THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM

Our next stop was Nashville, TN.  We went to Nashville 3 years ago and had never been before.  We covered a lot of stuff during that visit.  We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was awesome.  We also went to the Grand Ole' Opry at its "new" location.  Everyone refers to the Grand Ole' Opry being at its "new" location which is kind of crazy because it has been at this location since 1974!  Being somewhere for 40+ years isn't really being at a "new" location.  However, most people associate the Grand Ole Opry with Ryman auditorium in downtown Nashville.

The auditorium opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. Its construction was spearheaded by Thomas Ryman (1843–1904), a Nashville businessman who owned several saloons and a fleet of riverboats. Ryman conceived of the auditorium as a tabernacle for the influential revivalist Samuel Porter Jones. Ryman had attended one of Jones' 1885 tent revivals with the intent to heckle, but was instead converted into a devout Christian, and soon after pledged to build the tabernacle so the people of Nashville could attend a large-scale revival indoors. It took seven years to complete and cost $100,000 (equivalent to $2,633,704 in 2015). The building was originally designed to contain a balcony, but a lack of funds delayed its completion. The balcony was eventually built and opened in time for the 1897 gathering of the United Confederate Veterans, with funds provided by members of the group. As such, the balcony was named the Confederate Gallery.^[5] Upon the completion of the balcony, the Ryman's capacity rose to 6,000. A stage was added in 1901 that reduced the capacity to just over 3,000.

The Grand Ole Opry was first broadcast from the Ryman on June 5, 1943, and originated there every week for nearly 31 years thereafter. Every show sold out, and hundreds were often turned away.
During its tenure at Ryman Auditorium, the Opry hosted the biggest country music stars of the day, and the show became known around the world. The entire show was broadcast on clear-channel station WSM, where it could be heard in 30 states across the eastern part of the nation. Portions of the show were also broadcast on network radio and television to a wider audience. Melding its then-current usage with the building's origins as a house of worship, the Ryman earned the nickname "The Mother Church of Country Music", which it still holds to this day.

The Ryman lacked a true backstage area. There was only one dressing room for the men, while women were relegated to an inadequate ladies' restroom. The shortage of space forced performers to wait in the wings, the narrow hallways, and the alley behind the building's south wall. Thus, many performers often ventured across the alley to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and other bars, where they would drink alongside and sometimes perform for patrons. This practice enhanced the notoriety of the honky-tonk bars along Nashville's Lower Broadway.

Despite the building's deteriorating condition, the lack of air conditioning, and the abundance of unsavory surroundings in its urban neighborhood, the show's increasing popularity would often lead to crowds too large for the venue. So, in 1966, plans were started to move the Opry  to a new location.  The plans, announced in 1969, centered around a larger, custom-built auditorium that would provide a more controlled and comfortable atmosphere for audiences and performers alike, as well as better radio and television production facilities. The company purchased a large tract of land in a then-rural area a few miles away, where the new Opry theater would serve as the anchor of a grand entertainment complex. The development became known as Opryland USA, and came to include the Opryland theme park and, eventually, the Opryland Hotel.


Following the departure of the Opry, the Ryman sat mostly vacant and decaying for nearly twenty years as the neighborhood surrounding it continued to see increasing effects of urban decay. However, the building continued to stand with an uncertain future. Despite its regressing condition and the absence of performances, Ryman Auditorium was never shuttered, and still held such significance as an attraction that it would remain open for tours.

On August 30, 1979, following a tip from a citizen, the Nashville bomb squad discovered and disarmed a massive bomb that threatened to damage or destroy a three-block area of downtown Nashville, which was likely to have included the Ryman. A nearby strip club had been the target. The device was disarmed less than twenty minutes before it was timed to detonate.

In October 1992, executives of Gaylord Entertainment announced plans to renovate the entire building and expand upon it to create modern amenities for performers and audiences alike, as part of a larger initiative to invest into the city's efforts to revitalize the downtown area. In September 1993, renovations began to restore it into a world-class concert hall. In the renovations, the auditorium's wooden pews were restored. They are original to the building and continue to serve as the auditorium's seating. Both far-reaching ends of the U-shaped balcony (which had previously extended all the way to the building's south wall) were removed, and new backstage facilities were built inside the original building, while a new structure containing a lobby, restrooms, concessions, offices, and a grand staircase leading to the balcony was constructed and attached to the east side of the auditorium. This also resulted in the Ryman's main entrance being moved from the west side of the building (Fifth Avenue North) to the east side (Fourth Avenue North), where an outdoor entry plaza, complete with a large statue of Thomas Ryman, also greeted visitors. Notably, the renovations resulted in Ryman Auditorium becoming air-conditioned for the first time.  The Opry has returned to the Ryman for November, December, and January shows every year since 1999, allowing the production to acknowledge its roots while also taking advantage of a smaller venue during an off-peak season for tourism and freeing the Grand Ole Opry House for special holiday presentations.

So, there you have a small part of the Ryman Auditorium history.  They do have shows here every Tuesday and Thursday during the peak season.  We went to a Thursday night show which was Classic Country at the Ryman.  Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers were there and Larry Gatlin was the emcee of the show.  He did a great job.  He was funny.  He knew a lot of stories about the other performers.  He got the audience involved.  He sang a lot of his "made famous" songs.  Larry Gatlin, you rock!

Larry and his brother Steve.  Steve had just had a hip replacement surgery 3 weeks ago.

The other performers were The Riders in the Sky.

Ashley Campbell (Glen Campbell's daughter)

She is very talented.  Larry Gatlin told a story about her Dad.  You can tell everyone was very sentimental when he told that story.

Also was a new, young guy named Mo Pitney.  He is 24 years old and already known as an accomplished song writer.  This show was labeled as "Country Classics" so he sang classics.  He blew the place up!  He was awesome!  I am telling you, pay attention to this guy.  He is going to be famous.  I have not listened to any of his original songs, but I'm going to.  He sang a song by Ray Price and one by Merle Haggard.  His first song was one by someone famous but I can't remember who. (I hate it when that happens.)  The Merle Haggard song, he played totally with his acoustical guitar and that was the only instrument.  OMG......spectacular.  He has written a song with Larry Gatlin.  He was on a show the other night that was an honors show in country music. He was on it for his songwriting.  His voice is crazy good.  Can you tell I really liked this guy?

He and Larry sang the chorus of a song together.

The last performer was Lee Greenwood.  He sang some of his top songs.  We all know his most famous song is "God Bless the USA".  However, did you know the other voices on the recording of that song were Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers?  Neither did I.  You learn something new everyday.  Of course that was the final song of the night.

Lee Greenwood

L-R: Steve Gatlin, Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, Rudy Gatlin
Singing "God Bless the USA"

When we left the Ryman, we decided to detour through the strip to get back to the parking garage.  It was Thursday night and this busy.  Imagine what Friday and Saturday night look like.