Emmylou Harris Helped Bring the Ryman Back

In 1991, Emmylou Harris brought the Nash Ramblers into a Ryman Auditorium that still needed substantial repair. They recorded three live performances for At the Ryman, using a building whose acoustic reputation had outlasted its years of neglect.

The audience was restricted to the lower level because the balcony was unsafe. The resulting album, released in 1992, put those country and bluegrass performances in front of listeners who had never sat in the room.

The Ryman’s own history credits the project with renewing public interest in the building. A major renovation followed, and the auditorium reopened in 1994. Harris’s shows belong to that recovery: musicians making use of the room helped demonstrate why it was worth bringing back.

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Sources: ryman.com.