Banjo player Brad Bulla was playing with his bluegrass band at The Station Inn around 12 years ago when his 88-year-old mother spontaneously shuffled onto the stage.
Dorothy A. "Dot" Bulla started clogging as the band played century-old fiddle tune "Angeline the Baker."
"The crowd went absolutely nuts," Brad said. "Everyone was astounded she was so spry."
After that, Dot Bulla danced nearly every time her son's band played The Station Inn, which happens several times a year. She started to develop her own fans, and Bulla became popular on The Station Inn's social media accounts. Now she is one of Nashville's most beloved dancers.
A New Year's Eve photo of her hoisting a bottle of Corona became the iconic bluegrass club's most popular post ever,
her son said.
For her 100th birthday bash on Oct. 4, more than 100 relatives, friends and fans packed into The Station Inn for cake, a bunch of laughs, live music and, of course, clog dancing. Well, by Bulla, anyway.
Five generations of her family showed up, including two great-grandbabies. A family friend, Nashville area mega-developer George Tomlin of GBT Realty, presented Bulla with the "Unofficial Clogging Champion of the World" award, complete with trophy, plaque and sash.
"People were laughing and crying. It was amazing," Brad said. "It just turned into one good vibe after another."
His band, Fireball Mail, performed, and the show became a family affair. Before the music stopped, Dot Bulla's fiddler granddaughter, a flatpickin' grandson, and two grandbabies, ages 2 and 4, holding tiny instruments, had all hit the stage.
Brad Bulla brought the house to tears by performing a song he'd written for his mom, "A Praying Mother," to honor her faith.
And when she was done clogging and receiving her unofficial award, Bulla took the microphone.
The centurion, who until three years ago lived on her own and drove a car, detailed decades of loss. That included her husband of 62 years, two grandsons, two sons and five brothers.
But, her son said afterward, "her message was not one of sadness. It was about choosing gratitude, maintaining faith, loving your family, forgiving people, helping others, continuing to learn and having the courage to live fully."
Do you know some other extraordinary people we should feature? Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville clogger celebrates 100th birthday with Station Inn dance
