'Tennessee Crossroads' host Joe Elmore to be honored with public celebration of life

Nashville Public Television will host tours and present highlight clips before holding an hourlong memorial service at 4:30 p.m. July 25

Nashville Tennessean

• Elmore, 80, hosted 'Tennessee Crossroads' for 37 years
• Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell will speak at Elmore's celebration of life at the station.
• Elmore's relatives, friends and 'Tennessee Crossroads' colleagues are expected at the event.
• People who want to attend the free celebration of life must register online.

Nashville Public Television will hold a public memorial July 25 and start airing a tribute show that night to celebrate Joe Elmore, the beloved, 37-year host of its popular "Tennessee Crossroads," a show that took viewers to nearly every small town and quirky corner of the Volunteer State.

died June 17 after a long illness, though he kept working and making public appearances on behalf of NPT through April.

The television station, at 161 Rains Ave., next to Nashville Fairgrounds, will host a celebration of life from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 25, the station announced.

Station tours and visitation with Elmore's relatives, friends and colleagues are slated for 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. An hourlong presentation, to include remarks from Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, starts at 4:30 p.m.

The gathering is open to the public, but reservations are required to attend. The free reservations can be made online at wnpt.org/events.

WNPT also will start airing a Joe Elmore tribute episode at 7 p.m. July 25 with clips and highlights of Elmore's career.

Co-workers and viewers thought of Elmore as a kind, consummate professional who helped Tennesseans discover charming parts of the state they might not have known about.

"Soft-spoken, humble, a true gentleman and the best representative of the state of Tennessee I ever have known," said longtime Nashville broadcaster Laura Faber, a "Tennessee Crossroads" producer since 2020.

"He was a comfortable soul," she said, "always professional and kind, and the best story teller."

Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384.