The History of The Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is globally recognized as an influencer in country-western music. It began broadcast back in 1925, and serves as the longest running showcases of country music. In Nashville, it’s considered an institution turning artists like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Carrie Underwood, and Garth Brooks into household names. However, the popularity of The Grand Ole Opry and its beginnings aren’t what you might think.
The Start of The Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is synonymous with country music and Nashville, but it was Chicago who aired the first radio show featuring a new type of music called “country-western.” Unfortunately, for many Nashville residents, they weren’t able to tune into the show due to the distance. On the night of November 28th, 1925 a local radio announcer named George D. Hay decided to create their version of the show and cater to southern audiences. The result was a Saturday night broadcast of “The WSM Barn Dance.” The name played homage to the original show based in Chicago but featured folk-music, fiddling, and country-western.
It’s said the name changed when broadcaster Hay referred to the classical music that followed the program as “grand opera.” From that moment on, the station satirically called their show “the grand ole opry” and the name stuck.
The Grand Old Opry Find Its Musical Chops
The popularity of the show multiplied almost overnight, much to the dismay of local leaders. Many individuals were trying to promote Nashville as a cosmopolitan metropolis and thought the music Hay played on his show was too rural. This type of music contradicted what they were working so hard to rebel against regarding image. Nonetheless, locals began to drop by the WSM station to view the musicians through the small studio window. The radio station decided to let people in hoping it would add something extra to the show by having a live audience. Held in the National Life & Accident Insurance company building, the broadcast’s crowds eventually grew so large The Grand Ole Opry had to relocate after a dictate from the executives of the building requested the show to either move from the company headquarters or eliminate the live audience.
Relocating and the Popularity of The Grand Ole Opry
On October 3, 1934, after nine years from its first broadcast, the Opry moved into its first home outside the WSM studios called the Hillsboro Theater. It was a small community playhouse near Vanderbilt that still operates today as the Belcourt Theatre. It was here that the Opry introduced advertising on the show and the broadcast divided itself into sponsored segments still used on the show today.
It was at this time producers would also notice Americans growing nostalgic for their rural past, and began to request all live performers to wear hillbilly costumes and adopt old-time names when performing on stage.
The Grand Ole Opry would move at least two more times before settling in one of its most famous location the Ryman Auditorium. Built through the efforts of a steamboat shipping magnate, Thomas G. Ryman, the auditorium initially opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. This Victorian building had no air conditioning or dressing rooms, but the Opry fit the Ryman beautifully. The show broadcast from the venue, which came to be known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” until March 15, 1974.
The Grand Ole Opry House
In March 1974, the first venue built as the home of the Grand Ole Opry opened. To mark the occasion, they held a ceremony attended by President Richard M. Nixon, who played piano and sang at the performance.
The venue temporarily closed after receiving substantial damage in the historic flooding in 2010, but after five months of restoration work, it re-opened. In March, 2014, the Grand Ole Opry House celebrated 40 years as home of the show that made country music famous.
Nashville Tours and The Grand Ole Opry
Sweet Magnolia Tours offer great packages for anyone interested in learning more about the Music City capital and its history! Some of our tours include tickets to The Grand Ole Opry for those who want to participate in an unforgettable experience.
Nashville Vacation Package
The sounds coming from Nashville are authentic, soulful, powerful and unpretentious and can only come from the place where music is inspired, written, recorded and performed. There is just one Music City. Today, Nashville continues its emergence as an entertainment-rich destination, filled with unique music and venues such as The Grand Ole Opry. Additionally, you can tour a myriad of art galleries, botanical gardens and greenways, plantation homes, honky-tonks, professional sports and fine dining. With an orchestra of options to satisfy every taste, you’ll be encouraged to dance to the beat of your own drummer. So whether it’s listening to live music, soaking in the art scene, exploring history or just relaxing, we know you’ll find many ways to enjoy Music City and learn for yourself why music calls us home.
Deep South Music and Heritage Group Tour
The “Deep South” is more than barbecue, bourbon, and blues and we explore the different intricacies of our Deep South Tour. This tour is for music-loving travelers and those wanting an exclusive experience of the Deep South. We visit places like the timeless Grand Ole Opry–the show that made country music famous. We meet one-on-one with one of the original “Swampers” from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm group who brought us “Mustang Sally” and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and more than 75 Gold & Platinum hits. The package also includes a tasting tour of the Jack Daniels’ Distillery in Lynchburg, home of Tennessee bourbon whiskey. Visit our website to learn more.
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