Thursday, October 15, 2015

An Open Letter to Steve Buchanan and Pete Fisher

Dear Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Fisher: 

As someone who has attended and listened to Grand Ole Opry shows for the past 40+ years, I have seen and heard some great moments at the Opry. Among those are the Grand Ole Opry's PBS shows, the 75th anniversary weekend, the Opry's return to the Ryman Auditorium, the 50th anniversary shows of various Opry members, new Opry member inductions, birthday weekends, and last year, the 40th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House. There have been so many that I cannot list them all. 

I have also seen lots of changes that have taken place at the Grand Ole Opry, some positive, and some not so. The improvements that have been made to the Grand Ole Opry House have been outstanding; items such as better lighting and sound, the expanded gift shop and ticket areas, and the atmosphere of the Opry Plaza. On the negative side, I have seen the number of weekend Opry shows cut back, the length shortened, the number of performers and amount of music per show reduced, veteran Opry members having reduced appearances and a steep rise in ticket prices. Yet even though it all, I have remained a fan of the Opry and hope for the Opry's continued success. 

However, when I see Grand Ole Opry line-ups, such as the one for this coming Saturday night, I get discouraged very quickly. I think both of you would have to admit that what you have scheduled for this Saturday night is not the best of Opry line-ups. To see only two segments and three Opry members scheduled is very troublesome, especially considering that the Opry has 63 members. And it is not just the lack of Opry members, but the quality of the line-up in general. Of the eight acts appearing who are not Opry members, two of the performers are actors who performed in a play, another is an actor who stars in a television series, while several of the others are still looking for their first recorded hit records. And this is not the first time we have seen shows such as this scheduled. It seems to be happening more and more. Last Saturday night resulted in a poor line-up and the line-up for the Opry's 89th Birthday Weekend, particularly on Saturday night, might have been the worst birthday show in the Opry's history. Many times I will ask myself if a certain Opry show is worth the premium ticket price of $75, and I think the answer many times is no. 

I know you can do better. The real disturbing thing is the lack of Opry members who seem to want to appear on the Opry. For example, Travis Tritt has not appeared on the Grand Ole Opry stage since 2007. Reba McEntire recently made her first Opry appearance in a decade, as did Garth Brooks. Dolly Parton hasn't appeared in several years, while Keith Urban has made just one Opry appearance in two years. I could name a few others such as Brad Paisley, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Blake Shelton, among others, who seem to appear only once or twice every year. What is really discouraging about these members is that in many of the interviews that they have done, they all say how proud they are of being an Opry member and what Opry membership means to them. Yet, they seldom appear. And while I understand the reluctance to dismiss an Opry member, it has been done in the recent past. The Four Guys and Holly Dunn lost their membership. Perhaps it is time that Travis Tritt lose his. 

While I am grateful for the members who did appear during the recent Grand Ole Opry 90th birthday weekend, I think many of us were expecting more. Based on what was being said and written, the expectation was that a large number of the Opry's members would be there for at least part of the weekend and that the 90th anniversary of the Opry would truly be something special. My thanks to Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio, Joe Diffie, Lorrie Morgan and all of the others who were there. But where were the rest? Mr. Fisher has talked in the past that the goal is to have every new Opry member that is being asked to join the Opry to commit to ten shows per year. Obviously, many of forgotten. 

Then there is the reliance and constant booking of the actors from the television series "Nashville." Yes, I know that Opry Entertainment and Mr. Buchanan are producers of the show and I understand about cross promotion, but to devote an entire half hour of the two Saturday birthday shows to "Nashville" was just plain wrong. I realize that "Nashville" is bringing new and younger fans to the Opry and the Opry needs these new fans to survive in the future. But the show is not going to be on the air forever, and when it does end, I am sure that the majority of those actors who have been appearing on the Opry will no longer do so. And besides, I think many of these new fans coming to the Opry want to see the stars of the Opry, not actors portraying themselves as singers.

Over the past dozen years, the Opry seems to be relying more on guests than members. Many of these, such as Rhonda Vincent, Dailey & Vincent, T.G. Sheppard, Chris Janson, Jimmy Wayne, Gene Watson, Crystal Gayle and Love & Theft, just to name a few, appear on the Opry many more times then Opry members. So I ask the question, "Why not offer membership to some of these artists?" After all, it has been a year since a new member has joined the Opry. And speaking of Opry members, the number continues to go down as many of the veteran members have passed away or have retired due to health reasons. And no new members have been added to replace them. Currently there are 63 Opry members, but why not have 70 or 75? Especially if those added as members commit to showing up and performing on the show. 

It is not every Opry member that does not support the show. As fans, we should all be grateful that a number of the Opry's more popular members do support the show. Members such as Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Larry Gatlin, Diamond Rio and Lorrie Morgan, among many others. And where would the Opry be without the veteran members such as Bill Anderson, John Conlee, Connie Smith and Jeannie Seely. 

I do want to mention the additional Opry shows on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night. While I enjoy the additional shows, they seem to have been added at the expense of the traditional weekend shows. Many of the bigger names and popular young artists seem to be showing up more during the week then on the weekend, thus taking away from the historic Saturday night Grand Ole Opry. 

In conclusion, let me offer a quote from the December 8, 1964 Nashville Tennessean, that I believe is still relevant today: 

"Most of the thousands of people who line up at the Opry House every Friday and Saturday night have traveled long distances to see in person the stars that they have come to love by radio. It must be a disappointment for these fans to arrive at the Opry on this one big night for them and find that their favorite stars have found a more profitable audience in some other state."

Much as those words were true in 1964, they are still true in 2015. Many of those attending the Opry on Saturday night will be there for their first time. Or perhaps due to work or financial concerns, they are only able to come to the Opry once a year and this will be that special night. They will pay $50-$75 for each seat, buy food and drink, perhaps a souvenir to take home, and probably the new 90th anniversary family album. But on this particular Saturday night, will they see any of the Opry's superstars that are pictured in that book? Sorry to say, but the answer will be no. And as they look through that book, I am sure many will be wondering where some of these members are. Surely not at the Opry, at least on this Saturday night. Then I am sure the thought will go through their heads, "Was it worth the price." Many will say no. 

Sincerely: 

Byron Fay

42 comments:

  1. EXCELLENT WORK, Byron.

    I will never again buy an 'Opry ticket far in advance and hope for the best.
    I will simply wait until a day or two before the show, see who is attending for sure, then make up my mind.
    If it is sold out, good for the 'Opry.
    Next Thursday and Friday are looking pretty good right now!

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  2. Byron, you nailed it. Boy, did you ever nail it.

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  3. From Anonymous in Kingman:
    Well spoken!!

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  4. Byron, very spot on!!!! This is what needed to be said, and I feel it speaks for all of us here in this forum!!!!!!!!

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  5. Fred, Bismarck:

    An eloquent statement of the case, calm, well-reasoned and ... DEADLY. Also an excellent summation of the consensus arrived at by followers of this blog.

    I'm sure we'll all be interested to learn what kind of a reply this fetches. Surely one is owed to one who has put his money where his mouth is in support of the Opry for so long.

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    1. Deadly? I hope it has not come to that? ;) Byron just spoke on behalf of thousands, whether he realizes it or not.

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  6. From Anonymous in PA: Byron - as the others have commented, I also absolutely agree you have clearly described the situation and frustration, well said and as Fred,Bismarck says, hopefully you will get a reply. With all the mix-up that the Fisher/Buchanan operation has done, at the very least, they could be having the "veterans" do two numbers instead of the "guests" (we are losing too many of the veterans as it is, let them have more time while they are still able to be on the Opry)

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  7. I agree 100% with you! With this type of planning and mixing the shows like they do it now, I see a black future comming!

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  8. The Opry needs to return to the radio show concept that made the show successful and emphasize the glitz less. For example, everyone knew the Opry radio show was starting when the Fruit Jar Drinkers and the square dancers began the show. Remember the fiddler and clicking heels? That was the start of what Saturday evening radio in America was and still is what many remember and why they come now. The Fruit Jar Drinkers and square dancers also closed the Opry show. That was the FOUNDATION for what this radio show was about and the connection between those who left their homes in the mountains to find work in northern factory cities. They were looking to one radio show to capture that feel of home. It was WSM and the Opry. I hope Opry management will continue to remember and keep this tradition going. Thanks.

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  9. Well done. I have written that same letter in my mind a few times. One thing that has burned me up about the management is their callousness regarding those Opry legends like Del Reeves and Ernie Ashworth, who passed away believing they were no longer welcome at the Opry.
    As for the Nashville series, I think it is a pretty good show, but I'm so sick of their actors appearing on the Opry, I've stopped watching it. What I'd give just to hear the commercials from the 60's and 70's!
    And maybe the reason the big stars don't appear is that they see how the older stars are treated and they don't want to end up like that. Just a thought.
    The big question is: When will Pete and Steve reach the age that they can be disrespected?

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  10. With the current business situation among both the artists and the Opry management, any significant change may be too much to hope for. But if the Opry does not hold on to enough of it's traditions, then it doesn't mean much more than any other average show. Of course, there will always be change, and hoping the show will be the same as it was 20 or 40 or 60 years ago is unrealistic, but with changes there must also be enough continuity to maintain the tradition. As a long time musician, DJ, and country music fan, I usually get to Nashville three or four times a year. I always used to make it a point to see an Opry show at least once and often more. I have not been to a show in the last three years, because there didn't seem to be much point in it. And it seems that the radio audience is often completely overlooked. Pete Fisher seems to understand the show and care deeply about it, and I don't know what kind of pressure he is under, but I fear for the future of the Grand Ole' program unless the current trend changes. Thanks for this excellent article.

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  11. Well written and correct on every point. I quit coming to the Opry when Pet Fisher started his attitude toward the veteran artists. They could combine those week night shows back onto Friday and Saturday nights and have a show like they used too. I have visited the Opry many times and was always happy to see the regular members as they performed. one right after the other. That is no longer the case. I check out the line up on the Opry's web page, and I am just sick to see how many members are not there. They all can't have other commitments. They are just not being asked to perform.

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  12. No more Moe Bandy, no Johnny Lee, no Stonewall Jackson, no Daryle Singletary, no Billy Yates...and Vince Gill wasn't on the lineup for some time too. I miss them all!!!! What's the reason they do not come to the opry stage anymore?

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  13. My thanks to all for the positive responses. What I wrote was from the heart. Like so many others, I hope that things do get better at the Opry and that we get the type of shows that we deserve to see.

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  14. Truly Anonymous:

    I hope that Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Fisher read the open letter to them, and that they get the point of the letter. The Opry must not wither away!!!

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  15. The last time I attended an Opry show, it was held at the Ryman and started at 6:30p but I think the second show had already been cut back by 30 minutes so it has been some time. I simply cannot justify the cost of a rental car and gas, ten hours of driving, food and lodging plus the high ticket price just to watch some audience member tossing toilet paper into a shopping cart. Get rid of the goofy contests, expand the show back to 2 1/2 hours and I will consider coming back.

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  16. Like WOW, Byron ~

    YOU spoke & someone answered your open letter asking if Merle Haggard was good enough to be on the Opry stage tonight. It's obvious you carry some weight. :-)

    Merle Haggard was introduced to the Opry stage, for the first time since 1966 by Connie Smith. She was talking about the Medallion Ceremony coming up & she was talking about how she wanted only one person to induct her & she told the audience that Marty told her to call & see if this person would be available & interested. By now, we all now know that Merle inducted Connie into the Hall of Fame three years ago & tonight she got the honor of introducing him to the Opry stage. And as one might thing, the audience just went nuts! Connie Smith never ended the night with another song, as she was the hostess for the last, well, more than an hour. He sang four songs - "Big City", "Silver Wings", "I Think I'll Just Sit Here & Drink" & "The Fightin' Side of Me" - he was OUTSTANDING ... he was just being The Hag.

    Thank you Byron ~ can't wait to see who shows up next - :-)

    (Jeanene)

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    1. Merle Haggard had been on the Opry many times since 1966. I heard him and Leona Williams on the Opry in the summer of 1978 on Roy Acuff's segment. He just showed up then too and was not scheduled. He hadn't been on since the 1970s, though, to my recollection.

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    1. Yes it was ~ who would ever think, since the last time he appeared he would have been on the Ryman stage, not the Grand Ole Opry House stage?

      Listened to Eddie Stubbs for a short while a few nights ago & he mentioned that Merle was in Nashville doing some recording. For just a fleeting moment I thought ... but who would REALLY think if the last time was in 1966?

      THANK YOU GRAND OLE OPRY!!! Job fabulously well done!!! And thank you for having Connie Smith on as hostess - she really does a great job; she is always interested in every act she introduces to the stage & thanks them for coming & personally asks them to come back. Coming from her should mean alot to these artists - one of the best female vocalists of all time. She may not have taken her career to the moon & back but her voice did all the talking (well in this case, singing.) :-)

      And thank you Byron ~

      (Jeanene)

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  18. Hag might have been here many years ago if it weren't for the Opry's prohibition on horns ----
    Marty had his horns on and dared Opry management to throw him off !!!!!!! What a performer he was !!!

    Dashmann - Flushing, Michigan

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  19. Prohibition on horns? How strange was that?????????? Nowdays we need prohibition on bad modern Country music!!!!

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    1. Not only were horns not allowed, but before the Opry moved to Opryland, they only allowed a single snare drum onstage, and it was only played with brushes, no drumsticks.
      --Rich Leonard

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  20. I'm sorry I missed it. It IS true that anything can happen at the Opry. It is also true that I might have been listening if the management had had more than 1/21 of the membership on the show.

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  21. Jeanene, thank you for the wonderful report. Like others, I was not listening to the live show last night as I decided to instead watch the Ohio State/Penn State game. Once I saw the postings, I did listen to the replay on Sirius and Merle was absolutely outstanding. I do congratulate Pete Fisher for pulling this one out of his hat (if he was the one). On the other hand, like Mike, I probably would have been listening to the live show if not for the poor line-up that had been announced.

    The one fact that I do question is the statement that was made on the Opry last night regarding Merle's last Opry appearance, which they said was in 1966. I went through me records and saw that Merle did the Opry on May 13, 1967 (I have the program from that night), and I have it listed as Merle's Opry debut. Also, in the book, "The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music" which came out years ago, there is a picture of Merle and Opry manager Hal Durham backstage at the Opry (looks like it was at the Ryman), with the caption that it was taken in the 1970s. So at least early in that decade, Merle was at the Opry.

    On that May 13, 1967 show, Merle was on the 8:00 Martha White portion hosted by Flatt & Scruggs and sang, "The Bottle Let Me Down." He then was on the 11:30 Lava portion hosted by Jimmy C Newman and did "Days of Wine & Roses" and "Swinging Doors."

    No matter the date of his last performance, it was great to hear Merle back on the Opry.

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    1. I remember an old photo of Mighty Merle, wearing a hat and a t-shirt, and swinging the fiddle bow over his head the way Mr. Acuff did. I wonder if it was from that 1967 appearance.

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    2. Mike: That had to be from a later appearance. T-shirts would never have been allowed on the Opry stage in 1967.
      - Rich Leonard

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  22. GREAT POST, BYRON. THAT IS EXACTLY HOW IT SEEMS TO BE RIGHT NOW. I DIDN' SEE ANY REASON TO LISTEN LAST NIGHT SO I AM SORRY I MISSED MERLE HAGGARD. WILL TRY THE ARCHIVES. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. JIM HERZOG

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  23. Fred, Bismarck:

    A nice surprise, indeed ... for the folks lucky enough to be there. But how do you market a show, the Opry, on the basis of, "C'mon down ... somebody you've heard of might show up." When, week in and week out, the dreary program that's been posted is all you get?

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    1. Fred, I agree. Now it is possible that it might have been a last minute thing, who knows. But if I were the Opry and a legend such as Merle was coming in, I would want it out there to attract any additional fans who might want to attend, or even the media attention of Merle performing on the Opry and in Nashville, which he rarely does.

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  24. Merle Haggard is only the most awesome country star that ever lived, or certainly top 10. That's why I have in my memory that he made an appearance on the Opry in 2000 or there about, and performed his then latest "Think About a Lullaby." Does that ring a bell with anyone? I believe he was introduced that night by Charlie Walker.

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  25. I did some further checking and it would appear that Merle's last Opry appearance prior to last night was in September 2003. There is actually a video of that performance on YouTube as Merle appeared during the televised portion of the Opry that night on CMT.

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  26. The second to last Opry show I've ever been to was September 27, 1996. I had recently left the company but the ladies in the ticket office made sure I had a front row center seat that night. Martina McBride and Garth Brooks were the marquee names for the TNN broadcast that night (in addition to the regulars...Porter Wagoner, Jimmy Dickens, Grandpa Jones, Jim Ed Brown, et al) so it was a pretty jam-packed show. So imagine my delight when Hank Thompson showed up unannounced for a couple of songs on the 8:00 portion. On top of that, on the 8:30 show, Jack Greene brought out "a special guest who's just visiting us backstage" and brought on THE Buck Owens for a couple of songs. All that in addition to the 20 acts that were actually scheduled.

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  27. It felt like Merle's appearance last night was last minute, just my feelings.

    Byron: Glad you dug a little more because I felt sure Merle has been on the Opry a hand full of time in the past 30 years. Maybe 2003 is one of the times I am thinking of but he had a west coast writer with him that I should be able to name but can't who I believe wrote "Wait a Little Longer Please Jesus". Keep in mind too that when Porter was producing and had a studio, Fireside I think it was, in Nashville, Merle would come there and record and I'm thinking he might have guested on Porter's portions of the Opry.

    What Connie said last night was this was the first time since 1966 that Merle had appeared on the Opry WITH the Strangers backing him, not that it had been since 1966 since he appeared.

    Also Byron, I agree with all of you open letter. I'm just wore out from repeating my thoughts1

    Jim
    Knightsville, IN

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    1. Jim ~ you are absolutely correct. I did not clarify myself well enough as to what Connie Smith said as she was starting to introduce Merle & his band. He has appeared on the Opry stage various times but without his band. The last time he appeared on the Opry stage with his band, was 1966.

      I remember seeing Merle & The Strangers when I was a teenager & he played the fiddle back then. Sure do miss those days. (Much like Ricky Skaggs, he used to play the fiddle, now he plays acoustic guitars & mandolin since he changed lanes & plays bluegrass music.) I went to the Opry in the early 90's & Ricky was on the Opry one Saturday night along with Connie Smith & Barbara Mandrell & he played one of the coolest colored electric guitars I had ever seen - white & light lavender in color, man that guitar was gorgeous.) Then he switched to bluegrass & those electric guitars were put away, unless he plays the electric guitar on the Opry when he does his country hits vs. bluegrass music now, which I wouldn't know as I rarely get to Nashville & the Opry.)

      Merle was absolutely OUTSTANDING! - :-)

      (Jeanene)

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  28. It is also depressing that the Opry is no longer televised. It was always exciting to be in the audience when the show was being broadcast on either TNN, CMT, or GAC. I think it would help to get it back on the air for at least an hour per week LIVE on Saturday night! Of course, TNN is no longer TNN, and CMT and GAC now have more reality shows and less music. Since The Opry has the production relationship with ABC for "Nashville", maybe that would be a great home for a LIVE Saturday night Opry program since ABC and NBC seem to be having success with other live programs recently; or RFD-TV would be a good fit.

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  29. This is just my 2 cents, but I thought the Opry on CMT and GAC was pretty worthless. TNN was great, because it was the real Grand Ole Opry for 30 minutes, (preceded by real interviews with real Opry stars). Nothing was choreographed, nothing was edited out, and it was open to all Opry members. Once it switched to CMT for the "hour" telecast, everything changed. There were pointless interviews that went on in while the older stars were performing on stage, so that the young fans they were trying to attract wouldn't have to be exposed to real country music. Most of the shows featured an Opry member as host and then a parade of pretty young guests. The very unnecessary hostesses (CMT or GAC) insulted me by their lack of understanding of what I thought the Grand Ole Opry was supposed to be. In other words, they found a way to ruin the Opry on TV. Eventually, I gave up and stopped watching and made sure my Opry visits were on Friday nights.

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  30. I always figured the Opry on TV was a promotional tool used to draw crowds from around the country by giving them a small peek at what the Opry was. In the TNN days you were getting to see what was less than 10% of what you could potentially see if you went to both shows on Saturday night. Now, a 30 minute TV show would provide 25% of what you would see in person. Currently, it appears they are doing a pretty good job filling seats most of the time. I have never watched the Nashville show but I understand they show the actors and others at the Opry during the show so the public is getting teased through that show which seems to be working for the short term.

    At the very beginning of the Opry on TNN the show was mostly of Opry regulars. As time went on outsiders began to appear and new members began to overshadow the veterans and you be sure if the newer members were at the Opry they would appear on TV. And even then in the 80's and 90's you had new members who were rarely there but you could bet they would be there to appear on national TV. Very little doubt in my mind that if it were on TV today, none of the veterans or more country acts would make the cut.

    No complaints though about the TNN days. We still go back and watch our videos from those days and just about every member got to appear in the first couple of years if they were making any Opry appearances.

    Jim
    Knightsville, IN

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  31. I agree that the Opry shows should go back to 2½ hours, cut back on the on-stage contests that take minutes away from the singers, add some new Opry members, and schedule more Opry members to perform weekly. It is an expensive trip counting gas, hotel, Opry tickets, etc.

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  32. I have written several letters over the years since the takeover of Fisher and Co. in the late 1990s. Crickets every time. Here was a time of about a year when Fisher and I were discussing the changes he was making (to the TNN telecast of the time and the Opry in general following the 2000 stage change), but when I told him what I thought in person more than a half dozen times (and only after he asked my opinion), he just stopped asking. Perhaps the biggest shock came to me when he told me that I was a minority in my passion for the Opry's heritage, and he didn't pay attention to a minority. My response to him was "I think you will find there are a lot more people who think as I do who will be coming out of the woodwork, then we will see who the minority is".

    Through the conflicts he had with several different Opry artists over discriminatory practices (that are enhanced even today) to the blatant ignorance (or deliberate hatred) towards what National Life had done to perpetuate what the Opry stood for, it is no longer the same show. It is over priced, has nothing to do with fans outside of what money they can pilfer from them, and has lost the ideology of family, home folks, and simplicity (not to mention heritage).

    Perhaps one of the most glaring things I have ever heard about was when Fisher first became manager and went to a party at the home of Brother Oswald and they were playing some of the great music that had been part of the Opry since the beginning. Fisher leaned over to his wife (or whoever was next to him) and said, "This is wonderful music. We need to bring this down to the Grand Ole Opry."

    Someone that ignorant about what the Opry is in the beginning now runs things into the ground today by limiting artists from having encores, restricting backstage access (unless you pay money to go there), and being hateful to the people who made the Opry great in earlier times. I witnessed a great deal of these kinds of things myself - things I won't repeat now since it is water under the bridge.

    I refuse to go back to the Opry and pay for their overpriced tickets - doing so supports these terrible things they have done to more professional sounding and well rounded musicians (they fired the best staff band they could have ever had - one that played for almost every television show that came out of Nashville for forty years), change the sound people to where listening to the Opry is hard to do (you can't hear when artists talk and the music is ten times the decimals, so you constantly are turning the radio volume up and down all night if you were to listen), and making the Opry visually not appealing anymore by constantly making the "set" look more like a Las Vegas or Hollywood show than the rural radio show it was intended to be. Cutting the show down from a six or seven hour radio show down to a two hour show with an "intermission" (what idiot thought that up has to be in theatre and doesn't know what era the Grand Ole Opry came from) makes it just a shadow of itself, along with the games how commercials (which have no place on the Opry) and the actors/actresses doing what they do best (acting, not singing). It holds nothing of the life it had before Acuff and Ed Gaylord died, before the people who had been licking their chops and hoping for a chance to destroy the Opry from within (much like our country as a whole has been) got that chance, and before the New York and Las Vegas/Hollywood people came in to try and make a new image out of the Opry (as if it needed one).

    There's much more to say but I will leave it to other folks. I have the entire history of the Opry I have been studying for the last thirty two years and hope to put it out there when my health returns. If they don't stop me or steal it from me (as they have done to others in the past).

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