The Ryman Auditorium located in Nashville is known for its rich history and connections with country music. The auditorium actually started as a church, and that is why it is referred to as the mother church of country music. The church then quickly converted into the birthplace of country music, and various legends found their luck performing here.

The venue hosts concerts as well, and that is why it has many famous names to its credit.

In this article, we’ll mention some of the greatest facts about the Ryman Auditorium.

1892 Was When It All Started

The first ever performance in The Ryman Auditorium was in May 1892. The performance was organized to raise money to help the former American president Andrew Jackson, but it was a complete disaster. The performance actually ended up losing money.

It Started as a Church

Ryman Auditorium was not a music place right from its beginning. It actually started out as a church back in 1890. A guy named Thomas Ryman dedicated his property to establish the church. The church was then converted into the Ryman Auditorium after Ryman’s Death.

The ”Bluegrass” Music Genre Started Here

In 1945, Bill Monroe introduced a new music genre with his band in the Ryman Auditorium. This genre was later named “Bluegrass”. It became popular because of the unique use of banjo and guitar.

So, Ryman Auditorium is officially regarded as the birthplace of the bluegrass music genre.

Grand Ole Opry Was Hosted Here For 30 Years

The Grand Ole Opry is one of the most famous music programs on radio. It first came to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943. The show continued to be hosted here for the last 30 years, or till 1974. The Opry eventually outgrew the Ryman Auditorium, and had to move out.