NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor applauding the Senate’s unanimous passage of her resolution congratulating Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on its upcoming 100^th anniversary. 

Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks on the Senate floor.

 Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

REMARKS AS PREPARED

Mr. President, 100 years ago this November, the world of American music changed forever: Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry hit the airwaves for the very first time. 

Today, fans across the country know it as “Country’s Most Famous Stage.” But at the time, it started as a small radio show at the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville.

In those early days, the Opry showcased the dance tunes and ballads that were being performed by a new generation of musicians in Tennessee and across the South. Drawing on America’s folk tradition, these artists were pioneering an entirely new genre: Country music.

Soon, crowds were showing up at the company’s radio studio. And after moving between different venues in Nashville, the Opry arrived at its most famous former home, the Ryman Auditorium, in 1943.

At the Ryman, some of the music tradition’s biggest stars made their Opry debut: Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and many, many more.

Since moving to its current home at the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, the Opry has welcomed generation after generation of new stars who have stepped into its famous wooden circle and added another chapter to country music’s incredible history.

Along the way, the Opry has become the longest-running radio show in U.S. history, reaching millions of listeners in America and across the world with its weekly broadcasts.

To honor this extraordinary and historic institution, I am asking for unanimous consent to pass my resolution that congratulates the Opry on 100 years of incredible music, legendary performances, and musical heritage. Here’s to 100 more.