Ryman Auditorium History Lesson (buy your raffle ticket to be able to visit the Ryman!)

A House of History
Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark and former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974), continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in entertainment. Open daily from 9 am to 4 pm, excluding New Year’s, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days, the Ryman offers tours that showcase the legendary stars who have graced her stage, from the biggest names in music to Mae West, Rudolph Valentino, and W.C. Fields. Then, in the evening, you can return to the premier performance hall for one of the many shows and concerts scheduled year-round.

Ryman Auditorium first opened its doors in 1892 as a vision of Captain Thomas G. Ryman. With the coming of the Grand Ole Opry show in 1943, the Ryman found its identity as the Mother Church of Country Music. In 1974, the Opry moved to its current home by the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and left the Ryman vacant. It was not until twenty years later in 1994 that the Ryman was restored to be the national showplace that it is today. Musicians ranging from Roy Acuff to James Brown and Patsy Cline to Sheryl Crow have performed on the Ryman stage, making it a historical as well as a current-day icon for people everywhere.

-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

Some of the artists that have performed at Ryman Auditorium:
This list is only a sampling of the various performers that have stood on the Ryman stage.
-
Roy Acuff Alma Gluck Buck Owens
Maude Adams Betty Grable Ignace Jan Paderewski
Alice In Chains Martha Graham Brad Paisley
Tori Amos Jose Greco Dolly Parton
Bill Anderson Gully Jumpers Adelini Patti
Marian Anderson Merle Haggard Anna Pavlova
Eddy Arnold Herbie Hancock Norman Vincent Peale
Chet Atkins Ben Harper Minnie Pearl
Gene Autry Emmylou Harris Mary Pickford
Erykah Badu Hawkshaw Hawkins Webb Pierce
Ballet Russe with Nijinsky George D. Hay Robert Plant
Tallulah Bankhead Helen Hayes Lily Pons
Ethel Barrymore Levon Helm Tyrone Power
Jeff Beck Katharine Hepburn Elvis Presley
Sarah Bernhardt Bob Hope Ray Price
Jon Bon Jovi Indigo Girls Jeanne Pruett
Alessandro Bonci Chris Isaak The Raconteurs
Victor Borge Alan Jackson Basil Rathbone
Rod Brasfield Stonewall Jackson Lou Reed
Fanny Brice Etta James Jim Reeves
Everly Brothers Jonas Brothers REM
Jackson Brown George Jones Keith Richards
James Brown Spike Jones Tex Ritter
William Jennings Bryan The Jordanaires Marty Robbins
The Byrds Hellen Keller Roy Rogers
Emma Calve Kid Rock Will Rogers
Giuseppe Campanari The Killers Eleanor Roosevelt
George Carlin BB King Theodore Roosevelt
Enrico Caruso Pee Wee King Boz Scaggs
Johnny Cash Kings of Leon Seal
Jonny Cash Mark Knopfler Jeanie Seely
Carol Channing Allison Krauss Jean Shepard
Charlie Chaplin Lenny Kravitz Dinah Shore
Chicago Orchestra with Theodore Thomas Fritz Kreisler Ricky Skaggs
Kelly Clarkson Ray Lamontagne Smashing Pumpkins
Patsy Cline Dorothy Lamour Connie Smith
Coldplay John Legend Hank Snow
Harry Connick Jr. Annie Lennox John Phillip Sousa
Alice Cooper Jerry Lee Lewis Bruce Springsteen
Katherine Cornell Louvin Brothers Dr. Ralph Stanley
Elvis Costello Lyle Lovett Jon Stewart
Creedence Clearwater Revival Bela Lugosi Edward Strauss & Vienna Orchestra
Crook Brothers Loretta Lynn Strauss Festival with Oscar Strauss
Sheryl Crow Lynyrd Skynard Stringbean
Crowded House Jeanette MacDonald Marty Stuart
Black Crowes Uncle Dave Macon Rev. Billy Sunday
Doris Day Barbara Mandrell Taylor Swift
Neil Diamond Giovanni Martinelli The Temptations
Little Jimmy Dickens Harpo Marx Ernest Tubb
Isadora Duncan Dave Matthews Grant Turner
Bob Dylan Martina McBride Keith Urban
Earth Wind & Fire John McCormack Rudolph Valentino
Nelson Eddy Reba McEntire Vatican Choir
Cedric the Entertainer Tim McGraw Vienna Boys Choir
Douglas Fairbanks Carlos Mencia Porter Wagoner
Carter Family Metropolitan Opera Company Billy Walker
Feist Joni Mitchell Booker T. Washington
W.C. Fields Bill Monroe Orson Welles
Fisk Jubilee Singers Rev. Dwight L. Moody Kitty Wells
Flatt & Scruggs George Morgan Dottie West
John Fogerty Helen Morgan Mae West
Tennessee Ernie Ford Van Morrison Wilburn Brothers
Whitey Ford Jason Mraz Wilco
Pete Fountain Anne Murray Katt Williams
The Four Tops Jim Nabors Hank Williams Sr.
Lefty Frizzell Carrie Nation Brian Wilson
Fruit Jar Drinkers Willie Nelson Tammy Wynette
Nelly Furtado New York Philharmonic Orchestra Faron Young
Jim Gaffigan New York Symphony Neil Young
Don Gibson Ted Nugent ZZ Top
Vince Gill Old Crow Medicine Show