10 Rarely Seen Photos of Country Music’s Most Iconic Stars

For country music lovers, few places are more iconic than the Grand Ole Opry. It began in 1925 as the WSM Barn Dance and adopted the name Grand Ole Opry in 1927. Since then, it has been a platform for both legendary performers and rising stars, originally broadcast on radio, then on television, always in front of a live audience. Over the years, the Opry has moved locations several times before settling into its current home just outside Nashville. Today, it stands as a cherished symbol of Music City's rich heritage, continuing to attract big crowds to its weekly shows.

Long-time country music fans will remember the names of the stars who paved the way for today's performers. We're talking Hank Williams, Minnie Pearl, Little Jimmy Dickens, June Carter Cash and many more. Here, take an exclusive peek into the Grannis Vintage Nashville archives and get an up-close-and-personal look at what an evening at the Opry was really like when it took place at the Mother Church of Country Music, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

Affectionately known as "Mister Guitar," Chet Atkins is largely credited with giving country music its sound. Rolling Stone ranked Atkins at 21 on it's list of top guitarists of all time. Atkins made his Opry debut in 1946, and he became a member of the Opry — arguably the industry's highest honor — the next decade. Many awards and hits are his legacy. The icon passed away in 2001.

June Carter, her sisters and mother made up the band The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle and made their Opry debut in 1950. Some six years later, June met her future husband, Johnny Cash, at the Opry. The couple was a force that continues to inspire legions of aspiring country artists. And June's massive hit "Ring of Fire" held Billboard's number 1 spot for seven consecutive weeks and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Known as the Tennessee Plowboy, Eddy Arnold began his singing career as a way to make some extra money for his family, who were sharecroppers during the Great Depression. Having played with several bands, Arnold went solo and made his Opry debut in 1943.

Though her given name was Sarah Cannon, fans know her as Minnie Pearl, the performer who was rarely seen without her signature hat with the $1.98 price tag still attached. Not a singer, Pearl was a comedienne who made her Opry debut in 1940 and kept crowds laughing on that stage for more than 50 years.

Dolly Parton is a global phenomenon and is widely considered the face of country music — and humanity. While Dolly made her Opry debut in earnest at the age of 10 years old, it wasn't until the 1960s that she became a member of the esteemed group.

Little Jimmy Dickens (pictured here with June Carter Cash) was a standout for his short stature and iconic and shiny fashions. Known for writing playful "novelty" songs, Dickens joined the Opry in August of 1948.

Not so much country as bluegrass, Bill Monroe was an early presence in Opry history. He earned a regular spot on the Opry stage in October of 1939.

Hank Williams' relationship with the Grand Ole Opry was, well … complicated. He'd enjoyed a marriage, several hits, and the birth of Hank Jr. by the time he made his Opry debut in 1949. His drinking, however, led to his subsequent divorce as well as his being fired from the Opry in 1952 for being a "no-show" one too many times.

Kitty Wells also had a strained relationship with the Opry. She had a controversial hit in the song "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." The song was banned from radio as well as the Opry because of one line: "It brings back memories of when I was a trustful wife." Once she changed the word "trustful" to "trusting," her admission to the Opry was a lock.

Roy Acuff is revered as the Opry patriarch, underscored by his nickname, "The King of Country Music." He's widely credited for taking country music to the next level and making it a commercially successful music genre. He joined the Opry in 1938, but later transitioned from performing to publishing, founding Acuff-Rose Music (with Fred Rose), which was Nashville's first country music publishing company.