Chapter 9: Country Western Music
No institution has done more to define, promote, and preserve country music than the Grand Ole Opry. What began as a regional radio broadcast in the 1920s has grown into a national symbol of country music tradition and remains the longest continuously running radio program in American history.
The Opry began as the WSM Barn Dance, launched in 1925 by George D. Hay, a seasoned radio producer who had previously worked with the WLS team in Chicago. After being hired as station director at WSM, a powerful Nashville-based station, Hay set out to bring live music programming to Southern audiences.
The show aired on Saturday nights and initially featured old-time string bands, fiddlers, and folk musicians, many of whom performed live in the studio. The program followed NBC’s Music Appreciation Hour, a broadcast of European classical music conducted by Walter Damrosch. One evening in 1926, Hay introduced the program with a now-famous line:
"For the past hour, we've been listening to music taken largely from grand opera, but from now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry."
The name was a playful jab at opera, and it stuck. From that moment on, the Grand Ole Opry became the flagship broadcast of country and western music, quickly attracting a devoted regional and national following.
The Opry played a critical role in popularizing rural Southern music by providing a weekly platform for performers who might never have reached a broad audience. It helped launch the careers of country music legends such as Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, and Minnie Pearl. Its popularity also cemented Nashville’s reputation as the center of the country music industry, ultimately earning the city the nickname "Music City."
As the genre evolved, the Opry kept pace, welcoming bluegrass, honky-tonk, gospel, and modern country artists to its stage. It moved from WSM’s modest studio to larger venues, including the Ryman Auditorium and later the Grand Ole Opry House, where it continues to host live audiences and broadcast performances to millions of listeners across radio and television. Today, the Opry continues to draw live audiences and reaches millions through national radio and television broadcasts. As the oldest continuously running radio program in American history, the Grand Ole Opry stands as a cultural landmark, honoring the traditions of the past while championing the future of country music.