December 19, 1959. 21st Christmas program with George Morgan (photo) who was a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry most of the period from 1948 until his death in 1975 . The Grand Ole Opry started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925. The phrase "Grand Ole Opry" was first uttered on radio on December 10, 1927. At the time, the NBC Red Network's Music Appreciation Hour, a program with classical music and selections from grand opera, was followed by Hays' Barn Dance. That evening, as he was introducing the show and DeFord Bailey, his first guest, George Hay said the following words: For the past hour, we have been listening to music largely from Grand Opera, but from now on, we will present 'The Grand Ole Opry'.
