That Eric Alper

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will mark the centennial anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry — the longest-running radio show in the world and one of the most important radio programs in broadcasting history — in a new exhibition, The Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100. It will examine notable performers and key moments in the history of the show that has entertained and enthralled millions. The exhibit, which is included with museum admission, opens on Thursday, Sept. 18, and runs until March 2027.

“The Opry’s status as America’s leading country music radio show, from the 1940s into the 1960s, made possible Nashville’s emergence as the undisputed center of the country music industry,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “This exhibit will survey the enduring history of the program, which has survived a century of evolutions in country music and popular culture, major challenges from new media and sources of entertainment, a catastrophic flood and a crippling pandemic.”

“As country music continues to expand globally, the Opry has stood as its heart for a century,” said Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment Group. “It’s the birthplace of traditions and stories that define Nashville’s unique imprint on the genre. We’re honored to be the subject of this exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, showcasing why the Opry is not only a Nashville landmark but also a cherished touchstone for fans worldwide.”

Over its long history, the Opry has become synonymous with country music and has featured country’s biggest stars among its cast, including Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson, Country Music Hall of Fame members DeFord Bailey, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Vince Gill, Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams and many others.

The Opry began on Nov. 28, 1925, when Nashville radio station WSM aired a performance by 78-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. Inspired by the public’s enthusiastic response, the station’s program director, George D. Hay, created a weekly barn dance featuring local folk performers, which tapped into America’s deep vein of folk music and set the stage for what would become country music’s most beloved and enduring institution.

“The Prince Albert Show,” a half-hour segment of the Opry that debuted over the NBC radio network in October 1939, expanded the Opry’s reach and created a national audience of millions. By the 1940s, the Opry became famous for its singing stars and comedians, helping launch the careers of Country Music Hall of Fame members Roy Acuff, Eddy Arnold, Minnie Pearl, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb and others. Many artists relocated to Nashville for regular Opry appearances, which led to the city becoming a permanent home for the business of country music.

In the world of country music, membership in the Grand Ole Opry is a coveted honor. When the Opry began weekly TV broadcasts on The Nashville Network in 1985, an official induction into the show’s cast became an established practice. Notable inductees in recent years include Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz, the first songwriter to join the Opry, and Henry Cho, both the first Asian American and the first comedian in fifty years to become a member.

The Opry has endured despite many challenges, including from new media and sources of entertainment; damage from a catastrophic flood in 2010, which required months of repair and renovation to the Opry House; and the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the most-watched live music program during the pandemic, continuing its broadcasts from an empty auditorium for seven months.

The exhibit will include historic instruments, clothing, photographs, video clips and other artifacts. Examples of items to be displayed include:

• A wooden steamboat whistle used by the Opry’s founder and longtime announcer, George D. Hay.
• A Hohner Marine Band chromatic harmonica that belonged to Dr. Humphrey Bate, whose string band, the Possum Hunters, was the first to play country music over WSM.
• The hand-built hammered dulcimer Kitty Cora Cline of Westmoreland, Tennessee, played when she became the first female solo performer on the Opry in 1928.
• The 1927 Martin 00-42 played at the Opry by Paul Warmack, a mechanic by trade who led the Gully Jumpers, a hoedown band whose members all came from rural communities around Nashville. The group joined the Opry in 1927 and continued with various lineups until the 1970s.
• A 16-inch, metal-based acetate disc containing the first performance of “The Prince Albert Show,” the segment of the Opry broadcast over the NBC radio network in October 1939.
• Country Music Hall of Fame member Minnie Pearl’s straw hat, decorated with cloth flowers and dangling $1.98 price tag, worn at her Opry debut in 1940.
• A letter from Opry manager E. W. “Bud” Wendell, now a Country Music Hall of Fame member, inviting Country Music Hall of Fame member Charley Pride to become a regular Opry member in December 1968.
• Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire’s custom-made boots, modeled after a pair worn by Country Music Hall of Fame member Patsy Cline, which McEntire wore when making her Opry debut in September 1977.
• The suit worn by Ella Langley at her debut performance at the Opry in February 2023. Langley customized the suit with beads and embroidery in the style of her grandmother’s handwriting.

Opening program
To mark the opening of the exhibition, the museum will host a panel discussion on Thursday, Sept. 18. Participants will include Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Grammy-winning country artist Carly Pearce and Dan Rogers, senior vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry. Paul Kingsbury, the museum’s senior director of editorial and interpretation, will moderate the discussion. The program will take place at 2 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. Tickets will be available on the museum’s website on Friday, Aug. 22.

Family programming
The museum will hold a variety of related programs throughout the life of the exhibit, including arts and crafts programming for families in the Taylor Swift Education Center:

• Wednesday, Oct. 1 – Friday, Oct. 31 – Grand Ole Opry Letter Writing
  • Museum visitors can write a letter to their favorite Opry member. Letter-writing materials will be provided, and guests can put their completed letters in a mailbox for direct delivery to the Opry.
• Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to Noon – Family Program: Adorn a Microphone
  • In partnership with Ryman Hospitality Properties and in recognition and celebration of the Grand Ole Opry, museum visitors can channel their inner country music star to create an inventive microphone using color, gems, sequins and their own creativity. Then, participants can snap a photo behind the iconic Grand Ole Opry microphone stand.
• Sunday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to Noon – Family Program: Bedazzled Buttons
  • Music fans often wear buttons, bracelets and other accessories to show support for their favorite artists. During this program, museum visitors can make their own button celebrating 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry.