MAY 8, 2015

COUNTRY’S MOST FAMOUS STAGE. What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925, the Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country-music live stage concert and the longest-running radio broadcast in history. Dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present, the Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. Performances include country music, bluegrass, folk and gospel, as well as comedy and skits. Considered an American icon, the Opry attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.

The Ryman Auditorium housed the Opry until 1974.

FROM THE RYMAN TO THE OPRY HOUSE. The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,400-seat live performance venue which opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. It was used for Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from 1943 until 1974, when the Opry built a larger venue just outside Nashville, called the Grand Ole Opry House. The Ryman is still a major attraction and operating entertainment venue, but the Opry itself is now performed at the House.

OPRY MEMBERSHIP. Membership in the Opry is one of country music’s crowning achievements. Music legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins and Ernest Tubb were regulars on the Opry’s stage during their time. In recent decades, the Opry has hosted contemporary stars including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.

The Grand Ole Opry House. Home to the show since 1974. There is pew-style seating for almost 4,500 guests!

OUR VISIT TO THE OPRY HOUSE. We purchased our tickets for tonight’s show about a month ago. We weren’t sure if we’d have to dress up a bit to “attend the opera.” Not to worry. After asking around this afternoon, we learned that just as the styles vary on the Opry stage, so they do in the seats of the Opry House. You’ll see everything from faded jeans to business suits, and from cowboy hats to your Sunday best. There’s just one rule about dress at the Opry…you have to wear something! Yep, we’ll do just that!

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MAY 8, 2015

WE’RE HERE! We’ve arrived in Nashville, Tennessee…the heart and soul of the country music industry. Located in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee, Nashville is the state capital as well as the city of Andrew Jackson. It combines the grace and warmth of the Old South with the economic vitality of today’s Sun Belt states. The state gets some ancient influence in Centennial Park, where inside the full-scale model of the Parthenon is an awesome, gigantic statue of Athena.

LOTS TO SEE. There is really a lot here to see: the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry House and the honkytonk strip on Broadway offering free live music every day of the year.  With more than 180 recording studios and 5,000 working musicians, Nashville is clearly “Music City.”

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