On the Cover – The Grand Ole Opry 80th Anniversary

5/1/2005 – May 2005

The Grand Ole Opry celebrates eighty years of great country beginning Memorial Day Weekend and continuing throughout 2005.

80th Anniversary Events:
Grand Ole Opry 80th Anniversary Signature Show Series: Throughout its 80th Anniversary Celebration, the Opry will host special 80th Anniversary Signature Shows highlighting the Opry’s musical history, its role in today’s country music, and its place as a uniquely American icon. Signature Shows include Eight Decades of Great Country, performances of top songs from each of the Opry’s eight decades, The Opry Goes To The Movies, a celebration of country favorites from the silver screen, And The Winner Is…, a showcase of the Opry’s all-time top award-winners from CMA to ACM to Grammy and Oscar, and more.

Opry Plaza Parties (June 10 – August 13): Free Friday and Saturday night performances on the Opry Plaza by some of Nashville’s favorite artists.

Grand Ole Opry 80th Birthday Bash (October 14 -15): The Opry’s 80th Birthday Weekend with star-packed Opry shows, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration, Opry Plaza events, and more.

An 80th Anniversary Evening with the Grand Ole Opry at Carnegie Hall (November 14): The Opry celebrates with a special performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall on the eve of the Country Music Association Awards.

Seen and Heard:
• Grand Ole Opry Live airs six times per week on GAC: Great American Country. The program is also available on CMT Canada, and it made its American Forces Television debut on March 26, 2005.
• The syndicated America’s Grand Ole Opry Weekend features two hours of live Opry performances and backstage interviews by today’s top artists and is heard on more than 200 country radio stations across the country plus the American Forces Radio Network.
• The Grand Ole Opry can be heard on its flagship station, Nashville’s 650 AM WSM, Sirius Satellite Radio, and at opry.com.


Every week since 1925, country music fans have had a date with the Grand Ole Opry. Begun as a down-home showcase for local musicians on radio station WSM, the Opry has adapted and flourished as technological advances have expanded its reach to the world through television, satellite radio, and the Internet. And of course, hundreds of thousands enjoy live performance of country music’s most famous show in Music City each year.

For an Opry 80th Anniversary Celebration Event Schedule updated throughout the year visit www.opry.com.