The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry in a brand new exhibit, “The Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100,” which opens Sept. 18.
The exhibit will examine notable performers and key moments in the history of the show, the longest-running radio show in the world that has entertained and enthralled millions throughout its history. The Opry has endured despite many challenges, including damage from a catastrophic flood in 2010 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the most-watched live music program during the pandemic, continuing its broadcasts from an empty auditorium for seven months.
Historic instruments, clothing, photos, and other artifacts will be featured in the new exhibit, including a wooden steamboat whistle used by the Opry’s founder and longtime announcer, George D. Hay; a 16-inch, metal-based acetate disc containing the first performance of “The Prince Albert Show,” the segment of the Opry broadcast over the NBC radio network in October 1939; Country Music Hall of Fame member Minnie Pearl’s straw hat worn at her Opry debut in 1940; Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire’s custom-made boots modeled after a pair worn by Patsy Cline which McEntire wore when making her Opry debut in September 1977; and much more.
“The Opry’s status as America’s leading country music radio show, from the 1940s into the 1960s, made possible Nashville’s emergence as the undisputed center of the country music industry,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “This exhibit will survey the enduring history of the program, which has survived a century of evolutions in country music and popular culture, major challenges from new media and sources of entertainment, a catastrophic flood and a crippling pandemic.”
“As country music continues to expand globally, the Opry has stood as its heart for a century,” says Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment Group. “It’s the birthplace of traditions and stories that define Nashville’s unique imprint on the genre. We’re honored to be the subject of this exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, showcasing why the Opry is not only a Nashville landmark but also a cherished touchstone for fans worldwide.”
To mark the exhibit opening, the museum will host a panel discussion on Sept. 18 with Vince Gill, Carly Pearce and senior vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry Dan Rogers. Paul Kingsbury, the museum’s senior director of editorial and interpretation, will moderate the discussion. The program will take place at 2 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater, and tickets will be available on the museum’s website on Aug. 22.
The Opry began on Nov. 28, 1925, when Nashville radio station WSM aired a performance by 78-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. Inspired by the public’s enthusiastic response, the station’s program director George D. Hay created a weekly barn dance featuring local folk performers, which tapped into America’s deep vein of folk music and set the stage for what would become country music’s most beloved and enduring institution. “The Prince Albert Show,” a segment of the Opry that debuted over the NBC radio network in 1939, expanded the Opry’s reach and created a national audience of millions.
By the 1940s, the Opry became famous for its singing stars and comedians, helping launch the careers of Country Music Hall of Fame members Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Minnie Pearl, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb and others. Many artists relocated to Nashville for regular Opry appearances, which led to the city becoming a permanent home for the business of country music. over its long history, the Opry has featured country’s biggest stars among its cast, including Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Country Music Hall of Fame members DeFord Bailey, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Vince Gill, Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams and many others.
Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected].
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