CMHOFM Celebrates New Exhibit, ‘Country’s Grandest Stage: The Opry At 100’
Pictured (L-R): Vice President of Museum Services Michael Gray, Museum CEO Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Carly Pearce, Museum Board Chair Jody Williams, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry Dan Rogers, Museum Senior Director of Editorial and Interpretation Paul Kingsbury and Museum Curatorial Director Mick Buck. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently celebrated the opening of its newest exhibit, “Country’s Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100.”
“Country’s Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100” examines notable performers and key moments in the history of the show, and is included with museum admission and runs until March 2027.
To mark the opening of the exhibit, the museum hosted a panel discussion with Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Carly Pearce and Dan Rogers, senior vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry. Paul Kingsbury, the museum’s senior director of editorial and interpretation, moderated the discussion, which was filmed and will be available to stream on the museum’s website later this year.
Over its long history, the Opry has featured country’s biggest stars among its cast, including Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Lainey Wilson and Country Music Hall of Fame members DeFord Bailey, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Vince Gill, Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams and many others.
In the world of country music, membership in the Grand Ole Opry is a coveted honor. When the Opry began weekly TV broadcasts on The Nashville Network in 1985, an official induction into the show’s cast became an established practice. Notable inductees in recent years include Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz, the first songwriter to join the Opry, and Henry Cho, both the first Asian American and the first comedian in fifty years to become a member.
