The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly American 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, 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 around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.
WSM is a 50,000-watt clear channel AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a full-time country music format at 650 kHz and is known primarily as the home of The Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio program. The station's clear channel signal can reach much of North America and nearby countries, especially late at night. It is one of two clear-channel stations in North America, along with CFZM in Toronto, that still primarily broadcast music. Nicknamed "The Air Castle of the South," it shares its callsign with WSM-FM, also in Nashville, and formerly with television Channel 4, now WSMV.
DeFord Bailey was an American country music and blues star from the 1920s until 1941. He was the first performer to be introduced on the Grand Ole Opry and the first African-American performer on the show. He played several instruments but is best known for his harmonica tunes.
Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 and is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
James William Anderson III, known as Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, is an American country music singer, songwriter and television personality. He has been a member in long standing of the weekly Grand Ole Opry radio program and stage performance in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1961. He has released more than 40 studio albums and has reached No. 1 on the country charts seven times: "Mama Sang a Song" (1962), "Still" (1963), "I Get the Fever" (1966), "For Loving You", "My Life " (1969), "World of Make Believe" (1973), and "Sometimes". Twenty-nine more of his singles have reached the top ten.
Uncle Dave Macon, born David Harrison Macon—also known as "The Dixie Dewdrop"—was an American old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Known for his chin whiskers, plug hat, gold teeth, and gates-ajar collar, he gained regional fame as a vaudeville performer in the early 1920s before becoming the first star of the Grand Ole Opry in the latter half of the decade.
Carlton Ray Scott Jr. is an American country music artist. He started his first band at age 19, and later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the Music Business Institute. After receiving an associate's degree, he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he started another band before moving again, this time to Nashville, Tennessee. While there, Ray began writing songs, and landed two chart hits as a songwriter: "A Few Questions" by Clay Walker and "Pray for the Fish" by Randy Travis.
Horace Eldred "Danny" Dill was an American country music singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.
Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski, known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "Tennessee Waltz".
WSIX-FM is a radio station licensed in Nashville, Tennessee. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station broadcasts a country music format. WSIX's studios are located in Nashville's Music Row district and the transmitter site is in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Ernest Bert Ashworth was an American country music singer, broadcaster, and longtime Grand Ole Opry star. Signed to the Hickory label, he recorded two studio albums in his career and charted several singles on Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the number one "Talk Back Trembling Lips" and seven other top ten hits.
The Roadhouse was a Classic Country radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 62, XM Satellite Radio channel 10 and DISH Network channel 6062. As of February 9, 2010, Direct TV dropped Sirius XM programming in favor of SonicTap.
Nashville! was a commercial radio channel on XM Satellite Radio. It was located on XM 57(previously 11) and plays a wide range of country music hits from the early 1990s through today. The channel was programmed out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Advertising sales are handled by Premiere Radio Networks. It was programmed by Kent Terry.
Willie's Roadhouse is a channel on the Sirius XM Radio that specializes in playing traditional country music, as well as some older country hit songs. It is available on channel 59 and Dish Network 6059, until The Highway took Willie's Roadhouse's former spot.
Bill Mack is an American country music singer, songwriter, and radio host.
The Highway is a commercial-free country music radio channel on Sirius XM channel 56, and 56 on XM and channel 6056 on Dish Network.
George Dewey Hay was an American radio personality, announcer and newspaper reporter. He was the founder of the original Grand Ole Opry radio program on WSM-AM in Nashville, Tennessee, from which the country music stage show of the same name evolved.
Greg Bates is an American country music singer formerly signed to Republic Nashville.
