Ryman Auditorium | The Curse of The Grand Ole Opry

Posted: 12.30.2019 | Updated: 04.09.2025

The Ryman Auditorium is a sacred place for any fan of country music. Some of the most beloved singers and bands in the entire world have performed on its stage, and its relationship with the Grand Ole Opry is a big reason why Nashville became the home base of country music. Today, while the Ryman Theater is still renowned for its world-class artists, it’s also known for its undead performers. 

Walking around Nashville at night offers a radically different experience to the country music capital. To learn about the more spectral side of the city, book a ghost tour with Nashville Ghosts tonight. 

Who Haunts The Grand Ole Opry?

There are many recognizable faces who haunt the Ryman Auditorium, as well as some whose identities are unknown. There’s no shortage of apparitions around the legendary music. Anyone from its founder to music legends like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline are known to haunt the Grand Ole Opry.

A House of Worship 

Before it housed one of the most influential country music radio shows, the Ryman Auditorium was built as a place for worship. This is thanks to the man who built the place: Captain Thomas Ryman. 

For most of his life, the man was no saint. He worked as a riverboat captain before converting to a businessman, and he liked to have a good time. In the late 19th century, Ryman decided to go to one of the popular tent revivals of the time, when an evangelist would preach to a large crowd. However, he didn’t go with good nature in his heart — he planned on making fun of the man speaking, Reverend Samuel Porter Jones. 

However, Jones was a far more persuasive speaker than he could have imagined. After seeing him speak, Ryman changed his ways and became a devout Christian. 

To honor his newfound faith, Ryman financed a large building known as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Costing $100,000 (the equivalent of $3.5 million today) to construct, the building opened in 1892. The man of fait hoped people could come together to worship at this new site. 

Yet, he was still a businessman, and he needed to pay the bills for the large building’s construction. So, when it wasn’t being used for religious purposes, Ryman would rent it out for musical acts or private events. After his death in 1904, the building was officially converted into a music venue. 

“The Mother Church of Country Music” 

The Ryman Theater is known for hosting some of the most legendary country acts of all time, as well as housing the Grand Ole Opry radio show for 30 years. 

The Grand Ole Opry first started broadcasting in 1925. Growing in popularity across the country, the radio program moved into the Ryman Auditorium in 1943 to allow its musical guests a grand stage to perform on. 

Soon, everyone in country music wanted to perform at the Ryman Hall. In fact, many of the greats did, including: 

• Patsy Cline
• Bob Dylan
• Dolly Parton
• Hank Williams
• Elvis Presley 
• Johnny Cash 

To be invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry was the honor of a lifetime; and it seems that some singers believed the offer extended into death. 

The Ghost of Thomas Ryman

First and foremost, Thomas Ryman’s spirit is believed to haunt the Grand Ole Opry. However, he’s not simply sitting in awe of the legacy he’s created. He’s more vocal in his opinions. 

After his conversion to Christianity, he became exteremly pious. If he believed someone was dressed in a way that was too revealing or did anything he deemed indecent, he’d make it known — something he continues to do in death. 

Legend goes that if a singer or band does anything too risque, from racy lyrics to lewd dance moves, his ghost will voice their discontent. The most famous example of this was during a performance of the opera Carmen, when Ryman’s ghost stomped so loudly that the entire production was interrupted. 

The Confederate Soldier

One might wonder what a Confederate soldier from the 1860s would think of the recently renovated Ryman Theater. While there are many 21st century touches, perhaps the plush seats and grand architecture would remind him of the cutting-edge theaters that opened during his lifetime. 

We only speculate about this because a spirit dressed in a Confederate uniform is said to call the Ryman Auditorium home. He’s seen sitting in the balcony, often during rehearsals. Unlike Ryman’s ghost, the soldier doesn’t voice his approval or disapproval, seemingly content to just observe. 

The Grand Ole Opry Curse

The other main group of spirits seen at Ryman Hall include former performers, including some of the most famous acts. People believe this has to do with the Grand Ole Opry Curse. 

Shortly after famous singers started performing at the Grand Ole Opry, several of them ended up dying in untimely and bizarre ways. 

For example, Patsy Cline, a country music icon, perished in a plane crash in 1963. Some believed this wasn’t a random accident but was connected to the curse. 

Cline wasn’t the only believed victim. Singer-songwriter Jim Reeves met his demise from a plane crash in 1964. Singer and comedian Stringbean Akeman was murdered in 1973. One half of the group, the Louvin Brothers, Ira Louvin, was killed in a car crash in 1965. 

Some even attribute the death of the great Hank Williams to the curse, even though he died from a heart attack connected to alcoholism and a prescription pill problem. 

Nevertheless, the curse is why some believe that the ghosts of these great performers still linger at the Ryman Theater. 

Patsy Cline’s Spirit

In 1963, the plane crash that killed Grand Ole Opry stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins rocked the world. No one could believe that some of the most beloved country music stars were gone in the snap of a finger. 

It seems Cline wasn’t quite done with her performing days — and she won’t let death stop her. At night at the Grand Ole Opry, after the audience has left and the crew is cleaning up, Cline’s ghost can be heard singing on the stage. Her favorite number to sing? “I Fall to Pieces,” which echoes throughout the empty auditorium from a seemingly empty stage. 

Hank Williams’ Ghost

Another famous ghost haunting the Ryman Auditorium is Hank Williams. Staff will spot him backstage, on-stage, and even in the alley behind the stage. Williams would often walk after shows at the Grand Ole Opry to the nearby Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge for a drink. 

A shadowy man dressed in all gray is often spotted around the property as well, and many believe this is also Williams. His ghost has even inspired a country music tradition. There are several songs written about meeting his ghost, at the Grand Ole Opry or elsewhere.

Most famously, Songwriter Gary Gentry Jr. summoned the spirit of Hank Williams while working on a song in his honor. Gentry Jr. and co-wroter J.B. Detterline decided to write a song about the country star during the filming of the 1982 film Hank Williams Tribute — The Man and His Music at the Ryman.

While the duo finished their tribute to Hank Williams and country icon Left Frizzle around 10:00pm, Gentry felt it was lacking. He went back to his home at the Country Place Apartments and drunkingly held what he described as a “redneck seance.”

Williams appeared to him on his couch, shirtless and in a white mist. “The Ride” was finished at 4am that morning in a drunken spiritual haze. It was later recorded and released on February 28th, 1983 by David Allan Coe.

But this isn’t the only song written about Luke The Drifter’s eternally ramblign soul. Alan Jackson’s 1992 hit “Midnight In Montgomery“ detail his experience meeting the country legend in William’s hometown. All in all, it just goes to show that legends truly never die.

Haunted Nashville

While it seems like everything in Nashville is centered around music, its ghost scene spreads to all different facets of life and commerce. From the haunted state capitol building to a spirit-filled Presbyterian Church, there are many instances of otherworldly phenomena at play. 

For the best chance to spy (or hear) a ghost for yourself, book a Nashville ghost tour with Nashville Ghosts.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to learn about other haunted music venues nationwide. To read about other spooky locations around Nashville, check out our blog. 

Sources:

• https://www.strictly-country.com/Spirits%20of%20The%20Ryman.html
• https://nashvilleghosts.com/
• https://www.melodiesnmemories.com/musicnews/is-the-ryman-auditorium-haunted
• https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1892?amount=100000
• https://www.mybucketlistevents.com/ryman-auditorium/
• https://www.al.com/entertainment/2018/06/the_music_legend_who_inspired.html