Opry expands reach with national tour

“The Grand Ole Opry American Road Show 2004” begins April 23 in Uncasville, Conn., then stops at state fairs and other venues before ending Oct. 16 in Phoenix.

Besides Opry members Gill, Loveless and McCoury, frequent Opry guest Rebecca Lynn Howard and announcer Eddie Stubbs also will be on the tour. Other performers will be announced later.

“Our goal is to give fans across the country the chance to sample the best the Opry and Nashville have to offer,” said Steve Buchanan, senior vice president of Gaylord Entertainment Co., which owns the Grand Ole Opry.

The tour mimics the Opry radio show, complete with the signature barn backdrop and microphone stands. But during the tour the actual show will continue to be broadcast from Nashville on WSM-AM.

Artists on the tour will perform their own songs and join each other for collaborations.

“What a great opportunity to show people of all ages where the Opry has been and where it is going,” Gill said.

Established in 1925, the Opry is the longest continuously running radio show in the country. Legends such as Hank Williams Sr. and Patsy Cline were once cast members, and contemporary stars such as Gill, Loveless and Alan Jackson are part of today’s show, which airs every Friday and Saturday night and sometimes on Tuesdays.

The Opry has taken its show on the road before, with tours featuring everyone from Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl to Garth Brooks and Ricky Skaggs.

Opry stars have performed at American military bases in the United States and abroad, and at Carnegie Hall in New York and Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. In 1990 the Opry traveled to Houston for a special performance for then President George H. Bush and the heads of state attending the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations, and in 1991 it launched a 10-city tour.

Dates for Grand Ole Opry Tour:
— April 23, Uncasville, Conn., at Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort Arena

— April 30, York, Pa., at Toyota Arena

— July 23, Marshall, Mo., at Budweiser MOFAC Amphitheatre

— July 24, Monticello, Iowa, at Great Jones County Fair

— Aug. 14, Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State Fair

— Aug. 15, Lewisburg, W.Va., at West Virginia State Fairgrounds

— Aug. 16, Hamburg, N.Y., at Erie County Fair and Expo

— Aug. 17, Detroit, at Michigan State Fairgrounds

— Aug. 18, Interlochen, Mich., at Interlochen Center/Kresge Auditorium

— Sept. 18, Spencer, Iowa, at Clay County Fair

— Oct. 16, Phoenix, at Arizona State Fairgrounds

———

On the Net:

Grand Ole Opry: http://www.opry.com/