Ryman Auditorium

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Additional Press Releases

MAY 12, 2003

RYMAN AUDITORIUM CELEBRATES THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF BLUEGRASS NIGHTS SERIES WITH STELLAR LINE-UP
Historic venue is the birthplace of bluegrass

NASHVILLE ,Tenn. (May 12, 2003) – The 10 th Anniversary Bluegrass Nights at the historic Ryman Auditorium sponsored by Bisquick will feature some of the biggest names in the genre, including Vince Gill, The Del McCoury Band, Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Ricky Skaggs, Mountain Heart, and Marty Stuart and Friends. The series will run every Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. from June 19 through July 24.

“This is a special year for our Bluegrass Series, and we're thrilled to have the caliber of artists who will perform on Bluegrass Nights,” said Pam Matthews, general manager of the Ryman Auditorium. “This series continues to attract new audiences while retaining the loyal fan base which has made this event so successful throughout the last decade.”

Eddie Stubbs, CMA Award-winner and WSM-AM on-air personality, will again host the series. A noted country music and bluegrass historian, Stubbs said, “Especially important to the history of the Ryman is its significant role in the history of bluegrass music. Although Bill Monroe had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1939, it wasn't until a Saturday night in 1945 when bluegrass music as we know it today was born when a 21-year-old young man by the name of Earl Scruggs stepped up to the WSM microphone on the Ryman stage playing the five-string banjo with a three-finger roll. This was the final ingredient in what we now know as bluegrass music.

“Although it wasn't known as bluegrass at the time, there was something very unique and special about his edition of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys with Earl Scruggs which also included guitarist /lead singer Lester Flatt, fiddler Chubby Wise, and bass player Cedric Rainwater. Their weekly broadcasts on the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium over WSM, their Columbia recordings and their personal appearances through early 1948 provided the architectural groundwork for all of bluegrass.”

The popular Bluegrass Nights Series kicks-off with The Del McCoury Band, the first family of bluegrass, with Robinella & the CCstring Band on June 19. Vince Gill, winner of a record 15 Grammy Awards and 18 Country Music Association Awards,

will perform on June 26. Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys and Jim Lauderdale, each Grammy Award winners, will take the stage on July 3. A Gospel Bluegrass Night will feature Mountain Heart with Blue Highway on July 10.

Rounding out the series on July 17 will be “bluegrass ambassador” Ricky Skaggs, the recognized master of the format. Joining Skaggs on July 24 is three-time Grammy Award winner Marty Stuart, who will bring some of his talented friends.

Pickin ' in the Plaza, a favorite part of the series for audiences and pickers alike, will also return this year. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments and “jam” on the Fifth Avenue side of the Ryman Plaza from 6 - 7 p.m. Instruments may be checked in at the Ryman prior to these concerts. A variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase at both the interior and exterior of the Ryman.

For tickets to Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman, which are $20.50 for individual concerts or $100 for the six-concert series pass, call (615) 889-3060, or visit any Ticketmaster outlet, www.ryman.com or the Ryman Box Office. The historic Ryman Auditorium is located at 116 Fifth Avenue North in downtown Nashville .

About the Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium was built as a church in 1892, served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 - 1974, and was completely renovated in 1994. Today, the Ryman continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in live entertainment. The Ryman Auditorium is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville ,Tenn. For more information, visit www.ryman.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.

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