Effective period / Period of releases: 1985

In 1969, Ozarks showman Denny Hilton created the Country Shindig Opry, a Branson-esque variety show based in Lake Of The Ozarks, Missouri, which by the early '80s had grown to a 1200-seat venue. In 1982, Hilton was sued by WSM's Grand Ole Opry for copyright infringement, but won the case when it was ruled that "opry" was commonly used by hundreds of shows across the country, and had become a generic phrase though common usage, dating back many years before 1927, when WSM first used the term to market its country-themed radio broadcasts. The decision was upheld on appeal to a Federal District Court in 1984.