Argumentative Essay: The Grand Ole Opry

All across the world, music is a major part of daily lives. Different genres, instruments, languages, and rhythms may exist, but the fact that music brings people of different races and religion together remains untouched. The Grand Ole Opry, a show that began in Nashville, Tennessee, has brought millions of people together over the years. Whether a person is tuning in to the AM station, online, on the app, or enjoying a live show at the historic Grand Ole Opry House, all Opry listeners share the same passion for country music, bluegrass, gospel, and of course, a laugh every now and then.

On October 5, 1925, the radio station WSM 650 AM signed on the air for the very first time. Created by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company during

the Roaring Twenties, and named after the insurance company’s motto “We Shield Millions”, the station typically played classical music. Then on the night of November 28, 1925, everything changed. George D. Hay, who was hired to be WSM’s radio announcer, introduced a 77-year-old fiddle player named Uncle Jimmy Thompson, and announced the name of a new show “The Barn Dance”, which would be renamed in 1927 to the “Grand Ole Opry” (Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry). According to the Opry, “the show emphasized old-time fiddlers and harmonica players, as well as what George D. Hay called ‘hoedown bands’ like the Possum Hunter and the Gully Jumpers, giving the show a rural feel” (Opry, History 1). This caused mixed reactions among listeners. Some people were not happy that “hillbillies” were being played on the radio, and Hay fought to keep it on the air. Playing country and bluegrass music helped the insurance company sell several policies to those living in the rural areas (Knowlton). “In 1928, WSM was given the frequency of 650 kilohertz and admission to an elite group of maximum power, Class 1-A clear-channel broadcasters,” says WSM (WSM, History 7). An 878-foot diamond shaped antenna was built in 1932, allowing the station to span nationwide. The tower is located south of Nashville, and was the tallest tower in North America until its height was reduced in 1939, when it was discovered that the tower was causing self-cancellation. The tower was even given a special job in WWII when it was needed to provide transmissions to submarines when ship-to-shore telecommunications were absent. The station continued to broadcast music during the evening hours, and broadcasted daytime shows before television was invented (WSM, History). Crowds gathered at the radio station to watch the live broadcasts, and soon became too much for the fifth floor of the National Life building. National Life Insurance then took charge and built an auditorium capable of holding 500 fans for the live broadcasts (Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry). As the show thrived, drawing in more crowds and listeners every broadcast, the Opry looked for a larger home.
In October 1934, the show moved to its second home, the Hillsboro Theatre. Opened in 1925, and owned by Joseph Lightman, the theater housed silent movies up until the Grand Ole Opry claimed the space. After two years of being at the Hillsboro Theatre, the Opry needed to move again to meet the growing crowds. The show moved to the Dixie Tabernacle, but the Hillsboro Theatre stayed open. In 1966, the theater was renamed to the Belcourt Cinema. The theater had two-screens, which named it the first “twin cinema” in Middle Tennessee. Later renamed to the Belcourt Theatre, it now houses shows and projections (Bliss, Belcourt Theatre was once home to the 'Grand Ole Opry'). It is currently undergoing a six-month renovation process that should be finished in June of 2016. Included in the renovations are a third cinema, larger lobby, and handicap accessibility (Bliss, Belcourt Theatre revival part of changing Nashville).
The Opry moved into its third home on June 13, 1936, named the Dixie Tabernacle, which had a dirt floor and wooden plank benches inside where the show was held. After the show moved to the Dixie Tabernacle, the National Life and Accident Insurance Company began selling tickets in advance for future shows (Opry, History). In July 1939, the Opry moved out of the Dixie Tabernacle and moved into Nashville’s most elegant performance hall, the War Memorial Auditorium. The auditorium was built in 1925, and housed the Grand Ole Opry for 4 years. It was then when the Opry started to charge admission for attendants per show. It may have taken twenty-five cents to attend a Grand Ole Opry show, but that didn’t stop anyone from coming to watch the live broadcasts (Opry, History). After a while, state authorities became fed up with guests sticking their chewing gum under the wooden benches. The Opry now needed a new home. Harry Stone, the manager of the Grand Ole Opry persuaded Lula Naff, the manager of the Ryman Auditorium, to host the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night studio broadcasts (Fame).
The Ryman Auditorium opened in 1892, as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Thomas Ryman, a steamboat-shipping entrepreneur, built the auditorium out of love for Reverend Sam Jones. Ryman attended one of Jones’ sermons that was held under a tent, and was touched by what Jones had to say. Ryman wanted everyone to hear Jones’ sermons, and be comfortable as they listened. Ryman decided to construct an auditorium large enough to hold all those wanting to attend a service. The tabernacle took nearly seven years to complete, and on June 1, 1892, held Jones’ first sermon without the use of a tent. On June 22, 1897, the auditorium was slightly renovated so that six thousand attendees could sit in the auditorium (Auditorium, History).
Thomas Ryman passed away in 1904. At Ryman’s funeral, Reverend Jones declared that the Union Gospel Tabernacle be renamed the Ryman Auditorium out of respect for Mr. Thomas Ryman. The crowd who attended Ryman’s funeral that evening was over-joyed and accepting of the proposal (Auditorium, About). Reverend Sam Jones then passed away on October 15, 1906. A ceremony was held for Mr. Sam Jones at the Ryman on October 28th to honor Jones, and everything that the preacher achieved throughout his lifetime. After Jones passed away, several important and famous individuals performed or spoke at the Ryman Auditorium. Theodore Roosevelt gave a lecture, President Taft presented an address, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy spoke; being the first show to ever sell out at the Ryman, Charlie Chaplin spoke about savings bonds, Harry Houdini performed, and several more influential people throughout the years. However, the biggest piece of Ryman history happened on June 5, 1943. That day, the Grand Ole Opry moved into the Ryman Auditorium (Auditorium, History).
It wasn’t until September 12, 1963 when WSM officially bought the Ryman Auditorium (Fame). As crowds were becoming larger, Opry officials soon realized that the Ryman was not going to be able to host the Grand Ole Opry much longer. There were no dressing rooms for the artists and performers, no bathrooms or indoor plumbing, and no heating and air conditioning. The changing times called for those necessities, making the repair costs add up over time. The plan was to build a custom building for the Grand Ole Opry, one that met all the needs for the show, in the middle of Opryland, USA, in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1971, a year before the House opened, Opry officials came up with the idea to tear down the Ryman Auditorium and use the bricks to build a chapel by the Opry House at Opryland. However, the idea did not go over very well. Several people protested the idea, especially preservationists. Officials decided to leave the Ryman standing and continue the build of the new Opry House (Fame).
The Grand Ole Opry said their final goodbyes to the “Mother Church of Country Music” on March 15, 1974, and moved into the newly built Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland, USA (Opry, About). After this, the Ryman went dormant for approximately twenty years, simply because the building did not meet fire codes. During the Ryman’s time of dormancy, scenes for the movie Nashville, Coal Miner’s Daughter, and Sweet Dreams were filmed. Emmylou Harris also used the Auditorium to record a unique album named At the Ryman. In 1993, the Ryman Auditorium closed, and Gaylord Entertainment, the owner of the Ryman since September 12, 1963, started an 8.5 million dollar renovation project (Fame). Renovations included dressing rooms for the visiting performers, air conditioning and heating, and an addition to the building where a new lobby, bathrooms, offices, and a gift shop were added (Auditorium, Renovation). On the inside of the auditorium, there were sections in the balcony that limited visibility. To remedy this, those sections of the stage were removed, which allowed room to add the dressing rooms, an elevator, and a catering room (Auditorium, Renovation). In June 1994, the renovations were completed and the newly redesigned auditorium was opened to the public. The first performance that was presented at the remodeled Ryman was Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”. According to the Ryman Auditorium, it was a fitting beginning to the building as it was Opry shows at the Ryman that inspired a young Keillor to do a show of his own (Auditorium, Renovation 7).
March 16, 1974, marked the day the Grand Ole Opry would take the air in the specifically designed Grand Ole Opry House. President Richard Nixon was present that evening, and played the piano and sang for the grand opening (Opry, History). The brand new home for the Opry included eighteen dressing rooms, numbered one through nineteen, ignoring the number thirteen on purpose. Each dressing room was uniquely designed and different from one another. Artists who have stayed in that particular room might even have a picture of them hanging in the dressing room of the night they officially were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. With two levels of seating, there are also enough seats for four thousand four hundred and four attendants (Opry, Floor Plan). Tens of thousands of tickets are sold per year to listeners wanting to attend the famous show and be a part of history (Opry, About).
Even though the Grand Ole Opry was not at the notable Ryman anymore, officials and performers did not want to leave the memories and history that was made behind.

In turn, a six-foot wide circle was carved from the Ryman floor, and placed in the center of the stage of the new Grand Ole Opry House. Since so many significant and influential people stood on that floor, it would have been wrong not bring along a piece of how the show began. “You think about people like Hank Williams, who stood on that spot of wood, Mr. Acuff, and, of course, George Jones and just about anybody you can think of who has made country music has been on that stage. That’s what makes you so nervous – to think about the historical part of the Opry and how it’s played such a part in country music,” says Opry member Alan Jackson (Opry, 10 Things You Can See At The Grand Ole Opry 7). The Opry Circle is the heart of country music. Those who helped make country music what it is today have stood on that very circle. Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Minnie Pearl, and Elvis Presley are just to name a few. It is known worldwide, and serves as a symbol for country and bluegrass. Artists are not the only people who have the chance to stand on the famous circle though. Thousands of country music fanatics travel from all over the world to see this very unique piece of

history.