October 15
GRAND OLE OPRY DAY
If you’re a country music performer, the day you make it to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry is the day you’ve made it! The Grand Ole Opry started on radio in Nashville, Tennessee (where it still originates) in 1925. It was first heard on network radio in 1939. The show finally made it to TV on this day in 1955.
The ABC network carried just one hour of Opry (it continued through the night) live from Nashville. This arrangement only lasted for one year; although the Grand Ole Opry was used as a staging arena for other successful shows like Classic Country Featuring Stars of the Grand Ole Opry and Hayride.
In 1985, the Nashville Network (TNN) positioned the show on Saturday nights. In 2001, Opry was carried on Country Music Televison (CMT). In 2003, Grand Ole Opry (Opry Live) moved to GAC (Great American Country).
Although Grand Ole Opry is no longer seen on TV, the show continues to be broadcast on 650 AM WSM as well as wsmonline.com. Also, the radio program, America’s Opry Weekend, is syndicated across the U.S.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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