Grand Ole Opry To Celebrate 50 Years On March 16th

The Grand Ole Opry House, home of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, will celebrate its 50th Anniversary on Saturday, March 16. The show falls 50 years to the day since the venue opened with a star-packed show attended by President and Mrs. Richard Nixon. The Opry House reigns today as the home of Country Music, the current ACM Theater of the Year, and a Venue of the Year nominee at next week’s CMA Touring Awards. In recognition of its effect on popular culture, entertainment and the communications industry, the Opry House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Throughout the evening, the Opry will honor its three members who were among those performing during opening night at the Opry House in 1974 and will be performing on this special show 50 years later: Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, and Connie Smith. Additional Opry members scheduled for the show include Mandy Barnett, Clint Black, The Gatlin Brothers, Del McCoury, Gary Mule Deer, Don Schlitz, Riders In The Sky, and Mark Wills.

Beginning on the Opry House’s anniversary weekend, the venue’s backstage tours will include an array of artifacts from the Opry House’s 50 years including the jumpsuit Dolly Parton wore during the opening night of the Opry House and on the cover of her “Love Is Like A Butterfly” album (designed by Lucy Adams).