With only a week left in October (boy did this month go by fast) and not much news coming out of the Opry, I wanted to continue with line ups from the Opry's past birthday shows. This one is from October 20, 1978 and it was the Opry's 55th birthday celebration.
1st show:
6:00 Vietti
Jim Ed Brown (host): Pop A Top
Lonzo & Oscar: Georgia Pineywoods
Ernie Ashworth: This Old Boy Ain't Gonna Walk Your Line No More
Wilma Lee Cooper: A Daisy A Day
Jim & Jesse: Freight Train
Jim Ed Brown: Bottle, Bottle
6:30 Mrs. Grissom's
Charlie Walker: Crazy Arms
Connie Smith: He Was There All The Time
Charlie Walker: Don't Squeeze My Charmin
6:45 Rudy's
Stonewall Jackson (host): Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Jan Howard: You Don't Know Me
Del Wood: Alabama Jubilee
Stonewall Jackson: Muddy Water
7:00 Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Tennessee Saturday Night
Wilburn Brothers: Because He Lives
Billy Walker: Love Is Slippin' Through Our Fingers
Billy Grammer: Kentucky
David Houston: Lord, Don't Give Up On Me
Porter Wagoner: Everything I've Always Wanted
7:30 Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Roy Drusky: Don't It Make You Want To Go Home
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Hearted Me
Crook Brothers/Tennessee Travelers: Black Mountain Rag
Onie Wheeler: Lucian's Song
8:00 Martha White
Ernest Tubb (host): Thank's A Lot
George Hamilton IV: Corn Bread, Beans & Sweet Potato Pie
Bill Carlisle: Same Ol' Tale That The Crow Told Me
Loretta Lynn: They Don't Make Them Like My Daddy Anymore/When The Tingle Becomes A Chill
Vic Willis Trio: Last Cheater's Waltz
8:30 Acme
Hank Snow (host): I'm Movin' On
Bill Anderson: From Rock N' Roll To The Rock Of Ages
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
4 Guys: Lovin' Up A Storm
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Saturday Night Hop
Hank Snow & Kelly Foxton: Check
2nd show
9:30 Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): Walkin' The Floor Over You
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
4 Guys: Swing Down Chariot
David Houston: My Elusive Dreams
Lonzo & Oscar: The Old Home Place
Ernie Ashworth: This Old Boy Ain't Gonna Walk You Line No More
Wilma Lee Cooper: Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow
Jim & Jesse: Paradise
10:00 Little Debbie
Porter Wagoner (host): Ole Slewfoot
The Browns: The Three Bells
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
Connie Smith: When God Dips His Love In My Heart
10:15 Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Once More
Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Mayor Fulton: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry
Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Mayor Fulton, Opry Cast: God Bless America
Stonewall Jackson: Old Chunk Of Coal
10:30 Trailblazer
Billy Walker (host): Charlie's Shoes
Jan Howard: Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
Billy Walker: Funny How Time Slips Away
10:45 Beech-Nut
George Hamilton IV (host): Corn Bread, Beans & Sweet Potato Pie
Del Wood: Keep On The Firing Line
Crook Brothers/Bill Jones Promenadors: Mississippi Sawyer
George Hamilton IV: Forever Young
11:00 Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): There's A Fool Such As I
Billy Grammer: Blue Water
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cocklin' Hen
Roy Drusky: I'll Hold You In My Heart
Kirk McGee: Milk 'Em In The Evening Blues
Hank Snow & Kelly Foxton: Check
11:30 Bama
Bill Anderson (host): Wild Weekend
Jeanne Pruett: It's Too Late/Back To Back
Vic Willis Trio: Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You
Sheila & Bill Carlisle, Jr: White Lightening
Bill Anderson: I Want That Feeling Again/Po' Folks
Po' Folks Band: The Devil Went Down To Georgia
In a couple of interesting notes from that night Skeeter Davis, Bill Monroe and Grandpa Jones were all on the schedule and cancelled. Skeeter was scheduled to be on the 6:00 segment and the 9:30 segment (which already had 8 acts on, not counting her). Bill Monroe was scheduled to host the 6:45 and 9:30 segments. At 9:30, they moved up Ernest Tubb, who was originally supposed to host the 10:45 segment. Loretta Lynn was also scheduled to perform on the 10:45 show, but was moved up to 9:30 to replace Skeeter, which allowed her to stay on Ernest's segment. George Hamilton was scheduled in the 11:00 segment but was moved up to host the 10:45 segment instead of Ernest. (hope you got all that moving around). Grandpa Jones was scheduled to host the 6:30 and 10:30 segments.
When Bill Anderson hosted the 11:30 segment, that was his first time being on the final segment of the Opry since October 1971. During Billy Grammer's segment on the 1st show, he introduced Ben Jones from the Dukes of Hazzard, while the Wilburn Brothers introduced Donna Douglas from the Beverly Hillbillies during the 2nd show.
I also found it interesting that the 2nd show was so loaded that Loretta Lynn only did one song, And in 1980, she was at the peak of her career. If anyone should have been allowed a couple of songs it was Loretta. And Roy Acuff, on each of his segments, only did 1 song, the opening one. He did not do a final number on either one of the shows.
The Opry that night ended at just after 12:35, so for a birthday show, it did not run over as long as many of those shows.
Fred in Bismarck here:
ReplyDeleteWow, good one, Byron. Thanks.