It became the calling card for trailblazing WSM, the radio station that reached the wider world with old-time hillbilly music. Just five short years after the first commercial radio broadcast, WSM launched with the “WSM Barn Dance,” the precursor to the Opry, and began to attract musicians and fans to the city. And it put Nashville on a national stage. Today, we sift through the archives to highlight the Opry and a century of stories behind the radio station that laid the groundwork for what Music City has become. Join us for the incredible 100-year history of the Opry and WSM.

Guests

Kyle Cantrell, former Opry announcer, founder of banjoradio.com
Craig Havighurst, editorial director, WMOT, author of Air Castle of the South
Jewly Hight, senior music writer, Nashville Public Radio
Eric Marcum, general manager, WSM