The
Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue located at 116 Fifth Avenue North in
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
,
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is best-known as the one-time home of the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
. It was previously known as
Grand Old Opry House and also as
Union Gospel Tabernacle.
History
The auditorium first opened as the
Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. It was built by Thomas Ryman (1843–1904), a
riverboatA riverboat is a ship designed for inland navigation. These vessels are usually less sturdy than ships built for the open seas, with limited navigational and rescue equipment, as they do not have to survive the high winds or large waves characteristic on large lakes, seas or oceans. They can...
captain and Nashville businessman who owned several saloons. Ryman conceived of the auditorium as a
tabernacleA tabernacle is a place of worship, originally a worship tent or other movable worship facility which the Israelites used during the Exodus and the time of the Book...
for the influential revivalist
Sam JonesSamuel Porter Jones was one of the most celebrated revivalists of his day, at the close of the 19th century. Famous for his wry wit and masterful story-telling, he is credited as a principal influence on Will Rogers....
. After Ryman's death, the Tabernacle was renamed Ryman Auditorium in his honor.
The Ryman was also the home of
Trevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the '"Literary and Bible Training School for Christian Workers". The school's name was changed to...
from 1911 to 1914.
It was used for
Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from
1943-Events:*January 1, 1943 - Frank Sinatra appears at The Paramount causing a mob of hysterical bobby-soxers to flood Times Square and blocking midtown New York City traffic for hours...
until
1974-Events:*January - The Ramones form.*January - Joni Mitchell releases her monumental album Court and Spark, supported by the single "Help Me" reaching the highest moment of commercial success....
, when the
Opry built a larger venue just outside Nashville at the
Opryland USA theme parkOpryland USA was a theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee. It operated from 1972 until 1997...
. The Ryman then sat mostly vacant and fell into disrepair until 1992 when
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists.-...
and her band, the Nash Ramblers, performed a series of concerts there (the results of which appeared on her album
At the RymanAt the Ryman is a 1992 live album by Emmylou Harris and her then-newly formed acoustic backing band, The Nash Ramblers, recorded at the Ryman Auditorium, the original location of the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Harris had by this point disbanded her legendary Hot Band.The Nash...
). The Harris concerts renewed interest in restoring the Ryman, and it was reopened as an intimate performance venue and museum in 1994. Audiences at the Ryman find themselves sitting in pews, the 1994 renovation notwithstanding. The seating is a reminder of the auditorium's origins as a house of worship, hence giving it the nickname "The Mother Church of Country Music".
The Ryman Auditorium was included in the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971, and was further designated a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
in 2001.
Performers
Many
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
greats have performed at the Ryman since its inception including the legendary Hank Williams,
Bill MonroeWilliam Smith Monroe was an American musician who helped develop the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and...
,
Jim ReevesJames Travis Reeves was an American country and pop music singer-songwriter popular in the 1950s and 1960s who also gained a wide international following for his pioneering smooth Nashville sound. Known as Gentleman Jim, his songs continued to chart for years following his death at age 40 in a...
,
Roy AcuffRoy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
,
Johnny CashJohnny Cash , born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
,
Tammy WynetteVirginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
,
Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks is an American country music artist. His eponymous first album was released in 1989; it peaked at #2 in the US country album chart and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart...
,
Patsy ClinePatsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
,
Tennessee Ernie FordErnest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country & western, pop and gospel musical genres.- Early years :...
,
Emmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists.-...
,
George JonesGeorge Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
,
Loretta LynnLoretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter; she was one of the leading country vocalists and songwriters during the 1960s and is revered as a country music cultural icon....
,
Glen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is a Grammy and Dove Award-winning and two time Golden Globe-nominated American country pop singer, guitarist and occasional actor...
,
Reba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is a Grammy award-winning American country music artist. She began her career in the music industry singing with her siblings on local radio shows and rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma City, which caught the attention of country artist Red...
,
Conway TwittyConway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was one of the United States' most successful country music artists of the 20th century. Most commonly thought of as a country music singer, he also enjoyed success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music...
,
Dolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music....
,
Marty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist....
,
Ernest TubbErnest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
,
Dottie WestDottie West was an American country music singer, and was one of country music's most influential and groundbreaking female artists. Dottie West's career started in the early 60s, with her Top 10 hit, "Here Comes My Baby Back Again", which won her the first Grammy Award for Best Female Country...
,
Crystal GayleCrystal Gayle is an American country singer best known for a series of country-pop crossover hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." She accumulated 18 No. 1 country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
,
Gretchen WilsonGretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party...
,
Willie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor and activist. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, but remains iconic, especially in American popular culture.He has continued to tour, record and perform in recent years, and...
, and
The JuddsThe Judds were a Grammy Award-winning American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna. The Judds signed with RCA Records in 1983 and were one of the most popular country music duos of the decade, recording more than ten studio albums and charting many hit singles on the...
.
Besides country, the venue also features
alternativeAlternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
,
bluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has roots in Irish, West African, Scottish, Welsh and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland , and African-Americans, particularly...
,
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre created within the African-American communities in the Deep South of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, classical,
gospelGospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
,
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
,
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
,
folkThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
, and
rockRock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...
, as well as musical
theatreTheatre is a branch of the performing arts. While any performance may be considered theatre, as a performing art, it focuses almost exclusively on live performers creating a self contained drama. A performance qualifies as dramatic by creating a representational illusion...
and
stand-up comedyStand-up comedy is a style of comedy where a comedian performs for a live audience, usually speaking directly to them. It is usually performed by a single comedian with the aid of a microphone, either hand-held or mounted on a stand...
shows.
Among the countless other artists who have performed on the Ryman stage are
SealSeal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel is an English soul singer and songwriter. His name Olusegun means "God is victorious"...
,
70 Volt Parade70 Volt Parade was Trey Anastasio's backing band in 2005, formed after the breakup of Phish in August of the previous year. After writing and recording new material in late 2004 and early 2005, Anastasio began auditioning various musicians for his next project.This band essentially replaced...
,
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
,
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
,
The Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard rock jam band that has sold over 20 million albums. They were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone named it the 'Best New American Band'...
,
Tallulah BankheadTallulah Brockman Bankhead was an American actress, talk-show host and bon vivant.- Early life and family :...
,
Ethel BarrymoreEthel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the famous Barrymore family.-Early life:Ethel Barrymore was born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second child of the actors Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew...
,
Sarah BernhardtSarah Bernhardt was a legendary French stage actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of Europe in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
,
Victor BorgeVictor Borge , born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark, The Unmelancholy Dane, and The Great Dane.-Early life and career:Borge was born Børge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen, Denmark, into a Jewish family...
,
Jackson BrowneClyde Jackson Browne is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. His political interest and personal angst have been central to his career, resulting in popular songs such as "Somebody's Baby", "These Days", "The Pretender" and "Running On Empty"...
,
Ryan AdamsDavid Ryan Adams is a Grammy Award-nominated American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, North Carolina....
,
Damien RiceDamien Rice is an Irish singer/songwriter and musician. As a musician he plays the guitar, cello, violin, piano and drums.
...
, Bright Eyes,
Fanny BriceFanny Brice was a popular and influential American comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances but is best remembered as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
, James Brown,
The ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock and roll band. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964, The Byrds underwent several personnel changes, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973....
,
Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
,
Enrico CarusoEnrico Caruso was an Italian tenor who sang to acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and North and South America...
,
Carol ChanningCarol Elaine Channing is an American singer and actress. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
,
Charlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer Chaplin, KBE was an English comedic actor and film director. Chaplin became one of the most famous actors as well as a notable filmmaker, composer and musician in the early to mid Classical Hollywood era of American cinema.Chaplin acted in, directed, scripted, produced and...
,
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. Clarkson made her debut under RCA Records after she won the first season of the television series American Idol in 2002....
,
Neil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter. Diamond is one of pop music's most enduring and successful singer-songwriters. As a successful pop music performer, Diamond scored a number of hits worldwide in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
,
Ani DiFrancoAni DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, and songwriter...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."...
,
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
,
OasisOasis were an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
,
R.E.M.R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry . R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M...
, The String Cheese Incident, O.A.R.,
Hootie & the BlowfishHootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed widespread popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded seven studio albums to...
,
W. C. FieldsW. C. Fields was an American comedian, actor and juggler. Fields created one of the great American comic personas of the first half of the 20th century: a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathetic character despite his snarling contempt for dogs, children, and women.The...
,
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
,
Betty GrableBetty Grable was an American dancer, singer, and actress.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
,
ErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell.Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
,
Helen HayesHelen Hayes was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of only ten people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
,
InterpolInterpol is an American indie rock band formed in 1998 in New York City. The band's line-up is Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Sam Fogarino ....
,
Katharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, television and stage.Hepburn holds the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins with four, from 12 nominations. Hepburn won an Emmy Award in 1976 for her lead role in Love Among the Ruins, and was nominated for four other Emmys, two...
,
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO tours entertaining American military personnel...
, Anna Pavlova,
Norah JonesNorah Jones is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, and actress of Anglo-American and Indian-Bengali descent. She is the daughter of sitarist Ravi Shankar and the half-sister of Anoushka Shankar...
,
GarbageGarbage is an American rock group formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. The band consists of Scottish vocalist Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig, and has counted worldwide album sales of over 14 million units....
,
ZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock trio, formed in late 1969 in Houston, Texas, by Billy Gibbons , Dusty Hill , and Frank Beard...
,
Matt CostaMatt Costa is a singer-songwriter from Huntington Beach, California.He has released four independent compact discs: a self-titled five-song EP in 2003, a full-length CD entitled Songs We Sing, a six song EP titled The Elasmosaurus EP in 2005 and the full-length album Unfamiliar Faces in...
,
Death Cab for CutieDeath Cab for Cutie is a Grammy-nominated American indie rock band, formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Benjamin Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr...
,
Tori AmosTori Amos is a pianist and singer-songwriter of American citizenship. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
,
Alanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She has won 12 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette began her career in Canada, and as a teenager recorded two dance-pop albums, Alanis and Now Is the Time, under MCA Records...
,
Van MorrisonVan Morrison is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter with a reputation for being at once stubborn, idiosyncratic, and sublime...
,
Robert PlantRobert Anthony Plant CBE , is an English rock singer and songwriter, famous for his membership in the former rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist and lyricist, as well as for his successful solo career...
,
The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan and James Iha , the band has included D'arcy Wretzky , Jimmy Chamberlin , and Melissa Auf der Maur among its membership.Disavowing the punk rock roots shared by...
,
The StrokesThe Strokes is an American rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. They rose to fame in the early 2000s as leaders in the garage rock revival. The band's members are Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr...
,
Kings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band, that formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999, consisting of brothers Anthony "Caleb" Followill , Ivan "Nathan" Followill and Michael "Jared" Followill , with their cousin Cameron "Matthew" Followill...
,
Trans-Siberian OrchestraTrans-Siberian Orchestra is a rock orchestra founded in 1996 by Paul O'Neill, who immediately approached long time friends Jon Oliva, Robert Kinkel, and Al Pitrelli. The band's musical style incorporates progressive rock, symphonic metal, and heavy metal, with influences from classical music...
,
Modest MouseModest Mouse is an American alternative rock band formed in 1993 in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Washington by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, their...
,
Belle & SebastianBelle & Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in January 1996. They are one of the best-known Scottish bands and are one of the most celebrated groups of the 1990s. Belle & Sebastian are often compared to influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such...
,
Sigur RósSigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical, and minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound and lead singer Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto voice.-Von and Von brigði :...
,
The New PornographersThe New Pornographers is a Canadian/American indie rock supergroup formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their music is often described as power pop, with some critics likening their sound to that of Cheap Trick.-Overview:...
,
Regina SpektorRegina Spektor is a Soviet-born American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered on New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
,
The ShinsThe Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Russell Mercer, bassist Ron Lewis, bassist/guitarist Dave Hernandez, drummer Joe Plummer, and Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock,...
,
Sufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on the Asthmatic Kitty label, a label he formed with his stepfather, beginning with the 2000 release A Sun Came...
,
Lou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career,...
,
Wayne NewtonCarson Wayne Newton , better known as Wayne Newton, is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nickname Mr. Las Vegas...
,
Eddie VedderEddie Vedder is an American musician who serves as the lead singer and one of three guitarists for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Vedder left the Southern California music scene and moved to Seattle, Washington in 1990 to join Pearl Jam where he rose to fame amid the grunge movement of the...
,
B. B. KingRiley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing....
,
Lyle LovettLyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the #10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man". Lovett has won four Grammy Awards,...
,
Neko CaseNeko Case is an American alternative country singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
, and
ColdplayColdplay are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1998. The group comprises Chris Martin , Jonny Buckland , Guy Berryman , and Will Champion .Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis...
, who released a limited edition autographed poster from their performance there. On January 30, 2003,
Patty GriffinPatty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with her onstage as well...
recorded her live album
A Kiss in TimeA Kiss in Time is Patty Griffin's fourth commercially released album, and her first live album. It was recorded on 30 January 2003, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and released on 7 October of the same year...
at the Ryman Auditorium.
In 2005, Neil Young recorded the movie "Heart of Gold" with Jonathan Demme at the Ryman. In April 2006,
Josh TurnerJoshua Otis "Josh" Turner is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Josh released his platinum certified debut album Long Black Train that year. This album produced a #13 in its title track...
recorded a live album at the Ryman
http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1557717/20070420/turner_josh.jhtml, and
Nickel CreekNickel Creek was an American acoustic music trio. Although the group's music has roots from bluegrass, the trio describes itself as "progressive acoustic". Nickel Creek consisted of three permanent members: Chris Thile , Sara Watkins , and her brother Sean Watkins...
planned to record a live DVD at the auditorium in late 2007.
http://www.nickelcreek.info/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6920; however, plans for the video shoot were scrapped.
http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/nickel-creek-no-dvd-after-all/ Also in 1999,
Bill GaitherWilliam J. Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. He has written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife, Gloria. Besides performing solo and with his wife, Gaither has appeared as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, the Gaither Vocal...
recorded The Cathedrals' Farewell Celebration video and album there with various other artists such as the Statler Brothers,
the Oak Ridge BoysThe Oak Ridge Boys is a country and gospel group that is based in the United States. The group was founded in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular during the 1950s. Their name was changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel-oriented group until the mid...
,
Guy PenrodGuy Penrod is a gospel music singer mostly known for his work as the lead singer of the Gaither Vocal Band, a position he held from 1994-2008.-Biography:...
, and Sandi Patti. In May 2006, the English band
ErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell.Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
recorded a live album (both on CD and
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
) titled
On The Road To Nashville.
Miscellany
- Ryman Auditorium has been featured in several movies
Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
, including Robert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective...
's Nashville (1975The year 1975 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January 28 - George Lucas creates the second draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
) starring David ArkinDavid Arkin was an American actor best known for his numerous supporting appearances in films by Robert Altman.- Filmography :*Popeye .... The Mailman/Police Officer...
, Barbara BaxleyBarbara Baxley was an American actress of stage, film and television.Baxley was born in Porterville, California, the daughter of Emma and Bert Baxley. In 1961, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' comedy, Period...
, Ned BeattyNed Thomas Beatty is an American actor. He now lives in the Springville, California area.-Early life:Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Margaret Fortney , a high school lunch lady, and Charles William Beatty. He has a sister, Mary Margaret. In 1947, he began singing in gospel and...
, and Karen BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. She is noted for films such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Family Plot and Firecracker in a career that has spanned five decades.-Early life:Black was born Karen Blanche...
; W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975The year 1975 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January 28 - George Lucas creates the second draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
) starring Burt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul "Wrecking" Crewe in The Longest Yard, Coach Nate Scarborough in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J...
, Jerry ReedJerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter, and actor who appeared in over a dozen films. As a singer, he may be best known for " The Line in Gasoline"; "Lord, Mr...
, Ned BeattyNed Thomas Beatty is an American actor. He now lives in the Springville, California area.-Early life:Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Margaret Fortney , a high school lunch lady, and Charles William Beatty. He has a sister, Mary Margaret. In 1947, he began singing in gospel and...
, Don WilliamsDon Williams , is a country singer and songwriter. He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 No...
, Mel TillisLonnie Melvin "Mel" Tillis is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the '70s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
, and Art CarneyArthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. Carney portrayed the upstairs neighbor and sewer worker Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners.-Personal life:Carney, youngest of six sons , was...
; Coal Miner's DaughterCoal Miner's Daughter is an American 1980 biographical film which tells the story of country music performer Loretta Lynn. It stars Sissy Spacek in her Academy Award for Best Actress winning role, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo and Levon Helm, and was directed by Michael Apted.-Background:The...
(1980The year 1980 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 21 - The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year just as its precessdor, Star Wars did three years before....
) starring Sissy SpacekMary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek is an American actress and singer. Her screen debut was in the 1972 film Prime Cut co-starring Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman....
and Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and director.His film roles include federal marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals, the villain "Two-Face" in Batman Forever, the mysterious Agent K in the Men in Black films, Western peace officers Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove and Ed Tom...
; Clint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, film producer and composer. He has received five Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and five People's Choice Awards—including one for Favorite All-Time Motion Picture Star.Eastwood is...
's Honkytonk Man (1982-Events:*June 10 = Steven Spielberg's science fiction PG-rating film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, becomes one of the highest-grossing box-office success until Jurassic Park,...
) ; and Sweet Dreams (1985-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
) starring Jessica LangeJessica Phyllis Lange is an American stage and screen actress. With a career that has spanned thirty-five years and six Academy Award nominations , she may be most notable for her performances in Frances, Tootsie, Sweet Dreams, Blue Sky, and Grey Gardens.-Early life:Lange, the third of four...
and Ed HarrisEdward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Creepshow, The Rock, The Right Stuff, Enemy at the Gates, The Abyss, Glengarry Glen Ross, Apollo 13, Pollock, A Beautiful Mind, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Hours, Milk Money,...
. Neil YoungNeil Percival Young, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997....
used the venue in his 2006 film Neil Young: Heart of GoldNeil Young: Heart of Gold is a 2006 documentary and concert film by Jonathan Demme, featuring Neil Young. The film was made in the summer of 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and was released to theaters on February 10, 2006...
.
- The Denishawn Dance Company appeared at the Ryman on December 14, 1923, with Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American dancer and choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, whose influence on dance can be compared to the influence Stravinsky had on music, Picasso had on the visual arts, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture...
, Louise BrooksMary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, famous for pioneering the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
, and Nashville native Doris HumphreyDoris Batcheller Humphrey was a dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Humphrey was born in Oak Park, Illinois but grew up in Chicago, Illinois; she was a descendant of Pilgrim William Brewster and Simon James Humphrey...
among their performers.
- The Ryman Auditorium was the venue for the The Johnny Cash Show
The Johnny Cash Show was an American television music variety show presented by Johnny Cash. The Screen Gems 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on ABC. The show reached no. 17 in the Nielsen ratings in 1970...
, which ran on the ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
network from 1969 to 1971.
- The Ryman Auditorium was named Pollstar Magazine's National Theatre of the Year for both 2003 and 2004, beating out such venues as New York's Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
and Hollywood's Gibson Universal AmphitheaterThe Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It was originally built in 1972 as an outdoor venue, but to the chagrin of many, was remodeled and converted into an indoor theatre in 1982 to improve acoustics...
.
- Each dressing room behind the stage is dedicated to a legendary performer such as Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash , born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Minnie PearlSarah Ophelia Colley Cannon , known professionally as Minnie Pearl, was a country comedienne who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991.-Early life:Sarah Colley was born in Centerville, in Hickman County, Tennessee, about...
.
- The visitor tour claims that the Ryman Auditorium has been rated as having the second best acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound . A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician. The application of acoustics in technology is called acoustical engineering...
in the world (after the Mormon Tabernacle ChoirThe Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support the organization. The choir's current music director is Mack...
's home, the Salt Lake TabernacleThe Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located in Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.-History:...
).
- When the Grand Ole Opry House opened in 1974, a circle approximately five feet in diameter was removed from the Ryman stage's original floor and inlaid into the stage floor in the new Opry House where it remains today behind the lead singer's microphone.
- The Grand Ole Opry currently returns to the Ryman Auditorium annually for a run from November through February.
See also
- Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association founded in 1958 was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the founding...
- Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- Country Music Hall of Fame
- List of country music performers
External links