In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry members Vince Gill and Carly Pearce, along with Opry Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers, share stories about the longest-running radio show in the United States. This program, filmed on September 18, 2025, was presented in support of the Museum's exhibition “Country’s Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100” and was moderated by the Museum’s Paul Kingsbury.

Throughout the program Gill, Pearce, and Rogers share their memories of experiencing the Opry as fans, then as professionals. They recount their experiences working with artists such as Roy Acuff, Bill Anderson, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Jeannie Seely, Ringo Starr, and Tanya Tucker. They also discuss the Opry’s international debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which featured performances from Pearce; fellow Opry members Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, Darius Rucker, and Marty Stuart; and UK artists Breabach and Mumford & Sons.

The Grand Ole Opry began on November 28, 1925, when Nashville radio station WSM aired a performance by fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. Inspired by the public’s enthusiastic response, the station’s program director, George D. Hay, created a weekly barn dance featuring local performers, which tapped into America’s deep vein of folk music and set the stage for what would become country music’s most beloved and enduring institution.

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