Opry Timeline

1950s

The '50s Opry had it all—honky-tonk, bluegrass, crooners, comedy, even a little rock 'n' roll. During this time, the show not only brought in established acts like Flatt & Scruggs and Mother Maybelle Carter, it could also turn an unknown like Stonewall Jackson into a star. And as the recording industry in Nashville took hold, Opry membership and hit records often went hand in hand. Here are some of the acts who made the Opry one of the nation's most popular music programs during this decade.