Since 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has left an indelible mark on American culture. What began as a one-hour radio "barn dance? has transformed into the longest running radio broadcast in US history, as well as a live performance for millions of country music fans each year. The Opry has launched and burnished the careers of almost every star in country music?including Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, and countless others? for nearly a century, popularizing and preserving some of the most fundamental forms of American music. In many ways, the Opry is the show that made country music famous.