A century of country radio: The Grand Ole Opry turns 100

The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It began as a Nashville radio broadcast on November 28, 1925, and has grown into a stage that has launched many artists’ careers and preserved the genre’s traditions.

Opry Ambassador McKenna Stamm has been behind the scenes for three years and does not take it for granted. “When you talk to someone who comes on a tour and says, ‘We’ve saved up for years to come here,’ or, ‘My grandma passed away, and it was her dream to come here,’ being a part of those life moments for people is not something that I take for granted,” Stamm said. “It’s a privilege to witness those special connections to the Opry.”

Stamm realizes how special the Opry is, not just for her but also for those with big dreams. 

“If there’s a little girl on my tour, and I get the sense she wants to be an artist, I feel the same way at the artist entrance,” Stamm said. “I always try to have them walk through those doors on the tour. I try to make a moment of, ‘Oh, and this is so-and-so from X-Y-Z. Everyone, welcome her — she’s going to make her Opry debut soon.’ Seeing a little girl’s face light up like that is priceless. Nothing else in my life can ever recreate that moment.”

The Opry features a lineup that includes both new and established artists, with each live broadcast on WSM presenting a different lineup. “One of my favorite things is that whether you’re making an Opry debut or you’re Dolly Parton, you get paid the same,” Stamm said. “It’s one of those things where it’s not necessarily about the stage—it truly is about the character of the stage.”

A Grand Ole Opry show isn’t just a concert; it’s a mix of country music’s past, present, and future, featuring both legendary performers and rising stars. Stamm said, “You’re gonna have generally someone making a debut, which means they’re playing for the first time. Then, two or three other artists are on the newer end, where they’ve played the Opry a few times but aren’t members. You might even have a classic performer who isn’t a member, and then probably one or two members sprinkled in. They do a really good job making sure the show still feels diverse in age and genre.”

Stamm is not only seen at the Opry but is also pursuing her dreams as an artist and will release her third album this spring. While Stamm describes what goes into a typical Opry show, Morgan Spears has experienced the show from both sides, working behind the scenes and performing on stage.

Morgan Spears is a backup singer for Opry Member Lorrie Morgan and has worked as an opry shop retail associate for the past four years. Stepping into the Opry’s Circle for the first time is a feeling Spears will never forget. Spears said, “Last Christmas, Lorrie invited me to sing a song with her in the Circle, which was the first and only time I’ve ever gotten to step inside. It was just so special — I can’t even begin to describe it. Like I said, you think of all the years, the hard times, the good times, and everything in between that God brought you through to get to that moment. Ultimately, it’s a stage that people are on and off all the time, but there is something so special about that particular stage. That was one of my favorite memories ever and probably will always be.”

Growing up, Spears listened to WSM with her grandparents and always dreamed of performing at the Opry. “I always dreamed of playing on that stage, so it was such a divine thing for me. I think of all the people who have graced that stage before, and even as a musician, getting to play for an Opry member—the journey itself of getting there. My faith plays a really big part in that, and I look back on where God took me to get there. And not just me, but you think of every person and every journey it took to get to that stage.” As the Grand Ole Opry marks its 100th anniversary, it remains a place where country music’s biggest legends and rising stars share the same stage. Opry 100: A Live Celebration aired on March 19.