I'm not at all sure I'd consider Tennessee precisely "southern" for these purposes :-) A zone 6 designation is going to affiliate your growing conditions with more northerly areas. It is the warmer winter zones (8+) where spring bulb growing is a challenge - not a long enough period or cold enough temps to satisfy vernalization.

Species tulips are the most reliably perennial types, even in colder zones. You should have success with some of the hybrids you mentioned as well but even in much colder zones they are not reliably fully perennial.

Tulips perennializing has a lot to do with your summer conditions and most want it dry. I haven't had much luck...and Tennessee is wetter than Arkansas, so...good luck and try small plots vs wasting all your money. I'd allow at least 2 years in your trials before I tried anything bigger.

We moved into our 1972-built home in 2004 and the first spring we had red tulips and pink tulips - in a completely different location on the property - come up. They have come up every year since. I have very little experience with tulips but would love to ID them at some point. They are exactly the same, including a black star-shaped design in the center interior, except for the petal color.

@hopin4rain (7A TN) I forgot to say...if you are in east Tennessee and come to the next spring East Tennessee Plant Swap, I will bring you some. You would just need to let me know on the swap forum. (Now is a better time to dig and re-plant them, but I don't know exactly where they are and won't know until they come up!)