Grand Ole Opry is a radio program that has been a popular showcase for music since 1925. The “Opry” is the world’s longest running live radio broadcast.
The “Grand Ole Opry” is broadcast on WSM, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The program was conceived by radio announcer George D. Hay. It was originally called the “WSM Barn Dance,” but the name was changed to “Grand Ole Opry” in 1927. The name referred to a program of grand opera that preceded the country music show on Saturday nights.
The “Grand Ole Opry” had no studio audience at first, but its immediate popularity led WSM to build a studio. The show’s following increased after WSM increased the power of its transmitters in 1932, carrying the station’s signal throughout the South and Midwest. As the show’s popularity spread, the “Opry” moved out of the studio in 1934 to a number of theaters in Nashville, notably the Ryman Auditorium, the show’s home from 1943 to 1974. The “Opry” became a national institution after it began broadcasting over the NBC radio network in 1939. The “Grand Ole Opry” also appeared on network television in 1955 and 1956, and on cable television as the “Grand Ole Opry Live” beginning in 1983. In 1974, the “Opry” moved to its own 4,400-seat theater in the Opryland entertainment complex in Nashville.
The “Opry” originally emphasized folk performers from Tennessee. However, by 1938, the show featured a broader range of country singers and instrumentalists, such as Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Red Foley, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Ernest Tubb, and Hank Williams. Another popular “Opry” performer was comedian Minnie Pearl.
The “Opry” management selects musicians to become members, who must commit to appearing consistently on the show. “Opry” membership is an honor similar to membership in a hall of fame. Today, “Opry” members include Garth Brooks , Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire , Brad Paisley , Dolly Parton , Carrie Underwood , Keith Urban , and Trisha Yearwood, among dozens of others.
