An Americana Milestone in Pictures: Grand Ole Opry Turns 100

Dec 04, 2025

Ken Klein

A performer addresses a large, seated audience on a brightly lit theater stage; adjacent is a close-up of the Grand Ole Opry stage with a signature red and white podium and illuminated barn backdrop.

Amidst whiplash change in technology and media, Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 100th year (1925-2025).

Nashville-based photographer Ed Rode, who has documented the Grand Ole Opry for more than three decades, agreed to share some favorite images of the venue, performers, and fans. Rode is the author of “Songwriter Musician,” a photo documentary book on Nashville’s stars, songwriters, and session greats.

A stage with a red-lit backdrop shaped like a barn and a podium labeled "WSM Grand Ole Opry" and "Opry 100," with a microphone on top. The floor is polished wood. — Grand Ole Opry stage features circle of wood cut from its previous home, Ryman Auditorium

A man in a blue blazer and jeans sits on a couch playing an electric guitar in a cozy room decorated with framed black-and-white photos and lit by vanity lights. — Vince Gill backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, 2025 | Photo by Ed Rode

“The tradition, the musical heritage, the talent — every night is a challenge worth showing up for,” says Rode. “Documenting this place has never felt like a job. It’s more like stepping into a living history book every night and getting to add one more page.”

A standout memory for Rode is when Pee-wee Herman (actor Paul Reubens) walked into Dwight Yoakam backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1994.

Two men dressed in cowboy-themed outfits stand indoors. One wears a white suit and cowboy hat, while the other wears a patterned vest, chaps, blue neckerchief, and matching hat. They appear to be backstage near a dressing room. — Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens 1952-2023) and Dwight Yoakam backstage at the Grand Ole Opry | Photo by Ed Rode

“It lasted only a heartbeat, just a split second, but the look they gave each other was priceless. Moments like that are why you keep the camera up,” Rode says.

“Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to witness the Opry from every angle: Vince Gill warming up backstage, Del and Ronnie McCoury picking in the dressing rooms, Buddy Miller lighting up the stage, fans pressed against the rail soaking in that circle of wood cut from the Ryman Auditorium. The Opry evolves, the artists evolve, but the heartbeat stays the same.”

A band performs on a brightly lit stage in front of a large, seated audience in a theater. The crowd attentively watches the musicians under purple and blue stage lighting. — Buddy Miller performs at Grand Ole Opry | Photo by Ed Rode

The Beginning, a Century Ago

The long-running show, broadcast continuously on the radio for a century, is getting plenty of attention from other legacy media.

“When the program now called the Grand Ole Opry debuted on November 28, 1925, the sole performer was a 77-year-old fiddler from the Tennessee hills playing into a primitive microphone with his niece accompanying him on the piano,” reported National Geographic. “‘Country music,’ the genre, didn’t even exist; the performance would have been considered hillbilly or old-time, or just fiddle tunes. In the century since, this homespun style has constantly evolved and expanded, and the Opry has grown alongside it.”

Colorful light streams through large, arched stained glass windows with red, yellow, blue, and green panes, illuminating empty wooden pews inside a dimly lit church or theater. — The famous windows at Ryman Auditorium | Photo by Ed Rode

From 1943-1974, the Opry emanated from Ryman Auditorium. When Hank Williams debuted there in 1949, the audience cheered on six encores. Johnny Cash broke the footlights with a microphone stand in 1965; he was invited back later in his career.

Panoramic view of downtown Nashville at dusk, featuring brightly lit buildings, the iconic AT&T tower, and colorful lights along busy streets with a clear blue evening sky. — Ryman Auditorium nested in downtown Nashville | Photo by Ed Rode

New Home in 1974

On March 15, 1974, country music legend Roy Acuff opened the first show at the 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House.

President Richard Nixon led the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to First Lady Pat Nixon and he played “God Bless America” on the piano.

A large group of musicians and performers stand on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, with a crowd watching. The backdrop displays “GRAND OLE OPRY” in bold letters. Some hold instruments, and the stage is brightly lit. — President Nixon at the dedication of Grand Ole Opry House, 1974 | Photo: Richard Nixon Foundation

The Grand Ole Opry helped spur Nashville as a music center and remains a top tourist destination.

A performer stands on a brightly lit stage facing a large audience in a theater, with blue lighting illuminating the crowd and warm yellow lights decorating the balcony above. — Jim Lauderdale performs at the Grand Ole Opry | Photo by Ed Rode

A couple holding hands stands under a lit “Grand Ole Opry Artist Entrance” sign at night; the man holds a guitar case as they face the entrance together. The scene is in black and white. — Ruby Amanfu and Sam Ashworth at the artist entrance, Grand Ole Opry, 2024 | Photo by Ed Rode

A group of musicians play guitars and a mandolin in a cozy room with framed photos on the wall, while one older man stands in the center smiling and playing an acoustic guitar. — Del McCoury and son Ronnie warm upon in dressing room at Grand Ole Opry, 2025 | Photo by Ed Rode

About the author: Ken Klein lives in Silver Spring, Maryland; he is retired after a career in politics, lobbying, and media including The Associated Press and Gannett in Florida. Klein is an alumnus of Ohio University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Scripps College of Communication. Professionally, he has worked for Fort Myers News-Press (Gannett), The Associated Press (Tallahassee), Senator Bob Graham, and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).