Okla-homey
11/28/2007, 06:33 AM
Nov. 28, 1925 : The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting
82 years ago, on this day in 1925, The Grand Ole Opry, the longest-lived and most popular American musical showcase, begins broadcasting live from Nashville, Tennessee.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6280/oooooooooo991022fhh8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. The building was originally a gospel mission. The Opry is now broadcast most of the year from its new studios owned by the Gaylord family. If you decide to go, go between Thanksgiving and the middle of January when the show is broadcast from the Ryman for "old time's sake."
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1285/oooooooooooograndoleoprvu1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The Opry in its new digs pwn3d by the Gaylord family
The show started as a country-music hour on WSM*, a Nashville radio station. Host George Dewey Hay loved "old-timey" country music and invited an 83-year-old Civil War veteran to play his fiddle for an hour one afternoon. People seemed to like it.
http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/33299/2003671779477634962_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003671779477634962)
Hay and the old fiddler who started it all.
Hay continued to encourage grassroots musicians to come to the studio and play, and soon audiences were flocking there as well. In 1959, the show, previously called the "The WSM Barn Dance," was dubbed "The Grand Ole Opry."
http://aycu16.webshots.com/image/34615/2003647117717083229_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003647117717083229)
George Hay. Founder of the Opry.
Although the show lasted only an hour on the air, the live version often ran for four hours or more. The audience kept outgrowing the studio-from a small space, to a 500-seat studio, to the 2,000-seat Ryman auditorium in 1939. In 1974, the show moved to a new home, "Opryland," which boasted a 4,400-seat theater.
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/6850/oooooooooooooooooooo188pz9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Little Jimmy Dickens. The Opry's "Mini Me." Your correspondent and his family had the pleasure of meeting Mr Dickens once. He's about 4'9" or so and extremely gracious. He gives the fans a ton!
The Grand Ole Opry always aired on Saturday nights and featured folk music, fiddling, and the relatively new genre of country-western music.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7059/oooooooooooooooooooxroyfb2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Opry greats Roy Acuff, Red Foley, Minnie Pearl and Ernest Tubb
The show created a growing audience for a uniquely American style of music and were launching grounds for many of America's most-loved musicians--the singing cowboy Gene Autry got his first big break on the Opry.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/635/ooooooooooooooooooooosqva6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Random acts of square-dancing often break out during Opry broadcasts
The WSM producers recognized that Americans were growing nostalgic for the rural past, so all live performers at the Grand Ole Opry were required to dress in hillbilly costumes and adopt old-time names.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/689/ooooooooooooooooomaxinecy6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Chicks dig Opry stars. Here's "Grampaw Jones" getting kissed by an enamored fan...and no, that woman is not Porter Waggoner in drag
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3896/ooooooooooooooolynnmcbrlw8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Opry goddesses Loretta and Martina
The four-and-a-half-hour Grand Ole Opry program became one of the most popular broadcasts in the South, and like its Chicago cousin, helped make country-western an enduring part of the popular American musical landscape.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2019/oooooooooooooooooooogayfw2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Immerse yourself in hillbilly glory at the Gaylord's Opryland Hotel in Nashville
*"WSM" radio was originally owned by a life insurance company. That company's tagline was "We Shield Millions," hence the call letters they chose for their station.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/6706/insane7zovj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
82 years ago, on this day in 1925, The Grand Ole Opry, the longest-lived and most popular American musical showcase, begins broadcasting live from Nashville, Tennessee.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6280/oooooooooo991022fhh8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. The building was originally a gospel mission. The Opry is now broadcast most of the year from its new studios owned by the Gaylord family. If you decide to go, go between Thanksgiving and the middle of January when the show is broadcast from the Ryman for "old time's sake."
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1285/oooooooooooograndoleoprvu1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The Opry in its new digs pwn3d by the Gaylord family
The show started as a country-music hour on WSM*, a Nashville radio station. Host George Dewey Hay loved "old-timey" country music and invited an 83-year-old Civil War veteran to play his fiddle for an hour one afternoon. People seemed to like it.
http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/33299/2003671779477634962_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003671779477634962)
Hay and the old fiddler who started it all.
Hay continued to encourage grassroots musicians to come to the studio and play, and soon audiences were flocking there as well. In 1959, the show, previously called the "The WSM Barn Dance," was dubbed "The Grand Ole Opry."
http://aycu16.webshots.com/image/34615/2003647117717083229_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003647117717083229)
George Hay. Founder of the Opry.
Although the show lasted only an hour on the air, the live version often ran for four hours or more. The audience kept outgrowing the studio-from a small space, to a 500-seat studio, to the 2,000-seat Ryman auditorium in 1939. In 1974, the show moved to a new home, "Opryland," which boasted a 4,400-seat theater.
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/6850/oooooooooooooooooooo188pz9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Little Jimmy Dickens. The Opry's "Mini Me." Your correspondent and his family had the pleasure of meeting Mr Dickens once. He's about 4'9" or so and extremely gracious. He gives the fans a ton!
The Grand Ole Opry always aired on Saturday nights and featured folk music, fiddling, and the relatively new genre of country-western music.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7059/oooooooooooooooooooxroyfb2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Opry greats Roy Acuff, Red Foley, Minnie Pearl and Ernest Tubb
The show created a growing audience for a uniquely American style of music and were launching grounds for many of America's most-loved musicians--the singing cowboy Gene Autry got his first big break on the Opry.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/635/ooooooooooooooooooooosqva6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Random acts of square-dancing often break out during Opry broadcasts
The WSM producers recognized that Americans were growing nostalgic for the rural past, so all live performers at the Grand Ole Opry were required to dress in hillbilly costumes and adopt old-time names.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/689/ooooooooooooooooomaxinecy6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Chicks dig Opry stars. Here's "Grampaw Jones" getting kissed by an enamored fan...and no, that woman is not Porter Waggoner in drag
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3896/ooooooooooooooolynnmcbrlw8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Opry goddesses Loretta and Martina
The four-and-a-half-hour Grand Ole Opry program became one of the most popular broadcasts in the South, and like its Chicago cousin, helped make country-western an enduring part of the popular American musical landscape.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2019/oooooooooooooooooooogayfw2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Immerse yourself in hillbilly glory at the Gaylord's Opryland Hotel in Nashville
*"WSM" radio was originally owned by a life insurance company. That company's tagline was "We Shield Millions," hence the call letters they chose for their station.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/6706/insane7zovj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)