The Opry features a combination of famous singers and present chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music, as well as comedy performances and sketches, all in the name of commemorating country music and its heritage. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come from all over the world, and millions of people listen to the radio and the internet.

The show began recruiting experts in the 1930s and expanded to four hours. WSM, which was broadcasting at 50,000 watts at the time, had established the program as a Saturday night musical tradition in roughly 30 states. It made its national debut on NBC Radio in 1939. In 1943, the Opry found a permanent home at the Ryman Auditorium.

The city of Nashville, which became America’s “country music capital,” grew in importance as well. The Grand Ole Opry is so important to Nashville that it has been designated as a “home of” me.

Membership in the Opry is still regarded as one of country music’s pinnacles. The show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown Nashville since 1974, with a three-month return to the Ryman in the winter since 1999. Performances have been occasionally televised over the years, in addition to the radio presentations.