query: when did the grand ole opry get flooded

pos: 2010 Tennessee floods 2010 Tennessee floods The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1,000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi areas of the United States of America as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010. Floods from these rains affected the area for several days afterwards, resulting in a number of deaths and widespread property damage. Two-day rain totals in some areas were greater than . The Cumberland River crested at in Nashville, a level not seen since 1937, which was before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control measures were in

pos: Grand Ole Opry months every year since then, 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. In May 2010, the Opry House was flooded, along with much

pos: Blake Shelton February, came the August release of "All About Tonight", the lead-off single to his EP of the same name. In September, he released the second single from "All About Tonight", "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking", his 18th single release. He released his first greatest hits album, "" in November 2010. Shelton was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry during the September 28, 2010, "Country Comes Home" concert celebrating reopening of the Grand Ole Opry House after the Cumberland River flooded the Opry House in May 2010. The formal invitation was extended on his Twitter account and was

pos: Nashville Municipal Auditorium and Hispanic concerts. Michael Jackson performed with The Jackson 5 at the NMA on December 29, 1970, January 1 and August 6, 1972, August 8, 1973, and August 31, 1981. Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Nashville Auditorium on July 1, 1973. In 1967, the auditorium hosted the Country Music Association's first CMA Awards event, before the ceremonies moved to the Ryman Auditorium the following year. Due to the damage at Grand Ole Opry House due to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, the NMA hosted the June 8, 2010 edition of the "Grand Ole Opry". NMA also hosted an

pos: Allen Arena to the damage incurred to the Grand Ole Opry House during the May 2010 Tennessee floods and because the Ryman Auditorium was unavailable, Allen Arena hosted the June 5 and June 15, 2010 editions of the Grand Ole Opry. In October 2013, the arena held the nationally-televised 44th GMA Dove Awards for the Christian music scene. Arena seating capacity is between 4,000 and 5,000 depending upon the purpose for which it is being used, and is officially given as 5,028, which is the capacity in the format typically utilized. Allen Arena Allen Arena is an indoor arena at Lipscomb University

neg: Hank Williams to miss many Grand Ole Opry appearances. On August 11, 1952, Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness and missing shows. He returned to Shreveport, Louisiana to perform on KWKH and WBAM shows and in the Louisiana Hayride, for which he toured again. His performances were acclaimed when he was sober, but despite the efforts of his work associates to get him to shows sober, his abuse of alcohol resulted in occasions when he did not appear or his performances were poor. In October 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones. During his last recording session on

neg: Brad Paisley of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later for Best New Artist. On February 17, 2001, Paisley was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He was 28 when he accepted the invitation, and was the youngest member ever to join. PBS did a 75th anniversary concert special, in which Paisley and Chely Wright sang a song that they co-wrote called "Hard to Be a Husband, Hard to Be a Wife". This song later appeared on the compilation album "Grand Ole Opry 75th Anniversary, Vol. 2". The concert would get a

neg: 2010 Tennessee floods serving as the primary venue when available. Other venues hosting the Opry include the War Memorial Auditorium, TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Lipscomb University's Allen Arena and the Two Rivers Baptist Church. Both the Ryman and War Memorial Auditoriums were previous homes to the Opry. None of these facilities were affected by the floods. The Grand Ole Opry House reopened to much fanfare on September 28, 2010. The basement flooded in Schermerhorn Symphony Center, causing the destruction of two Steinway grand concert pianos and one organ valued at . The common areas of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel were

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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. Grand Ole Opry The Grand Ole Opry is

neg: Reba McEntire States, George H. W. Bush. When Reba McEntire made her Grand Ole Opry debut on September 17, 1977, she almost did not make it in the door after a guard at the Opry gate missed her name on the night's list of performers. Her parents and older sister, Alice, drove 1,400 miles round trip from their Oklahoma home to see what turned out to be Reba's three-minute performance that night. Her act was cut from two songs to just one—"Invitation to the Blues"—because of a surprise appearance by Dolly Parton. McEntire was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January

neg: Grand Ole Opry the flood. While the Grand Ole Opry House's stage was replaced, the Ryman circle was restored and again placed at center stage in the Grand Ole Opry House before shows resumed. The renovations following the flood also resulted in an updated 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 sang

neg: Grand Ole Opry Ole Opry" as a monthly series from 1955 to 1956, and 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, where it expanded to an hour, and then to the Great American Country (GAC) cable network, which no longer televised its "Opry Live" show. RFD-TV carries reruns of Opry telecasts under the title "Opry Encore". Regular performers at the Grand Ole Opry can be inducted into the organization as a member; the Opry management,

neg: War Memorial Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) Opry family during this time at War Memorial Auditorium include Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, and Minnie Pearl, just to name a few. On May 3, 2010, after the current Grand Ole Opry House flooded, the Opry returned to the War Memorial Auditorium for its first public performance there in over 66 years, and continued as one of the venues that hosted the Opry until the current Opry House was restored. Nashville's Capitol Hill and grounds that surround War Memorial Auditorium has changed greatly since the early days. The area in which the War Memorial Building resides was originally known as

neg: War Memorial Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) and the Music Circle's Musica). The military branch of the Tennessee State Museum is on the ground floor of the southern end of the building. The building was recognized with a Gold Medal Award by the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) in 1925, the highest honor that the AIA can bestow. From 1939 to 1943, the War Memorial Auditorium served as the fourth home of the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry was performed here from about 1939 through 1943, when the Opry moved to the larger Ryman Auditorium. The Opry members who were inducted into the Grand Ole

neg: 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 had his only Opry performance. Although the audience reacted politely to his revolutionary brand of rockabilly music, Opry manager Jim Denny told Presley's producer Sam Phillips after the show that the singer's style did not suit the program. 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

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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 on the vaudeville circuit became its first real star. The phrase "Grand Ole Opry" was first uttered on radio on December 10, 1927. At the time, the NBC Red Network's "Music Appreciation Hour", a program with classical music and selections from grand opera, was followed by "Barn Dance". Opry presenter George Hay introduced the programme: For the past hour, we have

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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

neg: George D. Hay will present the "Grand Ole Opry"." During the 1930s, he was involved with "Rural Radio", one of the first magazines about country music, developing the "Opry" for NBC and working on the movie "Grand Ole Opry" (1940). He was an announcer with the radio show during the 1940s and toured with "Opry" acts, including the September 1947 "Opry" show at Carnegie Hall. He was featured in "Hoosier Holiday", a 1945 film from Republic Pictures, in a cast that also included Dale Evans. In 1945, Hay wrote "A Story of the Grand Ole Opry", and he became an editor of Nashville's

neg: Opryland USA Its centerpiece was the Grand Ole Opry House. Opry Plaza housed no thrill attractions, but was home to the park's ticket booths, as well as the Roy Acuff Theatre, Grand Ole Opry Museum, Opryland Hospitality Center, Southern Living Cumberland River Cottage, WSM-FM studio, and the Gaslight Theatre/TNN Studio. Opry Plaza connected to Hill Country, Doo Wah Diddy City, and the parking lot. During and after the park's demolition, portions of Opry Plaza remained undisturbed and open for business. Today, it continues to serve as the area surrounding the Grand Ole Opry House, though many of its remaining buildings were demolished

neg: Grand Ole Opry of popular music and jazz in the 1940s. Although the Opry allowed electric guitars and steel guitars by World War II, the restrictions against drums and horns continued, causing a conflict when Bob Wills and Pee Wee King defied the show's ban on drums. Stonewall Jackson, the Opry's longest-tenured standing member as of 2018, sued the Opry management in 2008 alleging that manager Pete Fisher was trying to purge older members of the Opry from its membership and committing age discrimination. Jackson settled the lawsuit later that year. The company has enforced its trademark on the name "Grand Ole Opry,"

neg: Ryman Auditorium three months, mostly due to the success of the January shows, but partly due to the ongoing construction of Opry Mills shopping mall (which replaced the Opryland USA theme park in 2000) next door to the Grand Ole Opry House. The "Opry" has returned to the Ryman for all of its November, December, and January shows every year since then, allowing the production to acknowledge its roots while also taking advantage of a smaller venue during the off-peak season for tourism and freeing the Grand Ole Opry House for special holiday presentations. While still officially the "Grand Ole Opry", the

neg: Opryland USA Opry Mills and the Grand Ole Opry House by July 1999, while construction of the mall took place primarily on the site of the themepark's parking lot. Opry Mills opened May 12, 2000, under the ownership of Mills Corporation (later acquired by Simon Property Group). Gaylord Entertainment initially had a minority stake in the new shopping center, but later divested it. When the arrangements for the future of the Opryland property were made public in 1997, Gaylord announced its intentions to construct a new entry plaza for the Grand Ole Opry House with shops and restaurants, as well as a

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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 were regulars on the Opry's stage throughout its history. In recent decades, the Opry has hosted such contemporary country stars as Dolly

neg: Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee 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. 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, and gospel music as well as comedic performances and skits. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from

neg: Opryland USA late 2010. The Grand Ole Opry Museum has remained closed, though the building underwent remediation following the flood. The fate of its contents is unknown. Opry Mills became entangled in a legal battle over flood insurance payout (which, as of March 2015, is ongoing), stalling its flood repairs for several months, and fully reopened on March 29, 2012. , the Grand Ole Opry House, Roy Acuff's former home, and the building that once housed the Grand Ole Opry Museum are the only theme park-era structures remaining on the property. The Cumberland Landing building was relocated from the gates of the

neg: Wagon Wheel (song) at the Grand Ole Opry July 6, 2012, "for a special rendition of 'Wagon Wheel'" where the fans "went crazy over Rucker's cover of the Old Crow Medicine Show hit." After this reception he tweeted out: "Secret out after @opry perf. I recorded a version of 'Wagon Wheel' for my new record and @ladyantebellum sings on track." The song did not at first appeal to Rucker. "Somebody had played 'Wagon Wheel' for me years ago," he said. "It was one of those things that I didn't really get." The faculty band at his daughter's high school performing had a different

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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. Artists on stage usually stood on the circle as they performed, and most modern performers still follow this tradition. The theme park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season, but the Grand Ole Opry House remains in use. The immediate area around it was left intact, even throughout the construction of Opry Mills, which opened in May 2000. The "Grand Ole" "Opry" continues

neg: Johnny Paycheck Paycheck's best-known songs. In his song "Grand Ole Opry (Ain't So Grand Anymore)", Hank Williams III praises Paycheck (along with Waylon Jennings) as a "real rebel" the Grand Ole Opry only reluctantly inducted. His song "It Won't Be Long (And I'll Be Hating You)" appeared in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V". Johnny Paycheck Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greatest success in

neg: Nashville, Tennessee Symphony Center opened as the home of the Nashville Symphony. As the city's name itself is a metonym for the country music industry, many popular tourist attractions involve country music, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Belcourt Theatre, and Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman was home to the "Grand Ole Opry" until 1974 when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House, east of downtown. The Opry plays there several times a week, except for an annual winter run at the Ryman. A multitude of music clubs and honky-tonk bars can be found in downtown Nashville, particularly

neg: 2010 Tennessee floods destroyed, and parts of the hotel were under of water at the peak of the floods. It remained closed until November 2010. The studios of WSM radio, located in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, were also flooded. This forced the station to broadcast from a makeshift studio at its transmitter site in Brentwood for six months. WSM's administrative offices next to the Grand Ole Opry House were also completely destroyed and later demolished, resulting in the loss of several priceless documents from the station's history. Neighboring Opry Mills mall was also inundated, and remained closed until March 29, 2012. Flooding was

neg: Barry Waldrep "Pass The Jar" CD/DVD, along with Kid Rock and Little Big Town. During this time he met the husband and wife country duo Joey + Rory. He did a tour with them during the Zac Brown Tour, and in some cases, they all toured together. In addition, Waldrep played the Grand Ole' Opry several times and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, which was the previous home of the Grand Ole' Opry. In January 2013, after landing a record deal with Singular Records in San Francisco, California, Waldrep began the "Smoke From the Kitchen" sessions, which is a bluegrass banjo/southern

neg: WSM (AM) that inundated Gaylord Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry House, the station broadcast from a makeshift studio at its transmitter site for six months, while the "Grand Ole Opry" rotated between several performance sites, until the buildings at the Opryland complex were repaired. WSM's administrative offices next door to the Grand Ole Opry House were completely destroyed by the flood and later demolished, resulting in the loss of several priceless documents from the station's history. In 2001, management had sought to capitalize on the success of sister station WWTN's sports trappings by converting WSM to an all-sports format. Word was

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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, Ricky Skaggs, Faith Hill and Tim Mcgraw . [ 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. In addition to the radio programs, performances have been sporadically televised over the years. The "Grand Ole Opry" started as the "WSM Barn Dance" in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident

neg: Porter Wagoner 19, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry for both his 50 years of membership and his 80th birthday. It was telecast on GAC's "Grand Ole Opry Live" that day with artists including Parton, Stuart and Patty Loveless. "Grand Ole Opry Live" host Nan Kelley was part of the birthday celebration as well. On June 5, 2007, Wagoner released his final album called "Wagonmaster". The album was produced by Marty Stuart for the Anti- label. The album received the best reviews of Wagoner's career and briefly charted on the country charts; a music video was also produced of one of the

neg: Terri Clark the Grand Ole Opry. Clark was officially inducted on June 12, 2004 and is currently the only female Canadian member of the Grand Ole Opry. Shortly after her induction, Clark's first greatest hits album, "Greatest Hits 1994–2004", was issued. The album's only single, "Girls Lie Too", became Clark's first number one in the United States since 1998's "You're Easy on the Eyes". While the song did not reach number one in Canada, it was the named number one country song of 2004 in Canada by "Radio & Records". A non-album single, "The World Needs a Drink" (which was co-written by

neg: Country music Adolph Hofner were other early Western swing pioneers. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. At its height, Western swing rivaled the popularity of big band swing music. Drums were scorned by early country musicians as being "too loud" and "not pure", but by 1935 Western swing big band leader Bob Wills had added drums to the Texas Playboys. In the mid-1940s, the Grand Ole Opry did not want the Playboys' drummer to appear on stage. Although drums were commonly used by rockabilly groups by 1955, the less-conservative-than-the-Grand-Ole-Opry "Louisiana Hayride" kept its infrequently

neg: Live at the Opry Live at the Opry Live at the Opry is a live album by American country music artist, Patsy Cline. The album was released April 4, 1988 on MCA Records and was produced by The Country Music Foundation. The album consists of transcript recordings from several appearances Cline made on the Grand Ole Opry between 1956 and 1962. "Live at the Opry" is derived from transcript recordings Patsy Cline made between June 16, 1956 and March 23, 1962 on the Grand Ole Opry. The live album consists of twelve tracks of live material, which includes three of her major hits between

neg: Bud Wendell World War II. For his post-secondary education, he completed a Bachelor of arts at the College of Wooster in 1950 specializing in economics. Wendell started working with the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1950 selling insurance. In 1962, he moved to work at the insurance company's main location in Nashville, Tennessee. Wendell changed his career in 1965 when he became an executive assistant at WSM. Years later, he was named manager of the Grand Ole Opry in 1968. His positions at the Opry and WSM changed in 1974 when he was named general manager of the Grand Ole

neg: Grand Ole Opry with 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" – 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 decided that "the record is replete with newspaper and magazine articles and clippings which demonstrate conclusively that

neg: So Doggone Lonesome in mind. Many of Cash's self-penned recordings were written with a certain artist in mind, including "Get Rhythm", originally written for Elvis Presley. Legend has it that Tubb heard "So Doggone Lonesome" on the radio, which inspired him to record his own version of the song. It is certainly a fact that Tubb did record "So Doggone Lonesome" and performed it on the Grand Ole Opry, but the real inspiration for his decision to do so is unclear. Additionally, Cash is reported to have said he only believed he had truly "made it" as an artist when he heard Tubb

neg: Grand Ole Opry's New Star reflected Jones's 1956 appearance on the "Grand Ole Opry", which solidified his emerging status in the country music world. Extant copies of "Grand Ole Opry's New Star" are rare, and collector's prices are $400 and up. Jones wrote or co-wrote all fourteen songs on the album, which included three of his early top-10 country hits: "Why Baby Why", "What Am I Worth", and "You Gotta Be My Baby". The singer had performed "You Gotta Be My Baby" during his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. The first three songs written for the album, "Play It Cool", "Hold

neg: Brandy Clark realism, while having the artistic license to make them fictional. In 2012 she opened shows for Grammy Award-winning artist Sheryl Crow. Brandy found an advocate in country artist Marty Stuart when on Saturday December 8, 2012 she joined him to make her Grand Ole Opry debut when she played his Grand Ole Opry Anniversary celebration and also at his Late Night Jam at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. At the beginning of 2013 Brandy was chosen by CMT as one of the "Women of Country", a year-long promotion featuring up and coming artists. In December 2012, Clark digitally released a self-titled three-track

neg: Texas Ruby he was appearing on the Opry on March 29, 1963, Ruby was killed in a fire at home. It was the most grim month in Opry history as Ruby was the fifth Grand Ole Opry star to die that month, following Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and Jack Anglin. Fox was reinstated as an official Grand Ole Opry member shortly afterward but he retired by 1970. Ruby was the sister of Tex Owens, who composed Eddy Arnold's hit "The Cattle Call." Texas Ruby Ruby Agnes Owens (June 4, 1908 – March 29, 1963), professionally better known as Ruby Texas,

neg: Charlie Louvin appearances on the famed "Grand Ole Opry" during the 1950s, becoming official members in 1955. The Louvin Brothers released numerous singles, such as "When I Stop Dreaming", with over 20 recordings reaching the country music charts. Their rich harmonies served as an influence to later artists such as Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and The Byrds. By the 1960s Charlie and Ira's popularity had waned and the brothers split up in 1963. In 1965, Ira was killed in a car accident. Charlie continued to perform solo, making numerous appearances on the "Grand Ole Opry" and in later years acting as an

neg: The Willis Brothers from the early 1960s through the 1980s producing and recording commercial jingles from his home recording studio, recording literally hundreds of commercials featuring country artists and others for local Nashville and national sponsors such as Big Star Stores, Kellogg's (for which they also performed live commercial jingles on the "Grand Ole Opry" when they were in town), Fender Musical Instruments, Acme Boots, Lava Soap, Luzianne Coffee, Levy's Men's Wear, and others. After the deaths of two of the brothers, Skeeter and Guy, the Vic Willis Trio was formed with C.W. Mitchell and Curtis Young debuting on the "Grand Ole Opry"

neg: Hokum radio "barn dances" of the 1920s and 1930s interspersed hokum in their variety show broadcasts. The first blackface comedians at the WSM Grand Ole Opry were Lee Roy "Lasses" White and his partner, Lee Davis "Honey" Wilds, starring in the Friday night shows. White was a veteran of several minstrel troupes, including one organized by William George "Honeyboy" Evans and another led by Al G. Field, who also employed Emmett Miller. By 1920, White was leading his own outfit, the All Star Minstrels. Lasses and Honey joined the Grand Ole Opry cast in 1932. When Lasses moved on to Hollywood

neg: Shoji Tabuchi music inspired Tabuchi to pursue country/bluegrass music. When Tabuchi was in college, he formed a band called "The Bluegrass Ramblers", which led them to win a national contest in Japan. He decided to travel to the United States with his violin and only $500. Tabuchi had lived in San Francisco, Kansas City, and Louisiana. Then he eventually moved to Nashville, to meet Acuff. Acuff was true to his word and arranged an appearance for the young Japanese fiddler on the Grand Ole Opry. Tabuchi later made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Tabuchi arrived in Branson, Missouri around 1980,

neg: Grand Ole Opry been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on, we will present the "Grand Ole Opry." 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) before moving to the Dixie Tabernacle in East Nashville on June 13, 1936. The

neg: Pee Wee King the band played at the Grand Ole Opry. King refused to change his band's sound at the Grand Ole Opry, over the years being among the first to introduce or popularize drums (along with Bob Wills, who defied the Opry ban in 1945), horns, the accordion, and electric instruments including the pedal steel guitar to the Opry's brand of country music. His band also introduced on-stage dancing and Nudie Cohn's customized 'rhinestone cowboy' outfits to the Opry which later became popular with Nashville and country musicians, including Elvis Presley. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in

neg: Nashville (film) not to call her any more. Kenny rents a room from Mr. Green. Haven throws a pre-show party at his house before the evening's Grand Ole Opry performance. At the party, Triplette tries to persuade Haven to perform at the Walker gala by telling him that if Walker is elected, Walker would back Haven for state governor. Haven says he'll give Triplette his decision after the Opry show that night. Later, Tommy Brown, Haven, and Connie White (Karen Black) all perform at the Opry. Connie is substituting for the hospitalized Barbara Jean. Winifred tries unsuccessfully to get backstage. At the

neg: The Bailey Brothers and the Happy Valley Boys the Knoxville area. Danny formed the Happy Valley Boys after Charlie joined the military in 1941. In 1944 the Happy Valley Boys relocated to Nashville, where they became members of the Grand Ole Opry, and also made regular appearances on WSM radio in Nashville. At that time, Danny was the youngest person to ever perform on the Grand Ole Opry. When Charlie returned from his military service in 1946 the brothers were reunited as a duo but only stayed in Nashville briefly before returning to radio work in Knoxville. The Bailey brothers came from a musical family and began playing

neg: Bradley Kincaid WBZ-AM in Boston, Massachusetts where he performed with a band that included young singer and banjo player Marshall Jones. Kincaid teased the 22-year-old fellow Kentuckian for always being grumpy when he came to the studio to do the early morning broadcast, nicknaming him "Grandpa" Jones. The moniker became permanent for the future Grand Ole Opry star. Kincaid moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1945 where he too became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1971, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1988, the then-93-year-old Kincaid was involved in an automobile accident and sustained injuries

neg: Stonewall Jackson (musician) bear the surname "Jackson"; thus, if the musician were to have descended from the general, it would have to be an indirect descent.) Stonewall's father died when he was two and his mother moved the family to South Georgia. Jackson grew up there working on his uncle's farm. Jackson enlisted in the Navy in 1950 and was discharged in 1954. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1956. After hearing Jackson's demo tape, Wesley Rose, president of Acuff-Rose Music, arranged for Jackson to audition for the Grand Ole Opry. Jackson became the first artist to join the Grand Ole Opry before

neg: Opryland USA for hotel employees (Gaylord University), and was moved intact to the former location of Chaos until being torn down in 2010. The large administration building that briefly sat outside the park gates became the offices of the General Jackson and Music City Queen riverboats, and was moved intact to a location near the Cumberland Landing docks. Much of the Opry Plaza area remained untouched and open for business. The Grand Ole Opry House, Roy Acuff Theater (later renamed BellSouth Acuff Theater), and the Grand Ole Opry Museum remained in constant use throughout and after demolition of the park. The buildings

neg: Grand Ole Opry to be performed every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry House from March through November each year, and the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2015. Following the departure of the Opry, Ryman Auditorium sat mostly vacant and decaying for 20 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 many influential musicians of the time. The plans were abandoned, and the building remained standing

neg: Darius Rucker released to country radio on February 3, 2014. On October 2, 2012, Rucker was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. Halfway through his set at the Opry that night he answered questions from the audience which included a question from Brad Paisley. Paisley said: "I have two questions. One, are you still the worst poker player in the world? And two, would you like to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry?" Rucker accepted, and it became official on October 16. Rucker was a featured performer at the festival in London on March 17, 2013, which was

neg: Mel Tillis by each individual artist), were also available. In the 1990s, Tillis' daughter, Pam Tillis, became a hugely successful country music singer in her own right, with Top Ten hits like "Maybe It Was Memphis", "Shake the Sugar Tree" and the Number One "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)". The Grand Ole Opry inducted Mel Tillis on June 9, 2007. He was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam. Along with being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, it was announced on August 7 that year that Tillis, along with Ralph Emery and Vince Gill, were to be inducted into

neg: 2010 Tennessee floods footage of a large portable building being swept away from Lighthouse Christian School and coming to rest among the traffic on I-24, which was broadcast live on local television. Another person was killed along Mill Creek while attempting to tube the floodwaters. Flooding on the Cumberland River damaged the Grand Ole Opry House, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Opry Mills, Bridgestone Arena (home to NHL team Nashville Predators), and LP Field (home to NFL team Tennessee Titans) with several feet of water. Grand Ole Opry performances were moved to other venues in the Nashville area, with the Ryman Auditorium

neg: Grand Ole Opry when it decides to induct a new member, directs an existing member to publicly ask them to join, usually during a live episode. As the Opry is a running series, membership in the show's cast must be maintained throughout an artist's career, through frequent performances, and expires when the performer dies (in the case of duos, membership continues until both members die, with the survivor allowed to maintain membership after the other's death). The Opry maintains a wall of fame listing every member of the Opry in the show's history, including those that have died, lost or relinquished their membership.

neg: Old Crow Medicine Show . ." The group made their Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman Auditorium, "The Mother Church of Country Music", in January 2001. Given just four minutes on stage, they played their original "Tear It Down"—a "singing jug-band romp about punishing infidelity"—and received a "rare first-time-out standing ovation, and a call for an encore." In August 2013, Stuart unexpectedly appeared onstage at the Ohio Theatre in Cleveland, where the group was performing, to invite them to become official members of the Opry. They were formally inducted at a special ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, September 17,

neg: Curly Fox Grand Ole Opry, where they performed from 1937–1939 and 1944-1948. From 1940-1944, they became a regular feature on "Boone County Jamboree" over WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple was invited to be members of The Opry in the late 1930s. They occasionally recorded together, including a session for King Records in 1947. In 1948, Curly and Ruby moved to Houston, Texas, where they remained for over a decade, working in radio and television. In 1960, the pair returned to work on the "Grand Ole Opry", but Ruby often fell ill and Fox frequently performed solo. An album was recorded together

neg: Grand Ole Opry Smith's signature hit "Once a Day" together, 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. The "Grand Ole Opry" is broadcast live on WSM-AM at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday nights, changed from a previous time start of 6:30. A similar program, "Friday Night Opry", airs live on Friday nights. From February through

neg: Grand Ole Opry around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners. The Opry<nowiki>'</nowiki>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. Broadcasting by then 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

neg: KFRO (AM) known as the "Voice of the "Grand Ole Opry". In 1981 Turner was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Turner also sang, and had several duet albums with Helen Carter on the Tennessee and Republic labels. He also performed on the "Grand Ole Opry". In 1947, KFRO moved into the former home of the Hurst Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital on Methvin Street in downtown Longview and renamed it the Curtis Building. The new studios were very plush, with grand piano, harp, and room for a full band. The Hurst Hospital building was built in 1919 by

neg: Red Ingle was struck to get "Pagan Ninny's Keep 'Er Going Stomp" recorded: the concert performer was allowed to use a pseudonym on the record. Ingle and his Natural Seven also performed with "Grand Ole Opry" performers such as Minnie Pearl and other Opry notables. He joined Jo Stafford on her 1949 tour of the Midwest. Despite the comedy emphasis, the quality of the musicianship was often outstanding, including in some cases Les Paul or Western Swing performers Tex Williams and steel guitarist Noel Boggs. The band also recorded short films of their numbers, before disbanding in 1952; by 1956, Ingle had

neg: Keith Bilbrey D. Hay, Grant Turner, Ralph Emery, and Hairl Hensley. When The Nashville Network (TNN) began televising a thirty-minute portion of the show in 1985, the young announcer became the first host of Grand Ole Opry Live. Bilbrey hosted Opry Live, along with the Opry warm-up show, Backstage Live, until TNN stopped airing the show in 2000. Bilbrey’s affiliation with the Opry earned him additional opportunities in the world of country music television and radio. Starting in 1982, Bilbrey was the announcer for Ernest Tubb's Midnight Jamboree, a post that Bilbrey held until Tubb's death in 1984. Bilbrey was the announcer

neg: Wilma Lee Cooper crowds. The Cooper's daughter, Carol Lee Cooper, was the lead singer for the Grand Ole Opry's backup vocal group, The Carol Lee Singers until she announced her retirement live on the Opry on March 24, 2012. Wilma Lee Cooper died from natural causes on September 13, 2011, at her home in Sweetwater, Tennessee. She had been a member of the Opry since 1957. She was 90 years old. Her last solo performance on the Opry was at the Ryman Auditorium on February 24, 2001. Wilma Lee joined the Opry cast at the grand re-opening of the Opry House on September

neg: The Carter Sisters Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They accepted and their performances became some of their most famous and valued work. They performed with famous names such as Elvis Presley, Carl Smith (June's husband at the time), Ernest Tubb, and Johnny Cash and spent roughly ten years working the Grand Ole Opry as well as on various other radio broadcasts. They became members of the Opry in the early 1950s. June also began making frequent solo performances in concert and on television during this era. Following the death of A. P. Carter in 1960, Maybelle officially renamed the girls' group "The Carter

neg: Grand Ole Opry 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 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

neg: Helen Carter of the Grand Ole Opry in 1950 securing Helen, June and Anita's place in country music history as being among the youngest Grand Ole Opry inductees ever. They were aged 22, 20 and 17 respectively. The Carters were on the first nationally televised network program to feature country music, "The Kate Smith Show", and were among the first country music acts to tour behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia. They were given the "Favorite Country Group" award by the American Music Awards in 1973 and the "Gospel Act of the Year" award by the Music City News Awards in 1980.

neg: East Tennessee B. Grayson, and Theron Hale were among the most successful early musicians from East Tennessee. In 1927, the Victor Talking Machine Company conducted a series of recording sessions in Bristol that saw the rise of musicians such as Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. Subsequent recording sessions, such as the Johnson City sessions in 1928 and the Knoxville St. James Sessions in 1930 proved lucrative, but by the late 1930s, the success of the Grand Ole Opry had lured much of the region's talent to Nashville. In the 1940s, the Grand Ole Opry and associated music labels began using "country"

neg: Connie Smith to become a member since childhood, remembering saying at the age of five, "Someday I’m gonna sing on the Grand Ole Opry." In the mid-60s Smith was temporarily fired from the Grand Ole Opry for not being on the show for twenty six weeks out of the year, which was the required amount of weeks to stay a member at the time. In the 1970s, Smith was nearly fired from the show for testifying about Jesus Christ. Bill Anderson wrote her next single with Bette Anderson, which was released in April 1965 called "I Can't Remember". The single peaked at

neg: Ronnie Milsap Live Ronnie Milsap Live Ronnie Milsap Live is the first live album by country music artist Ronnie Milsap. It was recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1976, the same year Milsap became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and released that same year. Country music disc jockey and television host Ralph Emery introduced Milsap at the concert and also wrote the album's liner notes. The album spent 24 weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at No. 2. "Ronnie Milsap Live" won the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year in

neg: The Black Lillies Association's Festival & Fan Fair that year. The Black Lillies made their debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry on June 17, 2011. The band was the first independent artist from the Knoxville area to be featured on the Grand Ole Opry, and made history again by being invited back multiple times, appearing five times in just four months. They have since appeared on the show more than 35 times, a record for an independent act. The Black Lillies' third album, "Runaway Freeway Blues", was released in March 2013 to widespread critical acclaim. That album debuted at #21 on the

neg: The Latebirds to support Wilco on their US tour. The tour included a date at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium known also as the original Grand Ole Opry. This marked the first time that an act from Finland performed at the Grand Ole Opry. The Latebirds The Latebirds are a rock band from Helsinki, Finland. The band was formed in 2000 by drummer Janne Haavisto, bass player Mikko Mäkelä, singer/songwriter Markus Nordenstreng and guitarist Miikka Paatelainen. Guitarist Jussi Jaakonaho replaced Miikka Paatelainen in 2004. Organ player Matti Pitsinki from Finnish instrumental rock group Laika & The Cosmonauts was added to the line-up in 2005.

neg: WWON (AM) station changed hands and Grand Ole Opry members Ernie Ashworth and Ralph Davis became the owners for a brief period, along with Carl Swafford. In between the call letters WAAN and WTNR was the call letters WNBG. In the late 1980s, the station was moved to its present location in the old bank building on the Public Square in downtown Waynesboro. After years of paperwork the station changed frequency and call letters, and AM 930 WTNR was born. The call letters stood for Waynesboro TN Radio. Aside from past owner Ernie Ashworth of Grand Ole Opry fame, country singer, actor,

neg: Mountain Heart lead singer, Steve Gulley, would be leaving the group. In January 2007, Josh Shilling debuted with the band at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, and was announced as the group's new lead singer. In September of that year, Jones was replaced by Grammy Award winning guitarist, Clay Hess. In December 2007, mandolinist Aaron Ramsey replaced Steffey, making his debut also on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry. Clay Jones returned replacing Hess in January 2009, joining the band again at The Ark, in Ann Arbor, MI, which would later become the site of their 2007 (live) recording,

neg: Cracker Barrel National Black MBA Association, and job skills programs and sponsorships with 100 Black Men of America and the Restaurant and Lodging Association. Cracker Barrel sponsored the NASCAR Atlanta 500 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2001 and the Grand Ole Opry from 2004 to 2009. The company was the first presenting sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry. This sponsorship allowed the company to make connections within the Nashville music industry, following which it entered into partnership with a number of country music performers. The chain has established partnerships with artists including Alison Krauss, Charlie Daniels, Josh Turner, Kenny

neg: Gary Gannaway the Grand Ole Opry", footage and rights from The Grand Ole Opry from the 50s and 60s his two grandchildren now own. From his father, Gary learned the fundamentals of business. By the time Gary turned fourteen, he regularly sat in on board meetings of his father's company and spent his summers in Virginia with his paternal grandparents to learn the business. Gannaway attended Castle Heights Military Academy in Tennessee followed by three years of service in the Marine Corps. In 1974, Gannaway was one of 18 men in the Marines Elite Force Recon. After the Marines, Gannaway joined Metromedia

neg: George Morgan (singer) by RadiOzark Enterprises in Springfield, Missouri. In 1974, Morgan was the last person to sing on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium before the Grand Ole Opry moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. A week later he was the first to sing on stage at the venue. He died in 1975 of a heart attack after undergoing open heart surgery and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison, Tennessee. His daughter, country music singer Lorrie Morgan, released two songs as duets with her late father dubbed in: "I'm Completely Satisfied" (1979) and "From This Moment On"

neg: WSM (AM) announced the carriage of the Grand Ole Opry on Nashville! channel 11 beginning in October 2007, as well as the Eddie Stubbs Show on America channel 10 beginning in November 2007. After the merger between Sirius and XM, the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts were moved to the service's The Roadhouse channel, which is heard on both Sirius and XM. WSM continues to reach a worldwide audience, through both its powerful 50,000-watt clear channel AM signal and via its Internet simulcast. WSM is a Primary Entry Point (PEP) for the Emergency Alert System (EAS). In 2017, WSM launched Route 650, a

neg: Ronnie Milsap Live 1977, Milsap's second win in that category. In 1979, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for US shipments exceeding 500,000. Ronnie Milsap Live Ronnie Milsap Live is the first live album by country music artist Ronnie Milsap. It was recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1976, the same year Milsap became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and released that same year. Country music disc jockey and television host Ralph Emery introduced Milsap at the concert and also wrote the album's liner notes. The album spent 24 weeks on

neg: Paramount Network park near Nashville, Tennessee. Country Music Television (CMT), founded by Glenn D. Daniels, beat TNN's launch by two days, robbing them of the claim of the "first country music cable television network." TNN's flagship shows included "Nashville Now", "The Statler Brothers Show", "American Sports Cavalcade" and "Grand Ole Opry Live". "Nashville Now" and the "Grand Ole Opry" were broadcast live from Opryland USA. The Gaylord Entertainment Company purchased TNN and the Opryland properties in the latter half of 1987. Much of TNN's programming (except for its sports) during the Gaylord era was originally produced by Opryland Productions, also owned by

neg: Hank Williams Louisiana and eastern Texas, always returning on Saturdays for the weekly broadcast of the "Hayride". After a few more moderate hits, in 1949 he released his version of the 1922 Cliff Friend & Irving Mills song "Lovesick Blues", made popular by Rex Griffin. Williams' version became a huge country hit; the song stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for four consecutive months, crossing over to mainstream audiences and gaining Williams a place in the Grand Ole Opry. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive

neg: Nashville! WSM in Nashville. Sirius' broadcast ended in September 2006 without warning, and Sirius claimed that the decision to drop the station and the Grand Ole Opry was mutual. On October 20, Nashville! broadcast its first Grand Ole Opry concert, which was also on the Opry's 82nd birthday celebration. The concerts air every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night. In August 2008, following suit to sister station KISS-XM, Nashville! added new personalities to the lineup. The jocks were rather scarce, and had longer shifts. Bama & Rob started in mornings, with Cindy Spicer in afternoons. These jock shifts were, and remain voice-tracked.

neg: Billy Grammer paralysis, leaving him using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. "I've said all along, if they wanted to do something like this, they do it under these circumstances," Grammer said, weeping, after the incident. Grammer delivered the invocation for the Grand Ole Opry House opening on March 16, 1974. In 1990, he was inducted into the Illinois Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Tex Williams, Lulu Belle and Scotty, and Patsy Montana. Grammer suffered from the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa and became completely blind. On February 27, 2009, he was honored by the Grand Ole Opry

neg: Keith Urban Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill at the third annual We're All for the Hall benefit concert which Urban organized. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on 21 April 2012. Urban plays guitar on Tim McGraw's early-2013 single "Highway Don't Care", which also features a guest vocal from Taylor Swift. This song is the third single from McGraw's album "Two Lanes of Freedom". On 13 May 2013, Urban released the single "Little Bit of Everything", produced by Nathan Chapman. It was the first single from his eighth studio album, "Fuse", which was released on 10 September 2013. The

neg: Minnie Pearl whose style and talk became the basis for "Cousin Minnie Pearl". Her first stage performance as Minnie Pearl was in 1939 in Aiken, South Carolina. Her now famous hat was purchased downtown at Surasky Bros. Department store before the show. The following year, executives from Nashville radio station WSM saw her perform at a bankers' convention in Centerville and gave her an opportunity to appear on the Grand Ole Opry on November 30, 1940. The success of her debut on the show began an association with the Grand Ole Opry that continued for more than 50 years. Pearl's comedy was

neg: Neil Flanz Charlie Louvin of the famed Louvin Brothers duet, and after obtaining his green card, Neil finally moved to Nashville, where he worked and toured with Charlie Louvin, Jean Shepard, Billy Walker, Ray Pillow and many other Grand Ole Opry artists. He eventually connected with Nashville’s "The Kelly Rogers Breed" with a regular engagement at the "Broadway Barn" around the corner from the Grand Ole Opry. In 1973, Phil Kaufman contacted Neil to play a six-week tour with Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The band was called "The Fallen Angels" and also featured Kyle Tullis on bass, N.D. Smart on drums

neg: Gordon Terry Gordon Terry Gordon Terry (October 7, 1931–April 9, 2006) was an adept American bluegrass and country music fiddler and guitarist. He was a member of Merle Haggard's backing band The Strangers. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the Fiddlers Hall of Fame. Terry was born in Decatur, Alabama and learned to play the fiddle at an early age. He made his first performance on the Grand Ole Opry at age nine. He attended fiddlers' conventions, and won first prize at the Alabama Fiddling Championship in 1946. In 1950, he joined the Grand Ole Opry and

neg: Minnie Pearl for the statues. A museum dedicated to Minnie Pearl was situated just outside the Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland USA (next to another museum dedicated to Roy Acuff), but the museum closed along with the theme park in 1997. Many of its artifacts were moved to the adjacent Grand Ole Opry Museum. These are a guest appearance on another star's album or an appearance on a various artists' albums. Minnie Pearl released a number of single records for RCA Victor during the 1950s, including a few duets with Grandpa Jones. During this period, she also made guest appearances on

neg: Keith Bilbrey 2012 Keith was recognized by the Sigma Chi Fraternity with the Significant Sig Award, presented to "those alumni members whose achievements in their fields of endeavor have brought honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi". Keith Bilbrey Keith Bilbrey (born August 14, 1952) is an American country music disc jockey and television host in Nashville, Tennessee. He served as a disc jockey at Nashville's WSM, as an announcer on the Grand Ole Opry, and as the host of TNN’s Grand Ole Opry Live. Keith Bilbrey was born in Cookeville, Tennessee to Leo and Ethel Bilbrey, the youngest of

neg: Reg Lindsay throughout Australia with Lindsay, as host, flying in from Sydney to Adelaide each week. In that year he issued a single, "They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around". He travelled to the United States in 1968, to record material for his TV show, while there he was asked to appear on the "Grand Ole Opry" in Nashville. He was so successful in this debut he was invited back for the ultimate encore, the Saturday night show. Reg was the first Australian ever to do so and was the first of many Grand Ole Opry appearances.< Upon return to Sydney in

neg: Doyle Dykes Quartet and later with Grand Ole Opry star Grandpa Jones. Dykes has since returned to the Grand Ole Opry for numerous performances. Although a world-renowned guitarist, Dykes frequently plays church venues with small audiences, and some intimate shows that aren't advertised, stating, “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play music for people. Dykes was a longtime endorser of Taylor Guitars. According to owner Bob Taylor, "If I had to pick the artist who most represented the Taylor Guitars brand and who has done the most for us, I would say Doyle Dykes. Doyle has represented Taylor Guitars to more

neg: Jeannie Seely in Song" was chosen as one of the most anticipated albums of 2017 by both CMT.com and The Boot. Seely celebrated her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on September 16th, 2017 and is one of only three living women (the others being Loretta Lynn and Connie Smith) to have reached this milestone. Jeannie Seely Marilyn Jeanne "Jeannie" Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry star. She is best known for her 1966 Grammy award-winning country hit "Don't Touch Me", which peaked at No. 1 on the Record

neg: Bradley Gaskin Grand Ole Opry performance on October 30, 2015. Bradley Gaskin Bradley Gaskin (born in Gadsden, Alabama) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He signed with Columbia Nashville in 2011 and has released his debut single, "Mr. Bartender" after being discovered through a talent contest sponsored by John Rich. At the time, Gaskin had been working for his father hanging sheetrock. The song entered the Hot Country Songs charts at number 51 on the chart dated for the week ending April 2, 2011. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on August 20, 2011. After a corporate restructuring, Gaskin moved to

neg: Loretta Lynn was also presented to Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Bob Dylan). Lynn has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since joining on September 25, 1962; her debut appearance on the Grand Ole Opry was on October 15, 1960. Lynn has recorded 70 albums, including 54 studio albums, 15 compilation albums, and one tribute album, and over 48 million of her albums have been sold worldwide in her career. Lynn was born in 1932 and raised in the mining community of Butcher Hollow, Van Lear, Kentucky. Loretta was the second of eight children. She was named after the film

neg: Alan Jackson from an upcoming album that is set for release in 2018. In 1989 he was nominated for a total of six Country Music Association awards (CMAs). He was nominated for four 1994 CMAs, including Entertainer of the Year. Jackson became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1991; he was inducted by Roy Acuff and Randy Travis. Jackson was the most nominated artist at the 29th annual TNN/Music City News Country Awards that was broadcast June 5 from the Grand Ole Opry House. His six nominations included best entertainer, male artist, vocal collaboration, album, single, and video (two nominations

neg: Josh Turner and is available exclusively through Cracker Barrel restaurants. Turner, along with veteran songwriters Brett James and Don Schlitz, wrote a song entitled "Say Yes"; recorded and released by singer Dusty Drake in 2007, the song was a minor Top 40 country hit for Drake, peaking at No. 36. On September 29, 2007, while giving an award to Roy Clark on Clark's 20th anniversary on the Grand Ole Opry, Turner was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was inducted by Vince Gill on October 27, 2007. He is the second youngest member after Carrie Underwood. Turner's

neg: Ruby Jane Smith Ruby Jane Smith Ruby Jane Smith (born November 17, 1994) is an American fiddle player, singer, and songwriter in the traditional bluegrass and Americana music genres. The youngest fiddler invited to play the Grand Ole Opry, Smith has toured and recorded with Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, Drake Bell, and Willie Nelson, and has performed on "Austin City Limits". Smith was born in Dallas, Texas, to parents who are originally from Columbus, Mississippi and while still a toddler moved there, with her mother, from whom she inherited a love for bluegrass music. Grand Ole Opry notable Jim Brock began

neg: Keith Bilbrey Keith Bilbrey Keith Bilbrey (born August 14, 1952) is an American country music disc jockey and television host in Nashville, Tennessee. He served as a disc jockey at Nashville's WSM, as an announcer on the Grand Ole Opry, and as the host of TNN’s Grand Ole Opry Live. Keith Bilbrey was born in Cookeville, Tennessee to Leo and Ethel Bilbrey, the youngest of three children. His love affair with radio began in 4th grade and he got his broadcast license at the age of 14. In 1968, Bilbrey went to work at Cookeville’s WHUB, soon after his 16th birthday. He