Nashville music figure Owsley Manier, best known for co-founding the iconic Exit/In, has passed away at 77. Manier, a native of Music City, first made waves as a member of the 1960s rock band The Lemon Charade before embarking on a career that would leave a lasting mark on Nashville’s music scene.
In 1971, Manier, along with Brugh Reynolds, opened Exit/In on Elliston Place. What started as a listening room for Nashville songwriters quickly evolved into one of the city’s most storied venues, particularly during the 1980s when it became a 500-capacity rock club. The Exit/In helped shape Nashville’s identity, hosting everyone from up-and-coming artists to international stars. Over the decades, artists like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Etta James, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Muddy Waters, R.E.M., Jimmy Buffett and so many more performed on the Exit/In stage. Countless music videos have been filmed there and it even made a cameo in the 1975 film Nashville by Robert Altman.
John Owsley Manier passed away at his home in Dowelltown, Tennessee, on Friday, October 1. He is survived by his son, Aaron Manier, sisters Cynthia Barbour and Helen Bryan, and niece McKeen Butler. A Celebration of Life will be held at Exit/In on Sunday, October 13, at 3:00 p.m., featuring music and stories in his honor.
On a personal note, the first show I ever saw in Nashville when I moved here 25 years ago was Train at the Exit/In. I was the first of so many great shows I would see there.
Job well done Owsley Manier. Godspeed.
–Jerry Holthouse
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