Claim: There was a musician in the Grand Ole Pry.

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 -LRB- a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties , Inc. -RRB- , 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 , 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 , 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 , Alan Jackson , Garth Brooks , Reba McEntire , Josh Turner , Carrie Underwood , Brad Paisley , Rascal Flatts , Dierks Bentley , Kacey Musgraves , Blake Shelton and the Dixie Chicks . 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 .