Did You Know...

The first Grand Ole Opry show featured Uncle Jimmy Thompson, a famous fiddler who knew more than a thousand fiddle rounds, and George D. Hay as the radio announcer. He called the program the WSM Barn Dance but then gave it a name that still stands today, the Grand Ole Opry. They went from performing on the radio to hosting live shows at The Hillsboro Theatre, the Dixie Tabernacle and The War Memorial Auditorium. At the time, the cost of admission was 25 cents, but the crowds still filled the arenas with over 3,000 attending each concert by 1943. The Ryman hosted the Opry until it was moved to the Grand Ole Opry house, where it still is today. Gaylord Entertainment owns The Grand Ole Opry, and also operates Gaylord Hotels and ResortQuest International.

In 1939, NBC Radio broadcasted the Opry with Prince Albert Cigars as their sponsor. Featured artists included Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff, Little Rachel, the Weaver Brothers and Elviry, and the Solemn Old Judge. The Grand Ole Opry has had new artists, great artists, and legends under its wing over the years and continues to do so through the new millennium. Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry, has been knighted as 'Music City, USA'.

The Opry is available to a plentiful audience through a variety of media. Whether it's live, over the radio, internet, satellite, or television, the fan base has never stopped growing and continuing to embrace its presence in the world of country music.