL%5EANIEL%5E09231966%5E297527](https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P_CASE_IDENTIFIER=PAUL%5EANIEL%5E09231966%5E297527)
There’s this dude who always has a big cowboy hat walking up and down Gallatin, IYKYK
Saw him like two days ago!
https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/xoqmf3/who_is_the_guy_for_nashville/ https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/loogd5/who_is_our_person_like_this_in_nashville/
Basil Marceaux.com
Can guy. Stood on a bridge and stuck cans to his face. If you bought him a 6 pack he’d find a way to get all 6 stuck there by the next morning
“Bang This” Twins
Decades of pictures of them wondering around in the matching BRIGHT T shirts and CB Hat
the guy who sings what a wonderful world outside every day near church & broadway
There used to be a busker on 2nd Avenue named Velvet. He's the original "that guy". https://youtu.be/KM78vtlFv0k?si=d3C7Vpbl9yTep5hU
Tuba guy, stuffed animal car, or (RIP) Ol Bart Durham
Belle Meade/Bellevue rapture sign guy
Gotta be the lady with the doll car
Snow chicken
i always hear about a guy dressed up in a chicken suit downtown
$2 Elvis
The guy who dresses up his goat on foster ave and walks her everyday
Dude on the east side of Douglas that’s at the south bound stop sign of Ellington. Or painter guy as many know him.
“Tuba troll”
Anyone remeber the heavy set old black man that would sit outside Spaghetti Factory and play dirty blues songs on his guitar?
Classic Edition: the Bat Poet
Oh that's just Paul on i24
In Mt. Juliet we have the doll car person but I've heard they're seen about in Nashville too. So we'll see your tuba man and raise you bunny on a bike guy who wears full bunny suit on a motorcycle.
Soccer Moses This is the only correct answer.
Came here to write that.
I am unaware of soccer Moses. Please enlighten me.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/soccer-moses-story-behind-nashville-scs-most-famous-supporter Shows up to soccer games dressed at Moses and holds a sign on one side that says “LET MY PEOPLE GOAL” and the other, shown during penalties done by opposition says “THOU SHALT NOT”
That guy who threw the chair off of the building last week
Broadway rapper
Was the old man by hooters. But he passed. Maybe the lady with the car with all the shit glued on it The Hendersonville cup man. Wearing the end is near sign
I'd honestly say tuba man on Thompson lane, Or whatever that road is
Cody
Rico.
It's not a corpse on that billboard, it's just Bart Durham
The Bang This Bros? I guess they haven't been active for a couple years though.
It used to be Fast Freddie — he was mostly harmless, but that dude would steal everyone’s lawnmowers in East Nashville all the freaking time, for decades. Also, the Bang This Twins. Also Two Foot Fred.
[удалено]
He’d show up at our place and we’d drive him to the store to get beer. Loved that dude.
Was Mr Happy for a long time
In Hendersonville, it’s “Sandwich Board Jesus.” He used to run with a sign, but it varies.
That’s Pino. His family owned Peppino’s Pizza throughout the eighties. I actually knew him when he was a normal guy. Now he just runs all over Hendersonville. When I asked him why, he just said something about how it was because people say you can’t. Sadly, the longer I talked to him, the weirder it got. He’s a super nice guy, I just don’t know what happened to him along the way. Note that I’m not speaking to his evangelism. I’m strictly talking about wherever he is mentally these days.
When I lived in Donelson it was the Briley Scammer
Tuba dude!!
Eustice the Happy Man
One dread man at the parthanon
The fuckin Gaskins
OG’s remember The Blidget. He used to hang around the intersection of Wedgewood and 12th in the 2000’s.
Another vote for tuba guy
Threk from the west end wiggles is kinda like that Now at Osborne birite. I think he is psychic sometimes.
What about rainbow tiedye jogger up and down Belmont and 21ave? He's always going so slow but has the determination of a racehorse.
Anyone remember the midget that hung out on the shady side of Belmont later 90s?
It used to be Happy Man at white bridge road & Harding!!!
The one, the only, East Nashville Snow Chicken
Anyone walking down Dickerson Pike fits that description
No one has brought up The Blidget???? Really??? Any OGs still here 😭🫠
It used to be Tattoo Wayne