Nashville, TN Part 2 (June 16-21, 2012)

Opryland, The Grand Ole Opry, and The Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman Auditorium first opened in 1890 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle.  It hosted religious and civic events.  After the death of Thomas Ryman in 1904 it was renamed in his honor as he was responsible for its construction and mission.  Over the years many well known people spoke or performed here; such as, President Teddy Roosevelt, President Taft, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan had the first sell out in 1913, Charly Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers and Katherine Hepburn.

The Grand Ole Opry moved into the facility in 1943.  It continued as the home of the Grand Ole Opry until 1974 when a new facility was built.  Today it still functions as part of the Grand Ole Opry and many concerts are held in this building that is much revered by the Country Music Industry.

Above is a view from the ground and to the right a view from our hotel room.  In the arial view you can see Broadway St. to the immediate right of the Auditorium.  Performers would step out between performances through the alley and into one of the bars on Broadway to get a drink.

A view from the top of the balcony.  Our seats for the Vince Gill Concert were in the third section in from the other side, to the far right of this picture.

 Diane on stage!

The radio home of the Grand Ole Opry for many decades has been WSM 650 AM.  While the station has now moved to its home in Opryland, this room can still be used for broadcasting.  The call letters WSM stand for "We Shield Millions", the motto of the Insurance Company that originally owned the station.

This isn't the best picture due to it being taken from the balcony, and the lighting being dim, but here is Vince Gill, center in the levis and black shirt, and the rest of his band along with his guest artist.  Nothing fancy in the way of props or costumes, but Vince performed for almost 2 1/2 hours without a break - a very enjoyable concert at the Ryman Auditorium!

The Opryland Resort is extremely impressive.  It is located about 10-15 miles northeast of downtown Nashville.  It has three large connecting atriums with very extensive gardens, water features, and water falls.  Since it is all enclosed it doesn't have to worry about frigid temperatues in the winter or hot humid climate in the summer.  It also has a lot of convention space.

These pictures give you a feel of the Atrium Gardens.

Notice all the orchids growing out of the tree to the right.  The orchids are grown like this throughout the gardens.  A small burlap sack with the roots is attached to trees and other larger plants and the orchids, in many different varieties, are on display everywhere!

We had lunch at the middle table across this water feature.  With all the water sounds and nearby falls we both found ourselves relaxed and wanting a nap!




                                                                             Glass art schulpure in the lobby of the Opryland Resort.  The stained glass below is located over this glass sculputure.

Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry House.  This was built in 1974 to replace the Ryman Auditorium.  It seats about 4,500, or double the capacity of the Ryman, but it also has many more features for the benefit of the stars and the audience.

Above is the stars entrance on the side of the building, and below is the Post Office.  Each member of the Opry has their own PO Box where fans can send mail, and the members pick up the mail when they visit.

Just like at the Ryman, Minnie Pearl, the Queen of Country, is featured here.  There is a reflection as these showcases are behind glass.

At the left is one of Minnie's dresses, and her famous hat with the price tag tangling.  She always liked to have fresh flowers on her hat.  One day she didn't have any so she hurriedly purchased some flowers and stuck them on the hat.  While on stage the price tag fell down and the audience went crazy with laughter!  After that the dangling price tag became her signature trademark.

This is part of the wall that contains the names of all the current members of the Opry.  Membership in the Opry is based on the decision of the managment and is somewhat arbitrary.  A lot of it has to do with how much the artists perform at the Opry.  A recent inductee is Carrie Underwood who is not far removed from American Idol fame - she apparently has performed consistently at the Opry.  Another recent inductee is the Oakridge Boys who have been performing for decades.  One of my favorite stars, Kenny Rogers, is not a member.

Here are a couple of dressing rooms - there are 16 total dressing rooms for the performers.  There is also a family room where they can relax and get a soda (no alcohol is served) - unlike the Ryman Auditorium where they could go to one of the neighboring bars.

A view from the stage.  They stayed with benches like at the Ryman Auditorium, but these are padded!

The oak circle that we are standing on is from the original floor at the Ryman Auditorium.  It was brought over to maintain continuity from the old to the new - this circle gives newcomers and veterans alike the opportunity to sing on the same spot that once supported the former legends of Country Music.  As that wooden circle is the heart of the stage, the Opry's heart is its music and its members - a broad scope of styles by a wide range of artists.  It is a spirit of family that dominates the atmosphere at the Grand Ole Opry.

A view of the stage.

If you ever get a chance to visit Nashville, it is worth the time to visit both the Ryman Auditorium and the new Grand Ole Opry House, take the backstage tours and soak in all the history that has been made here.