The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating a major milestone with a gorgeous new book.
In anticipation of the country music institution turning 100 in 2025, Abrams is releasing a stunning book dedicated to the Nashville music hall, packed with photos that illustrate its incredible history. 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music, coming on April 15, 2025, commemorates the icon.
Becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry is a major achievement for musicians. Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs are among the country stars whose careers were impacted by their membership. Located in Nashville, the music hall is a must-visit for music fans, country and otherwise.
“Since 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has left an undeniable mark on American culture. What began as an impromptu performance of old-time fiddle tunes has transformed into the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history, as well as a live performance for millions of country music fans each year,” a synopsis for the book reads.
The Opry will officially turn 100 on Nov. 28, 2025, but why not get the centennial party started early?
Below, read an excerpt from the forthcoming book.
Leverett Ryman
Receiving an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry is almost like a marriage proposal. First, there are the courtship rituals: Getting together on Saturday nights, meeting the family, talking about the future. If all goes well, the Opry might pop the question at any moment.
There isn’t a checklist or a formula to qualify for Opry membership. Instead, when trying to assess who makes a good member, a small number of people in Opry management consider an artist’s overall talent and potential, their commitment to the show, rapport with other members and the response from the Opry audience.
Leverett Ryman
Like most ensemble programs in early radio, the Opry sought out a cast of regulars, rather than operating under the concept of “members,” with Uncle Dave Macon being the most famous regular. A 1928 souvenir folio with a group photograph and list of names captioned “Cast of Characters” is the earliest known official acknowledgment of a core group of recurring performers.
As the Opry grew and the cast included more full-time professionals, the shift toward membership gave the show a certain durability. Cast members were expected to appear every Saturday night, even if it meant driving hundreds of miles overnight to get there. Although an Opry appearance fee was low, there were other benefits: performers could advertise upcoming appearances and identify themselves as Grand Ole Opry members in promotional material, thus driving interest and ticket sales for their own tour dates.
Hopeful musicians would audition for George D. Hay, the Opry’s founder, and other WSM executives such as Harry Stone and Opry announcer David Stone. Approved performers were simply added to the cast without any formal invitation or induction.
Les Leverett
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As these entertainers gained a huge audience through WSM-AM, a clear-channel 50,000-watt station, lucrative offers rolled in. High turnover among the Opry cast wasn’t concerning; nor was membership considered permanent. By the late 1940s, most new members had radio experience and recording contracts. The show spotlighted individual stars, such as Bill Monroe, Minnie Pearl, or Ernest Tubb, rather than solo instrumentalists or string bands. Some top artists abandoned the Opry, as they felt restricted by the high volume of broadcasts they were expected to play each year.
When the Opry arrived on television in 1985, fans at home could finally share in what had become known as Opry inductions. Johnny Russell joined the cast on an episode of TNN’s Opry Live that year, and Reba McEntire was introduced as a new member during a 60th anniversary network special. By this time, most new members were established performers who revered the Opry, rather than depending on it for exposure. Most of the inductees in the 1990s, including Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and Alan Jackson, were already well on their way to superstardom when they accepted their invitation.
Chris Hollo
While the responsibilities and rituals of Opry membership evolved over decades, the idea of surprising an artist with an Opry invitation is still relatively new. In 1997, Johnny Paycheck became the first member to be asked to join onstage without any advance notice.
Now, a surprise invitation is one of the Opry’s hallmarks — and it is impossible to predict when it will arrive, who will deliver it or even where it will take place. More than a dozen members have accepted their invitation away from the Opry stage, with locales ranging from a North Carolina military base (Craig Morgan) to a California concert stage (Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi).
Chris Hollo
At his 2001 induction ceremony, Brad Paisley received the first Opry Member Award, a replica of a vintage Opry microphone stand that incorporates a small portion of wood from original Ryman Auditorium pews. Since then, every living Opry member has been given the award, and it is presented to each new member during their induction ceremony. Though it stands only 14 inches tall, it looms large in the imagination of anyone who longs to become an Opry member.
Courtesy of Abrams
100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music by the Members of the Grand Ole Opry and Craig Shelburne, with Brenda Colladay. Published by Abrams.
100 Years at the Grand Old Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, Fans, and the Home of Country Music is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
