On April 14 the Tennessee House of Delegates passed a resolution honoring the Grand Ole Opry as they celebrate 100 years as a bluegrass and country music institution in Nashville.
After the resolution was read, Jaimie Dailey and Darren Vincent performed live on the chamber floor. They sang their song, I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee, which has been named as an official Tennessee state song by this same legislature.
The resolution reads:
Whereas the Grand Ole Opry has stood as a cornerstone of American culture for a century, influencing the way we experience live performance and serving as a source of hope during society’s darkest times.
And whereas the Grand Ole Opry began as a small WSM radio program called the WSM Barn Dance on 11/28/1925, broadcasting 80 year old fiddle player, uncle Jimmy Thompson, as its first performer, live from Nashville’s Nashville Life And Accident Insurance Company offices.
And whereas in 1928, the radio show was renamed Grand Old Opry after a December 1927 introduction by founder George D Hay.
“For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from the Grama Opera. But from now on, we will present the Grand Ole Opry, which is followed by a harmonica performance of Pan American Blues by musician Deford Bailey.”
And whereas we find it appropriate to acknowledge and applaud the Grand Ole Opry and its remarkable members on the celebration of the 1 hundredth anniversary and commend them for their countless contributions to music, American culture, the seat of Nashville, and the state of Tennessee.
Now therefore, Cameron Sexton, speaker of the house of representatives of the 114th general assembly of the state of Tennessee, at the request of and in conjunction with representative Jeremy Fazen, do hereby proclaim that we recognize and honor the legendary Grand Ole Opry and its many fond members, both past and present, as they celebrate the Opry’s 100th anniversary.
Dailey & Vincent recorded I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee in 2022, and its popularity quickly led to its adoption as the 11th official state song.
Jaimie told us back then that he had loved this song the moment he heard it.
“Karen Staley created a gem when she wrote this song.
In 2013 she dropped a CD off at my house. When I listened to it, I’ll Leave My Heart In Tennessee was the song I heard. I could plainly see my life the way, well, I have lived it in Tennessee, with every lyric she had written. I was smitten with it and knew I had to sing it.”
Both Karen and Jaimie spoke at length about the song in our piece from March of ’22 about the song being made official. You can read it all here.
