Grand Ole Opry

Ever since I was 13 and discovered the beauty of Classic Country music, I had dreamed of going to the Grand Ole Opry. I was traveling by myself, so I went by myself, but it was a wonderful experience. I felt as though I were in another time, with Little Jimmy Dickens and all the other regulars there. I was lucky enough to get to see Dwight Yoakam perform (his first Opry performance in 16 years) - and he performed his tributes to Buck Owens, one of the best singers of all time.

The Grand Ole Opry is truly a Nashville staple, and you can't go without it, if you truly want to experience this beautiful city. I highly recommend the early evening show on Saturday, where an hour is shown live on country music television.

OMG! I added Nashville onto my USA trip because I have always wanted to go the Grand Ole Opry! Tim booked us 2 tickets to the Friday April 25th show! The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays from March through December. It is the oldest continuous radio program in the United States, having been broadcast on WSM since October 5, 1925.

On October 2, 1954, a teenage Elvis Presley made his first (and only) performance there, after the show he was told by one of the organizers that he ought to return to Memphis to resume his truck-driving career, prompting him to swear never to return.

The Ryman was home to the Opry until 1974, when the show moved to the 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House, nine miles east of downtown Nashville. The Opry currently plays several times a week at the Grand Ole Opry House except for an annual winter run at the Ryman Auditorium.

I saw performances by country stars such as Kathy Mattea, Rebecca Lynn Howard (she was one of my favourites! she has an amazing vocal range), Connie Smith, John Conlee, Eddy Raven, Jimmy Dickens, Dailey Vincent and many others. I had a wonderful night and it really was a dream come true to visit! The tickets cost around $35 + and its best to book online at www.opry.com I hope you have fun as much fun as I did at the Grand Ole Opry!

The Grand Ole Opry is the longest running radio show in the world. It began broadcasting in 1925 on WSM out of Nashville, TN. The show was originally called “The Barn Dance”. It followed another radio program dedicated to classical music. The announcer, introducing The Barn Dance, said words to the effect ‘For the past hour you have been listening to music from grand opera. Now, hold on for the next three hours as we bring you songs from the Grand Ole Opry!’ As popularity grew people would show up to “watch” the radio show, through the window at the studio. Soon they were letting people in and charging admission. It has grown to the point that after several moves (the most famous being the Ryman Auditorium) that now 4400 people can watch the show at a time.

The show features artists performing Country and Western Music. Anyone who is or was anyone has appeared at one time or another. The night we were there we saw; Porter Wagoner, John Conlee, Little Jimmy Dickens, Osmond Brothers, Jan Howard, Bering Strait, Jean Shepherd, Mike Snider, Jim Ed Brown, Graham Brown, Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, Bill Anderson and Josh Turner.

If you are a fan of Country/Western you will see that the artists are heavily favored toward the previous generations of the genre. But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the show. Three of the artists I listed above are in Country Music Hall of Fame. You don’t make that elite list (101 only) unless you give a good performance. We had a great time! There was plenty of comedy thrown in with the music. The performers also know which side their bread is buttered on, so audience members can come right up to the stage and take close up pictures. Don’t be surprised if some of the Old Timers mug for the camera a bit.

The show lasts for 2 1/2 hours and as you can see they get on a lot of acts. The down side to that is you won’t hear more than two, three if you are really lucky, songs from your favorite. The show is only broadcast on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tickets run from $34 to $49 and tend to be a popular ticket, so the best seats go early. This is actual radio program, so you will see the announcer off to the side, and see the live commercials that they do. It’s quite an experience!