112-540: APHC can stand for the following: A Prairie Home Companion , US weekly radio program All Parties Hurriyat Conference , a coalition of political parties in Kashmir Andhra Pradesh High Court , the ultimate legal authority in that state of India Anglo-Philippine Holdings Corporation , a Philippines financial consortium investing in mass-transit operations Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC),
224-575: A composer who appeared weekly as pianist, bandleader, and music director, Gary Raynor on bass and bass guitar, Peter Johnson on percussion, Jevetta Steele on vocals, and Andy Stein on violin, tenor and bass saxophones, and vocals. When the Shoe Band had a horn section, Keillor referred to them as the Shoe Horns. Other frequent, occasional, former, or one-time musicians on the show include: Released on June 9, 2006, A Prairie Home Companion
336-489: A string bass provided the rhythm component in country music, and percussion instruments were seldom used. Electric amplification, new in the beginning days of the Opry, was regarded as the province of popular music and jazz in the 1940s. Although the Opry allowed electric guitars and steel guitars by World War II, the restrictions against drums and horns continued, causing a conflict when Bob Wills and Pee Wee King defied
448-543: A " motherfucker " at one point. In a continuous 40-minute set, Lewis played a mixture of his rock and roll hits and covers of other singers' country songs. It has been said that he was bitter about how he was treated when he first arrived in Nashville in 1955, and he supposedly used his Opry appearance to exact revenge on the Nashville music industry . Country legend Johnny Cash , who made his Opry debut on July 5, 1956, and met his future wife June Carter Cash on that day,
560-505: A 2004 show regarded the passing of President Reagan. Regularly appearing actors included Tim Russell (beginning in 1994 ) and Sue Scott (beginning in 1989 ). When the show resumed as The American Radio Company of the Air in November 1989, radio comedian Bob Elliott , half of the longtime radio and comedy television duo Bob and Ray , became a regular cast member. Actor Bill Perry was
672-482: A US horse breeding organization Armor-piercing hard core , a military designation for projectile types Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors , a trade association in England and Wales Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title APHC . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
784-480: A full renovation of the Ryman, restoring it to a world-class concert hall that reopened with a broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion on June 4, 1994. On Sunday, October 18, 1998, the Opry held a benefit show at Ryman Auditorium, marking its return to the venue for the first time since its final show on March 15, 1974. Beginning in November 1999, the Opry was held at Ryman Auditorium for three months, partly due to
896-577: A great time for a piece of rhubarb pie? Yes, nothing gets the taste of shame and humiliation out of your mouth quite like Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie." Another prominent "sponsor" is Bertha's Kitty Boutique, whose locations in the fictional "Dales" shopping centers (" Roy 'n' Dale , Airedale , Teasdale, Clydesdale , Chippendale , Mondale , and all the other fine shopping centers") allude to various real people and things, while also parodying Minnesota's similarly named real-life malls ( Southdale , Brookdale , Rosedale , and Ridgedale ). Additionally, there
1008-591: A less urbanized part of town to provide visitors with a "safer, more controlled, and more enjoyable experience". National Life & Accident purchased farmland owned by a local sausage manufacturer (Rudy's Farm) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville, nine miles east of downtown and adjacent to the newly constructed Briley Parkway . The new Opry venue was the centerpiece of a grand entertainment complex at that location, which later included Opryland USA Theme Park and Opryland Hotel . The theme park opened to
1120-583: A limited basis in October, and resumed full operations in May 2021. Due to the restrictions, the show did not move to the Ryman Auditorium in November 2020 as was customary. The Winter Ryman residency did not resume in 2021–22, partly due to scheduling conflicts from Ryman concerts postponed during the pandemic closure. The Opry livestreams were celebrated by viewers as something to look forward to during
1232-466: A live episode; an induction ceremony happens several weeks later, where the inductee is presented with a trophy and gives an acceptance speech. As the Opry is a running series, membership in the show's cast must be maintained throughout an artist's career, through frequent performances, and expires when the performer dies. Only once has a member been inducted posthumously: Keith Whitley , who was scheduled to be invited three weeks after his death in May 1989,
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#17327871762431344-453: A member. The Byrds were a notable exception. Country rock pioneer Gram Parsons , who was a member of The Byrds at the time, was in Nashville to work on the band's country rock album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo . The band's record label , Columbia Records , had arranged for The Byrds to perform at the Ryman on March 15, 1968, a prospect that thrilled Parsons. However, when the band took
1456-534: A member. Walter Bobbie made frequent appearances, as early as 1989, and continuing through 2006–2007. Ivy Austin was a regular contributing comedienne (and vocalist) in the early '90s. Allison Janney also appeared regularly in the mid 1990s. Prudence Johnson has performed frequently on the show as an actress (and a singer). Mark Benninghofer joined the cast as a substitute actor for a brief time after Russell broke his ankle in February 2009, forcing him to take
1568-413: A month of medical leave. Erica Rhodes had been an occasional guest on the show, beginning in 1996 when she was 10 years old. Serena Brook joined the cast in October 2016 when Chris Thile became host. The sound effects artists on the show, Tom Keith and Fred Newman , primarily used mouth sounds for their effects, supplemented by props. Keith engineered the first two seasons of the show and then joined
1680-668: A month-long celebration of the Opry, country music, its artists, and its fans. The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 5,000th Saturday night show on October 30, 2021, with performances by country superstars and Opry members such as Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Chris Young and several others. NBCUniversal and Atairos acquired a combined 30% stake in the Grand Ole Opry and its parent company Opry Entertainment Group in 2022. The crossover allows for NBCUniversal's television outlets, including NBC , to carry several Opry television specials. A memorial concert
1792-525: A quiet week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my hometown, out on the edge of the prairie ." Keillor often poked fun at central Minnesota's large Scandinavian-American and German-American communities, and many of his fictional characters have names that reflect this. The "News from Lake Wobegon" did not have a set structure, but featured recurring characters and places such as the Chatterbox Café,
1904-552: A series of duets with the guests Masse, O'Donovan, Jarosz, DiGiallonardo, and Watkins. While the July 2 Hollywood Bowl performance was the last regular episode of A Prairie Home Companion , Garrison Keillor also hosted a final live performance titled "The Minnesota Show" at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 2016, including the last-ever "Guy Noir" and "News from Lake Wobegon" segments. Since his departure from
2016-528: A year prior shouting a racial slur, and the Opry had previously made stances against racism on social media. In response to the latter, music writer Holly G. founded the Black Opry as a means of raising awareness of black artists in country music. The company has enforced its trademark on the name "Grand Ole Opry", with trademark registrations in the United States and in numerous countries around
2128-527: Is The Catchup Advisory Board—its name a portmanteau of the common "catsup" and "ketchup" spellings—which has the tagline "Catchup: For the good times." Other "sponsors" have included: In addition, the recurring segment "The Lives of the Cowboys" featured its own Western-themed sponsors, including Prairie Dog Granola Bars ("healthier than chewing tobacco and you don't have to spit") and Cowboy Toothpicks ("the toothpick that's guaranteed not to splinter"). This
2240-789: Is a film about "a dying radio show that bears striking similarities to 'A Prairie Home Companion,'" with the actual APHC home venue, the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul chosen to serve "as set piece , soundstage and framing device ". The film was written by Garrison Keillor and directed by Robert Altman , and shot digitally, with camera by Altman's son, Robert Altman Jr. ; the film stars Keillor, Meryl Streep , Tommy Lee Jones , Lily Tomlin , Kevin Kline , John C. Reilly , Lindsay Lohan , Maya Rudolph , Woody Harrelson , Virginia Madsen , and L.Q. Jones . APHC regular Rich Dworsky appears as
2352-508: Is broadcast live on WSM-AM at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday nights, changed from a previous time start of 6:30. A similar program, Friday Night Opry , airs live on Friday nights. From February through December, Tuesday Night Opry is also aired live. Wednesday shows are typically presented in the summer months, while an "Opry Country Classics" program sporadically airs on Thursdays, devoted solely to older artists. Additional Christmas-themed shows, entitled Opry Country Christmas , began production during
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#17327871762432464-608: Is included as a "home of" mention on the welcome signs seen by motorists at the Metro Nashville/Davidson County line. Membership in the Opry remains one of country music's crowning achievements. Since 1974, the show has been broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown Nashville, with an annual three-month winter foray back to the Ryman from 1999 to 2020, and again for shorter winter residencies beginning in 2023. In addition to
2576-426: Is the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass , Americana , folk , and gospel music as well as comedic performances and skits . It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners. In
2688-555: The Grand Ole Opry for an article, Keillor became interested in doing a variety show on the radio. On July 6, 1974, the first live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion took place on Minnesota Public Radio . That show was broadcast from St. Paul in the Janet Wallace Auditorium of Macalester College . Twelve audience members turned out, mostly children. The second episode featured the first performance on
2800-512: The APHC band, with music director and pianist Rich Dworsky and Bernie Dresel (drums), Larry Kohut (bass), Richard Kriehn (mandolin and fiddle), and Chris Siebold (guitar). Barack Obama recorded a telephone call into the show, which ran on the Saturday broadcast, and Keillor performed his last "Lives of the Cowboys" sketch as regular host, with regulars Scott, Russell, and Newman, and including
2912-658: The Broadcast Film Critics Association - Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Cast, and the Casting Society of America - Artios Award for Best Casting for Feature Film (Comedy); its wins include the Yomiuri Shimbun (film association) Hochi Film Award (2007) for Best Foreign Film. In addition, Meryl Streep was nominated for an International Press Academy - Satellite Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture), and won
3024-612: The Grand Ole Opry , the shows there are billed as Opry at the Ryman . From 2002 to 2014, a traveling version of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular took up residence at the Grand Ole Opry House each holiday season while the Opry was away. It was replaced by Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical from 2015 in 2017 and by Cirque Dreams Holidaze in 2018. In May 2010,
3136-810: The National Association of Film Critics - Bodil Award for Best American Film, the Film Independent (film association) Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay, the International Press Academy - Satellite Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, the Independent Filmmaker Project - Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Performance,
3248-703: The National Society of Film Critics Awards for the same category. Grand Ole Opry The Grand Ole Opry is a regular live country-music radio broadcast originating from Nashville , Tennessee , on WSM , held between two and five nights per week, depending on the time of year. It was founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as the WSM Barn Dance , taking its current name in 1927. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a joint venture between NBCUniversal , Atairos and majority shareholder Ryman Hospitality Properties ), it
3360-497: The Opry as its flagship program when it launched in 2020, and former WSM radio sister station WSMV-DT5 is the network's flagship station . Initially simulcasting the radio version, since 2021, the television Opry Live has been pre-recorded live to tape telecasts of recent Opry shows (the show's time slot often coincides with intermission and less demographic-friendly radio segments such as square dancing and audience participation bits). Circle ended its over-the-air operations at
3472-405: The film set 's atmosphere had a kind of Spanky and Our Gang let's-put-on-a-show quality, with crew , marquee talent and "Prairie Home" acolytes and extras mixing freely. The dailies , the traditional day's-end look at finished footage, usually include[d] about 75 people, a vivid reminder of Mr. Altman 's penchant for collaborative filmmaking. And because music is such an important part of
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3584-561: The 1930s, the show began hiring professionals and expanded to four hours. Broadcasting by then at 50,000 watts , WSM made the program a Saturday night musical tradition in nearly 30 states. In 1939, it debuted nationally on NBC Radio . The Opry moved to its most famous former home, the Ryman Auditorium , in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's "country music capital". The Grand Ole Opry holds such significance in Nashville that it
3696-521: The 2021 holiday season. The Opry provides a fourteen-piece house band for performers should they not have a band of their own. The Opry can also be heard live on Willie's Roadhouse on channel 59 on Sirius XM Satellite Radio , and the program streams on WSM's website. ABC broadcast the Grand Ole Opry as a monthly series from 1955 to 1956, and PBS televised annual live performances from 1978 to 1981. In 1985, The Nashville Network , co-owned by Gaylord, began airing an edited half-hour version of
3808-526: The Air (renamed Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company in its second season), broadcast originally from the Brooklyn Academy of Music . The new program featured a broadly similar format to A Prairie Home Companion , with sketches and musical guests reflecting a more New York sensibility, rather than the country and folk music predominant in APHC . Also, while Keillor sang and delivered a regular monologue on American Radio Company , Lake Wobegon
3920-503: The Bebop-A-Reebop jingle, performed to the tune of " Shortnin' Bread ": One little thing can revive a guy And that is a piece of rhubarb pie Serve it up, nice and hot Maybe things aren't as bad as you thought Momma's little baby loves rhubarb, rhubarb Bebopareebop rhubarb pie. The jingle is usually sung after a bombastic, sound-effect-enhanced tale of woe, and is immediately followed by Keillor asking, "Wouldn't this be
4032-453: The Cowboys". One of the show's best-known features was Keillor's "News from Lake Wobegon", a weekly storytelling monologue, claiming to be a report from his fictitious hometown of Lake Wobegon , "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve ... where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average". The opening words of the monologue usually did not change: "Well, it's been
4144-776: The Dixie Tabernacle in East Nashville on June 13, 1936. The Opry then moved to the War Memorial Auditorium , a downtown venue adjacent to the State Capitol , and a 25-cent admission fee was charged to try to curb the large crowds, but to no avail. In June 1943, the Opry moved to Ryman Auditorium . One hour of the Opry was nationally broadcast by the NBC Red Network from 1939 to 1956, and for much of its run, it aired one hour after
4256-500: The February 7 show. Thile was named permanent host of the show in late June 2015, and took over as permanent host on October 15, 2016. When Keillor formally announced his departure from APHC at the show's airing on July 21, 2015, he indicated that Thile would succeed him as permanent host in 2016. Keillor recorded his final regular episode as host live at the Hollywood Bowl before an audience of 18,000, on July 1, 2016; it
4368-447: The Lake Wobegon monologue and musical acts, but with other skits replaced by the performers taking turns telling jokes. Humorists such as Paula Poundstone and Roy Blount Jr. often made guest appearances on those shows, and listeners and audience members were encouraged to submit jokes for use on the air. Portions of such shows were incorporated into a book and CDs . The show creates advertisements for fictional products, performed in
4480-694: The Opry House was flooded, along with much of Nashville, when the Cumberland River overflowed its banks . Repairs were made, and the Opry itself remained uninterrupted. Over the course of the summer of 2010, the broadcast temporarily originated from alternate venues in Nashville, with Ryman Auditorium hosting the majority of the shows. Other venues included TPAC War Memorial Auditorium , another former Opry home; TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall ; Nashville Municipal Auditorium ; Allen Arena at Lipscomb University ; and Two Rivers Baptist Church. Much of
4592-536: The Opry and collaborated on the 1989 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two . Another artist that ran afoul of the Opry's stringent standards was Jerry Lee Lewis , who made his first appearance on the show on January 20, 1973, after several years of success on the country charts. Lewis was given two conditions for his appearance – no rock and roll and no profanity – and he proceeded to disregard both, even referring to himself as
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4704-474: The Opry management in 2007 alleging that manager Pete Fisher was trying to purge older members of the Opry from its membership and committing age discrimination . Jackson settled the lawsuit in 2008 and resumed appearing on the program until retiring in 2012. In early 2022, Morgan Wallen performed on the Grand Ole Opry alongside Ernest . This move was criticized, as Wallen had been taped less than
4816-405: The Opry were going to have a dress code, it should enforce it upon the audience as well, and that she was only wearing what most young women of the time were wearing. Seely's actions effectively caused the fall of a "gingham curtain" . Despite her disputes with the dress code, Seely would remain loyal to the Opry, setting the record for most appearances on the program over 55 years (and ongoing) as
4928-490: The Opry would go on. It took years after that before drums became commonly accepted at the Opry; as late as 1967, an item in Billboard claimed that "[a] full set of drums was used on the 'Grand Ole Opry' for the first time in history when Jerry Reed performed last week. Jerry's drummer, Willie Akerman, was allowed to use the entire set during his guest performance there." Stonewall Jackson , an Opry member since 1956, sued
5040-472: The PrairieHome.org website containing the archives was restored later in the year. From the show's inception until 1987, its theme song was Hank Snow 's hit " Hello Love ". After 1987, each show has opened with Spencer Williams ' composition " Tishomingo Blues " as the theme song, with lyrics by Garrison Keillor that were written especially for A Prairie Home Companion . Music was a main feature of
5152-683: The Sidetrack Tap, Pastor Ingqvist of the Lake Wobegon Lutheran Church and his successor Pastor Liz, Father Emil of Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility Roman Catholic Church (a parody of Our Mother of Perpetual Help ), the Lake Wobegon Whippets sports teams, various members of the Bunsen and Krebsbach families, and an assortment of nearby "Norwegian bachelor farmers". In-jokes are sprinkled through
5264-657: The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted summary judgment that the term "Opry" is a generic term (and thus no more protected than the words "Grand" or "Ole"), but the Federal Circuit court reversed this decision. As recently as 2009, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted judgment against Texas Opry House, LLC, which had filed a trademark application for TEXAS OPRY HOUSE. In 2004, the Grand Ole Opry sold naming rights to its first "presenting sponsor", Cracker Barrel . Insurance company Humana became
5376-491: The absence of performances, the building remained a tourist attraction throughout the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991 and 1992, Emmylou Harris performed a series of concerts there and released some of the recordings as an album entitled At the Ryman . The concert and album's high acclaim renewed interest in reviving Ryman Auditorium as an active venue. Beginning in September 1993, Gaylord Entertainment initiated
5488-658: The air in 1987, with a "final performance" on June 13, and Keillor married and spent some time abroad during the following two years. For a brief time, the show was replaced—both on the air and in the World Theater—by Good Evening , hosted by Noah Adams , a live variety show designed by ex- Prairie Home and All Things Considered staffers to retain the audience Keillor had cultivated over the years. However, many stations opted instead to continue APHC repeats in its traditional Saturday time slot. In 1989, Keillor returned to radio with The American Radio Company of
5600-451: The auditorium's main floor seating, the backstage areas, and the entire stage—including the six foot inlaid circle of wood from Ryman's stage—was underwater during the flood. While the Grand Ole Opry House's stage was replaced, the Ryman circle was restored and again placed at center stage in the Grand Ole Opry House before shows resumed. The renovations following the flood also resulted in an updated and much-expanded backstage area, including
5712-422: The bandleader, and served as the film's pianist, conductor, arranger, and composer. The film depicts the titular radio program's behind-the-scenes activities, and the relational dynamics within the cast over its anticipated, imminent cancellation. The antagonist, Axeman, "who has come to shut the show down", is played by Tommy Lee Jones. As described in a 2005 on-set piece by David Carr for The New York Times ,
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#17327871762435824-611: The bands Dire Straits and the Notting Hillbillies ) and Jeff Lang . Folk/gospel duo Robin and Linda Williams had been regular guests since 1976, and often join Keillor and another female performer, often Jearlyn Steele, to form "The Hopeful Gospel Quartet". Peter Ostroushko , Greg Brown , Jean Redpath , and Prudence Johnson , among others, were recurring guests on the program between 1974 and 1987. The Wailin' Jennys and Andra Suchy were also recurring guests, and when
5936-814: The bands regularly on the show during its early days included Bill Monroe , the Possum Hunters (with Humphrey Bate ), the Fruit Jar Drinkers with Uncle Dave Macon , the Crook Brothers, the Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers , Sid Harkreader , DeFord Bailey , Fiddlin' Arthur Smith , and the Gully Jumpers . Judge Hay liked the Fruit Jar Drinkers and asked them to appear last on each show because he wanted to always close each segment with "red hot fiddle playing". They were
6048-479: The cast. He performed on most shows until 2001. He retired doing his weekday morning radio show in 2008, but continued performing on Prairie Home broadcasts from the Fitzgerald Theater and other regional locations. He continued working on A Prairie home Companion until his death in 2011. Newman eventually took over full-time after Keith passed away. Regular musicians in Guy's All-Star Shoe Band include Richard Dworsky,
6160-700: The construction of more dressing rooms and a performer's lounge. The Opry returned to the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2010, in a special edition of the Opry entitled Country Comes Home that was televised live on Great American Country . The Opry closed its doors to spectators and trimmed its staff in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee but continued to air weekly episodes on radio and television, relying on advertising revenue to remain solvent. The Opry resumed allowing spectators on
6272-410: The country music genre and country music fans. On behalf of all of us at the Grand Ole Opry and Opry Entertainment, I'd like to thank the artist community, industry and music lovers around the world for their continued support". After seven months of performing without a live audience, in October 2020, the Opry kicked off its 95th anniversary by welcoming back 500 guests to the Opry House – and so began
6384-411: The departure of the Opry, Ryman Auditorium sat mostly vacant and decaying for 20 years. An initial effort by National Life & Accident to tear down the Ryman and use its bricks to build a chapel at Opryland USA was met with resounding resistance from the public, including many influential musicians of the time. The plans were abandoned, and the building remained standing with an uncertain future. Despite
6496-488: The end of 2023, with Opry Live being moved to syndication . RFD-TV carries reruns of Opry telecasts under the title Opry Encore . Sky Arts simulcasts Opry Live in the United Kingdom . Regular performers at the Grand Ole Opry can be inducted into the organization as a member. Opry management, when it decides to induct a new member, directs an existing member to publicly ask them to join, usually during
6608-541: The first major updates to the set in over two decades – in February 2023. Opry NextStage, a program that spotlights a select number of up-and-coming country artists each year, began bringing younger and more diverse acts to the Opry stage in 2019. Artists from more genres like Folk, Americana, Gospel, Blues, and Southern Rock frequently appear on the show. And in 2022, Opry management invited two new comedians – Henry Cho (the Opry's first Asian American member) and Gary Mule Deer – to become Opry members. The Grand Ole Opry
6720-461: The first-ever member of the Opry inducted for his songwriting and not as a performer, having begun regular appearances only after Travis's incapacitation, performing songs he had written for Travis and for non-Opry member Kenny Rogers . The Opry also has a history of inviting comedians to join the cast, though none were invited to join between Jerry Clower 's induction in 1973 and when Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer became members in 2023. Following
6832-402: The hospital the third time I broke my nose." Cash was accepted back in 1968, after the success of his At Folsom Prison album and his recovery from addiction. Ryman Auditorium was home to the Opry until 1974. By the late 1960s, National Life & Accident desired a new, larger, more modern home for the long-running radio show. Already 51 years old at the time the Opry moved there, the Ryman
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#17327871762436944-591: The induction of Jon Pardi —the only Opry member to hail from the state of California—in October 2023, there are 71 active Opry members, plus the Opry Square Dancers, who enjoy sui generis membership status and open every Saturday show. In April 1963, Opry management mandated that members had to perform no less than 26 shows a year in order to maintain their membership. WSM decreased the number of those required performances to 20 in January 1964, and
7056-532: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=APHC&oldid=537747571 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages A Prairie Home Companion A Prairie Home Companion is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and
7168-470: The live show increased, National Life & Accident Insurance's radio venue became too small to accommodate the hordes of fans. They built a larger studio, but it was still not large enough. After several months with no audiences, National Life decided to allow the show to move outside its home offices. In October 1934, the Opry moved into then- suburban Hillsboro Theatre (now the Belcourt) before moving to
7280-420: The minimum number was 12 in 2000. Although the minimum number of performances has been reduced over the years, artists offered membership are expected to display their dedication to the Opry with frequent attendance. Another controversy raged for years over permissible instrumentation, especially the use of drums and electrically amplified instruments. Some purists were appalled at the prospect; traditionally,
7392-539: The movie and the radio show, the set always seem[ed] to be lifted by the pluck of a mandolin or a three-part harmony rehearsal. The film, which makes no reference to Lake Wobegon, is of feature length , with its financing provided by GreeneStreet Films, River Road Entertainment , and local Minnesota sources. Its award nominations (2006, unless noted) include the Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear award for best film,
7504-512: The name. After two episodes under the placeholder name The Show with Chris Thile , the new title was announced as Live from Here live on the December 16, 2017, broadcast of the show. MPR also announced it would cease distributing reruns of A Prairie Home Companion featuring Keillor. Keillor stated he had been "fired" from MPR, but he had technically not been employed by MPR/APM since 2002, working instead as an independent contractor. When it
7616-615: The new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925. On October 17, 1925, management began a program featuring "Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet of old-time musicians." On November 2, WSM hired long-time announcer and program director George D. Hay , an enterprising pioneer from the National Barn Dance program at WLS in Chicago, who
7728-425: The ongoing construction of Opry Mills. The Opry returned to the Ryman for the three winter months every year until 2019–20, allowing the show to acknowledge its roots while also taking advantage of a smaller venue during an off-peak season for tourism. Following a COVID-19 pandemic -related hiatus after the 2020 season, the show has returned to The Ryman for shorter winter residencies since 2023. While still officially
7840-413: The pandemic, with the majority of viewers being under lockdown. According to Pollstar , Opry Live was the number one most-watched livestream series in 2020 across all genres and received more than fifty million viewers from over fifty countries throughout the year, with two individual episodes ( Vince Gill / Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley / Carrie Underwood ) placing at numbers nine and ten respectively in
7952-549: The program as Grand Ole Opry Live. The show moved to Country Music Television , also owned by Gaylord, where it expanded to an hour, and then to the Great American Country (GAC) cable network, which no longer televised its Opry Live show after both networks channel drifted towards generic Southern lifestyle programming. Circle , a new over-the-air digital subchannel network operated by Gray Television and Ryman Hospitality Properties, resumed telecasting
8064-402: The program officially reverted to the A Prairie Home Companion name and format. The show was originally distributed nationally by Minnesota Public Radio in association with Public Radio International. Later, its distributor was Minnesota Public Radio's distribution unit, American Public Media. Singer Sara Watkins of San Diego, California, hosted the January 15, 2011, broadcast. The format
8176-411: The program that had inspired it, National Barn Dance . The NBC segment, originally known by the name of its sponsor, The Prince Albert Show , was first hosted by Acuff, who was succeeded by Red Foley from 1946 to 1954. From October 15, 1955, to September 1956, ABC-TV aired a live, hour-long television version once a month on Saturday nights (sponsored by Ralston-Purina) that pre-empted one hour of
8288-481: The program; the show was a significant outlet for American folk music of many genres, especially country , bluegrass , blues , and gospel , but it also had guest performers from a wide variety of other styles of music, including classical, opera, and music from a number of different countries. The country musician and former record company executive Chet Atkins appeared on the show many times, as did singer-songwriters Mark Knopfler (lead guitarist and frontman of
8400-418: The public on June 30, 1972, well ahead of the 4,000-seat Opry House, which debuted nearly two years later, on Saturday, March 16, 1974. The last show of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium was held on March 15, 1974. Opening night was attended by sitting U.S. President Richard Nixon , who played a few songs on the piano. To carry on the tradition of the show's run at the Ryman, a six-foot circle of oak
8512-410: The radio programs, performances have been sporadically televised over the years. Video compilations of previous Opry performances are distributed digitally every Saturday evening on FAST network Circle Country as well as the Opry ' s YouTube and Facebook outlets, and syndicated to a number of television stations across North America. The Grand Ole Opry started as the WSM Barn Dance in
8624-411: The radio show, Keillor has continued to tour with his stage show also called A Prairie Home Companion. On November 29, 2017, Minnesota Public Radio terminated its contract with Keillor because of "allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him." Because Keillor still owned artistic rights and the trademark to the show's name, MPR also announced that it would change
8736-408: The satirical " Guy Noir , Private Eye ", which parodied film noir and radio dramas . Guy Noir's popularity was such that the first few notes of the theme or the first lines of the announcer's introduction ("A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets ...") often drew applause and cheers from the audience. Also regularly featured were the adventures of Dusty and Lefty, "The Lives of
8848-419: The second band accepted on Barn Dance , with the Crook Brothers being the first. When the Opry began having square dancers on the show, the Fruit Jar Drinkers always played for them. In 1926, Uncle Dave Macon, a Tennessee banjo player who had recorded several songs and toured on the vaudeville circuit, became its first real star. The phrase "Grand Ole Opry" was first uttered on radio on December 10, 1927. At
8960-633: The show by Butch Thompson , who became house pianist. Thompson stayed with the program until 1986 and frequently performed on the show until its 2016 conclusion. In 1978, the show moved into the World Theater in St. Paul, which Minnesota Public Radio purchased and renovated in 1986 and renamed the Fitzgerald Theater in 1994. This is the same venue the program used to the end. A Prairie Home Companion began national distribution in May 1980. Because National Public Radio (NPR) rejected
9072-600: The show due to its president Frank Mankiewicz perceiving the show as too expensive and insulting towards small towns, the show was initially distributed through a public radio satellite system that had been completed by June 1980 and allowed NPR member stations to distribute programs outside the NPR network. In 1983, Minnesota Public Radio president William Kling started a new company to distribute A Prairie Home Companion called American Public Radio, which would later be renamed Public Radio International in 1994. The show went off
9184-487: The show that the singer's style did not suit the program. In the 1960s, as the hippie counterculture movement spread, the Opry maintained a strait-laced, conservative image with "longhairs" not being featured on the show. Artists were expected to dress conservatively, with women regularly wearing gingham country dresses; Jeannie Seely , upon joining the Opry in 1967, fought management to wear more contemporary attire such as miniskirts and go-go boots , arguing that if
9296-450: The show travelled, Keillor generally featured local musicians and acts. Greetings from members of the audience to friends and family at home (frequently humorous) were read each week by Keillor just after the show's intermission , at the top of the second hour. Birthdays and anniversaries of famous composers and musicians were also observed. Keillor and the ensemble performed comedy skits . Notable skits and characters often recur, such as
9408-477: The show's ban on drums. Wills openly flouted the rule. King, who performed at the Ryman in 1945 after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death, did not technically defy the ban. He did not use his drums on the Opry, but this particular Saturday night, the Opry was cancelled due to FDR's death. He and his band were asked to perform their theater show (with their drummer) because a number of fans showed up assuming
9520-518: The show, such as "Piscacadawadaquoddymoggin", a made-up word that's been used both for places and for people's names. The components of this made-up word are portions of Native American place names in the New England region of the United States, most of them in Maine (i.e.: Piscataqua, Passamaquoddy, and Androscoggin). Once a year the program featured a special "joke show", which generally included
9632-412: The show. On February 7 and 14, 2015, mandolinist Chris Thile hosted the show (like Sara Watkins, a member of Nickel Creek ). As when Watkins hosted, the format remained largely unchanged, but Keillor did not make an appearance. Instead, storyteller Tristan Jimerson appeared on the February 7 show and comedienne/storyteller Elna Baker on the February 14 show. Thile's band Punch Brothers performed on
9744-583: The stage the audience's response was immediately hostile, resulting in derisive heckling, booing, and mocking calls of "tweet, tweet" and "cut your hair" The Byrds further outraged the Opry establishment by ignoring accepted protocol when they performed Parsons' song " Hickory Wind " instead of the Merle Haggard song "Life in Prison", as had been announced by Tompall Glaser . Two decades later, long after Parsons' death, members of The Byrds reconciled with
9856-468: The strength they need to get up and do what needs to be done. Made from whole wheat raised by Norwegian bachelor farmers, so you know they're not only good for you, they're pure, mostly. Get 'em in the bright blue box with a picture of a biscuit on the front, or ready-made in the brown bag with the dark stains that indicate freshness. Among its other "sponsors", Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie (and Frozen Rhubarb Pie Filling) has been prominent, with ads featuring
9968-472: The style of live old-time radio commercials. The show acknowledges its actual underwriters at the beginning, end, and middle (break) of the show. Prairie Home ' s most prominent "sponsor" is the fictitious "Powdermilk Biscuits". Before he and the band performed the product's jingle every week ("Has your family tried 'em, Powdermilk?"), Garrison Keillor would extol Powdermilk's virtues in this way: Heavens they're tasty, and expeditious. Give shy persons
10080-521: The successor show was eventually renamed Live from Here and ran until 2020. A Prairie Home Companion aired on Saturdays from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota ; it was also frequently heard on tours to New York City and other U.S. cities. The show is known for its musical guests, especially folk and traditional musicians, tongue-in-cheek radio drama, and relaxed humor. Keillor's wry storytelling segment, " News from Lake Wobegon ,"
10192-457: The term 'Opry', standing alone as defendant has used it, is constantly used in country and western music circles in referring to plaintiff's 'Grand Ole Opry'". The court also stated "the defendant has appropriated, at its peril, the dominant or salient term in the plaintiff's mark, a term which identified the 'Grand Ole Opry' in the mind of the public many years before the inception of 'Opry Records'—the name adopted by defendant". In another case,
10304-522: The then-90-minute Ozark Jubilee . From 1955 to 1957, Al Gannaway owned and produced both The Country Show and Stars of the Grand Ole Opry, both filmed programs syndicated by Flamingo Films. Gannaway's Stars of the Grand Ole Opry was the first television show shot in color. On October 2, 1954, a teenage Elvis Presley had his only Opry performance. Although the audience reacted politely to his revolutionary brand of rockabilly music , Opry manager Jim Denny told Presley's producer Sam Phillips after
10416-455: The time he turned 70 in August 2012. In September 2011, Keillor told The Tuscaloosa News that his last broadcast would be recorded in "early July 2013", and that instead of a permanent replacement host, there would be "a whole group of people. A rotation of hosts", but in December 2011 Keillor said he had changed his mind and reconsidered his plans to retire because he still enjoyed hosting
10528-513: The time, the NBC Red Network's Music Appreciation Hour , a program with classical music and selections from grand opera , was followed by Hay's Barn Dance . That evening, as he was introducing DeFord Bailey, the show's first performer of the night, George Hay said the following words: For the past hour, we have been listening to music largely from Grand Opera, but from now on, we will present 'The Grand Ole Opry'. As audiences for
10640-453: The top ten. President of Opry Entertainment Scott Bailey explained that "as the stewards of the Grand Ole Opry, it was never a question of if the Opry would play on, but how could it provide a safe and much-needed source of comfort during what has been an extraordinary year around the world. We are proud of this tremendous result and the numbers of viewers who have tuned in, not only for what it has meant for Circle, but also for what it says about
10752-492: The world. It has taken court action to limit use of the word "Opry"—not directly trademarked—to members of the Opry and products associated with or licensed by it and to discourage use of the word in ways that would imply a connection to the Grand Ole Opry. In late 1968, for instance, WSM sued Opry Records, a record label that was independent of WSM, and the court decided that "the record is replete with newspaper and magazine articles and clippings which demonstrate conclusively that
10864-466: Was aired on the following day. The episode was titled "Sumus Quod Sumus" ( Latin for 'We are what we are'), and was a vocal duet show of "time-honored American ballads, British Invasion romps, country-western weepers, and Broadway classics," guest-starring Sara Watkins , Sarah Jarosz , Aoife O'Donovan , Heather Masse , and Christine DiGiallonardo, alongside the "Royal Academy of Radio Actors," Tim Russell , Sue Scott , and Fred Newman , and
10976-529: Was also named the most popular radio announcer in America as a result of his radio work with both WLS and WMC in Memphis, Tennessee. Though only 29 when he was hired by WSM and turned 30 a week later, Hay (known as the "Solemn Old Judge") launched the WSM Barn Dance with 77-year-old fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson on November 28, 1925, and that date is celebrated as the day the Grand Ole Opry began. Some of
11088-642: Was also the home of the Country Music Association Awards from 1974 to 2004, and hosted three weeks of tapings for the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune in 2003. The venue has also been the site of the GMA Dove Awards on multiple occasions. On December 21, 2018, the backstage band room was officially named the Jimmy Capps Music Room in honor of Capps's 60th anniversary on the Opry . Following
11200-431: Was announced in 2019 that Live from Here was going to be based in and broadcast out of New York City, many Minnesotan fans publicly complained that the radio show was losing its Midwestern style. Live from Here was canceled in 2020. On April 13, 2018, Minnesota Public Radio posted a message stating its intent to reinstate the free online archives of A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac . The portion of
11312-401: Was banned from the program in 1965 after drunkenly smashing the stage lights with the microphone stand. Cash commented on the incident years later: "I don't know how much they wanted me in the first place," he says, "but the night I broke all the stage lights with the microphone stand, they said they couldn't use me anymore. So I went out and used it as an excuse to really get wild and ended up in
11424-460: Was beginning to suffer from disrepair as the downtown neighborhood around it fell victim to increasing urban decay . Despite these shortcomings, the show's popularity continued to increase, and its weekly crowds were outgrowing the 2,362-seat venue. The Opry's operators wanted to build a new air-conditioned theater, with greater seating capacity, ample parking, and the ability to serve as a television production facility. Their ideal location would be in
11536-462: Was cut from the corner of the Ryman's stage and inlaid into center stage at the new venue. Artists on stage usually stood on the circle as they performed, and most modern performers still follow this tradition. The theme park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season, but the Grand Ole Opry House remains in use. The immediate area around it was left intact, even throughout the construction of Opry Mills , which opened in May 2000. The outside
11648-621: Was decorated with the commemorative plaques of country music Grammy winners, formerly of Opryland's StarWalk , until the display was retired, reconfigured, and moved downtown to become the Music City Walk of Fame in 2006. The Grand Ole Opry continues to be performed every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and occasionally Wednesday and Sunday at the Grand Ole Opry House. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2015. The Grand Ole Opry House
11760-405: Was granted similar accommodation from 2017 until her 2022 death. The Opry maintains a wall of fame listing every member of the Opry in the show's history. Receiving Opry membership is considered an honor that is similar in prestige to a Hall of Fame induction, with the caveat that a number of prominent country musicians never received it. When Don Schlitz was inducted on August 30, 2022, he became
11872-432: Was held for longtime member Loretta Lynn a few weeks after Lynn's death in October 2023; the concert featured performances by George Strait (who himself has only appeared once, in 1982, on the Opry radio show), Tanya Tucker, Wynonna, and several other artists. Thousands of Lynn's friends, family, and fans were in attendance at the Opry House. The Opry unveiled a new, upgraded stage with all-new, advanced audio technology –
11984-457: Was initially downplayed, as he felt it was "cruel" to talk to a Brooklyn audience about life in a small town. During this period, Keillor revived the full APHC format only for "annual farewell performances." In the fall of 1992, Keillor returned to the Fitzgerald Theater with ARC for the majority of the season, with Lake Wobegon and other APHC elements gradually but unmistakably returning to prominence. The following year, on October 2, 1993,
12096-580: Was named after the Prairie Home Cemetery near Concordia College , in Moorhead, Minnesota . It inspired a 2006 film of the same name , written by and featuring Keillor. The Saturday-evening show was a partial spin-off of A Prairie Home Morning Show with Keillor and Tom Keith , which ran from 6 to 9 a.m. on Minnesota Public Radio and was continued by Keith and Dale Connelly for many years as The Morning Show . After researching
12208-434: Was primarily a radio comedy program. Some of it was devoted to the sentimental. Other stories put together by Keillor and others, depicted tragedies. Occasionally political satire could be found in some episodes. Other occasions marked current events. When Minnesota leader Paul Wellstone 's end came in a 2002 airplane crash, Mr. Keillor rewrote a portion of that program revolving around Senator Wellstone. Mentions during
12320-530: Was retroactively classified as a member in October 2023. Duos and groups remain members until all members have died; following the death of a member, the others maintain Opry membership. More recent protocols have allowed performers who are incapacitated or retired (such as Barbara Mandrell , Jeanne Pruett , Stu Phillips and Ricky Van Shelton ) to maintain Opry membership until they die. Randy Travis has maintained his Opry membership largely through non-singing appearances since his 2013 stroke, while Loretta Lynn
12432-450: Was the same, but Keillor appeared only as a guest actor and to deliver the "News from Lake Wobegon". He claimed he had taken the chance to see the show being performed for himself. It was reported that this could be the beginning of a trend toward Keillor's eventual retirement, and on March 16, 2011, Keillor stated in an interview with the AARP that he would most likely retire from the show by
12544-401: Was the show's best-known feature during his long tenure. Distributed by Minnesota Public Radio 's distribution arm, American Public Media , A Prairie Home Companion was heard on 690 public radio stations in the United States at its peak in spring 2015 and reached an audience of four million U.S. listeners each week. The show borrowed its name from a radio program in existence in 1969 that
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