GRAND OLE OPRY, THE

GRAND OLE OPRY, THE (1925–present) The Grand Ole Opry was not the first country music radio program, but it became the most popular and the one most closely associated with country music. It helped establish Nashville as a center of country music recording and also introduced country music to countless listeners over its long existence. The Opry was given its name by announcer GEORGE D. HAY , nicknamed The Solemn Old Judge. Hay originally worked for Memphis and Chicago radio stations; he had…