Stars of the Grand Ole Opry may refer to:
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.
Johnny Paycheck was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greatest success in the 1970s as a force in country music's "outlaw movement" popularized by artists Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, and Merle Haggard. In 1980, Paycheck appeared on the PBS music program Austin City Limits, though in the ensuing decade, his music career slowed due to drug, alcohol, and legal problems. He served a prison sentence in the early 1990s, and his declining health effectively ended his career in early 2000.
Opryland USA was a theme park in Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 to 1997, and for a special Christmas-themed engagement every December from 1993 to 1997. During the late 1980s, nearly 2.5 million people visited the park annually. Billed as the "Home of American Music", Opryland USA featured a large number of musical shows along with typical amusement park rides, such as roller coasters. The park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season. On its site was built Opry Mills, an outlet-heavy shopping mall, which opened in 2000.
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 singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and author. Primarily identified with country music, Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning song "Don't Touch Me" (1966). Her soul-inspired vocal delivery gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely has been a member of and performer 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".
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.
Grand Ole Opry's New Star is the debut studio album released by George Jones in November 1956 with Starday Records. Produced by Jones' manager Pappy Daily, the album was recorded during early sessions in 1954, throughout 1955, and other sessions in 1956. It is also the first album to be released on the Starday label, a label only four years old.
Sonya Melissa Isaacs is an American country, bluegrass gospel and Christian music singer. Isaacs grew up near Morrow, Ohio, and graduated from Little Miami High School in 1992. Her maternal grandparents are Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors and were liberated from a concentration camp in Germany in 1945.
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 by her stage name Mary Sarah, is a country music singer and songwriter. She started 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 a studio album by American country music artist Jan Howard. It was released in May 1981 via First Generation Records and was a collection of ten tracks. Seven of the songs were new recordings, while three were re-recordings of Howard's most popular singles. The album part of a veteran-artists program crafted by the First Generation label to market music towards middle-aged audiences. It was re-released several times and was reviewed by Billboard magazine.
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.