This may have been mentioned before but 84 years ago
tonight WSM Nashville officially began what was originally
called the "WSM Barn Dance" but became the "Grand Ole
Opry" in 1927. That first show featured an old-time fiddler,
Uncle Jimmy Thompson, who played for an hour and when
told his time was up reportedly said, "Shucks, a man don't
get warmed up in an hour. I just won an eight-day fiddlin'
contest in Dallas and here's my blue ribbon to prove it."
Shortly thereafter the legendary Uncle Dave Macon joined
the show, which began expanding until it lasted all evening,
pre-empting NBC's Saturday-night schedule. The cast at
first consisted of local musicians but bigger names, starting
with Roy Acuff, began to fill the show by the late '30s.
The title "Grand Ole Opry" is said to have derived from the
fact that the show followed Dr. Walter Damrosch's "Music
Appreciation Hour" on NBC. When the "Barn Dance" came on,
founder/host George "Judge" Hay reportedly said, "For the past
hour you've been up in the clouds with grand opera. Now get
down to earth with us in a shindig of grand ole opry!" (There
are several versions of what he said.) Anyway, the name stuck,
and the show is probably the longest-running entertainment show
still on the air.
tonight WSM Nashville officially began what was originally
called the "WSM Barn Dance" but became the "Grand Ole
Opry" in 1927. That first show featured an old-time fiddler,
Uncle Jimmy Thompson, who played for an hour and when
told his time was up reportedly said, "Shucks, a man don't
get warmed up in an hour. I just won an eight-day fiddlin'
contest in Dallas and here's my blue ribbon to prove it."
Shortly thereafter the legendary Uncle Dave Macon joined
the show, which began expanding until it lasted all evening,
pre-empting NBC's Saturday-night schedule. The cast at
first consisted of local musicians but bigger names, starting
with Roy Acuff, began to fill the show by the late '30s.
The title "Grand Ole Opry" is said to have derived from the
fact that the show followed Dr. Walter Damrosch's "Music
Appreciation Hour" on NBC. When the "Barn Dance" came on,
founder/host George "Judge" Hay reportedly said, "For the past
hour you've been up in the clouds with grand opera. Now get
down to earth with us in a shindig of grand ole opry!" (There
are several versions of what he said.) Anyway, the name stuck,
and the show is probably the longest-running entertainment show
still on the air.