What Is the Grand Ole Opry?
- 2 sections
- 1 table
- 4 sources cited
The Grand Ole Opry is a live country music radio show broadcast from Nashville on WSM. It was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as the WSM Barn Dance and took its current name in 1927. It runs two to five nights a week depending on the time of year (Wikipedia). Since 1974 its home has been the Grand Ole Opry House, east of downtown, and it still returns to the Ryman Auditorium for winter residencies. The Opry says every show features eight or more artists who step into its “famous wooden circle” to perform (Opry). That circle is a six-foot piece of oak cut from the corner of the Ryman’s stage and set into center stage at the Opry House (Wikipedia). Being asked to join the Opry is a major honor. Wikipedia counts just over 225 acts that have been members, and about 75 current members as of 2024.
How the Opry Got Here
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1925 | starts as the WSM Barn Dance in National Life & Accident Insurance's fifth-floor radio studio downtown |
| December 10, 1927 | George D. Hay first says "The Grand Ole Opry" on air, while introducing harmonica player DeFord Bailey |
| 1939 | one hour goes national on NBC Radio; the show moves to War Memorial Auditorium (1939 to 1943) |
| 1941 | DeFord Bailey is fired by WSM amid the BMI and ASCAP royalties dispute |
| 1943 | moves to the Ryman Auditorium, its home until 1974 |
| 1954 | on October 2, Elvis Presley makes his first and only Opry appearance |
| 1967 | Charley Pride becomes the first Black performer on the Opry since Bailey |
| 1974 | the Grand Ole Opry House opens; President Richard Nixon attends opening night and plays a few songs on the piano |
| May 1, 1993 | Charley Pride becomes an Opry member |
| 1999 to 2020, and since 2023 | winter runs back at the Ryman |
| 2010 | the Opry House floods in May; the show continues from other Nashville venues, and the Ryman circle is restored to center stage |
| 2022 | NBCUniversal and Atairos buy a combined 30 percent stake in the Opry and its parent company |
| 2025 | the 100th birthday special airs on NBC on March 19, and the Opry plays London's Royal Albert Hall on September 26, its first show overseas |
Source: Wikipedia, with Bailey and Pride details from the DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride articles. Today the Opry is owned and operated by Opry Entertainment, a joint venture of NBCUniversal, Atairos, and majority shareholder Ryman Hospitality Properties; Wikipedia reports that Ryman said in June 2026 it was exploring a sale of its remaining stake. On television, Opry shows have aired over the years on The Nashville Network, CMT, GAC, and Circle.
Seeing or Hearing It
- In person: shows are at the Opry House in Music Valley next to Opry Mills, and at the Ryman during winter runs; check the schedule on opry.com.
- From home: the Opry streams Opry Live every Saturday at 8 p.m. Central on its Facebook and YouTube, and WSM carries the Saturday night broadcast (Opry).
- Backstage: whether a tour fits your visit is in whether a Grand Ole Opry backstage tour is worth it.
The Opry’s former home is covered in what the Ryman Auditorium is.