This Is Nashville

Re-air: Opryland's Lasting Legacy

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Maybe we didn’t know what we had until it left a theme park-size hole in Nashville’s heart. A documentary premiering at the Nashville Film Festival, called “A Circle Broken,” gives us a good excuse to reopen that wound and hear the story of Opryland like we’ve not heard before, a story about how perhaps Opryland saved the Grand Ole Opry itself. We’re talking to the characters who are keeping the memory alive and hearing your memories of Opryland USA.

This episode originally aired on July 22, 2025.

Guests:

  • Brandon Vestal, filmmaker
  • David Ewing, historian
  • Bob Whitaker, former Opryland General Manager
  • Michael-Demby Cain, Opryland performer who went to Broadway
  • Jennifer Roberts, performer
  • Lynn Wright, half of first couple married at Opryland
  • Sean Hughes, "The Balloon Guy"

    Further reading:

    • To submit footage for "A Circle Broken"
    • Opryland VR
    • Nashville Scene: Taking a Look Back at the Rushed 1997 Closure of Opryland

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