OPRY IS CELEBRATING 23 YEARS
The Sopchoppy Opry will celebrate its 23rd anniversary on Saturday, July 29 in historic Sopchoppy High School Auditorium. Musical guests for this special occasion will be Todd Allen and his FTD Band of Panama City Beach.
The Opry’s inaugural performance in July 2000 was staged to determine if there was still a fan base for traditional music - classic country, bluegrass, Gospel and early rock/roll in the area. The show quickly grew in popularity and what began as an experiment turned into a monthly event that has lasted for 23 years and 275+ performances to date. New fans are discovering the music performed there and the Opry now has a solid list of season ticket holders. Fans from surrounding areas attend and there are occasional foreign visitors as well. Numerous bands and individuals have entertained over the years and all attest to the fine acoustic quality of auditorium and the warm reception of the Opry audiences.
Deemed ‘the little opry that can’ by the press, the Sopchoppy Opry had a rather inauspicious beginning. ‘It was a nail biting time”, remembers Callie Quigg, the Opry’s General Manager. “We had planned for weeks: the publicity was complete, bands rehearsed and volunteers enlisted. What we had not factored in was the likelihood of a thunder and lightning storm that would hit the Sopchoppy area about three hours before show time! Electricity was knocked out for the whole city and not expected to be restored in time for the show. Florida Power reported that a major transformer at the Sopchoppy substation had been hit by lightning and the nearest replacement was in Madison, Florida, about three hours away.” Opry Publicist Jesse Quigg added that “When I heard the mournful sound of ‘Ashokan’s Farewell’ being rehearsed by the band’s fiddle player on stage, it seemed to represent the fate of our fledging show. But just as our disappointment reached a peak, a miracle happened! Bill Stephens, Sopchoppy Water System Director at the time, reported that a transformer had been located close by and would be installed in time (for the show)! By 7 pm, fans were lined up out to the street and the historic auditorium filled up! When the curtains were opened, the auditorium exploded with applause as the band took the stage”.
Along with being ‘just the best place for good music’, in Sopchoppy, net proceeds from the shows have been the major source of matching funds for restoring this historic school. Several grants have been awarded the Wakulla County School Board by the Florida Division of Historic Preservation. To date, restoration is approximately 75% complete and the latest grant award is in process.
Jesse Quigg
Sopchoppy Opry