Grand Ole Opry - wikipedia Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry Genre Country, bluegrass, gospel Running time 30 - minute segments ( 7 : 00 pm -- 9 : 30 pm ) Country of origin United States Language ( s ) English Home station WSM radio Sirius XM Satellite Radio Announcer Eddie Stubbs Created by George D. Hay Recording studio Nashville, Tennessee Original release November 28, 1925 ( 1925 - 11 - 28 ) -- present Sponsored by Humana Cracker Barrel Dollar General Website www.opry.com The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country - music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, which was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one - hour radio `` barn dance '' on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment ( a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. ), it is the longest - running radio broadcast in US history, albeit not the longest - running one on a radio network. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart - toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, gospel, and comedic performances and skits. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and Internet listeners. The Opry 's current primary slogan is `` The Show that Made Country Music Famous ''. Other slogans include `` Home of American Music '' and `` Country 's Most Famous Stage ''. In the 1930s the show began hiring professionals and expanded to four hours ; and WSM, broadcasting by then with 50,000 watts, made the program a Saturday night musical tradition in nearly 30 states. In 1939, it debuted nationally on NBC Radio. The Opry moved to a permanent home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America 's `` country music capital ''. The Grand Ole Opry holds such significance in Nashville that its name is included on the city / county line signs on all major roadways. The signs read `` Music City Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Home of the Grand Ole Opry ''. Membership in the Opry remains one of country music 's crowning achievements. Such country music legends as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Roy Acuff, the Carter family, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells and Minnie Pearl became regulars on the Opry 's stage. In recent decades, the Opry has hosted such contemporary country stars as Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Chris Young and Ricky Skaggs. Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown Nashville, with an annual three - month winter foray back to the Ryman since 1999. Performances have been sporadically televised in addition to the radio programs. Contents 1 History 1.1 Beginnings 1.2 Name 1.3 Larger venues 1.4 1960s 1.5 Grand Ole Opry House 1.6 Return to Ryman Auditorium 1.7 2010 flooding 2 Broadcasts 3 Membership 4 Controversies 5 Commercialization 6 Honors 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links History Beginnings Decorative brickwork at Opryland Hotel depicting Ryman Auditorium with Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff The Grand Ole Opry started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth - floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925. On October 18, 1925, management began a program featuring `` Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet of old - time musicians. '' On November 2, WSM hired long - time announcer and program director George D. `` Judge '' Hay, an enterprising pioneer from the National Barn Dance program at WLS in Chicago, who was also named the most popular radio announcer in America as a result of his radio work with both WLS and WMC in Memphis, Tennessee. Hay launched the WSM Barn Dance with 77 - year - old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson on November 28, 1925, which is celebrated as the birth date of the Grand Ole Opry. Some of the bands regularly on the show during its early days included Bill Monroe, the Possum Hunters ( with Dr. Humphrey Bate ), the Fruit Jar Drinkers with Uncle Dave Macon, the Crook Brothers, the Binkley Brothers ' Dixie Clodhoppers, Sid Harkreader, Deford Bailey, Fiddlin ' Arthur Smith, and the Gully Jumpers. Judge Hay, however, liked the Fruit Jar Drinkers and asked them to appear last on each show because he wanted to always close each segment with `` red hot fiddle playing ''. They were the second band accepted on Barn Dance, with the Crook Brothers being the first. When the Opry began having square dancers on the show, the Fruit Jar Drinkers always played for them. In 1926, Uncle Dave Macon, a Tennessee banjo player who had recorded several songs and toured the vaudeville circuit, became its first real star. Signs welcoming motorists to Nashville on all major roadways include the phrase `` Home Of The Grand Ole Opry ''. Name The phrase `` Grand Ole Opry '' was first uttered on the air on December 10, 1927. At the time, Barn Dance followed the NBC Red Network 's Music Appreciation Hour, a program of classical music and selections from grand opera presented by classical conductor Walter Damrosch. On that particular night, Damrosch had remarked that `` there is no place in the classics for realism. '' In response, Opry presenter George Hay said : Friends, the program which just came to a close was devoted to the classics. Doctor Damrosch told us that there is no place in the classics for realism. However, from here on out for the next three hours, we will present nothing but realism. It will be down to earth for the `` earthy ''. Hay then introduced DeFord Bailey, the man he had dubbed the `` Harmonica Wizard '', saying : For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on, we will present the `` Grand Ole Opry ''. Bailey then stepped up to the mic to play `` The Pan-American Blues, '' his song inspired by the Pan-American, a premier L&N Railroad passenger train. Larger venues As audiences for the live show increased, National Life & Accident Insurance 's radio venue became too small to accommodate the hordes of fans. They built a larger studio, but it was still not large enough. After several months with no audiences, National Life decided to allow the show to move outside its home offices. In October 1934, the Opry moved into then - suburban Hillsboro Theatre ( now the Belcourt ) ; and then on June 13, 1936, to the Dixie Tabernacle in East Nashville. The Opry then moved to the War Memorial Auditorium, a downtown venue adjacent to the State Capitol. A 25 - cent admission was charged to try to curb the large crowds, but to no avail. On June 5, 1943, the Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium. Roy Acuff Ryman Auditorium, the `` Mother Church of Country Music '' Top - charting country music acts performed during the Ryman years, including Roy Acuff, called the King of Country Music, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, Martha Carson, Lefty Frizzell, and many others. One hour of the Opry was nationally - broadcast by the NBC Red Network from 1939 to 1956 ; for much of its run, it aired one hour after the program that had inspired it, National Barn Dance. The NBC segment, originally known by the name of its sponsor, The Prince Albert Show, was first hosted by Acuff, who was succeeded by Red Foley from 1946 to 1954. From October 15, 1955 to September 1956, ABC - TV aired a live, hour - long television version once a month on Saturday nights ( sponsored by Ralston - Purina ), pre-empting one hour of the then - 90 - minute Ozark Jubilee. From 1955 to 1957, Al Gannaway owned and produced both The Country Show and Stars of the Grand Ole Opry, filmed programs syndicated by Flamingo Films. Gannaway 's Stars of the Grand Ole Opry was the first television show shot in color. On October 2, 1954, a teenage Elvis Presley made his only Opry performance. Although the audience reacted politely to his revolutionary brand of rockabilly music, after the show Opry manager Jim Denny told Presley 's producer Sam Phillips that the singer 's style did not suit the program. 1960s In the 1960s, as the hippie counterculture movement spread, the Opry maintained a strait - laced, conservative image with `` longhairs '' not being featured on the show. The Byrds were a notable exception. Country rock pioneer Gram Parsons, who at that time was a member of The Byrds, was in Nashville to work on the band 's country rock album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. The band 's record label, Columbia Records, had arranged for The Byrds to be allowed to perform at the Ryman on March 15, 1968, a prospect that thrilled Parsons. However, when the band took the stage the audience 's response was immediately hostile, resulting in derisive heckling, booing and mocking calls of `` tweet, tweet '' and `` cut your hair '' The Byrds further outraged the Opry establishment by breaking with accepted protocol when they performed Parsons ' song `` Hickory Wind '' instead of the Merle Haggard song `` Life in Prison '', as had been announced by Tompall Glaser. Another artist that ran afoul of the Opry 's stringent standards was Jerry Lee Lewis, who, after several years of success on the country charts, made his first and only appearance on the show on January 20, 1973. Given two conditions for his appearance ( no rock and roll and no profanity ), Lewis proceeded to disregard both ( referring to himself as a certain unairable maternal insult at one point ) and, in a continuous 40 - minute set, played a mixture of his rock and roll hits and covers of other singers ' country songs. Lewis was said to be bitter about how he was treated when he first arrived in Nashville in 1955 and supposedly used his Opry appearance to exact revenge on the Nashville music industry. Grand Ole Opry House Grand Ole Opry House U.S. National Register of Historic Places Grand Ole Opry House Show map of Tennessee Show map of the US Show all Location 2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37214 Coordinates 36 ° 12 ′ 24 '' N 86 ° 41 ′ 32 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.20667 ° N 86.69222 ° W ﻿ / 36.20667 ; - 86.69222 Coordinates : 36 ° 12 ′ 24 '' N 86 ° 41 ′ 32 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.20667 ° N 86.69222 ° W ﻿ / 36.20667 ; - 86.69222 Area 4 acres ( approx. ) Built 1972 - 74 Architect Welton Becket & Associates ; Pierre Cabrol Architectural style Modern / Brutalist Restored 2010 ( flood damage remediation ) NRHP reference # 14001222 Added to NRHP January 27, 2015 The Ryman Auditorium was home to the Opry until 1974. By the late 1960s, National Life & Accident desired a new, larger and more modern home for the long - running radio show. Ryman Auditorium, already 51 years old at the time the Opry moved there, was beginning to suffer from disrepair as the downtown neighborhood around it fell victim to increasing urban decay. Despite these shortcomings, the show 's popularity was increasing and its weekly crowds were outgrowing the 3,000 - seat venue. The Opry 's operators were seeking to build a new air - conditioned theatre with a greater capacity, ample parking, and the ability to easily serve as a television production facility. The ideal location would be in a less urbanized area of town, providing visitors a more controlled, safer, and more enjoyable experience. National Life & Accident purchased farmland owned by a local sausage manufacturer ( Rudy 's Farm ) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville, nine miles east of downtown, and adjacent to the newly constructed Briley Parkway. The new Opry venue was to be the centerpiece of a grand entertainment complex at that location, which would later come to include Opryland USA Theme Park and Opryland Hotel. The theme park opened to the public on June 30, 1972, well ahead of the 4,000 - seat Opry House, which debuted nearly two years later, on Saturday, March 16, 1974. Opening night was attended by sitting U.S. President Richard Nixon, who played a few songs on the piano. To carry on the tradition of the show 's run at the Ryman, a six - foot circle of oak was cut from the corner of the Ryman 's stage and inlaid into center stage at the new venue. The artists on stage usually stand on the circle as they perform. While the theme park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season, the Grand Ole Opry House remains in use. The immediate area around it was left intact through the construction of Opry Mills, which opened in May 2000. The Opry continues to be performed every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry House from March through November each year. Grand Ole Opry logo used from 2005 to 2015 The Grand Ole Opry House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2015. Return to Ryman Auditorium Following the departure of the Opry, Ryman Auditorium sat mostly vacant and decaying for twenty years. An initial effort by National Life & Accident to tear down the Ryman and use its bricks to build a chapel at Opryland USA was met with resounding resistance from the public, including the influential musicians of the time. The plans were abandoned, and the building remained standing with an uncertain future. Despite the absence of performances, the building still held such significance as an attraction that it would remain open for tours. In 1991 and 1992, Emmylou Harris performed a series of concerts there and released some of the recordings as an album entitled At the Ryman. The concert and album 's high acclaim renewed interest in reviving Ryman Auditorium as an active venue. Beginning in September 1993, Gaylord Entertainment undertook a full renovation of the Ryman, restoring it into a world - class concert hall that reopened with a broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion on June 4, 1994. On Sunday, October 18, 1998, the Opry held a benefit show at Ryman Auditorium, marking its return to the venue for the first time since its final show on March 15, 1974. The show was well received by fans, performers, and management alike, and so the decision was made to host the Opry 's regular shows there on January 15 & 16, 1999 as part of the celebration to commemorate 25 years at the new venue. Beginning in November 1999, the Opry was held at Ryman Auditorium for three months, partly due to the ongoing construction of Opry Mills. The Opry has returned to the Ryman for the three winter months every year since, allowing the show to acknowledge its roots while also taking advantage of a smaller venue during an off - peak season for tourism. While still officially the Grand Ole Opry, the shows there are billed as Opry At The Ryman. From 2002 to 2014, a traveling version of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular took up residence at the Grand Ole Opry House each holiday season while the Opry was away. It was replaced by Dr. Seuss ' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ! The Musical beginning in 2015. 2010 flooding In May 2010, the Opry House was flooded, along with much of Nashville, due to the Cumberland River overflowing its banks. While repairs were made, the Opry itself remained uninterrupted. Over the course of the summer of 2010, the broadcast temporarily originated from alternate venues in Nashville, with Ryman Auditorium hosting the majority of the shows. Other venues included the TPAC War Memorial Auditorium, another former Opry home ; TPAC 's Andrew Jackson Hall ; Nashville Municipal Auditorium ; Allen Arena at Lipscomb University ; and the Two Rivers Baptist Church. Much of the auditorium 's main floor seating, the backstage areas and the entire stage ( including the inlaid circle of wood from the Ryman 's stage ) was underwater during the flood. While the Grand Ole Opry House 's stage was replaced thereafter, the Ryman circle was restored and again placed at center stage in the Grand Ole Opry House before shows resumed. The remediation following the flood also resulted in a renovated backstage area, including the construction of more dressing rooms and a performer 's lounge. The Opry returned to the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2010 in a special edition of the Opry entitled Country Comes Home that was televised live on Great American Country. The evening was filled with one - of - a-kind Opry moments. Martina McBride and Connie Smith dueted on Smith 's signature hit `` Once a Day '', and other collaborations included Dierks Bentley and Del McCoury ( `` Roll On Buddy, Roll On '' ), Josh Turner and Lorrie Morgan ( `` Golden Ring '' ), and Montgomery Gentry and Charlie Daniels Band ( `` Devil Went Down To Georgia '' ), among others. The show closed with an all - star guitar jam featuring Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs, and Marty Stuart. Broadcasts Dolly Parton at the Opry in 2005 The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM - AM at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday nights, shortened from a previous time start of 6 : 30. A similar program, the Friday Night Opry, airs live on Friday nights. From February through December, the Tuesday Night Opry is also aired live. Wednesday shows are typically presented in the summer months. The length of the show varies ; as of October 2016, the show runs three nights a week for 21⁄4 hours each night ( the Saturday night shows have often extended as late as midnight ). The Opry can also be heard live on Willie 's Roadhouse on channel 59 on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. A condensed radio program, America 's Opry Weekend, is syndicated to stations around the United States. The program is also streamed on WSM 's website. ABC broadcast the Grand Old Opry as a monthly series from 1955 to 1956. PBS televised annual live performances from 1978 to 1981. In 1985, The Nashville Network began airing an edited half - hour version of the program as Grand Ole Opry Live ; the show moved to Country Music Television ( expanding to an hour in the process ), and then to the Great American Country ( GAC ) cable network with its Opry Live show no longer televised. RFD - TV carries reruns of Opry telecasts under the title Opry Encore. Membership See Category : Grand Ole Opry members Little Jimmy Dickens, at the time the second - oldest living Opry member, at Opry House in 2004. The circle of wood is from the Ryman Auditorium 's stage. Regular performers at the Grand Ole Opry can be inducted into the organization as a member, by way of an existing member nominating them. Opry membership must be maintained throughout an artist 's career and expires when the performer dies. Although a number of legendary country artists either lost their Opry membership ( such as Hank Williams, Sr. and Willie Nelson ) or never received it in their lifetimes ( longtime leading hitmakers Merle Haggard, George Strait, and Conway Twitty being prominent examples ), receiving Opry membership is considered an honor equivalent to a hall of fame induction. Controversies In April 1963 Opry management made a rule that members had to perform on at least 26 shows a year to keep their membership active. WSM dropped the number of required performances to 20 in January 1964 ; in 2000 the minimum number of Opry performances was at 12. The minimum number of performances has reduced over the years, but artists offered membership are expected to show a dedication to the Opry with frequent attendance. Another controversy that raged for years was over allowable instrumentation, especially the use of drums and electrically amplified instruments. Some purists were appalled at the prospect ; traditionally a string bass provided the rhythm component in country music and percussion instruments were seldom used. Electric amplification, then new, was regarded as the province of popular music and jazz in 1940s. Though the Opry allowed electric guitars and steel guitars by World War II, the restrictions against drums and horns continued. They caused a conflict when Bob Wills and Pee Wee King defied the show 's ban on drums. Commercialization June Carter Cash at the Opry in 1999 The company has enforced its trademark on the name `` Grand Ole Opry '', for which it owns trademark registrations in the United States and in numerous countries around the world.It has taken court action to limit use of the word `` opry '' ( which the organization has not directly trademarked ) to members of the Opry and products associated with or licensed by it, and to discourage use of the word in ways that would imply a connection to the Grand Ole Opry. In late 1968, for instance, WSM sued Opry Records, a record label that was independent of WSM, and the court stated that `` the record is replete with newspaper and magazine articles and clippings which demonstrate conclusively that the term ' Opry ', standing alone as defendant has used it, is constantly used in country and western music circles in referring to plaintiff 's ' Grand Ole Opry '. '' The court also stated `` the defendant has appropriated, at its peril, the dominant or salient term in the plaintiff 's mark, a term which identified the ' Grand Ole Opry ' in the mind of the public many years before the inception of ' Opry Records ' -- the name adopted by defendant. '' In another case, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted summary judgment that the term `` Opry '' is a generic term ( and thus no more protected than the words `` Grand '' or `` Ole '' ) but the Federal Circuit court reversed this decision. As recently as 2009, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted judgment against Texas Opry House, LLC, which had filed a trademark application for TEXAS OPRY HOUSE. In 2004, it was announced that the Grand Ole Opry had contracted for the first time with a `` presenting sponsor '', Cracker Barrel, and the sponsoring company 's name would be associated with Grand Ole Opry in all its advertising. Humana, Inc., Cracker Barrel, and Dollar General are the present sponsors of the Opry. Honors Peabody Award, 1983 National Radio Hall of Fame induction, 1992 See also Country music portal Country Music Association Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Notes Jump up ^ `` Radio -- Long Players ''. Guinness World Records. Retrieved April 4, 2010. Jump up ^ `` NRK article - Barnetimen er gammaldags ( The ' Childrens - hour ' is old - fashioned ) ( norwegian ) ''. Norsk RiksKringkasting. Retrieved August 27, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` About The Opry ''. Grand Ole Opry. Gaylord Entertainment. Retrieved January 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Grand Ole Opry ''. Gaylord Opryland. Gaylord Hotels. Retrieved January 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Music / Grand Ole Opry ''. The Radio Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Grand Ole Opry ''. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Columbia University Press. Missing or empty url = ( help ) ; access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Country Music History ''. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Country Music Foundation, Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` History of the Opry ''. Grand Ole Opry. Retrieved August 8, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Tassin, Myron ( 1975 ), Fifty Years at the Grand Ole Opry ( 1st ed. ), Pelican Publishing, ISBN 978 - 0882890890 ^ Jump up to : `` Deford Bailey ''. Country Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lost and Found Sound : The Pan American Blues ''. NPR. November 20, 2000. Retrieved July 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` ABC - TV to Air ' Ole Opry ' Live Once Monthly '' ( October 8, 1955 ), The Billboard, p. 1 Jump up ^ Gaar, Gillian G. `` Box Set Spotlights Elvis Presley 's Surviving Early Work at Sun Studio. '' Goldmine Feb. 2013 : 40 - 44. Print. ^ Jump up to : Rogan, Johnny. ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited. Rogan House. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. Jump up ^ Allen, Michael. ( 2005 ). `` I Just Want to Be a Cosmic Cowboy ''. Jump up ^ Fricke, David. ( 2003 ). Sweetheart of the Rodeo : Legacy Edition ( 2003 CD liner notes ). Jump up ^ Dunkerley, Beville. Flashback : Jerry Lee Lewis Drops an F - Bomb on the Grand Ole Opry. Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 21, 2015. Jump up ^ National Park Service ( 2010 - 07 - 09 ). `` National Register Information System ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. ^ Jump up to : National Register of Historic Places Registration Form : Grand Ole Opry House Jump up ^ The Grand Ole Opry : The Making of an American Icon - Colin Escott - Google Boeken. Books.google.com. Retrieved August 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Theme Park Timelines ''. Timelines.home.insightbb.com. Retrieved August 9, 2012. Jump up ^ Hurst, Jack Nashville 's Grand Ole Opry ( New York : H.N. Abrams, 1975 ) Jump up ^ Smith, Loran ( January 24, 2013 ). `` A visit to the Grand Ole Opry brings precious memories ''. The News - Reporter. Retrieved November 29, 2014. Jump up ^ Eleanor Kennedy, `` Nashville 's newest historic place : The Grand Ole Opry House '', Nashville Business Journal, February 26, 2015. Jump up ^ Todd Barnes, ( Grand Ole Opry House added to National Register ), The Tennessean, February 27, 2015. ^ Jump up to : The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press, USA. January 4, 2012. p. 444. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 992083 - 9. ^ Jump up to : Fay, Byron ( January 25, 2010 ). `` Grand Ole Opry Ryman Reunion Celebration - October 18, 1998 ''. Fayfare 's Opry Blog. Retrieved June 29, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Grinch to Steal Christmas in Nashville ''. PR Newswire. May 13, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Home Grand Ole Opry ''. Search2.opry.com. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Cooper, Peter ( May 10, 2010 ). `` Opry House 's famed circle stays center stage after flood ''. USA Today. Retrieved June 29, 2015. Jump up ^ Hackett, Vernell ( August 25, 2010 ). `` Grand Ole Opry Floor Restored for September 28 Reopening ''. TheBoot.com. Retrieved June 29, 2015. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived August 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : `` Tune In ''. Grand Ole Opry. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ Fay, Byron. `` First Televised Opry Show on PBS - March 4, 1978 ''. FayFare 's Opry Blog. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` History of the Opry ''. Grand Ole Opry. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` GAC 's Presents Opry Live ''. GAC ( Great American Country ). Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ http://www.rfdtv.com/story/34115094/opry-encore#.WSY32EdtnIU ^ Jump up to : `` Four Dropped From ' Opry ' To Return on Christmas ''. Billboard : 50. November 27, 1965. ^ Jump up to : Morris, Edward ( April 20, 2000 ). `` Grand Ole Opry Looking Toward Building Its Audience ''. CMT / CMT News. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ Kienzle, Richard. ( 2003 ). Southwest shuffle : pioneers of honky - tonk, Western swing, and country jazz. New York : Routledge. pp. 254 - 257. Jump up ^ Hall, Wade. ( 1998 ). `` Pee Wee King ''. In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 283 -- 4. Jump up ^ `` WSM Back in Court Again - Files 2d Suit Over Name ''. Billboard. 81 ( 21 ) : 51. May 24, 1969. Jump up ^ `` Opry Records Sued For Infringement ''. Billboard. 80 ( 50 ) : 29. December 14, 1968. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ WSM v. Bailey, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. 297 F. Supp. 870 ( M.D. Tenn. 1969 ), at 872 - 3. Jump up ^ WSM v. Bailey, 297 F. Supp. 870 ( M.D. Tenn. 1969 ), at 873. Jump up ^ Opryland USA, Inc. v. The Great American Music Show, Inc., 970 F. 2d 847 ( Fed. Cir. 1992 ). Jump up ^ US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, opposition number 91188534. Jump up ^ Lovel, Jim ( December 20, 2004 ). `` Cracker Barrel Reloads Marketing Arsenal ''. AdWeek. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Sponsors ''. Grand Ole Opry. Retrieved December 9, 2012. References Hay, George D. A Story of the Grand Ole Opry. 1945. Kingsbury, Paul ( 1998 ). `` Grand Ole Opry ''. In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 208 -- 9. Wolfe, Charles K. A Good - Natured Riot : The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry. Nashville : Country Music Foundation Press, 1999. ISBN 0 - 8265 - 1331 - X. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Ole Opry. Official website Grand Ole Opry on TV Internet Archive Complete show of April 28, 1956 in black & white Library of Congress Local Legacies Project : Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry at Outlaws Old Time Radio Corner Music venues of Tennessee Outdoor venues Ascend Amphitheater Finley Stadium Great Stage Park Levitt Shell Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Mud Island Nissan Stadium Theaters and clubs Bijou Theatre Bluebird Café Exit / In Grand Ole Opry Ryman Auditorium Tennessee Theatre War Memorial Auditorium Station Inn Robert 's Western World Arenas Bridgestone Arena FedExForum Freedom Hall Civic Center McKenzie Arena Murphy Center Nashville Municipal Auditorium Oman Arena Thompson -- Boling Arena Viking Hall Civic Center Festivals Bonnaroo Music Festival Historic venues Pyramid Arena Starwood Amphitheatre Grand Ole Opry Founder : George D. Hay Member Groups Diamond Rio Gatlin Brothers Montgomery Gentry Oak Ridge Boys Old Crow Medicine Show Osborne Brothers Rascal Flatts Riders in the Sky The Whites Member Female Artists Terri Clark Emmylou Harris Alison Krauss Patty Loveless Loretta Lynn Martina McBride Reba McEntire Lorrie Morgan Dolly Parton Jeanne Pruett Jeannie Seely Connie Smith Pam Tillis Carrie Underwood Trisha Yearwood Member Male Artists Trace Adkins Bill Anderson Clint Black Garth Brooks Jim Ed Brown Roy Clark John Conlee Jimmy Dickens Joe Diffie Vince Gill Jack Greene George Hamilton IV Alan Jackson Stonewall Jackson Hal Ketchum Del McCoury Jesse McReynolds Ronnie Milsap Craig Morgan Jimmy C. Newman Brad Paisley Stu Phillips Ray Pillow Charley Pride Darius Rucker Blake Shelton Ricky Van Shelton Ricky Skaggs Mike Snider Ralph Stanley Marty Stuart Mel Tillis Travis Tritt Josh Turner Keith Urban Steve Wariner Member Artist Legends Roy Acuff Patsy Cline Carter Family George Jones Bill Monroe Minnie Pearl Ernest Tubb Hank Williams Kitty Wells Members of the Grand Ole Opry Roy Acuff Trace Adkins David `` Stringbean '' Akeman Bill Anderson Jack Anglin Eddy Arnold Ernest Ashworth Chet Atkins DeFord Bailey Bobby Bare Bashful Brother Oswald Humphrey Bate Dierks Bentley Binkley Brothers ' Dixie Clodhoppers Clint Black Margie Bowes Rod Brasfield Garth Brooks Jim Ed Brown The Browns Carl Butler and Pearl Archie Campbell Bill Carlisle Martha Carson The Carter Sisters Maybelle Carter Johnny Cash June Carter Cash Roy Clark Terri Clark Zeke Clements Patsy Cline Jerry Clower John Conlee Stoney Cooper Wilma Lee Cooper Cowboy Copas Dailey & Vincent Charlie Daniels Skeeter Davis The Delmore Brothers The DeZurik Sisters Diamond Rio Little Jimmy Dickens Joe Diffie Danny Dill Jimmy Driftwood Roy Drusky The Duke of Paducah Holly Dunn The Everly Brothers Lester Flatt Red Foley Curly Fox Lefty Frizzell Larry Gatlin Crystal Gayle Don Gibson Vince Gill Billy Grammer Jack Greene The Gully Jumpers Theron Hale Tom T. Hall George Hamilton IV Sid Harkreader Emmylou Harris Hawkshaw Hawkins George D. Hay Hoot Hester Goldie Hill David Houston Jan Howard Ferlin Husky Alan Jackson Stonewall Jackson Sonny James Norma Jean Jim & Jesse Johnnie & Jack George Jones Grandpa Jones The Jordanaires Doug Kershaw Hal Ketchum Bradley Kincaid Pee Wee King Alison Krauss Little Big Town Hank Locklin Lonzo and Oscar Bobby Lord The Louvin Brothers Charlie Louvin Ira Louvin Patty Loveless Bob Luman Loretta Lynn Uncle Dave Macon Rose Maddox Barbara Mandrell Kerry Marx Martina McBride Del McCoury Mel McDaniel Reba McEntire McGee Brothers Jesse McReynolds Ronnie Milsap Bill Monroe Montgomery Gentry Craig Morgan George Morgan Lorrie Morgan Moon Mullican Willie Nelson Jimmy C. Newman The Oak Ridge Boys Old Crow Medicine Show Osborne Brothers Brad Paisley Dolly Parton Johnny Paycheck Minnie Pearl Stu Phillips Webb Pierce Ray Pillow Ray Price Charley Pride Jeanne Pruett Rascal Flatts Del Reeves Jim Reeves Riders in the Sky Tex Ritter Marty Robbins Darius Rucker Johnny Russell Rusty and Doug Earl Scruggs Jeannie Seely Blake Shelton Ricky Van Shelton Jean Shepard Ricky Skaggs Mississippi Slim Carl Smith Connie Smith Fiddlin ' Arthur Smith Mike Snider Hank Snow Red Sovine Ralph Stanley Marty Stuart Texas Ruby B.J. Thomas Uncle Jimmy Thompson Mel Tillis Pam Tillis Tompall & the Glaser Brothers Randy Travis Travis Tritt Ernest Tubb Justin Tubb Josh Turner Carrie Underwood Keith Urban Leroy Van Dyke Porter Wagoner Billy Walker Charlie Walker Steve Wariner Kitty Wells Dottie West The Whites Slim Whitman The Wilburn Brothers Don Williams Hank Williams Boxcar Willie The Willis Brothers Chubby Wise Del Wood Marion Worth Johnnie Wright Tammy Wynette Trisha Yearwood Chris Young Faron Young Ryman Hospitality Properties Founded in 1925 Properties Grand Ole Opry Ryman Auditorium Gaylord Springs Golf Links General Jackson Showboat Inn at Opryland Wildhorse Saloon Gaylord Hotels Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Broadcasting WSM AM Previously owned Opryland USA theme park Fiesta Texas Theme Park ( minority interest ) WKY Radio, Oklahoma City ResortQuest International, Inc. Bass Pro Shops ' Outdoor World ( minority interest ) Acuff - Rose Music Grand Ole Opry Tours Opryland River Taxis Opryland Productions Opryland Theatricals Corporate Magic The Nashville Network CMT CMT Europe Nashville Predators ( minority interest ) Opry Mills ( minority interest ) Word Entertainment Gaylord Films Pandora Z Music Television ( Christian music video channel ) The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers musicforce.com lightsource.com Gaylord Digital rymanhp.com VIAF : 175788511 LCCN : n80050011 GND : 4550190 - 7 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Ole_Opry&oldid=800309687 '' Categories : Grand Ole Opry Ryman Hospitality Properties Concerts in the United States 1920s American radio programs 1925 radio programme debuts American country music radio programs Country music television series Culture of Nashville, Tennessee History of Tennessee Landmarks in Tennessee National Radio Hall of Fame inductees Peabody Award winners Radio programs on XM Radio Television series based on radio programs Tennessee culture United States National Recording Registry recordings Tourist attractions in Nashville, Tennessee Organizations based in Nashville, Tennessee 1925 establishments in Tennessee Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee NBC radio programs National Register of Historic Places in Nashville, Tennessee Hidden categories : Pages using web citations with no URL Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from May 2016 Coordinates on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 12 September 2017, at 18 : 46. 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Question: who was the first member of the grand ole opry
Answer: Crook Brothers