44 - Tennessee, The Women of the Grand Ole Opry
Tennessee! The last state needed to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment! This was the turning point. And I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the women of the Grand Ole Opry. They shared the vibrance of life and helped to create a world to share music and culture for all.
Tennessee was the 36th and final required state to reach the majority, and ratify the Nineteenth Amendment on August 18, 1920.
The Women of the Grand Ole Opry
The longest running radio broadcast in history, the Grand Ole Opry started in 1925 to honor country music and its history. Mixing singers and chart toppers of country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, gospel music and comedic performances, hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of listeners share in the community. Known as “the show that made country music famous”, the show quickly grew through the 1930s to a Saturday night tradition in 30 states.
In 1943, the Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, then known as America’s country music capital. It crowned its name in 1927 when George Hay stated on air “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry’.”
Today, the Opry provides a 14-piece house band. It is streamed on channel 59 on Sirius radio and on WSM’s website.
Lula C. Naff
The Ryman Auditorium, a house of worship, was commonly leased to raise revenue to repay debts. Lula C. Naff booked and promoted events in 1904 in her free time. Ten years later, she took on the position full time and became the full time manager in 1920.
To be taken more seriously, she hid her gender as L.C. Naff working within the male-dominated industry. She was a strong advocate against censorship when performances were considered risqué, such as a fight with the Board of Censors in 1939 in a landmark lawsuit.
She also championed the cause of diversity including black groups and singers in to integrated audiences frequently before 1955 when she retired.
Dolly Parton
Ms. Parton has 25 RIAA Certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, 25 No. 1 hits and 41 top-10 country albums. Her long list of awards holds records for women singers, and she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
One of 12 children, her parents worked very hard to care for her family, inspiring many of her songs. Her father was illiterate, inspiring her advocacy for literacy. She performed young in life and was picked up by Porter Wagoner in 1967. Her career grew consistently throughout her long career.
She excelled as singer, songwriter, actor, film producer, business venture investor, and philanthropist to be the highest honored female country singers of all time. She was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.
Sarah Colley
Sarah Colley was known for her stage name, Minnie Pearl, as an American Country Comedian. She appeared in the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on television show Hee Haw from 1969-1991.
Graduating from Ward-Belmont College with a degree in theater studies and dance, she joined a company in Atlanta writing and producing shows throughout the Southeast and she developed her Minnie Pearl routine.
She first performed he hillbilly, gental satire of rural Southern culture at the Grand Ole Opry in 1940. A bronze statue of Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff are displayed in the lobby of the Ryman Auditorium, and a museum dedicated to her stands outside the Opry House in Opryland USA. The list of friends and mentees is long and respectful.
Why these Women?
The Grand Ole Opry is a legacy establishment at a time when the music scene was led by men and broken with diversity of people. Without the women leading the movement, it would not be the long standing phenomenon it is today.
Lula, Dolly, and Minnie showed three of the most important aspects of the Grand Ole Opry: operations; country music, and southern comedy. They brought people together to celebrate joy that music and comedy shares. They spread culture around the country, and kept the country style alive and relevant in our time. The Grand Ole Opry went with the times as well, staying relevant as radio changed to television, then to video.
I had a project in Tennessee in 2009-2012 and luckily got to visit Nashville a few times. The spirit of the city was invigorating, and I hope to go again in the future to really thrive there. I can’t wait.
Tennessee was the 36th and final required state to reach the majority, and ratify the Nineteenth Amendment on August 18, 1920.
The Women of the Grand Ole Opry
The longest running radio broadcast in history, the Grand Ole Opry started in 1925 to honor country music and its history. Mixing singers and chart toppers of country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, gospel music and comedic performances, hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of listeners share in the community. Known as “the show that made country music famous”, the show quickly grew through the 1930s to a Saturday night tradition in 30 states.
In 1943, the Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, then known as America’s country music capital. It crowned its name in 1927 when George Hay stated on air “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry’.”
Today, the Opry provides a 14-piece house band. It is streamed on channel 59 on Sirius radio and on WSM’s website.
Lula C. Naff
The Ryman Auditorium, a house of worship, was commonly leased to raise revenue to repay debts. Lula C. Naff booked and promoted events in 1904 in her free time. Ten years later, she took on the position full time and became the full time manager in 1920.
To be taken more seriously, she hid her gender as L.C. Naff working within the male-dominated industry. She was a strong advocate against censorship when performances were considered risqué, such as a fight with the Board of Censors in 1939 in a landmark lawsuit.
She also championed the cause of diversity including black groups and singers in to integrated audiences frequently before 1955 when she retired.
Dolly Parton
Ms. Parton has 25 RIAA Certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, 25 No. 1 hits and 41 top-10 country albums. Her long list of awards holds records for women singers, and she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
One of 12 children, her parents worked very hard to care for her family, inspiring many of her songs. Her father was illiterate, inspiring her advocacy for literacy. She performed young in life and was picked up by Porter Wagoner in 1967. Her career grew consistently throughout her long career.
She excelled as singer, songwriter, actor, film producer, business venture investor, and philanthropist to be the highest honored female country singers of all time. She was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.
Sarah Colley
Sarah Colley was known for her stage name, Minnie Pearl, as an American Country Comedian. She appeared in the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on television show Hee Haw from 1969-1991.
Graduating from Ward-Belmont College with a degree in theater studies and dance, she joined a company in Atlanta writing and producing shows throughout the Southeast and she developed her Minnie Pearl routine.
She first performed he hillbilly, gental satire of rural Southern culture at the Grand Ole Opry in 1940. A bronze statue of Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff are displayed in the lobby of the Ryman Auditorium, and a museum dedicated to her stands outside the Opry House in Opryland USA. The list of friends and mentees is long and respectful.
Why these Women?
The Grand Ole Opry is a legacy establishment at a time when the music scene was led by men and broken with diversity of people. Without the women leading the movement, it would not be the long standing phenomenon it is today.
Lula, Dolly, and Minnie showed three of the most important aspects of the Grand Ole Opry: operations; country music, and southern comedy. They brought people together to celebrate joy that music and comedy shares. They spread culture around the country, and kept the country style alive and relevant in our time. The Grand Ole Opry went with the times as well, staying relevant as radio changed to television, then to video.
I had a project in Tennessee in 2009-2012 and luckily got to visit Nashville a few times. The spirit of the city was invigorating, and I hope to go again in the future to really thrive there. I can’t wait.
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