GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — From time to time, we glance over the cluttered e-mail inbox and flag the ones to respond to later.
Kirk Jackson is known to many as the Nashville typewriter. He sells and repairs typewriters. He's the same enthusiast who has sold typewriters to Tom Hanks, which he did in 2021.
When Nashville felt frozen last month ago, Jackson got an order via e-mail.
“Since I was snowed in, everything was shut down," Jackson said. "I kind of just ignored it. I had bigger things going on, I didn’t have water at the house.”
He gets orders 12 months out of the year, but this January was no cut and paste.
"Relatively normal — started off with 'Dear Kirk'."
It was an order from Elvis Costello. Jackson says Elvis Costello was supposed to go to the shop in Goodlettsville before his show at the Ryman Auditorium — but something came up.
“Asked as an alternative if I would be interested in being his guest at the Ryman," Jackson said. "For a show on Monday night and I was like yeah, okay, I think maybe that could work.”
Jackson had never seen Elvis Costello perform, but heard his music plenty of times.
"If you're from Nashville, the Ryman holds kind of a special place in your heart and getting to see somebody there that you've loved listening to your whole life is pretty amazing," Jackson said.
These stories — you can't make up.
"Full of energy," he said. "Greeting people, you know coming along the line and talking to people he knew."
Remember — the two hadn't met in person yet.
"He came up to me and goes how are you thanks for coming," Jackson recalled. "Kind of stopped him and was like -- hey it's Kirk Jackson. Nashville Typewriter and he's like oh oh!"
"'The machine is so beautiful, I love it so much thank you so much for coming out!"' Jackson recalled Elvis Costello saying.
Some music and a typewriter probably isn't the duo you'd expect when talking about the Ryman Auditorium.
"Following all of this, I get a follow up e-mail a couple of days later basically just again thanking me for coming out," Jackson said.
What started as a January encounter —
"Hoping to get a letter from him, that'd be kind of fun," Jackson said.
Could February be the start of a storied and forever friendship?
"I might send him one," Jackson said. "Just thanking him again. See what happens."
