Ben's Country Music Show Week of the 26th May 2025 – The Grand Ole Opry 100 Documentary

In the first of a series of special shows from Nashville, Ben celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry with this special documentary. Ben traces the Opry's remarkable journey from its origin as the WSM Barn Dance to its transformation into the most revered institution in country music. There’s the move to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943, clashes with evolving musical styles and artists like Elvis Presley and The Byrds, and its transition to the modern Grand Ole Opry House in 1974—ensuring tradition lived on through the symbolic six-foot circle of Ryman stage wood embedded in the new venue. This tribute paints a portrait of the Grand Ole Opry as more than a venue—it’s a living, evolving symbol of country music’s legacy, where tradition meets transformation and every performer takes their place in “the circle.”

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