***Opinions and content are my own and in no way affiliated with Bobby Bones, The Bobby Bones Show, or iHeart Media***
On April 3rd, Bobby Bones’ and The Raging Idiots will take the Ryman’s stage with a star-studded lineup of Country Music stars to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
With so many big names performing (like Sam Hunt, Nate Smith, Ben Rector, and Edwin McCain), it would be easy to overlook the Ryman Auditorium in the lineup. But, you should fight the urge. The Ryman’s place in music history is as rich as the stars that have graced it’s stage during Bones’ Million Dollar Show.
The Ryman dates back to wealthy riverboat captain, John Ryman in the early 1900’s. Yearning for a venue for religious gatherings to take place in Nashville, Ryman opened – what was then called – the Union Gospel Tabernacle. This name would only be changed to his surname forty years later.
Since, the Ryman Auditorium became synonymous with The Grand Ole Opry (and Country Music). The Opry, having out grown other local venues, settled on the Ryman as its home from 1943 to 1974. By 1969, The Grand Ole Opry announced it would leave the Ryman – the venue was simply not big enough anymore. The Opry show’s departure sent the Ryman into a nearly 20 year tailspin until, in 1989, renovations began under new management.
In 1994, the Ryman reopened as a top-notch music hall and museum. Today’s Ryman Auditorium still hosts periodic Grand Ole Opry shows, but crosses all musical genres as a premier stop for a range of artists and acts – from R&B stars like Wu Tang Clan to Rock-n-Roll royalty like Bob Dylan and, of course, the biggest names in Country Music.
The Ryman is a perfect venue for Bones’ Million Dollar show – with a capacity of just over 2,300 and a two-story setting that is typical of other venues The Raging Idiots have played or that Bones has performed his comedy shows in. For fans to have the ability to see massive stars from such a close vantage point makes the tickets an amazing value. The fact that proceeds are donated to St. Jude is icing on the cake!
So, while we all can appreciate the nearly $25 million Bobby Bones and The Raging Idiots will donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during their Million Dollar Show, take a moment to soak in the greatness of the venue that has hosted it all.
The Ryman, like the kids these donations will help cure, has an amazing comeback story.
The Ryman Auditorium is indeed the unsung star of the Million Dollar Show.
