When you see a bar, especially in Nashville, that bears the name of a famous country music star, you just assume that the star is the actual owner, right? Well, sometimes that is true. Not always, though. We are reluctant to burst your bubble, but the reality is that plenty of stars do not own the bars featuring their names. Their names over the door sure do draw crowds, though.
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Lots of country music stars are very shrewd business people. They are diversified. In addition to touring and recording, they may have published books or created apparel lines. Perhaps they are involved in other ventures that are money-makers for them. That's what supports their lifestyle, which is often grander than you might imagine. Branching out into the popular culinary or hospitality space is no stretch for them.
Per Whiskey Riff, "Now, most of these artists don't actually own their own bars. Alan Jackson, John Rich, Garth Brooks and Eric Church are (as far as I know) the only artists who actually own the bars with their names on them. The others simply license their name to hospitality corporations for the venues (although there may be some sort of partial ownership involved too)."
This Doesn't Mean That The Stars Don't Have Some Input Into The Bars Named For Them
They Are Usually Connected To Some Degree
If you visit a Nashville watering hole named for some famous country music singer, don't expect that celebrity to be there tending bar and greeting guests. (Okay, I admit that would be really nice!) Still, they can and do have some say in what goes on at those places. Like the dishes on the menu, maybe.
For example, per the outlet, "Miranda's [Lambert's] bar features nods to her native Texas in the food and drink menu, and Morgan Wallen's bar will reportedly highlight the food and drink of his home in East Tennessee."
It's All About Commerce And Cash
If One Star's Name Comes Off A Bar, Another's Quickly Goes Up
Take the case of FGL (Florida Georgia Line) House. Ir closed because, as the outlet speculates, "the licensing agreement for the name expired and FGL or the hospitality corporation behind the bar, TC Restaurant Group, or both, decided not to continue on with the theme now that the duo have gone their separate ways."
So what happened next? That establishment was slated to become the Bell Bottoms Up Bar associated with Lainey Wilson.
And if she ever drops out of the picture, you can be sure that a different country music star will be waiting in the wings to offer the use of their name.
