26. Tennessee's Early Music Scene

26B. The Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee founded on November 28, 1925, as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. The show still runs today and it is the longest running radio broadcast in US history.

The Opry began as the “WSM Barn Dance” in 1925, but on December 10, 1927, the program's host, "Judge" George D. Hay, referred to the programming as being the "Grand Ole Opry." He said this as a joke and in contrast to a show that NBC ran at the time known at the Grand (Old) Opera, that featured European style opera singers. Weather it was a joke or not, the name stuck.

In the 1930s, the show expanded to four hours. Broadcasting at 50,000 watts, WSM 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." Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown Nashville, near Opry Mills Mall. However, since 1999 the Grand Ole Opry has had special shows every year back at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville.

The show has always been dedicated to honoring country music and its history. Today, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart-topping performing country music singers. The show 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."

4. On what date was the Grand Ole Opry founded?

5. What was the Grand Ole Opry originally called?

6. Who came up with the name "Grand Ole Opry?"

7. In what year did the Grand Ole Opry move to its permanent home, the Ryman Auditorium?

8. Since 1974, where has the Grand Ole Opry has been located?

9. What is the Opry's current primary slogan?

26D. WSM

WSM is a radio station that was founded and first signed on in 1925. It is primarily associated with the popularization of country music through its weekly Saturday night program, the Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running radio program in history.

In 1932, WSM boosted its power to 50,000 watts, becoming Tennessee's first clear-channel station. In addition to its vast nighttime coverage area, the station also had one of the largest daytime coverage areas in the country. Under the right conditions (particularly at night), it could be heard in nearly all of Tennessee and much of Kentucky, and can be picked up as far away as northern Illinois.

The station played country music in the nighttime hours, when listeners from around the United States would tune in. Before the advent of television, the station broadcast long-form entertainment radio (both local and NBC network) programs in addition to music. It was not until about 1979 that WSM adopted the 24-hour country music format of today.

WSM is credited with helping shape Nashville into a recording industry capital. Because of WSM's wide reach, musical acts from all across the eastern United States came to Nashville in the early decades of the station's existence, in hopes of getting to perform on WSM, and possibly get a record deal.

Over time, as more acts and recording companies came to Nashville, the city became known as the center of the country music industry. A local radio DJ is credited with first referring to Nashville as "Music City USA", a designation that has since been adopted as the city's official nickname by the local tourism board.

12. When was WSM radio founded?

13. What was WSM's most famous program?

14. In 1932, how many watts boosted WSM's power?

15. When did WSM adopt a 24 hour country music format?

16. According to the Nashville local tourism board, what is Nashville's official nickname?