The Grand Ole Opry
by Colin Escott and Vince Gill
Published by Center Street
Click on book
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at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Linda Lee
Subtitled: The Making of an American Icon
The story of how the Grand Ole Opry started and how it remains a vital part of country music today is told by music legends, both current and past. Interviews, notes and letters from legends of today, as well as those who live on only in the hearts of country music fans, are used to bring us little known facts and details about the Opry.
Minnie Pearl, Pee Wee Reese, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley all stood on the same stage and felt the same sense of honor at being there.
Funny stories, stories of tragedy and loss and tales from entertainment history are told about, and by, entertainers.
WSM radio started in 1925 as the brainchild of the son of a top executive of National Life Insurance Company. To get backing, he used the call letters WSM that the insurance company had used for years to mean, "we shield millions." The first few years of the fledgling station were rocky. From the struggle to keep the station alive came the idea to air a show called Radio Barn Dance that evolved into the Grand Ole Opry.
The history is interesting, the stories entertaining and the pictures delightful.
Armchair Interviews says: The perfect coffee table book for country music fans.