Ryman Auditorium Establishes Residency Wall of Fame to Honor Iconic Performers

The historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville unveils the “Residency Wall of Fame” today to honor artists who have established a long-term connection to the Mother Church.

The initiative aims to recognize milestone performances and record-breaking runs that celebrate the historic atmosphere of the building, which opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle and was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974.

“The idea came from other ‘wall of fames’ that we’ve had and thinking of new ideas we could do in the museum,” explains Chrissy Hall, Senior Director of Concerts at the Ryman Auditorium. “And then wanting to make sure that our folks that come back year after year are honored and recognized.”

Artist residencies began with the annual “Christmas at the Ryman” series with Vince Gill and Amy Grant in 2008, which Initially started as a shorter holiday run and grew into an expansive, multi-night residency. The lauded couple reached an historic milestone when they became the first artists in the venues history to headline 100 total shows during their holiday run in 2023.

Grant and Gill will add to the record in December, with a 12-concert marathon that runs from Dec. 14-17 and Dec. 19-23.

Old Crow Medicine Show has made ringing in the New Year at the Ryman an annual tradition since 2009. The celebration has become a two-night stand, with a December 30 performance added because of demand. The band keeps the tradition going this year with shows on Dec. 30 and 31.

The band’s history with the venue actually dates to 2000, when Americana string band performed on a WSM-AM broadcast. Frontman Ketch Secor frequently describes playing the historic room as “playing inside of an acoustic guitar,”

The first year-long artist residency at the 2,362-capacity room was launched by Little Big Town on Feb. 24, 2017. Dubbed “Little Big Town at the Mother Church,” the residency consisted of 10 sold-out shows scheduled throughout the venue’s 125th anniversary year.

The award-winning vocal group is scheduled to play the Ryman on Dec. 8-10 with a run of Christmas concerts.

Old Dominion’s Hall of Fame relationship with the Ryman is slightly different. The band’s “7 for 7” residency in February 2025 was a special, one-time event, created to celebrate their record-setting seventh consecutive CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year.

The seven performances ran Feb. 3–6, 2025, with two shows on Feb. 3, 4 and 5 and one on Feb. 6. The residency set a Ryman record for the most consecutive shows by an artist.

Each show benefited a different charity: MusiCares, Save the Music, Backline Care, the Opry Trust Fund, CMA Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Ramsey Foundation and ultimately raised more than $1.25 million for the seven organizations. It also featured surprise guests during various shows, including Charles Kelley, Kenny Chesney and Brothers Osborne.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have built one of the most celebrated annual traditions at the Ryman. The revered rock, roots singer-songwriter frequently calls the venue his “favorite place to play a show in the whole world.”

Isbell’s Ryman relationship has grown from a one-night appearance on Aug. 17, 2014, into one of the venue’s most established annual residencies, which began with four-nights in October 2015 and continues this year with a six-night stand split across two consecutive weekends Oct. 15-14 and Oct. 22-24.

The recurring engagement has developed into a deliberately curated annual event. Isbell changes the set list each night and brings in a different opener each evening. The upcoming appearances include Southern Avenue, The Bo-Keys, Al Kapone & The Blues Rap Band, Ben Nichols, Amy LaVere and Rony Thomas Three.

The permanent Residency Wall of Fame instillation honors a select group of artists who have called the Ryman home for more than two consecutive nights. It will be located in the lower lobby of the auditorium and part of the Ryman’s daytime tour, giving visitors the opportunity to see the permanent tribute during their visit.

“The Ryman really lends itself with the storied history and the feel of the room and the magic that it creates for the artist and the audience,” says Hall. “It lends itself to a residency because the act is always so excited to play here, and to be so close to their fans, and to be able to walk where legends have walked – Dolly, Elvis and Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. It really lends itself to making that artist feel really special.”

Hall credits the Ryman’s staff with creating a welcoming environment for artists and their teams operating in a 134-year-old venue, which presents some production challenges.

“We were built in the 1800s when loading docks were not a thing,” says Hall. “And therefore you load in through the lobby. And then just basic amenities that newer building are going to just have – elevators on each side, ramps, and things that are not historically accurate. For our historical landmark building we have to be careful to not change too much and adjust what makes the Ryman special, which is that historic factor.”

Artists don’t play the Ryman because for easy load in: Hall says it’s for the magic.

“Jason and Amy and Vince and Little Big Town, they think of this place as their home and I think that brings out a playfulness and joy in their performance,” she says. “And I’m certainly not saying that they don’t have ease and joy in other buildings, but it taps into a bit of a nuance inside of their performance and just makes it very special.”

The bonus for fans is that they can attend multiple shows over a short period of time. With the residencies taking place in recurring time slots, fans can plan well in advance and the venue knows to hold certain dates each year.

The goal is to expand the Wall of Fame as residencies grow and set records.

“That is the goal,” says Hall. “To continue to add milestone residencies and honor those artists that continue to come and do residencies with us over the years.”

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/30/ryman-auditorium-unveils-residency-wall-of-fame-exclusive/)._