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| True Tennessee Ghost Stories
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Ryman Auditorium
Thu Jul 5 09:06:55 CST 2002
Built in Thomas Ryman, a riverboat captain and businessman, the Ryman theatre first opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. After his death in 1904, the building was renamed Ryman Auditorium in his honour. In 1943 the Grand Ole Opry called the Ryman home until 1974 when it moved to the Gaylord Opryland resort. The building remained vacant for eighteen years until 1992 when Emmylou Harris performed a series of concerts there. In 1994 it was restored to its original glory and to this day welcomes performers. Many stories and legends surround the Ryman. It is believed that more than one ghost haunts the old building. The first is the ghost of the original owner himself, Thomas Ryman. Ryman’s ghost has been known to make a lot of noise during performances and he also likes to play with the lights, turning them off and on. The second ghost said to haunt the Ryman auditorium goes by the name of The Gray Man. People who have seen him have said that he is dressed all in gray and can be found sitting in the balcony during rehearsals and after shows when the audience has left. When the balcony is investigated more closely no one is found. The third ghost, and the one I would love to run into, is that of Country legend Hank Williams Sr. Hank has been spotted on stage and backstage at the auditorium. He has even been spotted in the alley way between the Ryman and Mom’s (now known as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge), a bar where Hank used to drink. While the bodies of these people are no longer present at the Ryman, their spirits live on.
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