“I have been a Grand Ole Opry member since 1969. Some of you may have seen the 2019 TV special we did celebrating my 50 years on the Opry. I have so many wonderful memories both onstage and backstage. Now they even offer tours…so see this magical place for yourselves while in Nashville.”

The Grand Ole Opry may not be the star-making machine it once was (the weekly concert and radio show was long the defining force in country music), but being invited to perform remains a huge honor. The long-running broadcast had five other homes before settling into this custom-built theater—its permanent home. When the production left the Ryman in 1974, a piece of the historic stage came with it. Today, that wooden circle, salvaged again after a 2010 flood, is hallowed ground.

The Grand Ole Opry was established in 1925 and has been a fixture in Tennessee every since. Achieving worldwide fame, the Grand Ole Opry claims to have "made country music famous." Famous faces have certainly graced its stage including Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood.

The show that made country music famous can be experienced as it makes its way live through the airwaves on 650AM/WSM. Take a backstage tour at the Grand Ole Opry and you may just brush elbows with the stars. It's bustling with activity and many times you can catch artists doing their vocal warm-ups before heading on stage to sing for hundreds of thousands year-round.