Grand Ole Opry facts for kids
The Grand Ole Opry is a famous weekly country music show in Nashville, Tennessee. It has shown the biggest country music stars for almost 85 years. This show is broadcast by WSM-AM radio. It is also the longest-running live radio program ever, starting in 1925. Back then, it was a one-hour show for country music.
The Opry celebrates country music and its history. It features a mix of old legends and new stars. They perform country, bluegrass, folk, comedy, and gospel. Many people think it is an American icon. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come from all over the world to see it. Millions more listen on radio and the internet. People call it "the show that made country music famous." It is also known as the "home of American music."
In the 1930s, the show started hiring professional musicians. It grew to be four hours long. WSM radio, which was very powerful, made the program a Saturday night tradition. People in nearly 30 states could listen. In 1939, it started playing across the country on NBC Radio. It quickly became America's favorite radio show. The Opry moved to its permanent home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1943. As the Opry grew, so did Nashville. The city became America's "country music capital."
Being a member of the Opry is a huge honor in country music. Legends like Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, the Carter family, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton have all performed there. More recently, stars like Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire have also been on the Opry stage. Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House. This building is east of downtown Nashville. Sometimes, the shows are also shown on TV, along with the radio broadcasts.
Contents
History of the Grand Ole Opry
How it Started
The Grand Ole Opry began as the WSM Barn Dance. It started on November 28, 1925. The first show was in a new radio studio in downtown Nashville. Before that, on October 18, 1925, a program with "Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet" began.
On November 2, WSM hired George D. "Judge" Hay. He was a famous radio announcer from Chicago. Judge Hay started the WSM Barn Dance with 77-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. This date, November 28, 1925, is celebrated as the start of the Grand Ole Opry.
Some early bands on the show included the Possum Hunters and the Fruit Jar Drinkers. The Crook Brothers and the Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers also played. Uncle Dave Macon, a banjo player, became the show's first big star in 1926.
Where the Name Came From
The name Grand Ole Opry came about on December 10, 1927. The Barn Dance show followed a classical music program on NBC Radio. This classical show was called Music Appreciation Hour. It played music from Grand Opera.
After the classical show ended, Judge Hay joked about it. He said, "Friends, the program which just came to a close was devoted to the classics. Doctor Damrosch told us that there is no place in the classics for realism. However, from here on out for the next three hours, we will present nothing but realism." He then introduced DeFord Bailey, who played a train song. After Bailey's performance, Hay said, "For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the 'Grand Ole Opry'." The name stuck, and the show has been called that ever since.
Bigger Places to Play
As more people wanted to see the live show, the radio studio became too small. They built a bigger studio, but it was still not big enough. So, the Opry started moving to different places.
In October 1934, the Opry moved to the Hillsboro Theatre. Then, on June 13, 1936, it moved to the Dixie Tabernacle. After that, the Opry moved to the War Memorial Auditorium. They even charged 25 cents to get in, hoping to control the crowds. But it did not work! On June 5, 1943, the Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium.
Many top country music stars performed at the Ryman. These included Roy Acuff, who was known as the King of Country Music, and Hank Williams.
From 1939 to 1956, one hour of the Opry was broadcast across the country by NBC Radio. This part of the show was first hosted by Roy Acuff. Later, Red Foley took over. From 1955 to 1956, ABC-TV also showed a live, hour-long TV version once a month.
On October 2, 1954, a young Elvis Presley performed at the Opry. The audience was polite, but after the show, he was told to go back to Memphis and drive his truck. Elvis was known for his new rockabilly music style. At that time, the Opry was only for country music. Audiences did not accept Elvis because his music mixed rhythm and blues. He also moved a lot on stage, which some people thought was too much.
The 1960s and Beyond
In the 1960s, new music styles became popular. The Opry kept its traditional image. Bands with long hair were usually not featured. The Byrds were an exception. This band played country-rock music. They performed at the Ryman on March 15, 1968. The audience was not happy and booed them. The Byrds also broke a rule by playing their own song instead of the one announced.
The Ryman was home to the Opry until 1974. Then, the show moved to the 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House. This new building was part of the Opryland USA theme park. President Nixon attended the opening night on March 16.
The theme park closed in 1997. It was replaced by the Opry Mills mall. But the Opry House stayed. Today, the Opry plays several times a week at the Grand Ole Opry House. In the winter, it moves back to the Ryman Auditorium for a short time.
How to Listen and Watch
The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM-AM radio. It airs at 7 p.m. Central Time on Saturday nights. There is also a Friday Night Opry and a Tuesday Night Opry. A Wednesday Night Opry started in summer 2010.
You can also hear the Opry live on The Roadhouse (XM Satellite Radio channel 10, and Sirius channel 62). A shorter radio show, America's Opry Weekend, is sent to stations across the United States. You can also listen to the show live on WSM's Web site.
PBS showed the program live on TV from 1978 to 1981. In 1985, The Nashville Network started showing a shorter version of the program. It was called Grand Ole Opry Live. The show later moved to Country Music Television and CMT Canada in 2001. It then moved to the Great American Country (GAC) cable network in 2003. The TV version on GAC is currently not airing.
Images for kids
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Signs welcoming drivers to Nashville say "Home Of The Grand Ole Opry".
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Roy Acuff
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Grand Ole Opry logo used from 2005 to 2015
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New members are invited to join the Opry by other members. Here, Mel Tillis (right) gets his Opry invitation from Bill Anderson.
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See also
In Spanish: Grand Ole Opry para niños
