On the first and third Saturday of each month, Rodney Joyner and his friends got together in a converted barn on his property near Brandon and put on a live country music show. The Barnyard Opry started in September 1999, when Joyner transformed a livestock barn on his property into a small music theater.

Joyner, his son Steve, and a group of other local musicians performed together as Country Sound, the Opry’s house band. They opened each show and performed a wide range of country songs, mostly from the 1950s and ’60s. Also included on each show was a guest group. The guest groups came from several different music styles, including gospel quartets, old-time string bands, bluegrass singers, and Celtic groups.

The audience for the show grew steadily after it started. In 2000, Joyner built an addition to the Opry building in order to handle the growing attendance. However, the Opry remained free throughout its run (with donations encouraged) and people from throughout central Mississippi came to the Opry to see their friends and neighbors perform.

The Barnyard Opry ended in August 2009 after 10 years of continuous shows. After its closing, a group of Rankin County musicians began The Brandon Opry, a new show that occasionally features some of the performers from the Barnyard Opry. The Brandon Opry is held on the first and third Saturday night of each month at the Brandon Municipal Center.

For more information, see: the Brandon Opry and the Ranch House Opry.