Shure Salutes Grand Ole Opry’s 100 Years of Sonic Brilliance

On March 25th 2025, two titans of audio history marked their centenary in harmony. The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, beamed live on NBC and streamed via Peacock, delivered a procession of country icons—all relying on Shure’s legendary audio technology. The milestone highlighted an enduring bond between two institutions born just months apart, and reaffirmed Shure’s status as the faithful companion in the nation’s sonic story.

Founded in 1925, Shure and the Opry have traversed parallel paths, shaping and reflecting American audio culture. Onstage, countless musicians through generations have sung into Shure microphones. Offstage, Edison-inspired engineering has supplied tools for crafting country music’s live sound heritage.

“Two icons in the entertainment industry both celebrating 100 years is quite an honor,” remarked Shure President and CEO Chris Schyvinck. “We literally grew up together. From Day One, the Grand Ole Opry has provided the world with wonderful talent and significant impacts on the world of music. We congratulate the Grand Ole Opry and all its members and fans for a century of success and hope for another 100 years of country music entertainment.”

The technical backbone of the live broadcast was as robust as the artists themselves. Chuck Young, Director of Production & Technical Services at Opry Entertainment Group, reflected on the decades-long partnership: “Shure has supported country music for decades. Reps from Shure’s Evanston factory would drive a truckload of gear to Nashville for Fan Fair… Even before the Grand Ole Opry House was built in 1974, Shure supplied microphones and a Vocal Master PA at our original Ryman Auditorium home… With more than 300 Opry shows per year, hundreds of performers, and three-minute set changes, gear performance and reliability are paramount”

Young added a note of mutual admiration: “Congratulations to Shure on 100 years of excellence in engineering! At the Grand Ole Opry, it is also our 100th anniversary, so it is a great time to take a minute and recognize a storied partnership.”

Audio production for Opry 100: A Live Celebration was entrusted to a seasoned team of engineers, including J. Mark King (production mixer), Chip Matthews (audio producer), Brett “Scoop” Blanden (FOH engineer), Michael Zuehsow (monitor engineer), Matt Manix (music mixer), and RF coordinator Jason Glass.

Their technical arsenal comprised 40 channels of the Shure Axient® Digital Wireless Microphone System and 24 channels of the PSM 1000 Advanced In-Ear Monitoring System—engineered for high-stakes live events. Chip Matthews summed it up: “I wasn’t surprised to see a majority of artists choose Shure wireless systems and capsules… The audio quality and reliability of Shure makes our job so much easier.”

A concurrent broadcast from Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium employed an additional 10 channels each of Axient Digital and PSM 1000, overseen by Bob Bussiere (monitors), Kevin McGinty (FOH), Michael Davis (music mixer), and Jason Glass.

Glass noted the reliability and frequency-tracking intelligence of Axient Digital: “Their reliability gives me comfort when facing the stresses and high stakes of live television broadcast… Telemetry include transmitter device ID shown at each receiver… You can always tell which of the body packs is active.”

At the heart of the celebration was the microphone used. The SM58® vocal capsule was chosen by country music luminaries such as Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, and Lainey Wilson. The Beta® 58A capsule was the pick for Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Yolanda Adams, Terri Clark, and Carly Pierce. Travis Tritt turned to the KSM8 Dualdyne dynamic mic for its control of proximity effect and refined midrange character. The KSM11 condenser capsule, trusted for tour use by Luke Combs, also featured prominently.

Newer to the lineup was the Nexadyne vocal and instrument mic series, introduced to capture performances with a modern sound signature. Reba McEntire and Alison Krauss both selected Nexadyne mics, with Krauss using it for both vocals and fiddle. Monitor engineer Chris “Coz” Costello praised its performance: “As Alison was walking up to the mic in rehearsals, she sang three words and knew right away that it was the mic she wanted to use. I had to do minimal EQ. It faithfully reproduces the natural sounds of her voice and her fiddle equally.”

Ryan Smith, Shure’s Manager of Artist & Entertainment Relations in Nashville, reflected: “Shure continues to enjoy a wonderful relationship with the Opry and the Ryman, as well as many of the artists who performed at this show. We are honored to be part of such a rich, deep history of music and family.”

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