The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate its final weekend for the year at the Grand Ole Opry House before moving to the Ryman Auditorium for its annual winter run. After all the work and rebuilding of the Opry's home, it is a shame that it lasted for only one month.
This weekend, the Opry returns to just one show on Saturday night, which will feature the super group, Rascal Flatts. Friday night's show will feature the Oak Ridge Boys, along with the Opry debut of Brett Eldredge.
Here are the line-ups:
Friday October 29
7:00: Riders In The Sky(host); Connie Smith; Joe Diffie
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jeannie Seely; Rodney Atkins
INTERMISSION
8:15: Bill Anderson(host); Brett Eldredge; Craig Morgan
8:45: Mike Snider(host); Jan Howard; Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Oak Ridge Boys
Saturday October 30
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; The Whites
7:30: Riders In The Sky(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Laura Bell Bundy
8:00: Mike Snider(host); Jack Greene; Josh Thompson; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson(host); Connie Smith; Rascal Flatts
Also on Saturday, a very special benefit concert and auction will be taking place for Charlie Louvin. This event will be held at the Bell Buckle Banquet Hall, in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, which is located south of Nashville. The event will run from Noon to 9 p.m., and the admission is just $10.00. This benefit will feature a silent and live auction, and will feature entertainment by Valerie Smith, Ed Bruce, Becky Buller, Wildwood Valley Boys and more. The featured entertainment will be a concert by Alison Krauss.
Hopefully, this event, which will be hosted by Charlie, will have a fine turnout and that also, more members of Nashville's entertainment community will attend. For just $10.00, and going to a good cause, you can't beat it. As most of you know, the surgery Charlie had for his pancreatic cancer was not successful and he has had a tough go. I always feel sad when I see a benefit held for anyone, especially an entertainer such as Charlie.
On a final note, Garth Brooks is back in the Nashville news. He announced today that he will take part in a flood relief concert on Friday December 17 in Nashville, at the Bridgestone Arena. This will be his first full concert in Nashville since 1998, and will also feature his wife, Trisha Yearwood. Tickets will be just $25.00 and it is possible more shows will be added. Garth left himself open to that. Obviously, this will be a big, big night in Nashville, especially with the Opry right up the street at the Ryman Auditorium. Wouldn't it be nice if Garth would walk up the hill and suprise the Opry audience that night? Let's see....the Opry starts at 7, his concert will probably start at 8......it's probably just wishfull thinking.
I have to say, listening to the Friday Night Opry, The Potato's voice sounded stronger than it had in a while. I also noticed that "Sleepin' at the Foot at the Bed" was a little shorter than usual, so he may be making some concessions to turning 90 in less than two months.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that also. For the most parts, on Friday night he has been sounding better than on Saturday nights. Also, last week he opened with, "Out Behind The Barn" and skipped the last verse of that song.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, it is just a case of saving his voice and not forgetting the song. I remember in Hank Snow's final years, that he used cue cards attached to a small music stand so that he didn't forget.
As I remember it, Roy Acuff never forgot the words to a song. He forgot people's names--he may have forgotten his own name a time or two! But supposedly that never happened to him, and in his younger days in the studio they called him "One Take Ake."
ReplyDeleteI remember a "Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry" show with Bill Anderson where Acuff was singing "Back in the Country." At the chorus, Oswald came in early and Acuff started laughing, but kept singing. At the end he said something like, "Os, we've been together 43 years and you've never done that before."