Exclusive Interview: Grand Ole Opry Musical Director Steve Gibson

The musical director of the Grand Ole Opry, Steve Gibson, talks with Guitar Shop TV about how he came on board at the Opry, and what he did to shake things up in an institution that he felt had become a bit complacent. Sadly, this interview took place right after massive flooding in Nashville caused by torrential rains May 1 and May 2, 2010. The Cumberland River flooded its banks, leaving chest-high water inside the Grand Ole Opry. Refusing to be beaten, however, Gibson and the Opry staff moved their Tuesday night show to Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium, a former home of the Opry. The following weekend they relocated to the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, where the Ole Opry show originated and was based for decades before the current Opry House opened in 1974. Under Gibson's leadership, the Opry not only survived this calamity, it became stronger in the face of adversity. In September 2010, it returned home to a restored Opry House, re-positioned, re-vitalized, and set to r

Added 24 Mar 2026