Grand Ole Opry House to reopen ahead of schedule, famed circle back in place

Brad Paisley, left, and Little Jimmy Dickens unveil the restored, previously flood-submerged Circle of Wood at the Grand Ole Opry House (photo: Steven S. Harman/The Tennessean). Click to see more photos.

There were days following the May flood when Little Jimmy Dickens ached at the thought of the future of the Grand Ole Opry House. Once, he arrived at the Opry House with locker key in hand, only to be told the building was uninhabitable.

“I hung my head and cried and went back to the house,” said Dickens, a Country Music Hall of Famer who at 89 is the Opry’s oldest living member.

No one was crying Wednesday morning, when Dickens, fellow Opry member Brad Paisley, Mayor Karl Dean and numerous Opry officials celebrated a flood — pardon — of good news:

The famed six-foot circle moved from the Ryman Auditorium to the Opry House in 1974 is back in place at the center of the Opry House’s stage.

The Opry House will reopen ahead of schedule for a Tuesday, Sept. 28, show featuring Dickens, Paisley, Mel Tillis, Trace Adkins, Josh Turner, Charlie Daniels, Jason Aldean, Diamond Rio, the Del McCoury Band, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton and others.

The Opry will celebrate a “Spirit of Nashville” day on Oct. 2 by opening up the Opry House for free tours of the renovated main room and backstage area and by presenting music on the Opry Plaza.

“Everyone will be awed and pleased with the result,” said Grand Ole Opry Group president Steve Buchanan, who said the renovations to all areas of the buildings will allow the Opry to properly celebrate its 85th birthday.

The Opry has not missed a show since the flood, but the long-running radio show has been doing the concert equivalent of couch-surfing, moving from venue to venue while the Opry House is renovated.

Much of Wednesday morning’s talk centered around the circle, which looked no worse for wear though it had been covered by 46 inches of water. Dickens made his Opry debut standing on that wood more than 60 years ago, when it was part of the Ryman stage.

“There’s something about having a piece of the floor that Hank Williams stood on,” Paisley said. “Keeping physically and metaphorically this bond with the past is something that separates the Opry from almost all other musical institutions.”