Little Nashville Opry burns to ground Saturday

Nashville, Ind. – A passerby on State Road 46 called the police at about 10:28 p.m. Saturday after seeing the Little Nashville Opry ablaze, a deputy for the Brown County Sheriff’s Department said.

When the fire started, all attendees had already left Saturday’s show, and therefore nobody was injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation; the Indiana State Fire Marshal was at the scene three times Sunday and could not offer an explanation
for the fire, the deputy said.

Fourteen fire trucks and about 60 to 70 firefighters were on the scene, the deputy said.

“Imagine this entire parking lot full,” the deputy said.

Only one fire hydrant was nearby, which caused for a hefty turn out of fire departments. Police also had to close down a section of SR 46 for five hours.

The premises of the Little Nashville Opry is declared a crime scene and will remain under police surveillance for three days, the deputy said.

The Green Valley Lodge sits adjacent to the Little Nashville Opry and evacuated all of their patrons as a precaution, owner Ed Wrightsman said.

He said that the burning of the establishment is going to affect the whole community.
The Little Nashville Opry opened in 1975 and advocated “the best country music since 1975,” according to its Web site.

On April 4, 1975, Cal Smith and opening act Mickey Gilley were the first performers on the venue’s stage, according to the Web site.

Popular country musicians such as Kenny Rogers, Wayne Newton, Kenny Chesney, Diamond Rio, Loretta Lynn, Rascal Flatts and Johnny Cash have all appeared at the Little Nashville Opry.

Former IU men’s basketball coach Bob Knight has also made appearances and given speeches at the venue multiple times, with the most recent speech on April 26, 2008.