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Old 06-14-2025, 02:49 PM   #1 (permalink)
Drjohnrock
Music Addict
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,055
Default Grand Ole Opry Thread

Founded in 1925 as the WSM Barn Dance, name changed to Grand Ole Opry in 1927, and going strong ever since. Nowadays, the Opry is held at either it's original home, Ryman Auritorium, or The Grand Ole Opry House. A typical Opry show lasts two hours (with a 20 minute intermission) and features 8 musical acts. The Opry is well worth seeing at least once, even it you're not into country music. The producers are careful to book a variety of acts for each show, touching on traditional country, bluegrass, "bro country", etc.

I saw the Opry at the Grand Ole Opry House in 2013. The warm up act was a young woman comedian dressed like the late Minnie Pearl, but only Minnie Pearl could ever be Minnie Pearl. Anyway, the music lineup I saw was:

Mark Willis (headliner)
Del McCoury Band
Bill Anderson
Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys
Riders In The Sky
Katie Arminger
Jon Conlee
Craig Campbell

McCoury Band, Mead and company, Anderson, Riders and Conlee were fine, Willis not so much, Campbell was okay, and Arminger was awful. On the whole, an enjoyable evening. And although you can hear it online all over the world, the Opry is still a live radio program on WSM. So when you see it live, there are commercials just any other commercial radio program.
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