They will all grow in a clay-based soil if it has enough organic matter added to it. Pure clay, no.

I'm in NE Knox County and can't remember all the varieties I grew last year, but do remember the one that performed best for us was Cherokee Purple.

Frances

I love Cherokee Purple (sometimes called Cherokee Black). I search it out at farmers' markets. They sell out fast.
It is a Tennessee native tomato that was cultivated by the Cherokees and shared with the first settlers.
It's a big, beautiful beefsteak with a lot of flavor.
The best bet is to try different heirlooms at the farmers' markets this year -- there are many varieties -- and save the seeds from the ones you like.

I had the best tasting tomatoes from plants from- dare I say it?-Lowe's! They had Brandywine, Brandywine pink & a striped heirloom variety that I lost the tag to & never have seen again. All 3 produced fair, & tasted fantastic! I also purchased 3 different heirloom peppers that did well also-I don't remember the names but have the tags at home. (I'm at work-shh..)I only have limited sun so I just stuck them in my amended flowerbed with lilies & phlox other flowers & they did fine. They came in biodegradeable pots that worked very well-no damage to the roots. I always drool over the heirloom seed varieties but don't have a good set up to raise from seed so go the plant route. Good luck! I also love the Cherokee purple but never found any plants so I buy them from the farmer's market or roadside stands.
Susan