Legendary 650 AM WSM Radio Personality Eddie Stubbs Announces Retirement

Stubbs’ Signs off July 29

Celebrating 25 Years of Service

Posted July 22, 2020

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (July 22, 2020) – After nearly a life-long career in country music and more than two decades with the most famed country station in the world 650 AM WSM, iconic radio personality Eddie Stubbs has announced his retirement, effective July 29, 2020.

On July 8, 1996, Stubbs began hosting the evening shift on WSM and now holds the distinction of being the longest-serving broadcaster in the 7 p.m. to midnight slot in WSM’s 95 years of operation. With a different theme each night, ‘Hall Of Fame Monday,’ ‘Two For Tuesday,’ Way Back Wednesday,’ ‘Classic Opry Thursday’ and ‘WSM By Request’ on Fridays, Stubbs’ unique insight into the stories and the people behind the music always gave listeners a reason to tune in.

Stubbs said, “I have had an extremely blessed 25 years at WSM, and as the third-longest tenured announcer in the Grand Ole Opry’s history. The experiences and friendships have allowed me to live a lot of dreams. Needless to say, I will be forever grateful.”

WSM Director of Content and Programming J. Patrick Tinnell said, “Eddie’s talent, service, and dedication are the stuff of legends and are forever part of WSM and Grand Ole Opry history.”

Stubbs came to Nashville on March 21, 1995, to play fiddle with the Queen of Country Music Kitty Wells and her husband Johnnie Wright.  A week later he was hired part-time at WSM.  Just seventeen days after his arrival in Music City, Eddie auditioned for the announcer’s position on the Grand Ole Opry show.

Dan Rogers, Grand Ole Opry Vice President and Executive Producer, said, “Eddie has been a great friend to the Opry, to the Opry’s artists, and to listeners around the world. I have no doubt that students of the Opry and of country music will for years turn to his recorded conversations with legends including Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart and so many more to learn about their careers and the era in which Eddie has made such an impact at the Opry and on WSM.”

In addition to his roles at WSM and Opry, Stubbs served six seasons as the on-camera announcer for The Marty Stuart Show on RFD-TV.  He has served on committees with the Country Music Association, the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Stubbs earned the Country Music Association’s Large Market Broadcast Personality of the Year award in 2002. In 2012, he received country radio’s highest honor by becoming one of the youngest living inductees into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.

WSM will soon announce plans for the 7 p.m. – midnight shift. In the meantime, Jeff Hoag, who has worked with Eddie over the years, will serve as host.

Well wishes for Eddie!

About WSM:
650 AM WSM is the most famed country music station in the world. Each day, the station shares country, bluegrass and Americana as well as the excitement of Music City with friends in Middle Tennessee and listeners around the world. WSM debuted on Oct. 5, 1925, and less than two months later, the station would birth its most famous show (and the show that would make country music famous), the Grand Ole Opry. WSM has gone on to become a broadcasting giant and a friend to hundreds of thousands of fans. The station has won hundreds of broadcasting awards and was named Country Radio Station of the Century by “Radio & Records” in 2000. WSM’s personalities are nationally recognized figures in country music, and its listeners range from U.S. Presidents to Country Music Hall of Famers, to artists climbing the charts toward their first number one hit. You never know when a famous listener might drop in for a visit or to take the studio’s reigns for a while. For more information, visit wsmonline.com.

About Ryman Hospitality Properties:
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and country music entertainment experiences. The Company’s core holdings* include a network of five of the top 10 largest non-gaming convention center hotels in the United States based on total indoor meeting space. These convention center resorts operate under the Gaylord Hotels brand and are managed by Marriott International. The Company also owns two adjacent ancillary hotels and a small number of attractions managed by Marriott International for a combined total of 10,110 rooms and more than 2.7 million square feet of total indoor and outdoor meeting space in top convention and leisure destinations across the country. The Company’s Entertainment segment includes a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry; Ryman Auditorium; WSM 650 AM; Ole Red and Circle, a country lifestyle media network the Company owns in a joint venture with Gray Television. The Company operates its Entertainment segment as part of a taxable REIT subsidiary.

*The Company is the sole owner of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center; and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is the majority owner and managing member of the joint venture that owns Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

###

Media Contacts
Shannon Sullivan | Alyson Stokes
Ryman Hospitality Properties
ssullivan@rymanhp.com | AStokes@rymanhp.com
615-316-6727