Grand Ole Opry in Nashville

Grand Ole Opry is an American country-music stage show and radio broadcast founded in Nashville in 1925. It began as the WSM Barn Dance under announcer George D. Hay and became known for presenting successive generations of country performers, including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. In 1943, the show moved to the Ryman Auditorium, where it remained until the opening of the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. After flooding forced that venue to close temporarily in 2010, the production used several local stages before returning later that year. Each performance features a rotating cast of members and guest artists playing short sets within a live radio program. Membership is by invitation, and public inductions have welcomed performers including Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson.

Marty Stuart is an American country and bluegrass singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, born in 1958 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. A guitarist and mandolin player rooted in traditional country, he is known for songs including “Hillbilly Rock” and “Tempted,” as well as the Travis Tritt duets “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’” and “This One’s Gonna Hurt You.” His albums include the narrative-driven The Pilgrim and the desert-country record Way Out West. As a teenager, he toured as a mandolinist in Lester Flatt’s band, then spent part of the 1980s playing guitar in Johnny Cash’s road band. He became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1992 and formed Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives in 2002. That same year, he launched the annual Late Night Jam at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.