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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Grand Ole Opry In 1925, the Grand Ole Opry, an American institution and the longest radio show in the country, began broadcasting on WSM, radio station of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company. The idea was to broadcast a radio show of old-time music performed by amateur musicians as a way of promoting the insurance company in and around Nashville. The show, still broadcast today on WSM, grew to become the radio home of some of the most prominent and influential artists in the country music genre and an important and enduring chapter of radio history. Grand Ole Opry, opening [opening date] at [your institution], is an exhibition featuring sixty photographs taken by Gordon Gillingham, a commercial photographer hired to photograph the Opry between 1952 and 1960. Most of these outstanding photographs have never been published, and those that were printed in the 1950s have not been reproduced since. These images document the radio show and the country music business during the zenith of country music's postwar boom, and wonderfully capture the spirit, energy, camaraderie, and sheer joy of performing that permeated both musicians and fans of the Opry in its heyday. [In this paragraph, provide details about any activities you plan in conjunction with the exhibition. Also include information about museum/gallery hours, admission costs, and a phone number to call for additional information.] Photographer Gordon Gillingham shows us Grand Ole Opry legends such as Minnie Pearl, Chet Atkins, and rising star Patsy Cline. He turned his lens backstage, on rehearsals, and on the audience and fans of the Opry, as he captured Roy Rogers, Johnny Cash, and June Carter interacting with their adoring fans. Although the Grand Ole Opry's broadcast range has grown over the years and the show became more professional, it never lost the spontaneous, down-home flavor portrayed in these photographs. Grand Ole Opry is curated by Brenda Colladay, curator of the Grand Ole Opry Museum in Nashville. The exhibition is organized by the Grand Ole Opry and toured by ExhibitsUSA. The purpose of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1972. *Please see www.exhibitsusa.org for the most current crediting information.
©2002 Mid-America Arts Alliance. All Rights Reserved |