The Mother Church of Country Music

I spent a little over an hour in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium this morning.  My self-guided tour began with a 10-minute video outlining the history of the building narrated by Trisha Yearwood. As a fan of country music I was happy to get a chance to hear about the good ol' days at the Ryman when fans packed the auditorium and the streets to listen to the one of a kind sounds of the Grand Old Opry. 

Thanks to the video it was easy to stroll around the venue and picture those old wooden benches filled up on a hot summer night- filled with sweating fans of all ages, eager for the show to start.  It's almost possible to hear the click of cowboy boots as the man in black walks across the stage and announces himself to the crowd- "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."  I can also picture Miss Minnie Pearl flower hat and all as she yells out a big 'ol "How-Dee!!"

The stained glass windows in the back of the hall speak to the building's origins as a tabernacle for Samuel Porter Jones.  They also help solidify the Ryman's other title as The Mother Church of Country Music.