Paisley has been an Opry member since 2001 and calls the Opry his favorite place in Nashville. “I think keeping, physically and metaphorically, this bond with the past is something that separates the Opry from almost all other musical institutions,” he said. “I made sure to wear something shiny, so she could dream too.”īrad Paisley shares Yearwood’s sentiments. “When I stepped in that circle, all I could think about was the young girl who might be watching from the balcony that night,” Opry member Trisha Yearwood shares in the brand-new immersive theater experience that is featured on the daytime tour. It has been 45 years since the circle found its new home, and it is still revered by today’s artists, even those who never played the Opry during its original tenure at the Ryman. The circle never was painted, but it adorns the scuffs and scars of the greats and dreamers who have walked across it. He suggested painting the Ryman right on top of the circle, “that way everyone would know where it came from,” he explained. Acuff was outspoken about wanting to preserve the Opry magic throughout the move and ensuring that the new home continued to celebrate country music. After the wood was secure, he strode to its center, becoming the first person to step inside, christening the most sacred space in country music. “Move it just a hair to the right,” he told them as they positioned the piece, comprising a blend of heavy white oak and sturdy maple. Overseeing the circle’s installation himself, beloved Opry patriarch Roy Acuff instructed workers where exactly the circle should lie on the new stage. On January 9, 1974, an 8-foot square of wood was cut from a portion of the Ryman stage before it was lovingly carved into a perfect six-foot circle that would remain intact over forty years later. But Opry management decided that the Ryman would remain standing, and they would have to get more creative to properly honor the space. It was a fitting idea, since the Ryman functioned as a tabernacle in a previous life. To preserve the Opry’s heritage, some suggested using the auditorium’s bricks to build a chapel at Opryland. Would the Ryman’s legacy be remembered at all?Ĭonversations arose that perhaps the best thing to do would be to tear the Ryman down. How would the “Mother Church of Country Music” be honored? Up until 1974, no other venue had hosted the Opry as long as the Ryman had. When sights were set on building the Grand Ole Opry House across town at the newly opened Opryland USA theme park, the Ryman’s future hung in the balance. Though a venue with more seating and air conditioning was a welcome change, some feared that relocating would take away the Opry’s legendary charm. As crowds grew, it became clear that the Opry was in need of a bigger home. By Morgan Blair The iconic circle that sits center stage at the Grand Ole Opry may seem like an ordinary piece of wood, but it means so much more to those who share a love for country music.įor 31 years, from 1943 to 1974, The Grand Ole Opry was broadcast from the stage of Ryman Auditorium.
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