 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 ] Next Last |
The oldest continuing radio program in the United States, the Grand Ole Opry has been broadcast on WSM since November 28, 1925. It started out as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth floor radio station studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company. The featured performer on the first show was Uncle Jimmy Thompson, a fiddler who was then 80 years of age. The announcer was producer George D. Hay , who was known on the air as "The Solemn Old Judge." He was only 30 at the time and was not a judge, but was an enterprising pioneer who launched the Barn Dance as a spin-off of his National Barn Dance program at WLS Radio in Chicago, Illinois.
The name Grand Ole Opry came about on December 8, 1928. The Barn Dance followed the Music Appreciation Hour, which consisted of classical music and selections from grand operaCharles Garnier's Opera, Paris, opened 1875 Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. The drama is presented using the typical elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera,. When the program signed off that night and it was time for the WSM Barn Dance to sign on, Judge Hay stepped up to the microphone and said, "For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the 'Grand Ole Opry.'" The name stuck and has been used for the program since then.
As audiences to the live show increased, National Life & Accident Insurance's radio venue became too small to accommodate the hordes of fans. They built a larger studio, but it was still not large enough. The Opry then moved into then- suburbSuburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. The form of the word may tempt one to think that "suburb"an Hillsboro Theatre (now the Belcourt), then to the Dixie Tabernacle in East Nashville and then to the War Memorial Auditorium, a downtown venue adjacent to the State Capitol. A twenty-five cent admission began to be charged, in part an effort to curb the large crowds, but to no avail. In 19431943 is the common year starting on Friday. Events January January 4 End of term for Culbert Olson, 29th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Earl Warren. January 11 The United States and United Kingdom give up territorial rights in China. January 1, the Opry moved to the Ryman AuditoriumThe Ryman Auditorium is a concert hall at 116 Fifth Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee, and is best-known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry. The auditorium began as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. It was built by Thomas Ryman, a riverboat captain and Nashv. The Ryman was home to the Opry until 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped, when the show moved to its new 4,400 seat Grand Ole Opry House.
Annually, hundreds of thousands of fans travel from all fifty states and from other countries to Nashville, which is known as "Music City, USA," to see the music and comedy performances on the Opry in person.
In many ways, the artists and repertoire of the Opry defined American country music. Hundreds of performers have entertained as cast members through the years, including new stars, superstars and legends. Being made a member of the Grand Ole Opry is to be identified as a member of the elite of country music. Many linked the stripping of Hank WilliamsHank Williams, Sr. September 17, 1923 January 1, 1953) (legal name, Hiram Williams) was one of the most influential country musicians of all time, both as a singer and as a composer. He was born in Georgiana, Alabama (This is sometimes listed as nearby Mo' Opry membership in 1952Summary of notable events in 1952 . Events January events January 8 West Germany has 8 million refugees inside its borders. January 24 Sudden heavy snowfall in Algeria. January 24 Vincent Massey sworn in as first Canada-born Governor-General of Canada. to his death soon afterward.
The quality of the program has waxed and waned over the years. In the mid- 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around management decided to enforce strictly the requirement that members had to perform on at least twenty-six shows a year in order to keep their membership active. This imposed a tremendous financial hardship on many of the members who made much of their income from touring and could not afford to arrange their tours in such a way as to be in or near Nashville every other weekend. This was aggravated by the fact that the Opry's appearance fee paid to the artist was essentially only a token ($44.00 at the time the above action was taken).
The Opry management was so certain in its belief that only someone who could truthfully bill themselves as a "Member of the Grand Ole Opry" could be considered to be a major country music star that it felt that this rule could be enforceable; however, by this point many country music artists were so established that that this was really no longer true. The quality of the Opry suffered in the years following this; by the late 1970s and early 1980s the Opry was regarded by many more sophisticated country music fans as sort of a musical equivalent of a sports "old-timers' game," where only former stars were to be seen. Over time, this problem was largely corrected by a reduced attendance requirement and special exceptions.
Another huge controversy that raged for years was over allowable instrumentation, especially the use of drums and electrically amplified instruments. Some purists were appalled at the prospect; traditionally a string bass provided the rhythm component in country music and percussion instruments were generally little used. Electric amplification was regarded as the province of rock and roll, ananthema to many country fans, especially older ones. These restrictions chafed many artists, such as Waylon Jennings, who were then popular with the newer and younger fans. These restrictions were largely eliminated over time, alienating many older and traditionalist fans, but probably saving the Opry long-term as a viable ongoing enterprise.
Management has been very conscious of the need to enforce its trademark on the term Grand Ole Opry and limit its usage only to members of the Opry and products associated with or licensed by it. However, it lost a legal case against the owners of a small, now-defunct Nashville record label calling itself Opry Records. The record company's attorneys successfully argued that WSM's management indeed owned the rights to the words Grand Ole Opry, but only in that order and combination; they no more owned the word Opry in isolation than they owned Grand or Ole. This has made the management wary about the issue of licensing and trademarks. It has also allowed a plethora of small-time country music shows to label themselves as Oprys of one sort or another, such as the Bell Witch Opry; Ozark Opry, etc. (Much the same thing happened when the Coca-Cola company failed to trademark the term "cola.")
In September 2004, it was announced that the Grand Ole Opry had contracted for the first time with a "presenting sponsor" and would henceforth be known as "the Grand Ole Opry presented by Cracker Barrel." Cracker Barrel, a long-time Opry sponsor headquartered in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee, is a chain of country-themed restaurants and gift shops whose market overlaps with that of the Grand Ole Opry to a great extent.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|