The Grand Ole Opry: A Stellar Performance

Tullahoma, Tennessee, March 2, 2026--100 Years of the Grand Ole Opry and we get tickets, along with a full house audience of 4000.  It was fortuitous, and out of the ordinary.  GOO normally puts on a variety show of country music twice a week.  This past Saturday it was not only a celebratory concert of country, gospel and blues music but a special show celebrating the 25th anniversary of the George Clooney movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" which featured a movie score of country music.  GOO got musicians to sing every song in the movie, including the actors who sang as well as acted.  What a show!  Of course, they have had 100 years of practice broadcasting, still, on an AM radio station WSM,

We knew many of the stars, even though we had not been country music followers.  Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, and many others.   Each of them doing a song from the show.  A robust, successful beautifully done standing ovation concert.

What followed was a discussion with three of the movie actors and singers who talked about the movie production 25 years ago and how it significantly enhanced their careers.

Of course, this meant a web search for the movie, which hosts Corabel and Marty found...a movie in their living room that led to a pyjama party with popcorn and good wines.

We enjoyed Nashville immensely, though the Parthenon was only seen from a distance.  The Centennial Park was so crowded there was no parking to be found.  Still, it's a lovely building.  We also enjoyed a stroll through part  of Vanderbilt Universities campus. We had lunch, late, at Brown's Diner, and then to the Opry.  Opryland, hotels and shopping centers surround the huge concert hall. Crowded and enormous, with crowds of people dressed in style for the performance.  Peter tried his movements before the show.

We departed Nashville yesterday for Tullahoma and Shelbyville where Marty's family has long-time roots.  We are staying in a French style home with a magnificent patio where we enjoyed dinner last night, outside--on March 1, no less, with temperatures of 70F/22C.  Lots of roast veggies, good roast on the BBQ and risotto.  Good wines, including a 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape.  The fire blazed away and kept away the chill away as the temperature cooled under the full moon and stars, not so strongly affected by light pollution since we are out in the country. 

Today we are off to expore Marty and Corabel's farm and then tomorrow to Memphis.  Learning to farm today, how to wiggle llike Elvis tomorrow.

Of course GOO recognized our collecitve talents