The Grand Ole Opry is a regular live country-music radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the time of year. It was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as the WSM Barn Dance, taking its current name in 1927. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. 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.
Stonewall Jackson was an American country music singer and musician who achieved his greatest fame during country's "golden" honky tonk era in the 1950s and early 1960s.
WSM is a commercial AM radio station, located in Nashville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a country music format and is known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio program. The station is owned Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. After nearly 40 years broadcasting from a studio within the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, WSM currently operates out of a temporary studio at its parent company's offices. A new, permanent studio inside the former home of Roy Acuff, just outside the Grand Ole Opry House, is set to open in July 2024.
Ryman Auditorium is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. It is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was later designated as a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001, for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music. A storied stage for Rock & Roll artists for decades, the Ryman was named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022.
Porter Wayne Wagoner was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour.
James Cecil Dickens, better known by his stage name Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer and songwriter famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, and his rhinestone-studded outfits. He started as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1948 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983. Before his death he was the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Marilyn Jeanne Seely is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also has several acting credits and published a book. Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning hit "Don't Touch Me" (1966). The song reached the No.2 position on the Billboard country songs chart and is her highest-charting single as a solo artist. Her soul-inspired vocal delivery was praised by music professionals, who gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely is also known for her membership and presence on the Grand Ole Opry, having appeared more times on the program than any other performer.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1981.
Jack Henry Greene was an American country musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Greene is best known for his 1966 hit, "There Goes My Everything". The song dominated the country music charts for nearly two months in 1967 and earned Greene "Male Vocalist of the Year", "Single of the Year", "Album of the Year" and "Song of the Year" honors from the Country Music Association. Greene had a total of five No. 1 country hits and three others that reached the top ten. Billboard magazine named Greene one of the Top 100 "Most Played Artists".
Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" Hawkins was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s. He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk. At 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall, Hawkins had an imposing stage presence, and he dressed more conservatively than some other male country singers. Hawkins died in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was married to country star Jean Shepard.
The Whites are an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. They consist of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Sharon plays guitar, Cheryl is the bassist and Buck plays the mandolin. Formed in 1972, the trio has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are also known as frequent collaborators of country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs, who is Sharon's husband.
Jimmy Yves Newman, better known as Jimmy C. Newman, was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry.
Live at the Opry is a live album by American country music artist, Patsy Cline. The album was released April 4, 1988 on MCA Records and was produced by The Country Music Foundation. The album consists of transcript recordings from several appearances Cline made on the Grand Ole Opry between 1956 and 1962.
Caitlin & Will were an American country music duo, consisting of members Caitlin Lynn and Will Snyder, that rose to fame when they won season one of CMT's Can You Duet. After winning, they signed with Columbia Nashville. They initially intended to release a song titled "Even Now" as their debut single, but the label decided to release "Address in the Stars" instead. The song was released to radio on March 30, 2009 and peaked at No. 42. Their debut album went unreleased, and the duo disbanded in October 2009.
Herbert Raymond Pillow was an American country music singer, music publisher, and artists and repertoire (A&R) representative. In his career, he had 18 singles on the Billboard country songs chart, with his highest-peaking song being the number 9 single "I'll Take the Dog", a duet with Jean Shepard. After charting for the last time in 1981, Pillow founded Sycamore Records with Larry McFadden, and later worked in the A&R department of Capitol Records.
Mary Sarah Gross, known professionally as her stage name Mary Sarah, is a country music singer and songwriter. She started what would become her career with performances local to her region, before being picked up by Kidz Bop in 2007. After leaving them, she continued with local and regional performances before releasing Crazy Good in 2010. Her second album, Bridges, followed in 2014, and included duets with several high-profile country music stars. A third album, Dress Up This Town, followed a year later, and she has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and was featured on The Voice.
Stars of the Grand Ole Opry is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Jan Howard. It was released in April 1981 via First Generation Records and was produced by Pete Drake. It was Howard's first studio album to be released in five years and her only album to be recorded with the First Generation label. The album spawned one single upon its release. In addition, the album has been reissued in both compact disc and music download formats since its initial release.
Dolly & Carol in Nashville is a television special starring Dolly Parton and Carol Burnett that was shot at The Grand Ole Opry and broadcast on CBS on Valentine's Day in 1979. It was part of a promotional campaign for Parton's recent album, Heartbreaker.
Stars of the Grand Ole Opry is a studio album by American country singer Jean Shepard. It was released by First Generation Records in May 1981 and was her twenty fifth studio album. The project was crafted by its producer, Pete Drake, who wanted to give voice to fans of veteran-era country music performers. The album's ten tracks consisted of new material and some re-recordings. It was re-released several times over the years and was given reviews as well.