A&E World Premier Puts Gaylord Entertainment's Grand Ole Opry in National Television Spotlight.

Business Editors & Entertainment Writers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2000

Gaylord Entertainment Company's (NYSE:GET) Grand Ole Opry is the focus of an A&E Special Presentation this Sunday (Nov. 19) at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Superstar - and Opry member - Garth Brooks hosts the two-hour world premiere of "The Grand Ole Opry: 75 Years of America's Music."

The special, which is part of the Opry's year-long 75th anniversary celebration, features artists such as Vince Gill, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs and Porter Wagoner and through archival footage brings Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff and others to the screen.

The Opry began on Nov. 28, 1925, in the tiny studio of radio station WSM-AM in Nashville. It became an audience hit and moved through a series of progressively larger venues until it reached its current home, the 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House. It never has missed a weekend broadcast and is the longest-running live radio show in the world.

Highlights of the A&E special include:

-- Patsy Cline's first appearance on the Opry stage.

-- Rare home movie footage of Hank Williams backstage at the Opry.

-- Roy Acuff's efforts to teach President Richard Nixon how to yo-yo.

-- Archival clips from the Opry TV broadcasts from the 1950s through the 1990s
that include comedy skits from Minnie Pearl and duet performances by Porter
Wagoner and Dolly Parton.

-- An interview with Country Music Association Horizon Award winner Brad
Paisley, who discusses the Opry's influence on his emerging career.

Opry broadcasts continue every Friday and Saturday night on WSM (650 AM), and they are streamed on the Internet via www.opry.com and www.wsmonline.com.

A&E is available in more than 77 million Nielsen homes in the U.S. More information about "The Grand Ole Opry: 75 Years of America's Music" and about the Opry is available at www.Biography.com and www.opry.com.

The Grand Ole Opry is part of Gaylord Entertainment Company, a diversified entertainment company whose businesses operate in three groups: hospitality and attractions, creative content and interactive media. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., and its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: GET).