Patsy Cline may have said it best when she told reporters, “Carnegie Hall is real fabulous but it ain’t as big as The Grand Ole Opry.” The venerable institution celebrates its 91st birthday this weekend so we asked some of the current members of the Opry what they have to say about the longest-running radio show in country music and the hallowed venue itself?
What Makes the Grand Ole Opry a National Treasure?
Bill Anderson
“The Grand Ole Opry, to a country singer, is what Yankee Stadium is to a baseball player. Broadway to an actor. It’s the top of the ladder, the top of the mountain. You don’t just play the Opry; you live it.”
Ronnie Milsap
“I feel this is a family here, so kinda regardless of whatever happens in your life, you always can come home to the Grand Ole Opry, thank God.”
Garth Brooks
“I’ve said it for the record a thousand times. I’ll state it again a thousand times. This is the pinnacle of what I do. Nothing has ever touched being a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Brad Paisley
“Pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land, and the foundations of their faith. People go to Washington, D.C. to see the workings of government, and the foundation of our country. And fans flock to Nashville to see the foundation of country music, the Grand Ole Opry.”
Jeannie Seely
“Because of the history and the love and the respect of all those who went on that stage before us, it makes you stop and think how you are looking, acting and sounding. It isn’t about me; it is about making sure those people leave with a wonderful experience about the Grand Ole Opry.”
Loretta Lynn (Remembering her first Opry performance)
“I came out the back of the building and I was hollering, ‘I’ve sung on the Grand Ole Opry! I’ve sung on the Grand Ole Opry!’”
Alan Jackson
“You think about people like Hank Williams, who stood on that spot of wood, and Mr. Acuff, and, of course, George Jones. And just about anybody you can think of who has made country music has been on that stage. That’s what makes you so nervous — to think about the historical part of the Opry and how it’s played such a part in country music.”
Martina McBride
“Becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry is something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl.”
Darius Rucker
“When I was asked if I wanted to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, I yelled, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I’ve been waiting for that my whole life. To be invited where so many of the greatest country artists have performed is an honor, and I still can’t believe it has been bestowed on me. Just to stand in the circle where so many greats have stood—Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, I just couldn’t believe it.”
Kellie Pickler
“It’s such an honor. I still get, I guess, starstruck, at the Opry. Because there’s so much history here and there are so many legends that are still walking around backstage, so it’s really an incredible, incredible experience for somebody like me that grew up listening to all of them. And to be able to share the stage with them is something that I treasure.”