Podcasts about grand ole opry house

On this episode of March Forth with Mike Bauman, Mike chats with Bran Merritt of Sleep Nation! Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Sleep Nation is an alternative rock duo comprised of Merritt (vocals, guitar) and Joey Lauretta (drums). Initially founded in 2010, Sleep Nation has made a name for themselves in the Music City with their own style and energetic live shows. After becoming a duo in 2020, Sleep Nation has been hard at work releasing new music. In September 2023, they dropped their sophomore album entitled AND THEN THERE WERE 2, their first release as a two-piece. That album helped them get nominated for "Best Rock Album" and "Best Duo of the Year" at the 2024 Josie Music Awards, which were held at The Grand Ole Opry House in October. On November 20th, Sleep Nation released their new album entitled Deadbeat Disco. The album features contributions from Sleep Nation's friends and fellow talents in the local Nashville music scene, including production by Jonn Nicholson of E.Y.E. Productions, engineering by Tony Grissom, and backing vocals from Kris Jackson (All the Tension) and Not Your Nails. The vinyl for Deadbeat Disco was also pressed at The Vinyl Lab in Nashville. In this episode, Bran talks with Mike about the making of Deadbeat Disco, including working with Nicholson and E.Y.E. Productions, the inspiration for the album's title and sound, getting his friends in the Nashville music community on the record, working with The Vinyl Lab in Nashville for LP pressings, and more. This episode of the podcast also features the title track off Deadbeat Disco from Sleep Nation, available where you get your music! Follow Sleep Nation on Instagram @sleepnationtv. To stay up-to-date on Sleep Nation, visit https://www.slpntn.com/. Follow Mike on Instagram @marchforthpod. To stay up-to-date on the podcast and learn more about Mike, visit https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod. Thanks for listening! If ya dug the show, like it, share it, tell a friend, subscribe, and above all, keep the faith and be kind to one another.

Imagine starting your streaming radio career at the age of 14 and parlaying it into a musical media empire that helps independent musicians all over the world. Now imagine doing that in just 15 years! Indie artists worldwide get the opportunity of a lifetime with the Josie Music Awards. It is the largest competition of its kind in the world. Josie Passantino Boone started all of this in 2009 as a teenager in her bedroom. The Josie Show began at home and grew to international acclaim with the help of her mom, Tinamarie Passantino. The mother-daughter team now runs a record label, a music restaurant café, and a cosmetics company along with the Josie Music Awards that they host in Nashville where independent musicians and major stars showcase their work. This year they celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Josie Music Awards at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with the awards ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House. There is a host of major names who will be there. Josie and TinaMarie are a true mother-daughter powerhouse and an example of business innovation at its best. Learn how they did it, how they make it work, and more about the Josie Music Awards in this Women Road Warriors interview.https://www.josiemusicawards.com/https://www.jmaradio.net/www.Confidentlyready.comhttps://www.passantinosconcertcafe.comhttps://women-road-warriors.captivate.fmhttps://womenroadwarriors.com/ https://womenspowernetwork.net#JosieMusicAwards #JMARadio #JosiePassantinoBoone #TinamariePassantino #Music #IndieMusic #IndieArtists #IndependentMusicians #ShelleyMJohnson #ShelleyJohnson #KathyTuccaro #WomenRoadWarriors

Join hosts Billy and Sarah Hubbard for a fun late night hangout with Billy Droze and his manager Donna Sue Roberts for a conversation filled with laughter! Born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1986, the 10th of 12 children, Billy Ryan Droze grew up in Alabama knowing that music was his life as far back as he can remember. “It's as if I was inserted with a computer chip that made my life revolve around music.” But the reason is just as likely the influence of his late father, Bob Droze, a dedicated country, gospel, and bluegrass musician who performed into his late 80s. Billy was on stage with his dad by the time he was 4 years old, and spent his childhood singing with him everywhere from churches to bluegrass festivals to honky-tonks, developing a passion for traditional country, gospel, and roots music that has influenced him ever since. He learned to play guitar when he was 12, and by the time he was 16, Billy's dad had moved to Texas and he followed him there, spending a year or so playing with his band. Then after rambling around Texas for a while, Billy decided it was time to move to Nashville, where he has lived ever since. Billy steadily expanded his ever-growing fan base. Singing lead for Grammy-winning Shenandoah (using the name Billy Ryan) for several tours. Though signed by RCA/Sony BMG as an artist shortly after arriving in Nashville, that never developed into what he'd hoped for, Billy then focused on his songwriting while pursuing a solo career. He has also been a staff writer, with publishing deals that resulted in several significant cuts that include “You Never Know” – Darryl Worley, “Free Again”  – Shenandoah, “That's Why I Run” – Billy Yates (#1 in Europe), “Sunday Clothes” – Randy Kohrs,”Big Pain” -Marty Raybon, “Bottle Was a Bible” – Junior Sisk, “Her Memory Again” (#5 Bluegrass Today Chart) – Flatt Lonesome, “Like I Do” – Jamie O'neil, “I Know Better” (#1 Bluegrass Today Chart) – The Grascals, among others. At only 35 years of age, Billy Droze has acquired the title of “hit songwriter” and has been touring and making music non-stop for more than a decade. Droze was considered for the prestigious 2018 Grammy Awards along with the IBMA and ICMA Awards. Together with bluegrass superstar Rhonda Vincent, he hosted the 2018 ICMA Awards at the historic Grand Ole Opry House. His name is becoming synonymous among Folk, Americana, Country, and Bluegrass listeners alike. Added to his many musical accomplishments, he is now President of RBR Entertainment. Learn more about Billy Droze at https://billydroze.com Podcast producer/cohost Billy Hubbard is an Americana Singer/Songwriter and former Regional Director of A&R for a Grammy winning company. Billy is a signed artist with Spectra Music Group and co-founder of the iconic venue "The Station" in East TN. Billy's new album was released by Spectra Records 10/2023 on all major outlets! LeaSend us a textSupport the showIf you'd like to support My Backstage Pass you can make a donation to Billy & Lee's coffee fund at this link https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MyBackstagePassMy Backstage Pass is sponsored by The Alternate Root Magazine! Please subscribe to their newsletter, read the latest music reviews and check out their weekly Top Ten songs at this link http://www.thealternateroot.com

Shania Twain on Hosting the"People's Choice Country Awards”

Episode 062: of the American Grown Podcast in the Colortech Creative Solutions studios with Jess Zimmerman Lead Singer of Jess Zimmerman Band. The JZ Band is the perfect blend of rock & country.-In this episode Jess talks about her humble beginnings in music and how she discovered her love of singing & performing. We do a deep dive of the band members and what roles they play. We talk about Jelly Roll, the Grand Ole Opry House & their newly released small batch run of their first ever vinyl record! Plus if you stick around to the end of the episode Jess drops a first ever exclusive on the podcast. If you're a diehard listener of the JZ Band or just a BIG fan of Christmas you won't want to miss it.-To learn more about Jess Zimmerman Band click here: https://www.jzband.orgTo purchase JZ Band merch click here: https://www.jzband.org/merch.html-#ad this episode is brought to you by these sponsors:Triggered 22. Support a local veteran and help spread awareness for PTSD & #22aday.Cleona Coffee Roasters. A small batch coffee roastery & coffee shop, veteran & first responder owned located inside 911 Rapid Response in Annville PA.Colortech Creative Solutions. Colortech Creative Solutions takes your creative projects from visualization to realization since 1980 while keeping your budget in mind.-To see photos of today's guest follow our Social media: IG- https://www.instagram.com/americangrownpodcast/ FB-https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077655465940 or visits us at https://rss.com/podcasts/americangrownpodcast/

On this episode of Roger the Wild Child Show: Nashville edition, we are joined by international recording artists, Blake Anthony Ellege!BLAKE ANTHONY ELLEGE“Blake Ellege is the North and Southeasts most versatile and energetic entertainer and performer. With a career that spans almost 3 decades in over 8 different styles of music, Blake is also a Grammy Member, an American Idol Golden Ticket Winner and has recorded music for film and television at an International level outside of his recording in Nashville. I'm addition to having recorded and released 11 full length albums in the past 9 years, Blake spends his time traveling full time with his 5 different bands doing around 160+ paid performances a year. He is a multiple NACMAI award recipient a member of the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame  as well as being named Outlaw Country Artist of the Year at the 2022 Josie Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House.******Roger the Wild Child Show: Nashville is streamed live every Wednesday night 9pm ET/ 6pm PT on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The show is rebroadcasted on 20+ different podcast platforms. Each week they talk with up-and-coming artists, legends of country music and other influencers to the Nashville scene. Roger is joined by co-hosts Megan Bennett, Patrick James and Kristen Kae.  Wanna know what's the nitty gritty from music city?  Elise Harper has your Nashville Music News! Check out the video/audio podcasts and the rest of our linksLinkTree https://linktr.ee/wildchildradio

I'm honored to share an outstanding conversation with two of the biggest champions for the independent music industry, Josie Passantino-Boone and Tina Passantino, ahead of the 9th Annual Josie Music Awards in October. During our chat, we talk about the various brands of the Josie Music Association and how artists can get involved, supporting artists who create all genres of music, how the Josie Music Awards started and the event's evolution over the past nine years, the family-like aspect of the awards show, the nomination and selection process, what attendees can expect at the 9th Annual Josie Music Awards weekend in Nashville, starting plans for the awards' tenth anniversary next year, the magic at the Grand Ole Opry House, future dreams for the Josie Music Association, and much more. I'm so grateful I got the opportunity to have Josie and Tina on the show, so I hope you love our conversation. Are you enjoying Write on Track? Do you have a topic suggestion for an episode? Would you like to be a guest? Email me at writeontrackpodcast@gmail.com. Also, I'd love to connect with you. My official website is http://demimschwartz.com, and you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/demimschwartz, Instagram at http://instagram.com/demimschwartz, and Facebook at http://facebook.com/demimschwartz. Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay “write on track!”

Happy Birthday Write on Track! I may have released the trailer on May 19, but since the first episode dropped on May 30, which is also my birthday, I'm considering today its official birthday. I can't believe the show is two years old. This journey has been magical, and I'm forever grateful for everyone I've met so far. To celebrate the show turning two years old, I thought this was the perfect time to share a special announcement on the feed. Earlier this month, I found out Write on Track received a nomination for Media Company of the Year at the Josie Music Awards taking place this October at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. When I started the podcast, never in my wildest dreams did I think it'd one day be an award-nominated show. I'm so honored, and my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you so much to the JMAs for this recognition and to every single person who was part of Write on Track during its first two years. This is just the beginning! Are you enjoying Write on Track? Do you have a topic suggestion for an episode? Would you like to be a guest? Email me at writeontrackpodcast@gmail.com. Also, I'd love to connect with you. My official website is http://demimschwartz.com, and you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/demimschwartz, Instagram at http://instagram.com/demimschwartz, and Facebook at http://facebook.com/demimschwartz. Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay “write on track!”

Welcome to our excluive behind the scenes interview with indie artist, singer-songwriter and author Demi Michelle as she sits down with Captain Eddie and chats about her brand new release "Fantasy". This young lady does not have a stop button, nor even a pause, she is full speed ahead. Please enjoy this very special visit in studio now, if you dare, haha :-) No seriously, you are in for a real treat. About Demi Heartfelt, charismatic, and authentic are three words used to describe Demi Michelle's music.The Pittsburgh-based pop and country songwriter turns her life experiences into songs thattouch the hearts of her listeners through captivating storytelling in her lyrics and memorablemelodies. She greatly looks up to Julia Michaels, Kelsea Ballerini, and Taylor Swift, threeincredible songwriters who share their stories in raw and truthful ways. Demi strives to remainhonest and authentic as a songwriter in her own music and during her collaborations withothers.Demi pieced together her songwriting passion over the years. Her musicianship shines through,being a classically-trained pianist and knowledgeable about music theory. Also being a creativewriter with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, Demi is always finding ways to blend her musicaltalent and storytelling in powerful ways.Demi kicked off her songwriting journey in 2019. After releasing several singles, she deliveredher debut album, Dear Diary, on October 15, 2021. This eleven-track album, which includesDemi's popular single, “Will I Ever,” truly gives listeners a glimpse into Demi's heart and story.The songs capture honesty and vulnerability, much like diary entries do. Demi wrote this albumfor herself to explore her thoughts, feelings, and insecurities. Through writing Dear Diary, shehas gone on a journey of self-discovery.On January 28, 2022, Demi was invited onto her hometown station, 100.7 STAR Pittsburgh, tobe the first artist on the morning show's new segment, Bubba Show Live and Local MusicSpotlight. Along with an interview, “Will I Ever” aired during the show, making it Demi's first playon top 40 radio.Demi's debut chapter earned her two nominations at the 8th Annual Josie Music Awards, whichshe attended at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. She received nominations for PopArtist of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for Dear Diary.After a life changing debut chapter, Demi shared her five-track EP, It Is What It Is, on November11. This project shimmers with self-empowerment and showcases Demi's songwriting talent andpassion for blending genres in her music. It gives a glimpse into what listeners can expect in thefuture, as Demi continues to write about meaningful and universal topics that are rooted in herpersonal experiences.

Joining Coffee, Country & Cody on this episode is comedienne Leanne Morgan. She visited the show as she was preparing to perform a full stand-up show at the Grand Ole Opry House. Make the Grand Ole Opry part of YOUR Nashville experience! With at least three shows every week, there are plenty of opportunities to see The Show That Made Country Music Famous -- plus, take the Opry Backstage Tour while you're there, and you'll get to stand in the world-famous circle where so many country greats have performed. Thanks for listening to the Coffee, Country & Cody podcast from WSM Radio! Download the official WSM Radio App (for Apple or Android devices) to hear WSM in digital clarity, plus two additional streaming stations -- Opry Nashville and Route 650 -- as well as thousands of hours of archived programming.

The Cowpokes est un authentique groupe de danse dont le répertoire qui se compose de chansons des années 1940 à 1950, se situe dans la Country music et le Western Swing. Groupe principal du Honky Tonk: ‘'American Legion'' sis à Inglewood au Tennessee, The Cowpokes se produit également au ‘' Robert's'' qui se trouve sur Broadway Avenue au n°416 b à Nashville, mais aussi dans bien d'autres lieux. The Cowpokes est incontestablement le groupe Honky Tonk dont les musiciens sont les mieux habillés de Nashville. Le public, jeune et vieux, réagit au style de jeu rétro des Cowpokes et leurs fans aiment les entendre jouer des tubes intemporels de Ray Price, Mel Tillis, Webb Pierce, Wynn Stewart, Red Foley, Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens et Bill Monroe, ainsi que des chansons originales écrites par les membres du groupe. Avec des débuts en 2016, le groupe s'est rapidement fait un nom dans le Middle Tennessee en tant qu'ensemble country authentique. Au printemps 2017, ils ont eu l'occasion de faire la première partie du légendaire Jerry Jeff Walker et du membre du Country Music-Hall of Fame, Bobby Bare à l'historique Grand Ole Opry House de Nashville. Les spectacles en direct des Cowpokes vous transporteront à coup sûr dans une ère musicale d'autrefois; vous devrez le voir pour le croire!

Enjoy my conversation with Mallary Hope where we talk about her beginnings in the music industry and some highlights along the way. We also have some good laughs talking about our families and crazy kiddos. "Mallary Hope is a Georgia-born storyteller who uses music to convey her experiences, and the world around her. At 9-years old, Hope – aptly named by her mom – began to understand that music is at the core of her being, as the sweet sound of Karen Carpenter's voice on The Carpenters' “Superstar” brought her to tears. A short couple of years later, Amy Grant's “El Shaddai” was the first song she learned to play on the guitar, followed by Dolly Parton's “Coat of Many Colors.” Mallary's childhood church provided her the first stage where she was able to share her captivating vocals with others. With supporting parents willing to give their daughter every opportunity they could, they moved the family to Nashville, where it didn't take long for Hope to meet plenty of supporters in the music industry, and for her to make it to one of the most legendary stages the world over – the Grand Ole Opry – where she has performed many times since. “I love Jesus and Johnny Cash,” shares Hope, exemplifying everything about her personal faith she wants to share with the world, along with her deep love and appreciation of music that knows no boundaries. “People want to be encouraged. My songs evoke emotion. It is my desire that my songs can bring meaning and clarity to the various things we all go through in our lives.”Hope, who has been covered by The New York Times, performed on Fox & Friends, receives airplay from both Christian and Country radio stations, and whose music videos are supported by CMT, has toured alongside artists as varied as Skillet and Darius Rucker, and has written songs for fellow artists like Lauren Alaina, Danny Gokey, Sara Evans, and Faith Hill. And as for the beginning of one of her life's dearest and most important relationships, her thoughtful boyfriend (at the time) proposed to her on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House, in one moment marrying multiple things dearest to Hope: her faith, her (future) husband, and of course, music. From the early and lasting influences of Karen Carpenter to Amy Grant to Dolly Parton, Mallary is using that beautiful voice with forever echoes of her deep American South upbringing, along with her overall inescapable platform of music, to share what inspires her, and encourage others along the way." Source: https://www.klove.com/music/artists/mallary-hopeFind more information about Mallary Hopehttps://mallaryhopemusic.com/Mallary on Instagram 〰️〰️Shanny

Imagine starting your streaming radio career at the age of 14 and parlaying it into a musical media empire that is helping independent musicians all over the world in a little over a decade. Indie artists worldwide get the opportunity of a lifetime with the Josie Music Awards. It is the largest competition of its kind in the world. Josie Passantino Boone started all of this in 2009 as a teenager. The Josie Show began at home and grew to international prominence with the help of her mom, TinaMarie Passantino. The mother-daughter team now runs a record label, a cosmetics company along with the Josie Music Awards they host in Nashville that helps musicians showcase their work. This year, their event is at the Grand Ole Opry House in October. Josie and TinaMarie grew this event to this level in just eight short years! It's for a good cause too. Money raised at part of this year's event goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Josie and TinaMarie had over 56,000 submissions for this prestigious competition this year. Listen to their dynamic interview, what is happening at this year's award ceremony, along with some great in this episode of The Truckers Network Radio Show with Shelley Johnson. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast. It's free! https://www.josiemusicawards.com/ https://www.josieshow.com/ http://www.thejosienetwork.com/ https://tncradio.live/ #Music #Indie #IndieMusicians #IndependentMusicians #IndependentArtists #TheJosieShow #TheJosieMusicAwards #JoseiMusicAwards #JosiePassantinoBoone #TinaMariePassantino #Nashville #GrandOleOpryHouse #TheTruckersNetworkRadioShow #ShelleyMJohnson #TNCRadioLive @TNCRadioLive @josieshow @thejosiemusicawards

OUTLAW KINDA STUFF - "COUNTRY WITH AN EDGE"Terry is a United States Army Veteran with multiple tours to Southwest Asia and recently retired after serving 20 active duty. He grew up surrounded by music.Influenced by a wide variety of music from artists such as; Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, George Jones, and George Strait. Not to mention all the other genres of music like the Doobie Brothers, 38 Special, The Eagles, James Taylor, Bob Seger, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.Terry's 2017 album release “Cracked Windshield” produced 2 top ten singles “Cracked Windshield” and “As Good As It Gets” on the European Country Charts.All songs on the “Outlaw Kinda Stuff” Album were written by Terry and produced by a Dallas native; Ric Web @ Ric Web Productions. Terry has had the opportunity to open and play in some very cool venues to include the stage of The Grand Ole Opry House, the Millennium Dome in England and spent many years in Nashville chasing down this country music dream. He has co-written with some of the best writers out there and looks forward to writing the next song.Terry served as an Army Chief Warrant Officer three with 20 years of service and very much looking forward to the next chapter of his career playing music full-time. While serving on active duty makes it a challenge to keep a band together and well-rehearsed it also is a great way to build a fan base all over the world.Terry's new project is career changing and is looking forward to the opportunities to play around Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and anywhere that wants to hear his music. "Outlaw Kinda Stuff" his new single will be release in early 2021, look for it on all digital platforms (Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc). Terry is really looking forward to visiting all the regional radio stations and playing a few live tunes for you all…..

Please join us in welcoming Demi Michelle to our studio to chat with Heart of Indie Radio Host Captain Eddie Heartfelt, charismatic, and authentic are three words used to describe Demi Michelle's music. The Pittsburgh-based pop and country songwriter turns her life experiences into songs that touch the hearts of her listeners through captivating storytelling in her lyrics and memorable melodies. She greatly looks up to Julia Michaels, Kelsea Ballerini, and Taylor Swift, three incredible songwriters who share their stories in raw and truthful ways. Demi strives to remain honest and authentic as a songwriter in her own music and during her collaborations with others. Demi pieced together her songwriting passion over the years. Her musicianship shines through, being a classically-trained pianist and knowledgeable about music theory. Also being a creative writer and in graduate school for her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, Demi is always finding ways to blend her musical talent and storytelling in powerful ways. Demi kicked off her songwriting journey in 2019. After releasing several singles, she delivered her debut album, Dear Diary, on October 15, 2021. This eleven-track album, which includes Demi's popular single, “Will I Ever,” truly gives listeners a glimpse into Demi's heart and story. The songs capture honesty and vulnerability, much like diary entries do. Demi wrote this album for herself to explore her thoughts, feelings, and insecurities. Through writing Dear Diary, she has gone on a journey of self-discovery. On January 28, 2022, Demi was invited onto her hometown station, 100.7 STAR Pittsburgh, to be the first artist on the morning show's new segment, Bubba Show Live and Local Music Spotlight. Along with an interview, “Will I Ever” aired during the show, making it Demi's first play on top 40 radio. Demi's debut chapter earned her two nominations at the 8th Annual Josie Music Awards, which will be held in October at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. She received nominations for Pop Artist of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for Dear Diary. The sun has set on Dear Diary, and Demi is ready for her next chapter. On May 20, she released her fiery pop-country single, “You Get What You Give,” which is the lead single off of her upcoming five-track EP, It Is What It Is.

Welcome Friends to another Crazy Women Country Episode! https://linktr.ee/crazywomencountry In Today's episode, we will get to know the incredible Lauren Teel! Join us as we discuss her newest projects, the women who inspire her, and get to know her better with our 20 crazy questions! Grand Ole Opry House performer, and 2nd Place Winner of the 2022 Borderless Arts Tennessee Young Soloist Award, Lauren Teel is making her mark on Country music. This Texas-born and raised independent country recording artist, songwriter, and musician with a soulful singing voice recently released her newest single, "Crushin on Grimes." For the most up to date release and tour info www.laurenteel.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crazywomencountry/message

Apelidada de cidade da Música - The music city - Nashville é uma das cidades mais importantes dos Estados Unidos. A capital do estado do Tennessee abriga os principais espaços de eventos da lendária música country como a Grand Ole Opry House, casa do famoso programa de rádio e palco "Grand Ole Opry". E é lá, cercada de música por todos os lados, mas sintonizada com o esporte, que vive a nossa entrevistada, a jogadora de vôlei profissional Júlia Borges.

This week on Thinkin' and Drinkin' Bart reviews an Earth, Wind, & Fire concert with his wife Amy, brother Brad, and sister-in-law Beth! They review the song list and compare the show to past Earth, Wind, & Fire concerts they have seen. In this episode, you'll hearBart discusses the Earth Wind & Fire concert at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville with his wife, brother and sister in lawHave a question you would like answered on a Shorty Show? Head over to our INSTAGRAM to submit it! For the full show notes visit HERE >>> http://www.thinkinanddrinkin.com/podcast/ewf-review See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you have never taken a tour of the Grand Ole Opry House, it is a must see. In this episode we discuss the features of what backstage is like, and each of the dressing rooms that all contain their own personality.

Dolly Parton said about Billy Droze - “When your beautiful wife gave me your CD I listened to it and was very, very impressed. You have all the talent in the world and I hope they love your music as I do. Love, Dolly” At only 35 years of age, Billy Droze has acquired the title of “hit songwriter” and has been touring and making music non-stop for more than a decade. This truly unique artist and highly prolific songwriter, with lyrics that dig deep into the heart of life, melodies and a guitar style that combine his traditional roots with a modern twist that's all his own, and a voice so beautiful, earthy and sincere that every song gives you goose bumps, has already been solidly received by both fans, industry leaders and musical peers. Droze was considered for the prestigious 2018 Grammy Awards along with the IBMA and ICMA Awards. Together with bluegrass superstar Rhonda Vincent, he hosted the 2018 ICMA Awards at the historic Grand Ole Opry House. His name is becoming synonymous among Folk, Americana, Country, and Bluegrass listeners alike. Added to his many musical accomplishments, he is now President of RBR Entertainment. Billy is one of the fastest rising stars in roots music of his generation.Read more about Billy Droze at https://billydroze.comHost Lee Zimmerman is a freelance music writer whose articles have appeared in several leading music industry publications. A former promotions representative for ABC and Capital Records and director of communications for various CBS - affiliated television stations. Lee, who currently lives in East Tennessee, recently authored "Americana Music - Voices, Visionaries & Pioneers of an Honest Sound" which is now available on Amazon and other outlets. You can contact Lee at lezim@bellsouth.netCohost/Producer Billy Hubbard is a Tennessee based Americana Singer/Songwriter and former Regional Director of A&R for a Grammy winning company, as well as a music and podcast producer. Billy is also the venue developer and booking manager of The Station in East TN. As an artist Billy is endorsed by Godin's Simon & Patrick Guitars. You can find Billy Hubbard online at http://www.BillyHubbard.com  

The Ryman Auditorium, revered as the “Mother Church” of country music, has been an anchor of the Nashville music scene for more than a century. The Grand Ole Opry moved in to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943 with live music shows broadcast weekly across America's airwaves every Saturday evening on WSM 650 AM radio until 1974 when it outrgrew the Ryman and moved into its new home, The Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland.

The Ryman Auditorium , revered as the “Mother Church” of country music, has been an anchor of the Nashville music scene for more than a century. The Grand Ole Opry moved in to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943 with live music shows broadcast weekly across America's airwaves every Saturday evening on WSM 650 AM radio until 1974 when it outrgrew the Ryman and moved into its new home, The Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland . From Hank Williams and Flatt & Scruggs, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, to Patsy Cline and Bob Hope, the list of luminaries who have performed at the National Historic Landmark Ryman, is a literal Who's Who of the America's 20th Century music scene. This show originally broadcast in 2017 is reposted as a Best-of-the-Best Journeys of Discovery show in celebration of its 32nd anniversary producing NPR affiliate KCBX on-air and digital media shows featured on NPR One. Underwriting support for Journeys of Discovery provided by Nashville's Big Back

BECOME A PRODUCER! http://www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast   Find The Midnight Train Podcast: www.themidnighttrainpodcast.com www.facebook.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.twitter.com/themidnighttrainpc www.instagram.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.discord.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.tiktok.com/themidnighttrainp   And wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.   Subscribe to our official YouTube channel: OUR YOUTUBE   Support our sponsors www.themidnighttraintrainpodcast.com/sponsors   Ep. 112 Haunted Venues   On today's episode we're going on tour!!! That's right Moody and myself are heading back out on the road and this time we're bringing Logan to carry our shit instead of us lugging everyone else's shit! Why are we heading out on tour you ask? Well it's because we are doing a tour of haunted music and theater venues throughout the world! This is an episode we've been wanting to do for a while especially because we've been to quite a few of these places! There's even one in our home town! Like we have at that certain Cleveland venue, we're sure some of our listeners have spent a ton of their time at some of the venues on the list. This is gonna be a fun one for us so hopefully you guys love it too! First up we've got a big one that will be on every list of haunted venues. The House Of Blues in Chicago. So the history of the building took a bit to find because every search for the house of blues in any city comes up with the main house of blues page but with a little digging we found some info on the building's history. The House of Blues is part of a complex called The Marina City complex. The Marina complex is also known as the Corn cob apparently, and looking at it… You can see why. If you're listening in Chicago and are like "what the fuck, nobody calls it that", will remember our mantra.. Don't blame us, blame the internet… Although we did find that reference in a couple spots. The Marina is a mix of residential condos and commercial buildings built between 1961-1968. The complex consists of two 587-foot, 65-story apartment towers, a 10-story office building which is now a hotel, and a saddle-shaped auditorium building originally used as a cinema. When finished, the two towers were both the tallest residential buildings and the tallest reinforced concrete structures in the world. The complex was built as a "city within a city", featuring numerous on-site facilities including a theater, gym, swimming pool, ice rink, bowling alley, stores, restaurants, and, of course, a marina. WLS-TV (ABC Channel 7) transmitted from an antenna atop Marina City until the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) was completed. Marina City was the first post-war urban high-rise residential complex in the United States and is widely credited with beginning the residential renaissance of American inner cities. These days the complex is home to the Hotel Chicago, 10pin bowling lounge, and several restaurants including… You fucking guessed it... Dick's Last Resort bitches!!! Oh and also the complex is home to the house of blues. The house of blues was built in the shell of the cinema which was out of use for quite some time. The story is that the hob is haunted by the spirit of a little girl that died due to an illness. There are many reports of weird things happening. The most circulated story seems to be that of a little boy who was playing with some of his toys toys. As he was playing he stepped away for a moment and when he came back he saw a little girl playing with his toys. She asked him if he'd like to play with her. FUCK THAT SHIT!!!! The little boy screamed and the girl vanished. Oddly enough, I did find a comment on one website from a man named Skyler seeming to corroborate this story. The comment reads as follows:              " This can not be… no way… I have performed there 2 times. once was in 2013, and there was a boy in the back playing with his cars. a few minutes after he screamed and started to cry. I was feeling bad,, but this can't be him… also know that in 2015 in march i had another performance and all the lights turned off. This is too creepy."   Was this the same boy that the story is referring too? Who knows. We also found several comments from people staying in what we assume is the hotel Chicago as it's in the complex and pretty much right next to the house of blues. There's comment also claim the hotel is haunted. One of the claims says this:            "It's haunted!!! I saw a middle aged/older woman (dressed in clothing from a period long ago) in my room when I stayed there in 1999/2000. I woke in the early morning to see a woman staring at me. I went through a rational thought process of it being my female business colleague (who stayed in a separate room) and I thought, oh well she can sleep in the other bed (it was a double room & I was in the bed furthest away from the front door) and then quickly snapped out of it and said to myself she has her own room why would she be in my room, I opened my eyes again and that's when I could see it was a woman clearly (w/ angry face) staring at me. I then thought this is a stranger/intruder in my room – I laid there with my eyes just open enough to see – she was there staring at me & she still didn't look happy. I laid there thinking of what to do – I decided I was going to reach and turn the light on and then charge her or run after her when she ran for the door (fortunately, there was a switch right next to the bed). HOWEVER, when I reached for the light and turned it on she was gone. This is what makes this story interesting — I called the front desk and simply asked, ‘had anything significant ever happened at the site of the hotel' (b/c as the person above points out, its not an old or historic looking building (e.g. PreWar). I asked another question that any tourist could have just asked (I don't recall what it was right now). She said immediatley, “No, why did you see a ghost?” My response was, yea, I saw a ghost, I'm in my twenties and not some nut job.” I asked if anyone else had ever reported seeing a ghost and she said, “No.” Anyway, when I met up with my colleague, she could tell I was shaken up and I was pretty pale (like “I had seen a host.”). My story has never changed in all this time. I did stay at the hotel 1 other time after (not in the same room) & didn't see anything – but I slept with the bathroom light on… Scary & Cool experience for sure!"   Sounds spooky!    Next on our list of haunted venues we are heading to Milwaukee! Which is actually pronounced meely waukay, which is Algonquin for the good land. Now the Rave is amazing for several reasons: first it's the location of one of Moody's favorite tour stories which also involves Jon and our friend Brad from Voudoux.  2: it's huge and creepy as shit. 3: the pool... The Rave/Eagles Club is a 180,000 square foot, seven-level, live entertainment complex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The building contains eight independent clubs with capacities ranging from 400 to 3500. The Eagles Ballroom is the building's showpiece, featuring a 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) oval wooden dance floor, originally installed when the building was constructed, in addition to a large, old-fashioned domed ceiling and a stage on one side. Originally a ballroom, it has hosted everything from boxing matches to concerts to ethnic dances. The ballroom head hosted huge acts ranging from Bob Dylan to Green day, from the grateful dead to slayer and of course none other than Lil Pump.    Along with the eagles ballroom, the building houses the Rave hall, The eagles hall, the Rave bar, The Rave craft beer lounge, The penthouse lounge, and the eagles club.  Since its construction in 1926, the Eagles Club has known several incarnations. Prominently among them, it housed the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, a notable organization whose considerable impacts on America's cultural landscape remain in effect today.   In 1939, the idea of using the building for music presentations took hold, reinventing its purpose. The grand ballroom became a popular venue for big band music, such as band leaders Guy Lombardo and Glen Miller and their orchestras. Soon, other types of music, theatre and performing arts also offered shows and concerts in the large, elegant ballroom; from 1939 through the mid-sixties. Comedians like Bob Hope and Red Skeleton did stand-up comedy. In 1959, people who bought a $1.50 ticket to the Winter Dance Party, were treated to the music of Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Big Bopper, Dion and the Belmonts, and Richie Valens. This would be the last show for buddy Holly before he died. In 1964, The Eagles Club had its first rock concert, with the Dave Clark Five performing on the ballroom stage. The 1970s brought even more famous groups and people, such as Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills and Nash and other rising rock stars.When the Athletic Club was closed, a homeless men's shelter opened up temporarily in the basement area, providing shelter for the destitute which is life-saving during the freezing winter months. By the late 1980s, The Eagles Club was in a state of disrepair and The Eagle Club put it out on the real estate market, after getting it listed on The National Register of Historic Places, in 1986.  In late 1992, the Eagles Club was rescued when it was bought by Wauwatosa businessman Anthony J. Balestrieri and his wife, Marjorie, who performed in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. They began the long process of restoring the historic beauty of the elegant ballroom and interior art, as well as the outside facade. They also restored and renovated other areas turning the building into the multi venue building it is today.    We wanted to include this history because: A. We love the history of places like this and B. It shows how many things this building way used for and how many people have passed through the building. We all know where there tons of history there tends to be ghost stories!    Let's get into the spooky shit! Remember the pool we mentioned earlier… Well at one point a 17 year old boy had a fucking heart attack and died in the pool. Later, at least two more children would die in the pool. This would ultimately cause the closure of the athletic club.  Also the man who ran the homeless shelter was said to be extremely cruel and abusive to the men staying there.    The basement area which is the home of the former men's shelter, is one of the more haunted areas. The shelter manager mentioned earlier is thought to be the reason behind the heavy negative energy felt there. Cold spots are often felt by staff in the late hours after closing. Shadow people have often been reported by staff as well as band members packing up after a show.    Next is the pool area, which we've seen and it's fucking creepy. A little girl is said to roam around the area. People have heard her laughter and have said her presence can bring a sense of dread. Staff have said they have heard shuffling footsteps and have smelled a strong odor of bleach in the pool area.    In the boiler room under the pool, a former employee still hangs and he doesn't like people in his area. "Jack" was once recorded telling a group on a ghost hunt to "get out, get out now" Apparently, you can find a video of this on YouTube, we'll try and find it to post on our page.   The ballroom has had its share of apparitions hanging around during sound checks and after shows when everyone has left. An employee told a story of when he was standing on the floor of The Eagles Ballroom, making sure that the people going to the roof patio didn't “get lost” and go into the Eagles Ballroom by design.  He said that one of his fellow workers had seen what they thought was a man, standing in one of the second floor boxes located above the Eagles Ballroom. He called security and when they approached this person, he ran down the aisle but disappeared before the staff person that was behind him and the security person cutting off his escape could try to grab him.    One other common theme is people hearing either happy laughing children or sad crying children. Some staff have stated they've seen entities of children playing in groups.    We've been here.. This place is awesome. Also another fun tidbit… not to far away from the Rave is the ambassador hotel. Which of you're up on your serial killers, you know is the place where Jeffrey Dahmer killed his first victim in Milwaukee. Steven Tuomi was Jeffrey Dahmer's first victim in Milwaukee. Dahmer met Tuomi in September of 1987. At the time, Dahmer was out on probation after molestation charges of a minor. The two men spent the night together drinking heavily and visiting multiple bars. Later that night, they ended up in a room together in the Ambassador, room 507, which is a room some Dahmer historians have requested to stay in. Dahmer killed Toumi while he was in a drunken stupor. Upon waking up to find Tuomi dead, Dahmer put the body in a suitcase and took it to his grandmother's house where he was living. In the basement, he acted out necrophiliac desires and then dismembered the body. Supposedly when Dahmer awoke to find Tuomi dead, the body was in an awkward position hanging off the side of the bed. Some visitors have reported instances of waking up to discover their partner in a similarly awkward position.   Visitors to room 507 have reported a variety of experiences, such as a heaviness to the room that they can't quite explain. Some people get woken up in the middle of the night by odd circumstances. There's an extra little bit for ya!!!   Info on the Hauntings and most of the historical facts on the Rave was taken from an excellent article on hauntedhouses.com   Next up we're gonna head across the pond, so to speak. We're heading to London and the famous Royal Albert Hall! This place has a long and rich history behind it. The Royal Albert Hall was built on what was once the Gore estate, at the centre of which stood Gore House. The three acre estate was occupied by political reformer William Wilberforce between 1808-1828 and subsequently occupied between 1836-1849 by the Countess of Blessington and Count D'Orsay.   After the couple left for Paris in May 1851, the house was opened as the ‘Universal Symposium of All Nations', a restaurant run by the first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer, who planned to cater for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park.   After the exhibition and following the advice of Prince Albert, Gore House and its grounds were bought by the Exhibition's Royal Commission to create the cultural quarter known as Albertopolis. A complex of public Victorian buildings were developed to house exhibits from the Great Exhibition and to further the study of art, science and industry. On May 20, 1867 7,000 people gathered under a purpose-built marquee to watch Queen Victoria lay the Hall's red Aberdeen granite foundation stone, which today can be found underneath K stalls, row 11, seat 87 in the main auditorium. The Queen announced that “It is my wish that this Hall should bear his name to whom it will have owed its existence and be called The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences”, as a 21 gun salute was heard from Hyde Park and a trumpet fanfare from HM Life Guards sounded. By December 1870 construction of the Hall had moved on so much that HM Queen Victoria and her daughter Princess Beatrice visited the Hall to listen to the acoustics.   Almost three months later, on 25 February 1871, the Hall's first concert was held to an audience for 7,000 people comprising the workmen and their families, various officials and the invited public. Amateur orchestra, The Wandering Minstrels, played to test the acoustics from all areas of the auditorium.    This place has been running as a venue for 150 years! Again… History breeds ghosts and Hauntings! There's so much history in this building that we are not going to be able to include but please check out the official website for the royal Albert Hall to really drive into the history of this place. You won't be sorry you did. We gave you the beginnings to show how long this place has been around. We're gonna get right into the spooky shit though!    On 13 July 1930 the Spiritualist Association rented the Royal Albert Hall for a seance for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, following the death of the Sherlock author on 7 July.   Conan Doyle was a spiritualist and believed in the existence beyond the grave. Upon his death 10,000 people gathered expectantly in the Hall to watch a medium take to the stage, hoping to witness some supernatural activity and hear a message from Conan Doyle from the other side…          Lady Doyle: “Although I have not spoken to Arthur since he passed, I am certain that in his own time and his own way he will send a message to us” Time Magazine, 21 July 1930   Lady Conan Doyle took to the stage alongside members of his family, with a vacant chair on her right reserved for her late husband.Time Magazine, who attended the seance, reports:   ‘Mrs. Estelle Roberts, clairvoyant, took the stage. She declared five spirits were “pushing” her. She cried out their messages. Persons in the audience confirmed their validity. Suddenly Mrs. Roberts looked at Sir Arthur's empty chair, cried: “He is here.” Lady Doyle stood up. The clairvoyant's eyes moved as though accompanying a person who was approaching her. “He is wearing evening clothes,” she murmured. She inclined her head to listen. A silent moment. Her head jerked up. She stared at Lady Doyle, shivered, ran to the widow, whispered. Persons nearby could hear: “Sir Arthur told me that one of you went into the hut [on the Doyle estate] this morning. Is that correct?” Lady Doyle, faltering: “Why, yes.” She beamed. Her eyes opened widely. The clairvoyant to Lady Doyle: “The message is this. Tell Mary [eldest daughter]…' Time Magazine, 21 July 1930   At this the audience rose in a clamor, and the great organ of the Hall began to peal, the noise drowning out the answer of Mrs Roberts.   But what was the message delivered to Lady Doyle that night? Did the ghost of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle really visit the Royal Albert Hall on that night in 1930?   Seances are always fun and definitely work as we found out...yea...right….   Here's some more stories taken straight from the RAH website!   THE GIRLS Beneath the Door 6 foyer, in the carpeted basement area, there is one spot where two young women, known as ‘the girls', briefly appear each  November 2nd a little before 2am, when the building is almost deserted, except for some security staff.   Over the years, several staff members reported hearing ‘the girls' laughing, and seeing their animated and excited silhouettes appear, clothed in the fashion of slightly risqué Victorian ladies (extravagant long dark dresses embellished with lace from neck to bodice, with many ruffles, especially around the sleeves and hem, and their hair styled in cottage-loaf buns with ringlets hanging over their ears). The Duty Security Incident Book indicates that there had been appearances by ‘the girls' for the three years prior to 1991. They have been seen passing across the foyer space, which is bounded by double doors at each end, leading on one side to the staff canteen (where we still eat today) and on the other to the kitchen corridor, and then disappear. That is why some believe that ‘the girls' may be responsible for unexplained accidents, tappings and footsteps that occur behind locked doors late at night in the kitchens. Assistants Chefs, who have to clean the kitchen every night after use, often used to hear noises and have been frightened whilst in that area.    FATHER WILLIS Whenever restoration work is carried out on our organ, its original constructor Henry Willis, fondly nicknamed ‘Father Willis', returns as a stooped ghost wearing a black skull cap. When the organ was being reconstructed in 1924, workmen saw a little old man walk down the stairs late one afternoon. On returning to their workshop and relating the facts, their foreman asked what the man was wearing. When told that he was donning a black skull cap, the foreman decided it was the ghost of Father Willis, the original builder of the organ, long since dead, who would not approve of the alterations being undertaken. Since then there have been many reports of a sudden cold atmosphere in the area behind the organ.   When interviewed in 2018, Michael Broadway, the Hall's organ custodian was asked if he had ever seen signs of the legendary ghost of Henry Willis. He answered: “I remember the organ builder Clifford Hyatt telling me about this over forty years ago. The tuner […] was making the final visit of the Willis contract before the Harrison & Harrison rebuild in the 1920s. When he got up on to the Great passage board he saw Father Willis there saying ‘They shan't take my organ from me'. A lovely story, but I haven't seen him. There are many questions I would ask him and hopefully have his approval of the way I look after this instrument. Perhaps he has no reason to be disturbed.”    THE MAN IN WHITE During a Jasper Carrott comedy event in May 1990, the Duty Manager was ordered to clear the Middle Choir seats and to post a Steward at either end to avoid anyone entering as it is very distracting for a performer to have people walking across the back of the stage during the show. That's why a very angry Stage Manager demanded on radio to know why there was someone crossing the stage. The description was of a man dressed in white, walking oddly as if on drugs. The Stewards insisted no one had passed them and on further investigation no one except Jasper Carrott was onstage, but several people had seen the figure cross the stage from left to right.   THE VICTORIAN COUPLE A staff member during the 2000s reported having seen a couple in Victorian clothing walk across the second tier near to Door Six and vanish into a box. As a venue whose history is so closely tied to the Victorian times, this didn't seem particularly odd (people dress up sometimes…)   But in 2011, a Head Steward was finishing off his shift one evening and had made sure that all members of the public had left the second tier. On going downstairs into the auditorium, he noticed a couple sitting in the box so he returned to the second tier but found no one in the box. He assumed they had left while he was on his way back, so once again he returned to the auditorium… Only to see them again. So he went back to the second tier, and that's when he heard the couple chattering. He assumed they were in the box but on opening the door, there was no one there.   There are several more accounts on their website and tons and tons of stories all over the web about experiences at the historical venue. It sounds like it's one crazy place!!!   We've got a couple more for you guys.                Next up is another club we've been too, the Masquerade in Atlanta. The Masquerade features three indoor venues with capacities ranging from 300 to 1000, appropriately named Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.  The Masquerade was founded in 1988 at the historic DuPre Excelsior Mill, a former excelsior mill at 695 North Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. The venue had both indoor and outdoor concert space. It was sold in 2006 and moved in late November 2016 after it was made part of a new mixed-use development called North + Line. The building was designated as historic by the city and all of the original parts will be saved through adaptive reuse. The masquerade had hosted tons of national and local acts from cannibal corpse to the greatest entertainer in history, Weird Al Yankovic.     This night club is said to be visited by the spirits who died in fire and tuberculosis outbreaks long ago, both of which killed several members of the building's former staff. Apparitions have been seen and unexplained footsteps have been reported.One popular story is that of a large and tall black man who is always seen walking around the nightclub. The staff believes that it is this man who turns the musical amplifiers every night.   The staff has also reported hearing footsteps from unidentified sources, as well as cold spots all throughout the building. Horrifying screams can also be heard coming from the back of the stairs even when there is no one there. They believe that the screams come from the young woman who died in a freakish accident in the nightclub. Nowadays, there are rumors that real vampires come to the nightclub and even live there.  Some people believe that this rumor has been spread to promote business as vampires have suddenly become very popular.   Next up were heading to Nashville and a place the Moody had been to, but not for music, for the national beard and mustache competition. He did not place unfortunately. The auditorium opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. Its construction was spearheaded by Thomas Ryman, a Nashville businessman who owned several saloons and a fleet of riverboats.When Ryman died in 1904, his memorial service was held at the tabernacle. During the service, it was proposed the building be renamed Ryman Auditorium, which was met with the overwhelming approval of the attendees. 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 a result, the balcony was once called 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. Though the building was designed to be a house of worship – a purpose it continued to serve throughout most of its early existence – it was often leased to promoters for nonreligious events in an effort to pay off its debts and remain open. In 1904, Lula C. Naff, a widow and mother who was working as a stenographer, began to book and promote speaking engagements, concerts, boxing matches, and other attractions at the Ryman in her free time.  Naff gained a reputation for battling local censorship groups, who had threatened to ban various performances deemed too risqué. In 1939, Naff won a landmark lawsuit against the Nashville Board of Censors, which was planning to arrest the star of the play Tobacco Road due to its provocative nature. The court declared the law creating the censors to be invalid W.C. Fields, Will Rogers in 1925, Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope with Doris Day in '49, Harry Houdini in '24, and John Philip Sousa (among others) performed at the venue over the years, earning the Ryman the nickname, "The Carnegie Hall of the South". The Ryman in its early years also hosted Marian Anderson in 1932, Bill Monroe (from KY) and the Bluegrass Boys in '45, Little Jimmy Dickens in '48, Hank Williams in '49, The Carter Sisters with Mother Maybelle Carter in 1950, Elvis in '54, Johnny Cash in '56, trumpeter Louis Armstrong in '57, Patsy Cline in '60, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (bluegrass) in '64, and Minnie Pearl in '64. 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 of fans were often turned away. During its tenure at Ryman Auditorium, the Opry hosted the biggest country music stars of the day and became a show known around the world. Melding its then-current usage with the building's origins as a house of worship, the Ryman got the nickname "The Mother Church of Country Music", which it still holds to this day. The last Opry show at the Ryman occurred the previous evening, on Friday, March 15. The final shows downtown were emotional. Sarah Cannon, performing as Minnie Pearl, broke character and cried on stage. When the plans for Opryland USA were announced, WSM president Irving Waugh also revealed the company's intent to demolish the Ryman and use its materials to construct a chapel called "The Little Church of Opryland" at the amusement park. Waugh brought in a consultant to evaluate the building, noted theatrical producer Jo Mielziner, who had staged a production at the Ryman in 1935. He concluded that the Ryman was "full of bad workmanship and contains nothing of value as a theater worth restoring." Mielziner suggested the auditorium be razed and replaced with a modern theater. Waugh's plans were met with resounding resistance from the public, including many influential musicians of the time. Members of historic preservation groups argued that WSM, Inc. (and Acuff, by proxy) exaggerated the Ryman's poor condition, saying the company was worried that attachment to the old building would hurt business at the new Opry House. Preservationists leaned on the building's religious history and gained traction for their case as a result. The outcry led to the building being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Following the departure of the Opry, the Ryman sat mostly vacant and deteriorating for nearly 20 years, as the neighborhood surrounding it continued to see the increasing effects of urban decay.  In 1986, as part of the Grand Ole Opry 60th-anniversary celebration, CBS aired a special program that featured some of the Opry's legendary stars performing at the Ryman. While the auditorium was dormant, major motion pictures continued to be filmed on location there, including John Carpenter's Elvis (1979), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980 – Loretta Lynn Oscar-winning biopic), Sweet Dreams (1985 – story of Patsy Cline), and Clint Eastwood's Honkytonk Man (1982). A 1979 television special, Dolly & Carol in Nashville, included a segment featuring Dolly Parton performing a gospel medley on the Ryman stage. In 1989, Gaylord Entertainment began work to beautify the Ryman's exterior. The structure of the building was also improved, as the company installed a new roof, replaced broken windows, and repaired broken bricks and wood. In October 1992, executives of Gaylord Entertainment announced plans to renovate the entire building and expand it to create modern amenities for performers and audiences alike, as part of a larger initiative to invest in the city's efforts to revitalize the downtown area. The first performance at the newly renovated Ryman was a broadcast of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion on June 4, 1994. Beginning in November 1999, the Opry was held at Ryman Auditorium for three months, mostly due to the success of the January shows, but partly due to the ongoing construction of Opry Mills shopping mall next door to the Grand Ole Opry House. The Opry has returned to the Ryman for all of its November, December, and January shows every year since then, allowing the production to acknowledge its roots while also taking advantage of a smaller venue during the off-peak season for tourism and freeing the Grand Ole Opry House for special holiday presentations.The Ryman has also served as a gathering place for the memorial services of many prominent country music figures. Tammy Wynette, Chet Atkins, Skeeter Davis, Harlan Howard, Bill Monroe, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Billy Block, George Hamilton IV, Earl Scruggs, and Jim Ed Brown have all been memorialized from the Ryman stage. In 2018, the Ryman was named the most iconic structure in Tennessee by Architectural Digest. And just because….On June 9, 2019, Wu-Tang Clan performed the first pure rap concert ever at the Ryman. The concert was sold out.   Again, we like to give history on these places for context and honestly it's just interesting to us so whatever. But this again illustrates the point that many crazy things happened here over the years as many many people have passed through this auditorium… Including Moody.   Ok, so let's get to the ghosts and spooky shit. Ryman's spirit was fine with most performances but would rise if the people onstage were getting a bit risqué. Apparently, he disrupted shows by stomping around the room so loudly that spectators were forced to leave. Famously, the ghost wreaked havoc while the opera Carmen was taking place. Probably because it tells the story of a gypsy temptress.    During the grand ole Opry period, rumors surfaced that the venue was cursed since apparently, most singers that performed there wound up dead. A total of 37 people met their fate in the most gruesome ways, dying from O.D.s, car accidents, fires, or slaughterings. Among the artists believed to have succumbed to the curse are: Stringbean Akeman, Patsy Cline, Texas Ruby, and many more. In a blog post by Virginia Lamkin titled Haunted Ryman Auditorium, the author explains that when the show relocated to the Opryland USA theme park, 14 additional acts died. It is believed that the curse followed because a large portion of the Ryman Auditorium stage was cut out and brought to the new location.   The spirit often referred to as “The Grey Man,” is believed to have been one of the Confederate soldiers who frequented the auditorium during post-war gatherings. Some say they've witnessed him sitting in the balcony while artists rehearse. He watches the stage steadily but disappears as soon as anyone gets too close.   ”The lady,” on the other hand, isn't a spectator; she's a performer. Believed to be the ghost of Patsy Cline, she has been heard singing by staff. Usually, her performance happens late at night as they prepare to close. Patsy Cline, who died tragically in a plane crash, has also been linked to the Opry Curse. Could the curse not only kill but also trap artists in the venue?   Speaking of Opry Curse victims, Hank Williams is said to have been another casualty. The successful singer/songwriter passed away in 1953, after mixing prescription drugs with alcohol. Similar to the other artists haunting the auditorium, Hank's voice has been heard clear as day by employees. They have also heard his songs being played onstage, without explanation. Along with Patsy, Hank Williams' soul has lingered in the old venue ever since he passed.   The info on the history of the ryman comes mostly from their own website while the stories of the hauntings we found on the website ghostcitytours.com   Next up is the Phoenix theater in Petaluma California. The club has been in existence since 1905 and has changed in both structure and purpose, mostly due to severe damage caused by several fires. Petaluma's Phoenix Theater has been entertaining Sonoma County residents for over 116 years. Hosting everyone from the likes of Harry Houdini to Green Day, the fabled teen center and music venue has a varied and interesting history.   The entertainment center opened in 1904 as the Hill Opera House. The structure was designed by San Francisco architect Charles Havens, who also designed Petaluma's Carlson-Currier Silk Mill in 1892. The Beaux Arts-style theater hosted operas, theatrical performances, high school graduations and music for over 15 years until the early 1920s when it was gutted by fire.   In 1925, the venue reopened as the California Theatre playing silent films accompanied by music. A Jan. 24, 1925, Press Democrat article proclaimed the showplace the “largest playhouse in Petaluma and one of the finest theaters of Northern California.” A packed house attended the opening night performance which include a double feature picture show and live entertainment.   The theater switched to movies with sound in later years and lost major sections of its roof to a second fire in 1957. Petaluma's Tocchini family bought the floundering venue in 1967 switching to a program of live music and entertainment.   In 1983, the theater was renamed the Phoenix - reflecting its ability to be reborn from the ashes. Tom Gaffey, a young man who had grown up in Petaluma and worked at both the California and the Showcase theaters, was hired as manager, a position he holds to this day. The theater gained unwanted attention after a late-night performance by the band Popsicle Love Sponge performed a questionable act with the body of what was believed to be a dead chicken. The late-night shows ended, but the movies continued for a short time.   Today the venue serves as a graffiti-covered teen center and venue for rock, punk, reggae and more. In 1996, it hosted the last show of the Long Beach ska band Sublime as well as rock and punk legends the Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, X, Metallica and Primus. The guiding principle of the Phoenix has always been that it's "everyone's building" and this was formalized in the early 2000's when the Phoenix became a 501(c)3 nonprofit  community center.   This place sounds pretty awesome. This following except it's taken directly from their website :               The Phoenix Theater is open seven days a week, generally from 3pm to 7pm, for drop-in “unstructured” use. Our building interior is large and soulful, with several rooms to accommodate a variety of activities. On a typical afternoon, you'll find kids playing acoustic music (we've got two pianos and a big stage), skateboarding (across the large wooden floor and up one of four quarter-pipe ramps), doing homework in the tutoring room, or sitting in one of the overstuffed sofas: reading, talking with friends, or napping. There's always a staff member onsite, but the atmosphere is casual.    On top of this they have free music programs from lessons to recording to production to podcasting to band management and everything in between. Also they have many programs for teens in the art community to hone their skills. Not only that they have a teen health center to help inform teens and help them make better, more  conscientious choices regarding their personal health. They also have services for  transitive health and STD help as well. We feel like every town needs a place like this. Especially if it's haunted!!! Speaking of which we found an interview that Gaffney did where he talks about some of his experiences and other things that have happened. The following was taken from petaluma360.com:   Gaffey began by talking about his earliest days. “It was my job to close the theater down. By 10:15 it would just be me, and whatever people were watching the movie. Near the end, I'd go up to the projection booth. After the audience exited, I'd turn off the projector, come down onto the stage where the sound equipment was, turn off the amps, check doors, balcony, bathrooms, lock the doors, hit the security alarm, then go out the door by the box office.”   On three separate nights, as he was leaving, the box office phone rang.   Gaffey explained the building had five phone stations. The light on the box office phone indicated the call was from the projection booth.   “I'd have to turn off the alarm and pick up the phone. ‘Hello? Hello? Hello?' But there was nobody there.   “You can't believe in ghosts when you're shutting down a theater. You have to check.   “Three times I mustered my courage, turned the lights back on and burst into the projection booth. There was no one there.   “That was my first experience, when I was an unknown here, a spooky ‘welcome back.'”   Gaffey is quick to temper his conversation with “it could have been” and “maybe someone playing pranks.” He keeps an open mind. Ghosts or explainable experiences: it's for the individual to decide.   “Blue lights have been seen floating through the building. There's the Little Kid: he'd been seen even when I was a kid working down here. And one night, sleeping on stage as a teen, I could hear and feel big footsteps. I never felt afraid.   “The big guy has been felt by many over the years,” Gaffey said. “We named him Chris. Big Chris. He's the only ghost - if there are ghosts here - who's not from a show business background.” He added that psychics who've visited the theater have talked about Chris dating to the livery stable-era and that someone was murdered on this spot, possibly with a knife.   But Gaffey continued firmly, “My experiences in this building have been warm and protective. “Chris had the spirit of the Phoenix before it became what it is. Chris may have loved this spot. I think it's one of the coolest corners in town.” He commented he sensed from the warmth he felt as he was talking that Chris was on stage, observing.   Then there's the Little Kid - a boy. “That's an interesting one,” Gaffey said. “Again - a psychic had come in. First off, he talked about the guy in the attic [the projection booth], said he seemed to be older, white hair and faded green, almost khaki, clothing; tall, thin with angular knees and elbows.   The older man, the psychic told Gaffey, is trying to make good on something wrong he felt he did to a child. The psychic added the old man hadn't, however, done anything.   “I'm wondering,” Gaffey said, “if it's the little boy. This was the fly area” - the area to the rear of the stage where backdrops hung. “With stuff hanging here and ladder work, maybe the kid was injured. He's been seen by many. He's got shaggy hair, maybe less than five feet, wearing shorts or knickers, a wool suit and a cap, from the 1920s.”   In the 1990s, a security guard for the thrash metal band GWAR got down off a ladder and asked, “Who's that little kid back there in the exit?” When no one could find the boy, the guard quit.    There is much more to the interview and we would definitely recommend checking it out! We've got one one more venue for you guys even though there are a bunch more out there. Some of the more well known and covered places like Bobby Mackey's in Kentucky, The Avalon in Hollywood, Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carre in New Orleans, The rapids theater in Niagara falls NY among others we've left off but will definitely be back to cover at a future point as the history and Hauntings in these places is awesome.    So that brings us to our home town of Cleveland Ohio and to the World famous Agora Theater. Now this a place where we've both spent many nights jamming out to some great fucking shows. And yes.. Whether you like it or not… Here comes some history fuckers.    The first Agora in Cleveland, informally referred to as Agora Alpha, opened on February 26, 1966, at 2175 Cornell Road in Little Italy near the campus of Case Western Reserve University. In 1967, the Agora moved to a second building on East 24th Street near the campus of Cleveland State University. Once settled in their new location, the new Agora Ballroom, informally referred to as Agora Beta, played a role in giving exposure to many bands, both from the Cleveland area and abroad. Many artists such as Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Boston, Grand Funk Railroad, ZZ Top, Kiss and many others received much exposure after playing the Agora.[3] The Agora Ballroom was also the setting of the concert by Paul Simon's character in the opening minutes of the 1980 movie One-Trick Pony. The front facade of the Agora Ballroom was temporarily swapped for the one shown in the movie. It is also one of three locations used to record Todd Rundgren's live album Back to the Bars in 1978.   The East 24th Street building also housed Agency Recording Studios, located above the Agora. The onsite recording studio and the close proximity to radio station WMMS allowed for high-quality live concert broadcasts from the Agora. Some of these concerts were later released commercially, including Bruce Springsteen's “The Agora, Cleveland 1978”, the Cars' “Live at the Agora 1978”, Ian Hunter's “You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, Deluxe Edition” and Dwight Twilley Band's “Live From Agora”.   The popularity of the club led the Agora to expand during the 1970s and 1980s, opening 12 other clubs in the cities of Columbus, Toledo, Youngstown, Painesville, Akron, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Hallandale, Hartford, and New Haven. However, the Cleveland location is the only one still in existence today.   In 1984, the Agora was damaged by a fire and closed.   The building currently known as the Agora first opened on March 31, 1913, with an English performance of Aida as the Metropolitan Theatre. It was the brainchild of Max Faetkenheuer, an opera promoter and conductor who had also been involved in the construction of the monumental Hippodrome Theatre on Euclid Avenue five years earlier. The new opera house was well received and did well early on, but later struggled to stay profitable. Among various uses, the Metropolitan was home to a Cleveland's Yiddish theatre troupe in 1927. This brief episode in its history came to an end a few months later in 1928 after the troupe was involved in a bus accident on the way to a performance in Youngstown; the actors were too injured to perform and the venture went bankrupt. By 1932, the venue had turned into a vaudeville/burlesque house called "The Gayety," hosting "hoofers, comics and strippers." The Metropolitan returned to its original use for a short time during the mid-1940s staging comedic musicals, but by the end of the decade stage productions had ceased and the theatre became a full-time movie house. From 1951–78, the theater offices were home to radio stations WHK (1420 AM) and WMMS (100.7 FM); the theater itself was known as the WHK Auditorium. In 1968–69 the theater was known as the Cleveland Grande. In the early 1980s, it briefly re-opened as the New Hippodrome Theatre showing movies. Following the fire which damaged the Agora Ballroom on East 24th Street, club owner Henry LoConti, Sr. decided to move to the 5000 Euclid Avenue location. Following extensive renovations, the new Agora Metropolitan Theater, the third Cleveland venue to bear the Agora name, opened in October 1986. The Agora has two rooms: a 500-person capacity, standing-room-only ballroom with adjoining bar, and an 1800-seat theater.   As far as some spooky shit goes, we were able to get some info straight from the source! We spoke with Mike who works at the agora and we got some cool stuff from him. In an email mine related the following information.            "Prior to our merger with AEG Presents, I used to lead our ‘Ghost Tours' with a group called Black Sheep Paranormal.   While I didn't know what to expect, and I wasn't exactly familiar with paranormal investigations, that quickly changed working with the group.             One of the members of the Black Sheep Paranormal group was a retired police officer. Pretty easy to say he's seen some shit, and could be characterized as fearless. Another member told him to check out the men's room, where we have a utility closest between our sinks and stalls. From past experiences, we usually get some decent activity from that closest. However, nothing occurred this time. After giving up on this spot, the team member decided to use the bathroom. Seconds later, he hears **CLAP, CLAP, CLAP** from behind his neck, and he exited the bathroom about as white as a ghost.   Oh man… Good thing he was in the bathroom in case he pissed himself!! This next story is pretty crazy. He talks about "The Cleaning Lady"!             "One of the known spirits at The Agora, who we call “The Cleaning Lady,” as you could have guessed, was responsible for cleaning the venue many decades ago. While I'm not exactly sure what happened to her, she was said to have fallen off our balcony, and died. One night, during an investigation, we were sitting in silence at the top of our balcony on the left hand side. As we sat there, we started to hear sweeping sounds. As the broom sweeps started to happen for a few seconds, all of the sudden, the sound traveled from the left side of the venue, all the way to the right side of the venue. We couldn't really explain it, but that's exactly what happened."   Wow! That's awesome! This next one would probably freak a lot of people out… but it's definitely cool.           "Another occurrence was when we were up in one of the suite boxes up in the balcony. The venue was blacked out, and from where we were sitting, you could still see the bar area in our lower level. The bar had a mini fridge up against the wall that had lighting in it. We draped it off with a black table cloth, but there was still exposed light coming from the fridge. As we're sitting there, we see a shadow fading in, and fading out of the light. Almost as if a person was pacing back and forth. We were able to see this because of the light from the fridge. As this shadow figure is pacing back and forth for a good 30 – 60 seconds, one of our team members calls out “if anyone is over by the bar, please make a sound.” And I shit you not, with no hesitation, a stack of plastic cups falls off the bar and onto the ground. That was definitely one of my favorite experiences."   Hopefully we get some action like that on our ghost hunt! Mike goes on to say that he actually got to see an apparition as well!       "Over the years, we've heard and seen many things. We've had items that turn up missing, seen plenty of white anomalies, and other occurrences. Apparitions are rare, but sounds are usually constant. We've heard bangs on our doors, we've heard voices, we've even heard music; big band music to be specific. The apparition I've seen was an unreal experience. We were sitting in the balcony, and we just saw this shadow figure in one of the seats across/behind us. The figure was perfectly human-shaped, but you could see through it. It definitely seemed like it was staring at us the whole time. Sadly, my story telling doesn't do this moment very much justice.   He said that a lot of the investigation stuff was mainly communication based with the spirits. He said they would ask  questions and they frequently got answers. We asked about how the spirits would answer and he told us:             "Most of the time in our investigations, we used dowsing rods for the questions, and asked them to cross the rods in a ‘yes or no' type of questioning. They were always responsive in this form. As long as we got it started, we usually were able to keep the questions going. Obviously, noises would happen all the time. I remember one evening just working (no event going on), but we use to have these ‘garage' type doors for our balcony entry. And for whatever reason, the spirts would not stop banging on them. Like something out of a movie, non-stop banging. That was the same day where my coworker went to use the bathroom, and as she was coming back to the office she heard “There she goes…” in a whisper type voice.   Damn! That's some crazy shit! We would like to thank Mike for his time and this incredible stories of the strange stuff that occurs at the agora! Hometown spooky shit is always awesome!  Top ten horror movie musicals https://screenrant.com/horror-musicals-best-ever-imdb/

The band is prepping a new album for June GRAMMY Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members The Oak Ridge Boys are prepping to release Front Porch Singin' on June 11th. The album features 11 new tracks, including "Love, Light And Healing" and their latest single, "Life Is Beautiful." The album is their fourth with producer Dave Cobb and was recorded during the pandemic. The group — Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban — chatted with me this week via Zoom from a studio at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Among the topics are the new album, touring, and a return to Gaylord Opryland this Christmas for a residency that everyone must see! Plus, we discuss the 40th anniversary of their iconic and multi-platinum hit "Elvira" and more. Be sure to subscribe to The Music Universe Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.   https://youtu.be/I3vbJ5dhS00

Not even COVID could take down the world's longest running broadcast. The Grand Ole Opry remained on the air without a live audience for half of 2020. Then in October, the big red curtain came up for the show's 95th anniversary with a limited-capacity audience. Recently, capacity was increased to just over 1,000. The Opry's VP/Executive Director *Dan Rogers* joined us on a Zoom call to share how his team adapted their procedures and worked with the city to allow this crown jewel of Nashville to welcome fans back to the Grand Ole Opry House.

Travel Gluten Free Podcast Episode 122 Four Great US Cities to Road Trip with Kris McPeak of Elevate Your Eight   Today, my guest is Kris McPeak of Elevate Your Eight podcast. Kris has lived in over a half-dozen cities in the US. Today, she shares some of the best places to visit in four US cities: St. Louis, Washington DC, Chicago, and Nashville. Besides being great places to visit on a road trip, all four of these towns are also gluten-free friendly!   The 411 on St. Louis   Kris suggests a long weekend trip to see the tourist mainstays in St. Louis. She recommends visiting in spring to early summer when the weather is excellent and the tourist season hasn’t quite kicked in yet!    She is fond of the waterfront, where you can find the farmer’s market and a fun, revitalized bar scene. Go downtown to visit the Tivoli Movie Theatre, Take a ride up The Arch, and check out Blueberry Hill restaurant in University City to put your coin in and choose a sone from the world’s largest jukebox selection!   What to do When You’re in DC   Both Kris and I have been to DC. You can’t go wrong with a visit to the nation’s capital, especially if you love American history as I do! There are more national monuments and parks in DC that you can cover in a week, including the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument - not to mention the mall area, where the presidential inauguration was just held last month. Make sure to visit in the spring, when you can see and get a selfie of you and your favorite person in the magical myriad of cherry blossoms at the Washington DC Mall.   While there, you definitely want to go to The Smithsonian - the world’s largest museum - which only houses a tiny fraction of their collection. You can easily spend three days just in this one museum!    Kris recommends grabbing a show at one of two theatres in DC - Stephen Wolf Theatre and Second City Show - the latter has various sketch comedy shows, and who couldn’t use a little comedy right now?   Chicago - Gluten Free Foodie Heaven   Although I haven’t personally been to Chicago, gluten-free peeps rave about the gluten-free deep-dish pizza and other restaurants you can find that are Celiac-friendly. Spend a week at one of the largest cities in America and visit The Shed Aquarium, The Field Museum of Natural History, Adler Planetarium, and The Art Institute. The Art Institute of Chicago has a free day, so check out their website for more details.   The best time to visit Chicago is St. Patrick’s Day, and although they don’t turn the river green anymore, you can still join in the fun Irish festivities all weekend long! Visit Little Italy for excellent Italian food and check out BoysTown in Chicago to taste the local culture.    Nashville The Heart of Country Music   With country music at the heart of this town, you’ll want to visit Grand Ole Opry House, The Rhyme Auditorium, Third and Lindsley, and Lower Broadway for the best shows and music performances. Visit in the early summer or fall to avoid crowds and get a glimpse of this creative music town!   The Guide to Traveling Gluten Free Are you anxious about traveling with Celiacs Disease? Does the thought of getting sick on vacation worry you to no end? Unsure of what travel options are safe and how to choose a safe restaurant away from home for you and your children? The Guide to Traveling Gluten Free will walk you through the process of planning and enjoying your next gluten-free travel adventure! Take the guesswork out of how to travel, where to go, and how to eat safely when you follow the information in my guide. Whether you are celiacs or gluten intolerant, my guide will give you handy information to delight in your next vacation experience! Learn how to take a trip safely, what questions to ask when you are at a restaurant and which online tools and apps to utilize to find safe, dedicated gluten-free restaurants and food options. Find out what stores to shop at to purchase gluten-free food, determine if a restaurant is gluten-free or celiac friendly, and when you should walk out of a restaurant.  Connect with Kris McPeak of Elevate Your Eight Listen in to Elevate Your Eight Find out more about Kris McPeak on the web   Journey with Travel Gluten Free Grab the Guide to Traveling Gluten Free Get the BEST all-natural gluten-free travel cosmetics at Lemongrass Spa! Find cool gluten-free swag in my new shop here Visit my Travel Deals page on my website Support Travel Gluten Free on Patreon   Travel Gluten Free on Social Media Twitter      Facebook    Youtube      Pinterest    Instagram    On the Web   Spread the love of Travel Gluten Free podcast and share this episode with a friend   ***Disclaimer: All content found on the Travel Gluten Free Website, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Material contained on Travel Gluten Free website, podcast, and social media postings are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice, Travel Gluten Free website, podcast, and guests present content solely for educational and entertainment purposes, and use of this information is at your own risk.***

The Grand Ole Opry moved to its current home at the 4,000-seater Grand Ole Opry House in ...

Doug catches up with Joel from For King & Country and Shelly Sassen, Executive Director of The Well Outreach in Spring Hill to talk about the drive in concert on October 16th - plus more about the band's Christmas project and concert at the Grand Ole Opry House on November 29th 0:00 On the origin of the Drive In Tour concept 1:29 This concert benefits The Well Outreach in Spring Hill 2:18 Playing close to home a plus for the band 3:52 The upcoming Christmas project 5:38 What to expect on Nov 29th and more about the Drummer Boy Christmas release 7:36 Back story and impact of the song "Together"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first round of performers for the upcoming 55th Academy of Country Music Awards have been announced. The show will take place on September 16 in Nashville for the first time in its history . At the Ryman, Kelsea Ballerini will perform her new single "Hole In The Bottle," Gabby Barrett will share her No. 1 hit, "I Hope" and Maren Morris will perform her latest single "To Hell & Back." Old Dominion will deliver a special medley of their hits, while Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi perform their hit collaboration, "Beer Can't Fix." Recently announce New Artist of the Year winners, Riley Green and Tenille Townes will also be a part of the lineup at the Ryman. At The Bluebird Cafe will be Jimmie Allen performing "Make Me Want To," Luke Combs singing "Better Together" and Tim McGraw with his recent single "I Called Mama." Miranda Lambert will also perform her hit "Bluebird" with co-writers Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby.  Additional artists performing from the Grand Ole Opry House will be announce in the coming weeks. Hosted by reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban, the 2020 ACM Awards will air live on CBS at 8 PM ET on September 16. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Terri Clark speaks with fellow Opry member and Hall of Famer Vince Gill from backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House.  They talk about his career as an Opry member, his role as popular background singer, and as a member of The Eagles.  Vince also talks about his new album "Okie." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terri Rickard and Irina Tuluca of Southwestern Travel Group go into detail about the challenges they have faced since the start of the pandemic. They touch on everything from rescheduling and moving large events, to maintaining contact with and supporting their clients, to just doing the next right thing. They Also talk about what the future of the travel industry may hold. Don't miss this wide ranging conversation about travel in a global pandemic. “Being prepared is the most important way we can reduce your stress.” - Terri Rickard More About Terri Rickard Terri Rickard is the Founder and President of Southwestern Travel. She began her career with the Southwestern Family of Companies in 2012 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. In her role as Executive Assistant she took on a major project to create an internal managed travel program for the (then) 16 operating divisions, managing over $5 million in annual travel spend. In just a few years of collecting company travel data, intense industry research and perfecting the vendor contract negotiation process, she achieved savings of over $500,000. In 2016, she turned this internal travel program into a public service and launched Southwestern Travel Group with the focus of helping and consulting other companies to save money on group travel, specifically in regards to meetings and incentives. Today, as President, she focuses on the vision of the company, execution of the vision and recruiting A+ people. She is a hands-on team player actively saving clients' money, training , negotiating and ensuring all best practices are adhered to for every event or adventure planned. More About Irina Tuluca Irina Tuluca is currently a Group Account Manager for Southwestern Travel Group that specializes in planning meetings and incentive trips domestically and internationally. As a seasoned event & meeting manager with over 6 years of experience, Irina has planned events of all scopes and sizes.  She graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Management with a focus on Event and Venue Management before moving to Nashville to work at the Grand Ole Opry House as an Event Coordinator. She then joined Southwestern Travel Group in January 2017 as the first hire to help Terri grow the business and has seen the company evolve from a start up to a fully functioning travel management company with various operating divisions.   Irina is skilled in contract negotiation, project management, operations management, strategic planning, complex problem solving, communication, and event planning and design. The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation's top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

David Henriksson talks about his blues electric guitar lessons available on TrueFire, performs, and answers questions. To learn more and watch the video from this live session, please visit truefire.com/live.About David:Swedish guitarist David Henriksson moved to Nashville in 2017 and has since played with 12 artists who topped the Billboard charts and 3 Grammy winning artists. He’s performed multiple times at iconic venues such as Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry House. David also is a featured educator at TrueFire and a writer featured at guitar.com. He’ll tell you more details as you continue to read:"Born in ’88. Learned how to operate my dad’s vinyl player and started playing violin in ’94. Switched to acoustic guitar in ’97. Got my first electric in ’01. Heard Stevie Ray Vaughan for the first time and more or less decided to dedicate my life to guitar in ’02. I’ve loved music and been fascinated by numbers for as long as I can remember. I suspect you’re more interested in the music though, so I won’t specify every year certain stuff happened from now on. Well, I’ll try at least…After diggin’ deep into Stevie Ray’s music and blues rock guitar for a couple of years, I studied at Sweden’s biggest music high school called Rytmus. This was a fantastic time to connect with like-minded people and to get some more formal training and a great foundation in music theory that I felt really helped my understanding of music. I played with an original band called The Events and in addition to both regional, national and international gigs we also released 2 full-length albums where I was part of writing all the songs, recording, producing and mixing.Since playing original music won’t pay the bills quite as easily, I also started two cover bands called Pure Pleasure and Cassius Clay. Around the same time I also studied a Bachelor’s Degree specially for ”Electric Guitar Teaching” at the Stockholm University College of Music Education.As I was halfway into my 20’s, I realized making a living playing guitar and having some of the finest gear I could imagine didn’t really cut it. I wanted MORE. I felt like music was my job and that my passion was slowly fading away, but I wouldn’t let it happen. Inspiration was what I needed, and I decided to go for a trip somewhere. I sold a bunch of gear, inherited some money from a distant relative and was very grateful to receive the Hagström Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music. With a decent budget, I headed to United States of America for an 11 week long trip, this was one of the most important decision I’ve ever made. It changed my life completely.After a road trip going through amazing cities such as New Orleans, Austin, Dallas and Memphis I finally set my foot in Nashville and everything just felt RIGHT! I loved the music scene and I ended up getting great connections with industry professionals in just a matter of a few weeks. I decided I wanted to try to use all the connections I made in the states and the only way to be able to work legally is to get a work visa. It’s NOT an easy process though…I left my cover band after the summer of 2015 to widen my resume and at the same time I got in touch with a lawyer to help me with the incredibly tricky visa process. Almost everything I did was with the final goal of moving to Nashville to continue my career over there. I grew new connections, backed up up’n’coming artists, started recording demo videos for different companies and more or less everything that came my way that I thought could help me reach my goal. It sure took longer than I thought it would, but after almost 2 years I finally got my visa approved and a couple of months later I relocated to Nashville.After 6 weeks in town, I got hired as a lead guitarist for 90’s country icon Tracy Lawrence. Within 4 months, I had made my debut at Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and in national TV. It was a crazy experience, but it was such a great feeling that all the hard work finally paid off. I’ve traveled with my guitar and played in 36 American states, with 12 Billboard topping artists and played guitar solos on cat walks in front of 30.000 people - I’m quite happy I learned how to handle that vinyl player and was drawn to guitar based music when I was 6 years old.Identify your dream, make up a plan, work hard, be patient and I’m quite sure good stuff will come your way as well. Don’t give up!"

Hickerson was raised Vencent VanZant Hickerson in the tiny Middle-Tennessee town of Linden. His late father was once a professional guitarist, and although Hickerson didn’t know him well until going to live with him at the age of 13, his father managed to pass his passion for music on to his son. Before that, he had lived with his mother and an abusive step-father. This brought up issues for Hickerson later on, while a contestant on NBC's The Biggest Loser.The difficulties at home eventually led Hickerson to move out on his own as a teenager, renting a room from a friend while he attended school, worked, and played football. Despite the difficulties he had faced, Hickerson found successes. He was voted most valuable lineman of the year twice at his high school, and by the time he was 19 he was the store manager of the Sonic Drive-In fast-food restaurant he worked at.Hickerson learned to play guitar from his younger brother in January 2002, and was writing his first songs by March. While working at the restaurant 10 to 12 hours a day, he started commuting the hour-and-a-half each way distance to Nashville every night. In 2006, with the financial help of someone that believed in him, he finally decided to move there. In Nashville, he ended up renting space next door to Fortney, which led to their friendship and musical collaboration.In 2011, Hickerson entered the television competition The Biggest Loser following a hospitalization in February on Super Bowl Sunday, where he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and cellulitis.While on the show he lost 184 lbs., made the final four, and was the runner-up for the at-home prize.The show also aired Hickerson’s marriage proposal to his girlfriend Lori Diaz, which took place at the Grand Ole Opry House with Thompson Square giving a private performance of "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not." The couple was married on October 11, 2012 (10-11-12) in Tennessee.Since being on The Biggest Loser Hickerson has been traveling around the country as a motivational speaker. He has been speaking mostly at churches because he says "I want to talk to the people who come from where I come from, the people who are down there fighting the battle every single day of life, that are trying to focus on the things they want."

There are now six total deaths related to the coronavirus in the U.S., all in Washington state. In Tennessee, severe storms overnight caused damage across the central parts of that state, affecting buildings, roads, bridges, utilities and businesses. The death toll jumped to 19 after police and fire crews spent hours pulling survivors and bodies from wrecked buildings, but left its biggest tourist draws — the honky tonks of Broadway, the Grand Ole Opry House, the storied Ryman Auditorium, and the convention center— unharmed. In politics, 14 states head to the polls this Super Tuesday, where a third of the delegates are at stake. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sabah-fakhoury/message

Kathy Mattea joins Bill Cody on October 4, 2019 recorded LIVE on-stage at the Grand Ole Opry House! Kathy stopped by to help us celebrate the 94th WSM and Opry Birthday, chat about her involvement in the Ken Burns "Country Music" documentary, and more! 

Suite à un épisode difficile, Guylaine se retrouve à Nashville à l'invitation de son gérant et conjoint Carl. Elle y fait une rencontre marquante, l'auteur-compositeur-interprète country Steve Mandell. Puis au cours d'un autre séjour dans la capitale du country, Steve l'invitera au Grand Ole Opry House. Elle découvre ce temple de la musique dans toute sa splendeur et sa simplicité puis fera une rencontre fort inspirante!

Anne Murray becomes the first woman and first Canadian to win a country music award. Anne Murray was one of Canada’s first country singers to gain international notoriety. Born June 20, 1945 in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Murray grew up intending to become a phys-ed teacher. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in physical education and began teaching – while singing on television as a side job. But when she recorded the single “Snowbird” in 1970, it sold more than a million copies, rocketing her to stardom. Murray moved to Los Angeles for a short while before returning to Canada. During the early 1970s, she straddled the country and pop music worlds until a string of country hits solidified her country music success from 1979 until 1986. It was during this period that Murray was recognized by her peers in the country music business for her successes and contributions to the industry. On October 8, 1984 at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Association announced that Murray had won Album of the Year with her record, “A Little Good News.” That made Murray the first woman and first Canadian to win the award. The title song also won Single of the Year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bill Cody with Charles Esten, recorded October 2nd, 2015 on stage at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennesee. For more on Charles, check out www.charlesesten.com.

Bill Cody with Old Crow Medicine recorded October 2nd, 2015 on stage at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. For more visit www.crowmedicine.com.

Bill Cody with the Oak Ridge Boys, recorded October 2nd, 2015 on stage at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. For more on the Country Music Hall of Famers, check out www.oakridgeboys.com.

It has been referred to as the “Home of American Music”, “America’s Musical Showpark” and promised “Great Shows, Great Rides and Great Times”. The park originally opened  with 120 acres of rides and attractions. It opened on June 30, 1972 and remained open until December 31, 1997. At the parks peak in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the park enjoyed the attendance over 2 million guests annually. Welcome to Opryland USA. Opryland USA, which was usually referred to as Opryland was born due to the popularity of its namesake The Grand Ole’ Opry and the move of the Opry from its long time location at the Ryman Auditorium to its current location at the Grand Ole Opry House. But before we tell the story of the park, we’ll tell the story of The Grand Ole Opry itself… Stepping back it in time we go back to the Roarin’ 20’s, 1925 to be exact. The Grand Ole Opry started out as the WSM Barn Dance. What was WSM you may ask? WSM was an AM radio station owned by the National Life & Accident Insurance Company. The radio studio was housed on the fifth floor of their building in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. In October of 1925 the station began a program featuring “Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet of old-time musicians”. A couple of weeks after the program aired WSM hired what would become their long-time program director and announcer George D. “Judge” Hay. Hay wasted no time, after coming on board he quickly recruited the seasoned 77 year old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson and then on November 28, 1925 and re-launched the WSM Barn Dance, and although the phrase would not actually be mentioned on air for another 2 years, that date is credited for being the official birth date of The Grand Ole Opry. During the 1930’s the popularity of the program led to many artists, who would later become country music legends, performing on the Opry as well as the length of the Saturday night show being extended to 4 hours. Being broadcast at that time at 50,000 watts, the show became a staple in homes in 30 states eventually becoming a national show when it was picked up by NBC Radio in 1939. All the time this was happening, the live audience of the show grew quickly leading the show to being moved from its original studio to larger and larger venues to accommodate the audience size. Eventually the audience grew to such a size that measures were taken to control attendance by charging a 25 cent admission charge. That, having little effect to dissuade attendance, led to the show being moved to the Ryman Auditorium. It was during the Ryman years that music legends such as Hank Williams (who was eventually banned in 1952 due to his alcohol problems), Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, The Carter Family, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Minnie Pearl and many others came to be frequent performers on the Grand Ole Opry Stage. The Opry’s growing attendance numbers due to its popularity along with deterioration issues with the Ryman Auditorium led to the decision to find a new home for the show. It was decided by WSM, Inc., the operator of the Opry that it would be relocated nine miles east of downtown Nashville, on a tract of land that was owned by a sausage manufacturer (Rudy’s Farm) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville, it was also decided to build a theme park and hotel/convention center with the new Grand Ole Opry House becoming the crown jewel of the grand entertainment complex. Ironically, the theme park would open on June 30, 1972 prior to the Grand Ole Opry House debuting there on March 16, 1974. The park would receive its original name from WSM disk jockey, Grant Turner’s early morning show, Opryland USA, with its own name honoring the stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Although the Grand Ole Opry had always dedicated itself to mostly featuring traditional, conservative Country Music (with only a couple of exceptions); Opryland USA’s overall theme was more of a generalized blend of American Music consisting of bluegrass, gospel, jazz, pop and rock and roll with the theme carrying through not only to the rides but the shows as well. As a matter of fact the Rock N’ Roller Coaster was a opening day attraction. WSM’s bet paid off in a big way as the entire complex proved extremely popular and spurred its first expansion in 1975. In a move that would fit right in with culture of the park the “State Fair” area was created featuring carnival games, the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster, the Tennessee Waltz swing ride and the Country Bumpkin Bumper Cars. As would become the norm because of the parks limited size, the park would have to remove an attraction in order to add a new one. In this case it was the park’s buffalo exhibit that would disappear in favor of the new attractions. But the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster would prove to be one of the favorite rides at the park until it’s closure 22 years later. In a setback for the park for its 1975 season, not too long before the park was set to open the Cumberland River experienced a large flood that inundated most of the park with some areas submerged by up to 16 feet of water. Fortunately, the park was able to recover from the flood quickly with the opening day being delayed only for one month, but on a sadder note several of the animals from the petting zoo did not survive the ordeal. Attendance continued to grow throughout the 1970’s and into the 1980’s partly due to the parks location and its ability to draw guests throughout Tennessee and several surrounding states being that there were no other comparable parks within a reasonable driving distance. Most other parks such as St. Louis’s Six Flags over Mid-America, Charlotte’s Carowinds, Atlanta’s Six Flags over Georgia and the northern King’s Island in Cincinnati were a 4 to 6 hour or more drive making them impractical for a day trip. As park attendance grew and attractions grew, it ushered in the need for a hotel in order to keep guests onsite for more than a day. In 1977 the Opryland Hotel, a large resort hotel, was built next to the park. Then in 1979 the Roy Acuff Theater next door to the Grand Ole Opry House in the plaza area and was the primary venue for the theme parks premier musical events and productions. In a shrewd business move the theater was actually built outside the park’s perimeter and while because of this you did not need theme park tickets to attend events, productions held there usually did require separate tickets from park admission and in most cases drew day guest’s from the parks to the events as well as the general public, thereby increasing the park’s revenue. In 1982, things changed for the Opryland complex in an abet, “Grand” way. The parent company of WSM, Inc., (National Life and Accident Insurance Company, later NLT Corporation) was absorbed by American General from Texas. Unlike it’s predecessor, who had benefitted from the advertising value and name recognition of owning and supporting the Grand Ole Opry, American General had no experience with or running an entertainment business and furthermore had no interest in running a theme park nor the broadcast business. It almost immediately set about the task of finding a buyer for all of NLT’s former entertainment assets and approached some of the larger entertainment and hospitality corporations such as MCA, Anheuser-Busch and the Marriott Corporations about the possibility of selling them all as a “package” deal. While some potential buyers were interested in individual parts like the theme park, the hotel, or the Grand Ole Opry itself; no one company was interested in buying them all at once. After a time, American General began considering that the only way they would be able to divest themselves of these properties would be to split them up into different entities. As fate would have it, just about that time Gaylord Broadcasting Company of Oklahoma City stepped in and bought nearly all of them lock, stock and barrel. The Opryland Complex, the WSM radios stations and it would have bought the WSM-TV station as well had they had not been at their limit of television stations that they were allowed to own by the government. After the purchase was complete, the name was changed to Gaylord Entertainments Company. In fact, Ed Gaylord, who was then heading the media empire was instrumental in Opryland’s acquisition. Mr. Gaylord, as it turned out was a huge fan of the Opry and spearheaded the effort to purchase it and keep it intact. As an added bonus, the acquisition also included then fledgling WSM cable network, TNN (The Nashville Network) and its production division Opryland Productions. TNN has since gone on to become a television network dedicated entirely to Country Music. For a number of years TNN’s offices and production facilities continued to be located on-site in Opryland as well as one of its shows, Nashville Now (then later Music City Tonight) was filmed in the Gaslight Theater within the park itself and the park was often used as a backdrop for numerous concerts and performances of popular country music stars. With Gaylord now owning and backing the park and the enthusiastic leader of the parent company as a fan, the future looked bright for Opryland USA…and for a while at least it would be, but the clouds were beginning to gather. With the purchase of the park now behind them, 1982 would bring more expansion to the park but with growth would come more growing pains due to the limitations of space. Future expansion from this point would mean that for every new addition to the park, something would have to go. In 1984, a third roller coaster arrived in the New Orleans area of the park. It was named “ The Screamin’ Delta Demon”. A second, yet more subtle park gate was also added adjacent to the parking lot as well for the 1984 season. As the 1980’s pressed on, the park would face an issue that it never really had to deal with before…competition. As I had mentioned earlier the park had faired well during the 1970’s and early 1980’s because, while other attractions did exist in Tennessee and it’s surrounding states, there we’re no direct competitors that equal to Opryland USA using te same model. But that was about to change with the opening of kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky and the former Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge, Tenessee rebranded and improved to become Dollywood, a partnership between the Herschend Brothers and singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton. Now with two other parks within driving distance and both competing for Opryland’s guest’s the park stepped up it’s game by committing to making annual changes to retain it’s local and out-of-town guests and adding major attractions such as the General Jackson Showboat (which still continues to operate to this day near Opry Mills), they also added new roller coasters and water rides until the end of the decade with the opening of the “Chaos” roller coaster.  In 1992 the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater opened and for two seasons the performances here were included with the regular park admission. Then in 1994 and 1995 the park began up-charging guests for the concerts held in the theater. Then in a short-lived attempt to capitalize on the success and revenue of the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater, Opryland added two more venues; Theater By The Lake and The Roy Acuff Theater each, receiving renovations and expansions, and added them to the concert series and billing it as Nashville On Stage. However, it turned out to be “too much of a good thing by creating more supply than there was demand for the live entertainment” and due to the lackluster sales the multi-venue concert series was moved back to the Chevy-Geo Celebrity Theater serving as the single concert venue inside the park. Many other things were promoted to bring visitors to the park such as the taping of several weeks of the popular Mark Goodson Game Show “Family Feud” featuring some of the biggest stars in country music at the time including, just to name a couple, the Mandrell’s and the Statler Brothers. Also in reference to TNN’s coverage of NASCAR and Opryland’s designation with NASCAR the annual “TNN Salute to Motorsports” would take place one weekend a year at the park starting in the early 1990’s and continuing until the parks final closing. Large events were held in the late years of the park, for example the Grizzly River Rampage was used as a course for the NationsBank Whitewater Championships, which (in 1995 alone) served as a qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. After the events were completed, the course was drained and a temporary Halloween attraction—"Quarantine", tied into the storyline of the neighboring indoor roller coaster "Chaos"—was constructed in its bed and would run during the halloween season from1995 through 1997. In 1995, in what would come to be the final large attraction would open at the park, The Hangman roller coaster was opened. Also starting in 1994, Gaylord began investing heavily in the rejuvenation of the downtown Nashville entertainment district. The company renovated an old and dilapidated Second Avenue building into what became the Wildhorse Saloon and was also behind the major rennovation and reopening of the Ryman Auditorium. With the investment made in the downtown entertainment district they began to offer a water taxi service between the downtown district and the theme park and solidified the connection between the two areas by renaming the theme park as Opryland Theme Park and using the existing name of Opryland USA as the figurehead name for all of Gaylord Entertainment’s Nashville properties. Now with all of the investment going into the area and a new coaster for the park you would think that would signal good things for the future of the park but short-sighted planning and baseless decisions would soon signal the beginning of the end for Opryland theme park. For a moment, we’re going to step back in time to 1993. At the time the theme park had grown to 200 acres in size. Let’s put that in perspective. For those of us who are familiar with Disney’s theme parks let’s compare Opryland Theme Park’s 200 acres  to Walt Disney’s Magic Kindom Park coming in at approxamately 142 acres or Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park at 154 acres. Granted EPCOT is over 100 acres larger at 300 acres but I think you get the picture. Opryland at the time was not a small theme park by any means and still needed room to grow. However, that was not to be. A project that would put the final nails in the preverbial coffin for the theme park was to be called “The Delta” and it would be started in 1993 and would open in 1996. The project was huge, in fact it was the largest construction project up to that point in Nashville’s history. It would add a massive new atrium, 1,000+ guest rooms and a new convention center to the Opryland hotel. It  would also come to occupy almost every single square foot of land that would have allowed the theme park to grow and evolve. Coming back to late 1995, the Gaylord company management at the time had turned a scutinizing eye towards the theme park, and perhaps a bit of predjudice. Nashville’s climate while pleasant throughout the majority of the year, prrevented the park from operating during the winter except for a short run during the Christmas season. The park was also only able to open on weekends during the spring and fall. But the park was open daily during the summer season. According to reports, it was shown that attendance to the parks did somewhat plateau throughout the 1990’s. However, the actual number of visitors to the park made the park profitable, but obviously not profitqable enough for the executives running the company at the time. In 1997 Gaylord management decided that a move back towards it’s core hospitality business was in it’s best interest and in keeping with this directive, it was decided that the Opryland Theme Park property would no longer make a return on investment equal to what was desired for it’s properties and was unlike to do so in the future. Which in light of the consuption of property from the construction of The Delta, seemed to be a self –fufilling prophesy. Either way, one thing was clear, Opryland Theme Park’s journey was coming to an end. In 1996, a third park gate was finally added near the "Chaos" roller coaster, which allowed pedestrian traffic between Opryland Hotel and Opryland Themepark for the first time in the parks history. Previously, hotel guests wishing to visit the amusement park would have to take a shuttle running back and forth between the hotel and the entrance of the park. At the end of 1997 the "Christmas in the Park" season was promoted as "one last chance" for the residents of Nashville to see Opryland Theme Park, but guest arrived to find that only a very small portion of the park was open for the season, many of the larger attractions were already being dismantled. Then abruptly on December 31, 1997 the gates were locked and Opryland USA began to fade from reality into history. As it so often happens in the wake of closing an amusement park, efforts were made to sell off the larger rides and attractions to other parks to recoup as much revenue as possible from the dying park and in some cases they succeeded in others, deals went bad leaving some dismantled rides to either sit in outdoor storage and deteriorate or being sold off for scrap… an end not befitting the memories, laughter and fun times that they had generated for so many years before. The park site was cleared and paved over and relegated to serving as the parking lot for Opry Mills and the Grand Ole Opry House while construction of the mall took place on the site of the Theme Park’s parking lot. Opry Mills opened in May of 2000. But for a time some vestiges of the park remained, as a few still do today for those who know where to look. A long, short concrete levee wall that once separated the State Fair, The New Orleans and the Riverside areas is still visible and from the McGavock Street entrance you can still see the remains of the embankment which once supported the rails for Opryland’s railroad. The administration building that was located however briefly outside the gates of the park was moved near the Cumberland landing docks and serves as offices for the General Jackson and the Music City Queen riverboats. Quite a bit of the Opry plaza area remains intact and for that matter open for business. The Roy Acuff Theater, The Grand Ole Opry Museum, and of course The Grand Ole Opry House herself have remained in regular use before, during, and after the demolition of the park. It should be noted as well that the Grand Ole Opry show also returns yearly for a limited seasonal run at it’s original home at the Ryman Auditorium.  The buildings that once housed Roy Acuff’s and Minnie Pearls Museum became administrative offices for WSM radio and as for the Gaslight Theater it is still the only building that is still standing from inside the gates of the them park and has been used for Gaylord’s annual ICE! exhibit for a time, as a rental facility for television production, and for various other events. Though all of the rides had long since gone, the man-made channel for Grizzly River Rampage remained as a visible reminder of the park for fourteen years until Gaylord, in clearing the area for a new events center razed the course…and with that the last recognizable feature of Opryland Theme Park was gone. While many people have called for the park to be rebuilt, it was not to be. The time of Opryland Park had pasted. For it is now, like so many other parks ever to remain destined to operate only in the memory of those who can’t forget the fun they had in Opryland, USA. Thank you for joining us for this episode of Echoes Of Laughter. You can listen to this show as well as all of our other shows by visiting us at our website at: ithrivehere.com and of course at echoesoflaughter.com. Please remember that if you like our shows we ask that you subscribe to them and give us a positive rating on iTunes, after all that is how other people are able to find our shows as well. 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Charlie Mattos with Lynn Anderson, recorded March 4, 2011 backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House.  It was the Opry's All Star weekend and Lynn Anderson stopped by to share some wonderful stories & great music   For more on Lynn, please visit: www.lynnandersonshow.com  

Jeannie Seely with Charlie Mattos recorded March 4, 2011 at the Grand Ole Opry House.  It was the Opry's All Star Weekend and Jeannie stopped by to share some stories and feature cuts from her new cd "Treasured Country".  For more on Jeannie's music, please visit: http://www.jeannieseely.com/

Bill Cody with Jo Dee Messina recorded September 30, 2009 at WSM Radio in Nashville.   Jo Dee was headling "Opry Goes Pink" at the Grand Ole Opry House to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Research.  She joined us from her tour bus on our studio hotline.   You can find Jo Dee on the web at: http://www.jodeemessina.com