On November 28, 1925, a 77-year-old fiddler named Uncle Jimmy Thompson sat down in front of a microphone at WSM Radio in Nashville and played. WSM announcer George D. Hay – who called himself “The Solemn Old Judge” – had launched what he was calling the WSM Barn Dance. Thompson played for an hour. At the end, Hay asked if he was tired. Thompson said he could play all night.
That was the first broadcast of what would eventually become the Grand Ole Opry. The name came two years later, in December 1927, after an NBC broadcast of classical music. Hay followed it on air with: “For the past hour we have been listening to the music taken largely from the Grand Opera, but from now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry.” The name was a joke. It stuck.
What It Actually Is
The Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running live radio broadcast in the world. As of November 2025 – its 100th anniversary – it had produced over 15,000 broadcasts without interruption. It has more than 200 members, of which over 75 are living. It runs 3 to 7 shows per week at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and still broadcasts on 650 AM WSM, the same station that aired Uncle Jimmy Thompson in 1925.
The format hasn’t changed dramatically in a century. Multiple artists appear per show, performing two or three songs each. An announcer introduces each act. The show broadcasts live to radio and now to digital platforms simultaneously. There’s no single headliner; the Opry is the headliner.
The Physical History
The show outgrew its original location almost immediately. Fans started showing up in person to watch, crowding the hallways of WSM’s studio. The Opry moved through a succession of Nashville venues – a 500-seat auditorium in the WSM building, the Hillsboro Theatre in 1934, the Dixie Tabernacle in 1936, War Memorial in 1939 – before landing at the Ryman Auditorium on June 5, 1943. The Ryman years, from 1943 to 1974, shaped the entire modern country music industry.
In 1974, the Opry moved to the newly constructed 4,440-seat Grand Ole Opry House, part of the Opryland USA theme park. President Richard Nixon was at the opening and played piano onstage. Roy Acuff opened with “The Wabash Cannonball.” Before the move, a circle was cut from the Ryman’s stage floor and installed in the floor of the new Opry House stage. Every performer stands in it. It is the single most ceremonially loaded piece of wood in country music.
The 100th Anniversary Year
In 2025, the Opry turned 100. The centennial year included an NBC special on March 19, 2025 – “Opry 100: A Live Celebration” – a three-hour live event hosted by Blake Shelton, featuring Post Malone performing a duet with Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire doing tributes to Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood honoring George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde performing as Johnny Cash and June Carter.
On November 28, 2025 – the exact centennial – more than 25 Opry members performed two shows at the Opry House. Ricky Skaggs opened the first show playing “Tennessee Wagoner” on the actual fiddle Uncle Jimmy Thompson had used 100 years earlier. The shows were livestreamed globally via YouTube and WSM radio.
Membership
Being invited to become an Opry member is the most prestigious honor in country music. Membership is not automatic for successful artists – it requires an invitation, typically delivered by surprise onstage. Bill Anderson has been a member since 1961 and is the longest-serving current member. The Opry’s 100th year brought in members including Scotty McCreery (2024), Steven Curtis Chapman (2024), and Kathy Mattea (2025).
The show has historically leaned conservative in its definition of country, but has continuously expanded its boundaries. The 2025 centennial year featured Post Malone, Aloe Blacc, and Sabrina Carpenter among its debut performers. The Opry’s explanation was clear: the circle on the stage has always been a place where country music defines itself, and that definition keeps moving.
Sources
- opry.com/about/history
- npr.org – At 100 years old, the Grand Ole Opry is the keeper of country music’s legacy (November 26, 2025)
- prnewswire.com – Grand Ole Opry 100th Anniversary Livestream announcement (November 24, 2025)
- nbc.com – Everything to Know About NBC’s Opry 100 Special (March 2025)
- williamsonsource.com – Grand Ole Opry Celebrates 100th Anniversary (December 2025)
- remindmagazine.com – What Was the Grand Ole Opry’s First Concert? (November 2025)