When CountryCool.Com died on February 1, the hunt started for a new Top 5 site. While there are always lots of candidates, it's not always easy to find one that stacks up to being among the best. This month we'll take a look at a site that fills the bill and represents the best of Country Music throughout "the ages."
The Grand Ole OpryBack in October of last year, I reviewed Music Country, a web site by Gaylord Entertainment to replace its interest in what became CBS's mouthpiece for CMT, Country.Com. Now Gaylord has put together a site that concentrates on Country Music's icon, the Grand Ole Opry. Is it a perfect site? No, there are some features that are a waste of bandwidth. But the majority of features hit the mark and bring you back for more. The navigation is state-of-the-art with Java-based menus at the top of the page.
There are five major sections to the site. The Information section provides access to "News" about the Opry, including press releases from Gaylord Entertainment. On the "Today In Country" page, you'll find information on who has a birthday that day, what important events in Country Music have an anniversary, and which songs charted that particular date. There is also a chart showing the line-up of the stars performing at each of the weekend shows at the Opry. The "Member Spotlight" provides a biography of the highlighted artist as well as a list of hit singles, albums produced, and awards earned. The address of the star's fanclub and web site are also provided. The "Current Cast List" page allows you to look up biographical information on any member of the Opry cast; the "Opry Legacy" performs the same function for those members who have joined the great Opry in the sky.
The History section provides background information on the Opry including its origins, early years and more recent times at both the Ryman as well as today's site. You'll find out about the Opry's museum that contains a wide variety of items that share in the rich history of the Grand Ole Opry.
The Retail section provides a mechanism to order tickets for the many shows at either the Opry or the Ryman. There is a Seating Chart of the Opry that provides a preview of how the stage will look from each section. And you can order some of the great Opry souvenirs to sport around your home and neighborhood. The Entertainment section provides a 360-degree panaramic view of the Opry house and stage in its "Virtual Tour." You can become an Opry fan club member by completing a form and mailing it in with $10; why it wasn't included in the online ordering capability of the Retail section is beyond me. You can Opry related post cards to your friends for that special occasion. And you can play a small selection of audio clips from past Opry performances in the "Juke Box." I frankly didn't find this activity to be worthwhile; save your bandwidth for the next section.
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