Author Brian Allison illustrates the darker shades of Nashville's colorful past. Nashville is known for its bold, progressive flair, but few are aware of the city's malevolent past. A rowdy red-light district called "Smoky Row" spawned several fatal episodes. A murderous temptress with a penchant for poison once strolled the city streets. Legends range from Andrew Jackson's bar fight with Senator Thomas Hart Benton to the macabre 1938 Marrowbone Creek cabin murders. In 1938, a state penitentiary fugitive escape triggered a tragic gunfight.
Brian Allison has worked in the public history/museum field for around twenty years. His past experience includes curating, public speaking and creating documentaries. Brian holds a degree from Austin Peay State University in American history. He has also worked as a staff historian for several local museums and served as curator for Travellers Rest Plantation. Brian is co-author of Tennessee State Penitentiary.