Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Grand Ole Opry 1/1 & 1/2

Happy New Year and welcome to 2021 and the first Opry shows of the new year. 

Looking at the Grand Ole Opry line-ups for this weekend, there are four Opry members on the schedule and all four have been on the Opry each of the last three weeks. On the Friday Night Opry, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart return, while on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry Jeannie Seely and Riders In The Sky are scheduled. 

Among the guest artists, Charlie Worsham, Mandy Barnett and the former Miss North Carolina, Jeanne Robertson are both nights. Jeanne, known as a motivational speaker and humorist, has been on the Opry numerous times and having seen her in person, I have enjoyed her. 

Rounding out the line-up on Friday night are The Isaacs, while on Saturday night, Kelsey Waldon and Radney Foster are scheduled. 

Friday January 1

7:00: Mandy Barnett; Charlie Worsham
7:30: Jeanne Robertson; The Isaacs
8:00: Connie Smith; Marty Stuart

Saturday January 2
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Jeanne Robertson; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Charlie Worsham; Kelsey Waldon; Radney Foster; Mandy Barnett

Sadly, no Opry members on the televised segment again this week. 
___________________________________________________________________________

From 50 years ago, Saturday January 2, 1971: 

7:00: Rudy's
Bill Monroe (host): Molly & Tenbrooks
Bob Luman: What About the Hurt
Lonzo and Oscar: Lonesome Road Blues
Stringbean: Cripple Creek
Bill and James William Monroe: When You're Lonely
Bob Luman: Guitar Man/Heartbreak Hotel
Lonzo and Oscar: Out of Hand
Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans

7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Anderson (host): But You Know I Love You
Earl Scruggs Revue: Fireball Mail
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nine Pound Hammer
Jimmy Gately: I Sure Like Your Truck
Bill Anderson: Po' Folks
Earl Scruggs Revue: Paul & Silas
Wilma Lee Cooper: A Hero's Death
Bill Anderson: Where Have All Our Heroes Gone

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Charlie Louvin: Think I'll Go Somewhere & Cry Myself to Sleep
Bobby Bare: Come Sundown
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Lester Flatt: I Can't Tell the Boys From the Girls
Charlie Louvin & Diane McCall: Something to Brag About
Bobby Bare: Detroit City
Uncle Josh: Just Joshin'

8:30: Stephens
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jim Ed Brown: Morning
Dottie West: Paper Mansions
Archie Campbell: Hey. Waiter
Roy Acuff: Green Back Dollar
Dottie West: Here Comes My Baby

9:00: Luzianne
Ernest Tubb (host): Letters Have No Arms
Tex Ritter: Wayward Wind
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
Jimmy C Newman: Blue Lonely Winter
Ernest Tubb: Soldier's Last Letter
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Devil's Dream
Stu Phillips: For the Good Times
Tex Ritter: Boll Weevil
Loretta Lynn: You Want to Give Me a Lift

9:30: Kellogg's
Hank Snow (host): Vanishing Breed
Willis Brothers: There Goes the Farm
Ernie Ashworth: Love; I Finally Found It
Wilburn Brothers: It's Another World
Hank Snow: Conscience, I'm Guilty
Ernie Ashworth: Mind Your Own Business
Wilburn Brothers: It Looks Like the Sun's Gonna Shine
Hank Snow: Tammy

10:00: Fender
Bill Anderson (host): Get White the Getting's Good
Earl Scruggs Revue: Rubin
Stringbean: Pretty Little Widow
Lonzo and Oscar: Movin' On #2
Bill Anderson: Still

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Night Train to Memphis
Bill Monroe: I'll Never Love No One Else But My Darling
Kenny Baker: Jolly Blacksmith
Bobby Bare: Come Sundown
Charlie Louvin and Diane McCall: I Take the Chance
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): I Can't Tell the Boys From the Girls
Willis Brothers: Big Daddy
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: I Wanna Be Loved
Lester Flatt: John Henry

10:45: Beechnut
Ernest Tubb (host): Thanks A Lot
Tex Ritter: Just Beyond the Moon
Jim Ed Brown: Pop A Top
Crook Brothers: Eighth of January

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): In the Misty Moonlight
Loretta Lynn: Fist City
Archie and Phil Campbell: Release Me
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Walking in My Sleep
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
Sam McGee: San Antonio Rose
Jimmy C Newman: A Fallen Star
Hank Snow: Geisha Girl

11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
Wilburn Brothers: Little Eyes/We Need a Lot More Happiness
Stu Phillips: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Ernie Ashworth: Lip's, Start Talking
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/I Walk Alone/If I Want To/Pick Me Up on Your Way Down

Among those scheduled and who cancelled that night were Marion Worth, Billy Walker, Justin Tubb and Charlie Walker. 
__________________________________________________________________________

To finish it up for this week, let's go way back in the time machine to January 2, 1960. Here is the running order from 61 years ago: 

7:30: Pet Milk
Marty Robbins (host): Sweet Lies
Rusty and Doug: The Live I Want
Justin Tubb: I'm A Big Boy Now
June Carter: Comedy Routine
Marty Robbins: El Paso
Jerry Byrd: Slippery Elm
Glaser Brothers: Bay of Mexico
Justin Tubb: Mine Is A Lonely Life
Marty Robbins: Just Married

8:00: Martha White
Flatt and Scruggs (host): Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
Carl Butler: Grief In My Heart
Benny Martin: If I Can Stay Away Long Enough
Alex Houston: And Elmer
Flatt and Scruggs: I'm On My Way
Carl Butler: Don't Steal From A Poor Man
Cousin Jake: Old McDonald Had A Farm
Crook Brothers: Lost Indian
Benny Martin: Me And My Fiddle
Flatt and Scruggs: Foggy Mountain Rock

8:30: Prince Albert
Don Gibson (host): I'm Moving On
Archie Campbell: Comedy Routine
Billy Grammer: Loveland
Tommy Jackson: Black Mountain Rag
Don Gibson: No One Stands Alone
Chet Atkins: Wildwood Flower
Minnie Pearl: Comedy Routine
Billy Grammer: It Takes You
String Bean: Train Special 500
Don Gibson: Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
Tommy Jackson: Sally Goodin

9:00: Jefferson Island Salt
Porter Wagoner (host): Uncle Pen
George Morgan: You're The Only Good
Harvie June: Poor Wildwood Flower
Cousin Jody: Horses Carry Tales
Porter Wagoner: Your Kind Of People
Jordanaires: I Ain't Never
Minnie Pearl: Comedy Routine
Fruit Jars: Sally Johnson
George Morgan: Come Away From His Arms
Porter Wagoner: Pay Day

9:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Chasin' A Rainbow
Bill Monroe: Tomorrow I'll Be Gone
Patsy Cline: Eyes Of A Child
Lonzo and Oscar: Gotta' Find Julie
Hank Snow: I Heard My Heart Break Last Night
Rusty and Doug: The Love I Want
Bill Monroe: Dark AS The Night, Blue As The Day
Patsy Cline: Walking After Midnight
Hank Snow: Golden Rocket

10:00: Jamison Bedding
Marty Robbins (host): El Paso
Carl Butler: Grief In My Heart
Rusty and Doug: I Like You
Crook Brothers: Arkansas Traveler
Marty Robbins: Hanging Tree
Glaser Brothers: She Loves The Love I Give Her
Carl Butler: I'll Cry Tomorrow
Rusty and Doug: Love Me To Pieces
Marty Robbins: I Can't Quit

10:30: Pops-Rite Popcorn
Don Gibson (host): I'm Moving On
Justin Tubb: Always Lonely
String Bean: Barnyard Banjo Picking
Don Gibson: Who Cares
Fiddle Tune: Leather Britches

10:45: De Con
Flatt and Scruggs (host): If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Benny Martin: Nine Pound Hammer
Harvie June: Mama Don't Chase My Love Away
Flatt and Scruggs: I'm Crying My Heart Out Over You
Fiddle Tune: Soldier's Joy

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): The Last Ride
Billy Grammer: Kissing Tree
Lonzo and Oscar: Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
Fruit Jars: Old Joe Clark
Hank Snow: The Party Of The Second Part
Jordanaires: He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Sam and Kirk: Roll On, Buddy, Roll On
Billy Grammer: Loveland
Hank Snow: My Blue Eyed Jane

11:30: Phillips & Buttorff
George Morgan (host): Cry Baby Heart
Bill Monroe: Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus
Cousin Jody: Mocking Bird
George Morgan: Candy Kisses
Bill Monroe: Scotland

11:45: Wall-Rite
Porter Wagoner (host): Tell her Lies And Feed Her Candy
Patsy Cline: Oh Lonesome Me
Rusty and Doug: I Like You
Porter Wagoner: Satisfied Mind

The following week,  January 9, 1960, Patsy Cline would become an official member of the Grand Ole Opry. Thus, on this particular night she was still a guest artist. 

Also, a name from that night that some might recognize was Harvie June. 

Harvie June Van was born on March 2, 1940 in Monterey, Tennessee. She got her start singing when she was three years old, on radio station WHUB in Cookeville, Tennessee. Her family moved on up to Dayton, Ohio. They had a songwriter friend by the name of Mrs. Louise Webb, of Nashville, who introduced them to King Records artist director, Louis Innis, who then signed her to a recording contract.

Her first singles, "Can Can Skirt" and "My Sin of Yesterday" were released in 1954. She had three more releases after that, "The Lights Are Grouing Dim" with "I'm Just Not That Kind," "Mama Don't Chase My Love Away" with "Don't Offer Me The Stars" and "False or True." She recorded several more singles in the late 50s and early 60s. By the late 60s, she had faded away from the music scene and in recent years, as been largely forgotten. 

She married her manager Bob Ferguson who would later become a RCA Record Producer and Executive. They would adopt two Native American children. Harvie would later divorce him. Today she lives in the Nashville area.

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this weekend. 



Monday, December 28, 2020

Glen Thompson

 Good Morning: 

I wanted to share this news regarding the best friend that the Grand Ole Opry has ever had, Glen Thompson. Many of you may remember the Grand Ole Opry Fan Club, of which Glen was the founder and president. Over the years I have gotten to know Glen and his love for the Grand Ole Opry, and Roy Acuff, is amazing. 

I am sharing what has been posted on Glen's Facebook page, along with information that his wife Louise and family members have provided:

Hi friends, Louise here. Please keep Glen in your prayers. Here's a link to his Caring Bridge site, with lots of info and an update on his health situation. We love you all. 

Visit Glen Thompson’s CaringBridge website where you'll find the latest updates and a place to share messages of love, hope & compassion. https://www.caringbridge.org/public/glenthompson

I know there are those who read the blog that have met Glen over the years and have attended many of the Fan Fair events with him, along with the Grand Ole Opry Fan Club gatherings. For me, a trip to Nashville was never completed without stopping and seeing Glen. Since his move to Minneapolis a few years ago, we have phone conversations. Sadly, not as many as we could have had. 

I know Louise and all of his children and family members would appreciate everyone keeping Glen in their thoughts and prayers as he prepares for his next journey, of which we hope will be a peaceful one. 


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Grand Ole Opry 12/25 & 12/26

Well, we have reached the end as this weekend will be the final Opry shows for 2020. What a year it has been as there were many challenges and setbacks. Yet, against the odds, the Opry will have completed 2020 without missing a Saturday night performance of the Grand Ole Opry and with that, we should all offer our thanks and appreciation to Dan Rogers and the entire team at the Opry who did whatever was asked of them to keep the show going. 

As we look ahead to Christmas and 2021, many of us have our wish list and I hope that Santa will fulfill every item asked. Many of us will be grateful for good health for ourselves, our family members and friends, along with better times for all. 

So not to get to serious, with the passing of several members in 2020, the Opry will be looking to add some new members in the future. We already have Rhonda Vincent scheduled to officially join on February 6, and many believe that Carly Pearce is in line to become an Opry member soon. While not a traditional classic country artist, Carly has appeared on the Opry over 75 times, loves the Opry and I believe that she "gets it." Like Rhonda Vincent, I believe Jeannie Seely, who has become the Opry's most influential female member, is giving Carly a push. 

I bring up the subject of new members for a couple of reasons. First, Kathy Mattea appeared on the Opry last Saturday night, and many feel, including myself, that she would make a great Opry member. Secondly, two more are scheduled for both shows this weekend whom I also believe would make fine Opry members: T. Graham Brown and Charlie McCoy. Those are two more of the veteran artists who have guested on the Opry for decades and are always well received by the audiences. So who else do you think would make good as future members of the Opry? I am certainly curious as to what others are thinking so I would love to see some of your wish lists. 

So looking ahead to this weekend, on the Friday Night Opry Jeannie Seely is the only Opry member on the schedule, while on Saturday night Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Riders In the Sky and Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus are scheduled. As mentioned, T. Graham Brown and Charlie McCoy are scheduled for both nights, and joining them on Friday night will be Ana Christina Cash, Erin Enderlin and Darin & Brooke Aldridge. Saturday night has Lindsay Ell and Jason Crabb are listed.  

Friday December 25
7:00: Jeannie Seely; Ana Christina Cash
7:30: Erin Enderlin; Darin & Brooke Aldridge
8:00: T. Graham Brown; Charlie McCoy

Saturday December 26
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Connie Smith; Riders In The Sky; Marty Stuart
8:00: T. Graham Brown; Lindsay Ell; Jason Crabb w/Jay DeMarcus; Charlie McCoy

What a nice surprise to have T. Graham Brown and Charlie McCoy on the Circle segment this weekend. 
_________________________________________________________________________

Now from 50 years ago, Saturday December 26, 1970 (the final Saturday of the year):

7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper; Ray Pillow; Harold Weakley
7:30: Roy Acuff (host); Roy Drusky; Bill Carlisle; Del Wood
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); George Morgan; Archie Campbell; Crook Brothers; Ernie Ashworth
8:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Justin Tubb; Stringbean
9:00: Ernest Tubb (host); Jean Shepard; Cal Smith; Fruit Jar Drinkers
9:30: Hank Snow (host); Willis Brothers; Charlie Louvin; Diane McCall; Stu Phillips; 
10:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper; Ray Pillow
10:15: Roy Acuff (host); Bill Monroe; George Morgan; Justin Tubb
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Ernie Ashworth; Stringbean
10:45: Ernest Tubb (host); Bill Carlisle; Del Wood; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Charlie Louvin; Willis Brothers; Archie Campbell; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Diane McCall; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); Jean Shepard; Ronnie Robbins; Stu Phillips
___________________________________________________________________________

A couple of dates to look at. First, it was on Saturday December 25, 1976 (yes, Christmas night) that Larry, Steve and Rudy, The Gatlin Brothers, became members of the Grand Ole Opry. 44 years later, they continue to be one of the more popular acts on the Opry and in addition to their Opry appearances, Larry is the main host for Opry Country Classics, which takes place in the Spring and Fall at the Ryman Auditorium. 

Here is the running order from 44 years ago, December 25, 1976: 

1st show
6:00: Vietti
Bill Monroe (host): Love, Come Home
Ray Pillow: Slowly Coming Over Me
Marion Worth: Just A Little Lovin'
David "Lonzo" Hooten: If We Make it Through December
Bill Monroe: Milenburg Joy
Ernie Ashworth: The Shamrock Motel
Bill Monroe: Mule Skinner Blues/Ashland Breakdown

6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host): Forgive; Forget Us
Charlie Louvin: Let's Put Our World Back Together/A Toast to Mama/Love Has to Die, All By Itself/I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow/I Want A Happy Life
Del Wood: There's A Big Wheel
Wilma Lee Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer

6:45: Rudy's
Ernest Tubb (host): The Women Make a Fool Out of Me
Skeeter Davis: Desperado
Billy Grammer: My Life's Been a Pleasure
Ernest Tubb: Another Story; Another Time; Another Place

7:00: Shoney's
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Minnie Pearl: I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes
Jimmy C Newman: Blue Lonely Winter
Stu Phillips: Have a Nice Day

7:30: Standard Candy
Porter Wagoner (host): Wake Up, Jacob
Dottie West: Country Sunshine
Justin Tubb: You Nearly Lose Your Mind
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Black Mountain Rag
Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers: Broken Lady/Statues Without Hearts
Porter Wagoner: Happy Birthday Jesus

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): Shuckin' the Corn
Jack Greene: You Don't Need a Cowboy
Jeannie Seely: Mama Never Told Me About Cowboys
Vic Willis Trio: Christmas Carols by the Old Corral
Lester Flatt: Hot Corn, Cold Corn
Bob Luman: Satisfied Mind
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything
Lester Flatt and Charlie Nixon: Dobro Instrumental

8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host):  I'm Moving On
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Bill Carlisle: I've Waited Too Long
Jim and Jesse: Then I'll Stop Going for You
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
Hank Snow: Christmas Roses

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): I'll Get Along Somehow
Charlie Louvin: Sweet Texas
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Wayne Hammond: Welcome to My World
David "Lonzo" Hooten: Daddy Looked a Lot Like Santa
Billy Grammer: I Dreamed of an Old Love Affair
Ernest Tubb: Blue Christmas

10:00: Fender
Bill Monroe (host): A Beautiful Life
Ray Pillow: Gone at Last
Ernie Ashworth: My Love Will Never Change
Del Wood: My Country

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Old Time Sunshine Song
Marion Worth: Just a Little Lovin'
Charlie Walker: Who'll Buy the Wine
Onie Wheeler: Old Roy

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): Why Do You Wander
Jack Greene: Birmingham
Jeannie Seely: American Trilogy
Jimmy C Newman: The Potato Song
Lester Flatt and Marty Stuart: Rawhide

10:45: Beechnut
Porter Wagoner (host): Highway Headed South
Justin Tubb: Sweetwater Texas
Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers: Statues Without Hearts/Hallelujah
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: 8th of January 
Porter Wagoner: Happy Birthday Jesus

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Lester, The Long Eared Christmas Donkey
Bob Luman: Blue Christmas
Vic Willis Trio: Cool Water
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Kirk McGee: Always Be Kind to Daddy
Hank Snow: Silent Night

11:30: Baltz Bros. 
Marty Robbins (host): Don't Worry
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Bill Carlisle: Have a Drink on Me
Marty Robbins: El Paso City/Love Me/Among My Souvenirs/Way Out There/El Paso
_____________________________________________________________________

Finally, I think everyone might remember Hank Snow's short term duet partner Kelly Foxton. It was on Saturday December 26, 1981 that Hank and Kelly appeared on the Grand Ole Opry for the final time. 

(The following is from Kelly Foxton's website):
Kelly Foxton is an entertainer who came up through the ranks of country music as a recording artist, to international stardom, performing around the world.  Kelly recorded numerous single hits and duets on RCA Records with one of country music's pioneers, the late Hank Snow.  She performed for years on the Grand Ole Opry and also traveled all over Europe with England's Entertainer of the Year, the late Box Car Willie.  Later, Kelly put together her own Las Vegas act for cruise ships and conventions. 

She has awards too numerous to mention but one, of which she is most proud, is 'The Great American Citation for Patriotism and World Peace'.  She was given this award for her work as 'The Military Pin-Up Queen' where she traveled to military installations, boosting the morale of our service members, around the globe. 

Now, after settling down in sunny, south Florida, Kelly has decided to continue her mission to boost the morale of our troops by photographing her pet squirrel in cute military shots. That way the guys and girls, keeping our great country free and helping to bring democracy to the rest of the world, will have a little 'Military Mascot' to carry around with them in their pockets to remind them that we, back here in America, are with them all the way.  Sugar Bush Squirrel is a cute, cuddly little American squirrel who bends over backwards to do these shots but she's always happy to do it!!!  She looks forward to getting new outfits and props.  She loves to pose with guns and all of the airplanes, tanks and helicopters.  "If she ever disappears while I'm resetting the camera, you can bet she's inside one of her jeeps or helicopters playing around and 'figuring out' new poses!"

There you have it. Interesting to say the least. Hank and Kelly's duet work lasted several years and produced several albums. At the very least, it was a strange partnership. 

Here is the running order from 39 years ago, Saturday December 26, 1981: 

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Billy Walker (host): Word Games
Jan Howard: It's Good to See You
Justin Tubb: Pull the Covers Over Me
Billy Walker: Soap & Water

6:45: Rudy's
Jack Greene (host): I Need Somebody Bad Tonight
Jeannie Seely: It Turns Me Inside Out
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything

7:00: Shoney's
Ernest Tubb (host): Thanks A Lot
Jean Shepard: What Would I Do
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Wilma Lee Cooper: The Crippled Boy
Jimmy Dickens: Sleepin' At the Foot of the Bed
Osborne Brothers: Old Flames
Ernest Tubb: Half A Mind

7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Monroe (host): A Used to Be
Skeeter Davis: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Billy Grammer: Kansas City Railroad Blues
Wilburn Brothers: Because He Lives
Crook Brothers: Gray Eagle
Bill Monroe: Lonesome Road Blues

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Connie Smith: How Great Thou Art
Bill Carlisle: Have a Drink on Me
Minnie Pearl: Fool Hearted Me

8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
The 4 Guys: I Don't Want Your Love Forever
Roy Drusky: I Really Don't Want to Know
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cacklin' Hen
Hank Snow and Kelly Foxton: Before the Next Teardrop Falls

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello
The 4 Guys: Loving Up a Storm
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything
Jeannie Seely: I'm Almost Ready
Billy Walker: Soap & Water
Wilma Lee Cooper: Singing Waterfall
Ernest Tubb: Waltz Across Texas

10:00: Little Debbie
Bill Monroe (host): Blue Moon of Kentucky
Skeeter Davis: Rock-A-Bye Boogie
David "Lonzo" Hooten: Rambling Fever
Bill Monroe: My Last Days on Earth

10:15: Sunbeam
Charlie Walker (host): San Antonio Rose
Jean Shepard: Slippin' Away
Osborne Brothers: Rank Stranger
Charlie Walker: Close All the Honky Tonks

10:30: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Night Train to Memphis
Stonewall Jackson: Ol' Chuck of Coal
Justin Tubb: What's Wrong With the Way That We're Doing it Now
Roy Acuff: Jesus Will Outshine Them All

10:45: Beechnut
Roy Drusky (host): There'll Never Be Anyone Else But You for Me
Billy Grammer: What A Friend We Have in Jesus
Crook Brothers: Lafayette
Roy Drusky: The Last Farewell

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Right or Wrong
Connie Smith: The Deepening Snow
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Jimmy Dickens: I'm Little But I'm Loud
Kirk McGee: Blue Night
Kelly Foxton: Crazy

11:30: Bama
Marty Robbins (host): Singing the Blues
Vic Willis Trio: A Woman Like You
Ray Pillow: Wasted Again
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Marty Robbins: Ribbon of Darkness/Return to Me/Beyond the Reef/That's All Right/Cool Water/I Don't Know Why/Don't Worry/El Paso City/Devil Woman/Muddy Water/Love Me/A White Sport Coat/Teardrops in My Heart/All Around Cowboy/El Paso

I have it in the notes that after Marty sang "El Paso City" at 12:45am. WSM ended the airing of the Opry and went to the Midnight Jamboree. I would say that Ernest Tubb was tired of waiting!! But on a serious note, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop paid WSM for the airtime beginning at midnight. There was also a period of time that Marty Robbins ran so far over the traditional midnight ending of the Opry, that WSM had to pay back some money to the Record Shop as the value of the airtime decreased later in the night (basically the midnight to 1:00 a.m. hour was more valuable then the 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. hour). So as a compromise, WSM would break away from Marty and the Opry, and play a pre-recorded version of "El Paso" if they felt Marty was going on way too long, and then go to the Midnight Jamboree. That was the case this particular evening. 

Well, there you have it as we wrap up another year. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!!

Enjoy the Opry this weekend. 






Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Grand Ole Opry 12/18 & 12/19

It's the final weekend before Christmas and I hope everyone has all of their holiday shopping and shipping done. If any of you are waiting anxiously for UPS, FedEx, or the USPS for your delivery, I hope it goes well and you receive everything on time. Fortunately at our house, it has all worked out. 

I can remember many of the December shows at the Opry featuring great line-ups, with lots of Grand Ole Opry members, and plenty of Christmas music. Sadly, in the world we currently live in, the large line-ups will not be happening but hopefully some Christmas music will be on tap. 

Looking at the schedule for this weekend, I am very pleased to see that Riders In The Sky are listed for both the Friday and Saturday night shows. They have been missed and this will be their first Opry appearances since March. Joining the group on Friday night will be a return appearance by Connie Smith and Marty Stuart. I know last week they did a fantastic job. Also appearing on Friday night will be Opry member Chris Janson, along with guest artists Smithfield and RaeLynn. As in past weeks, another 90 minute show with six artists. 

Joining the Riders on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry will be Opry members Jeannie Seely and Kelsea Ballerini. Also appearing will Lauren Alaina, and two acts who I believe would make good Opry members some day, Kathy Mattea and Lady A. 

Friday December 18
7:00: Riders In The Sky; Smithfield
7:30: Connie Smith; Marty Stuart
8:00: RaeLynn; Chris Janson

Saturday December 19
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Kathy Mattea; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Kelsea Ballerini; Lauren Alaina; Lady A

As always, any changes will be updated. 
___________________________________________________________________________

And now, from 50 years ago. Saturday December 19, 1970: 

7:00: Rudy's
Bill Monroe (host): Bluegrass Breakdown
Ray Pillow: Heart Over Mind
Stringbean: Run, Little Rabbit, Run
The 4 Guys: Get Together/Let the Sunshine In
Bill Monroe: Christmas Time's 'A Comin'
Ray Pillow: Take Me As I Am
Stringbean: Ol' Rattler
The 4 Guys: One Pair of Hands
Bill Monroe: Panhandle Country

7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Anderson (host): Wild Weekend
Bobby Bare: Detroit City
Charlie Louvin and Diane McCall: Something to Brag About
Bill Carlisle: Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
Bill Anderson: Love Is A Sometimes Thing
Jan Howard: Rock Me Back to Little Rock
Bobby Bare: Come Sundown
Charlie Louvin: She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye
Bill Anderson: Where Have All the Heroes Gone

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Sunshine Special
Jean Shepard: Today I Started Loving You Again
Jim Ed Brown: Morning
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Roy Acuff: Pins & Needles
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Jean Shepard: Another Lonely Night
Howdy Forrester: Instrumental

8:30: Stephens
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Dolly Parton: Joshua
Del Reeves: Girl on the Billboard
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: There's A Big Wheel
Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton: Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man
Jim and Jesse: I've Got a Freight Train on My Mind
Dolly Parton: Mule Skinner Blues
Del Reeves: Help Me Make it Through the Night

9:00: Luzianne
Ernest Tubb (host): A Good Year for the Wine
Jack Greene: Wanting You, But Never Having You
Jeannie Seely: Please Be My New Love
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Hickory Leaf
Ernest Tubb: Blue Christmas
Jack Greene: The Great Speckled Bird
Jimmy Dry: Wild Side of Life
Jeannie Seely: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Leon Boulanger: For the Good Times

9:30: Kellogg's
Hank Snow (host): Ninety Miles an Hour
Willis Brothers: There Goes the Farm
Ray Pillow: Tonight I'm Going Out and Burn Some Bridges
Stu Phillips: Crystal Chandeliers
Hank Snow: Christmas Roses
Willis Brothers: Christmas Carols by the Old Corral
Ray Pillow: You Don't Care What Happens to Me
Hank Snow: Let Me Go Lover

10:00: Fender
Bill Anderson (host): I Love You Drops
Stringbean: Ol' Man, Can You Play A Banjo
Jan Howard: Let it Be
The 4 Guys: Daddy Sang Bass
Bill Anderson and Jan Howard: Someday We'll Be Together

10:15: Union 76
Porter Wagoner (host) and Dolly Parton: The Last Thing on My Mind/Holding on to Nothing/Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man
Dolly Parton: Joshua
Bobby Bare: Miller's Cave
Jim Ed Brown: Morning
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted

10:30: Trailblazer
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Bill Monroe: Rawhide
Jean Shepard: Another Lonely Night
Archie Campbell: Long Black Limousine
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:45: Beechnut
Ernest Tubb (host): In the Jailhouse Now
Jack Greene: Something Unseen 
Jeannie Seely: I Never Once Stopped Loving You
Crook Brothers: Arkansas Traveler
Wilma Lee Cooper: Shackles & Chains

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): The Man Behind the Gun
Del Reeves: Help Me Make it Through the Night
Charlie Louvin: Don't Believe You've Met My Baby/Don't Laugh/My Baby's Gone/When I Stop Dreaming
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Lost Indian
Del Reeves: Whole Lotta Shaking Going On
Charlie Louvin: Little Reasons/Will You Visit Me on Sundays/What Are Those Things
Sam McGee: San Antonio Rose
Hank Snow: God Is My Santa Claus

11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
Jim and Jesse: Ballad of Thunder Road
Stu Phillips: For the Good Times
Jim and Jesse: Strong Horizons
Marty Robbins: I Walk Alone/Bouquet of Roses/Shackles & Chains/I Could Never Be Ashamed of You/Oh, How I Miss You/Big Boss Man/Padre
_____________________________________________________________________

Back in 1975, Johnny Cash was at the height of his career, coming off his ABC television show and his award winning prison albums. There was nobody as big as Johnny. Johnny, of course, was an Opry member earlier in his career but was asked to leave and not come back after the famous incident of smashing out the stage lights. However, after getting himself straight and off drugs, and as he reformed his image, the Opry welcomed him back several times for guest appearances. December 20, 1975 was one of those nights. 

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Bill Anderson (host): Po' Folks Christmas
Skeeter Davis: On the Way Home
Justin Tubb: Cold Brown Bottle
Bill Anderson: A World of Make Believe

6:45: Rudy's
Ernest Tubb (host): If You Don't Quit Checking on Me
Del Reeves: Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
Charlie Louvin: When I Stop Dreaming
Ernest Tubb: Blue Christmas

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): A Highway Headed South
Jean Shepard: Another Neon Night
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Walking My Lord Up Calvary's Hill
Billy Grammer: Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Bobby Lord: Rainbow Girl
Jim and Jesse: Paradise
Porter Wagoner: Happy Birthday Jesus

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Johnny Cash: Folsom Prison Blues/Texas 1947
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: Jackson
Johnny Cash: I Walk the Line
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Cotton-Eyed Joe
Roy Acuff: Will the Circle Be Unbroken

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): Salty Dog Blues
Grandpa Jones: Christmas Guest
Roy Drusky: Bouquet of Roses
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Billy Walker: Don't Stop in My World
The 4 Guys: Let There Be Peace
Marty Stuart: Fire on the Mountain

8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Colorado Country Morning
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Don Gibson: Oh, Lonesome Me
Roy Clark: Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms/With Pain in My Heart (Blues on My Mind)
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Stu Phillips: Great El Tigrae
Ernie Ashworth: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Hank Snow: Christmas Wants

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): Waltz Across Texas
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Del Reeves: You Comb Her Hair
Skeeter Davis: Let it Shine
Charlie Louvin: (?)
Jim Ed Brown: Another Morning
Roy Clark: John Hardy/Cryin' My Heart Over You
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye

10:00: Fender
Bill Anderson (host): If You Can Live With It
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Curly-Headed Baby
Justin Tubb: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Bill Anderson and Mary Lou Turner: Sometimes

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Johnny Cash: Big River/I Still Miss Someone/Give My Love to Rose
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: If I Were a Carpenter
Roy Acuff: I Saw the Light

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): Great Big Woman & A Little Biddy Bottle of Wine
Grandpa Jones: Jingle Bells
Bobby Lord: Mississippi
Jim and Jesse: Please Be My Love
Kenny Ingram: Cumberland Gap

10:45: Beechnut
Porter Wagoner (host): Indian Creek
Stonewall Jackson: Waterloo
Billy Grammer: What A Friend
Barbara Lea: Ain't Love Grand
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Bill Cheatham
Porter Wagoner: Happy Birthday Jesus

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Billy Walker: Don't Stop in My World
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Sally Goodin
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Kirk McGee: Blue Night
Hank Snow: Silent Night

11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): Singing the Blues
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets/Sweet Baby Jane
Don Gibson: Blue, Blue Day/I Can't Stop Loving You
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/Devil Woman/Love Me/Cool Water/Driftwood on the River/My Woman, My Woman, My Wife/El Paso

I would say there were no complaints about either show that night as not only was Johnny on the Opry but also Roy Clark and Don Gibson. The 2nd show didn't end until just after 1:00 a.m. And I keep thinking that it is too bad that Johnny never took Roy Acuff up on his offer to come back and rejoin the Opry. 

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this weekend. 


Saturday, December 12, 2020

Charley Pride

Sadly, country music and the Grand Ole Opry has lost a true pioneer as Hall of Fame member Charley Pride has passed away. 

(From CMT):

Charley Pride, whose accolades include membership to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, died Saturday (Dec. 12) of complications from Covid-19. He was 86.

Pride is considered country music’s first African American superstar. He scored 29 No. 1 hits between 1969 and 1983 and charted 67 singles in his groundbreaking career. as well as the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1971.

Charley Frank Pride was born into a sharecropping family in Sledge, Mississippi, on March 18, 1934. He recalled walking four miles to and from a segregated grade school while white children passed by in school buses. Because his father scorned the roughness and ribaldry of blues music, Pride grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry and idolizing such stars as Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb.

As a teenager, he bought his first guitar from money earned picking cotton. Two years later, he quit school to play professional baseball in the Negro American League and emerged as a star pitcher. Then he joined the Army, in which he served for two years. He married his wife, Rozene, over Christmas break in 1956.

He returned briefly to baseball upon his military discharge in 1958, playing for the Pioneer League, before moving on to work in a smelting plant in Helena, Montana. It was there in 1962 that singers Red Foley and Red Sovine heard him singing a Hank Williams song and urged him to come to Nashville.

Pride did so, walking to Cedarwood Publishing (which booked Sovine’s shows) after being dropped off at the Greyhound station in Nashville. There he happened to meet Cedarwood’s Jack Johnson, who recorded a few tracks, agreed to be his manager, and tried in vain to get him a label deal. However, it wasn’t until a 1965 introduction to maverick Nashville producer “Cowboy” Jack Clement that things started to happen.

Impressed by Pride’s formidable baritone voice and Hollywood good looks, Clement recorded some songs on the new prospect and sent them to Chet Atkins, who then headed RCA Records’ country division. The Civil Rights movement was just beginning to heat up at this point, but as others before him had been Atkins was so drawn to Pride’s voice and demeanor that he signed him in 1966. The label initially billed him as “Country Charley Pride.” At first, Pride’s singles were sent to radio stations without the usual publicity photo enclosed.

He charted his first single, Clement’s composition “Just Between You and Me,” in 1966. It went Top 10, and five of his subsequent six releases went Top 5. In 1969, he had his first No. 1 with “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).” From then on, until his chart successes began tapering off in the mid-1980s, most of his RCA singles hit No. 1 and only rarely ranking less than Top 5. His albums routinely were certified gold, signifying half a million copies.

Throughout his career, Pride performed without any visible chip on his shoulder, seeming to dismiss any racial roadblocks with easygoing humor (often quipping about his “permanent tan”). But he was not oblivious nor impervious to racial slights. In the 2019 Country Music documentary on PBS, he revealed that RCA was particularly vigilant in his choice of love songs to record. He said he wanted to record “The Green Green Grass of Home,” but that the label balked because of the line, “Down the road I look and there comes Mary/ Hair of gold and lips like cherries” since the “hair of gold” marked Mary as a white woman.

Pride made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1967 and, after repeated invitations to join the cast of the revered radio show, finally did so in 1993. His 1971 hit, “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” topped the country charts for five weeks and earned a song of the year Grammy for its writer Ben Peters (and a nomination for Pride as a singer). It also rose to No. 21 on the pop charts.

Pride won three performance Grammys — two for gospel and one for country — as well as a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2017. In 1971, the Country Music Association voted Pride its Entertainer of the Year, as well as its Male Vocalist in 1971 and 1972.

A canny businessman, Pride invested well in real estate, banking, music publishing, talent booking and management. Many country acts that would later become famous were mentored by Pride and opened shows for him, including Janie Fricke, Neal McCoy and Dave & Sugar.

In Pride’s case, his hits really are too numerous to mention, but among them are “Is Anybody Going to San Antone,” “I’m Just Me,” “Afraid of Losing You Again,” “It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer,” “Hope You’re Feelin’ Me (Like I’m Feelin’ You),” “My Eyes Can Only See as Far as You” and “She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory.” Pride reached the Top 10 at country radio 52 times.

In 1985, Pride had a very public falling out with RCA, quitting the label, he said, because it was paying more attention to its younger acts than its established ones. Although his chart presence ended in 1989, he continued to record for various smaller labels and make appearances. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Along with a touching tribute and performance, Pride accepted the Country Music Association’s 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award on November 11.


Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Grand Ole Opry 12/11 & 12/12

The Grand Ole Opry has posted the line-ups for the two shows this weekend, the Friday Night Opry and Saturday's Grand Ole Opry. 

As with the past couple of weeks, the Friday night show is set for 90 minutes and will feature Grand Ole Opry members Terri Clark, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart. Joining that trio will be Ashley McBryde, Chase Rice and John Berry. 

It is really nice to see Marty back on the Opry, and he is scheduled to be appearing several times over the next couple of weeks. Ashley McBryde continues her stream of Opry appearances and John Berry seems to make an appearance each holiday season and does an awesome job with his version of "O, Holy Night." 

Saturday night's show will feature Opry members Chris Young, Jeannie Seely and Mark Wills, Guesting will be comedian Henry Cho, Brett Young, Scotty McCreery and making his Grand Ole Opry debut, Dennis Quaid, who is more noted as an actor rather then as a singer. 

Friday December 11
7:00: Terri Clark; John Berry
7:30: Chase Rice; Ashley McBryde
8:00: Connie Smith; Marty Stuart

Saturday December 12
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Mark Wills; Henry Cho
8:00: Scotty McCreery; Brett Young; Dennis Quaid; Chris Young

Very interesting to see actor Dennis Quaid making his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night. 

Dennis Quaid and The Sharks have been performing in front of thousands of people receiving rave reviews. He is not just another actor turned rock star, he is a rock star. Dennis Quaid is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. He performs many original plus classic hits such as “Spill the Wine”, “Gloria”, and many more. The band’s origins can be traced to one night when Quaid went to see actor Harry Dean Stanton and his longtime band (appropriately named the Harry Dean Stanton Band) perform at an L.A. club. Quaid was invited to join the band onstage.

At first reluctant because of his decade long layoff from music, Quaid finally did perform with the band and was successful enough that James, also a member of Stanton’s band, approached Quaid about starting a group of their own. James quickly began recruiting others for the band and it wasn’t long before Dennis Quaid & the Sharks, which specializes in “rock ‘n’ roll and country-soul,” was performing at L.A. clubs. The band even throws in a Jerry Lee Lewis song or two in the mix, such as “Great Balls of Fire,” which Quaid has firsthand experience performing, having played “The Killer” in a 1989 biopic. Quaid said the shows are as much fun for those in attendance as they are for the band. “(The audiences) have a blast, which is all we want,” he said. “I make a complete and utter fool of myself. I think that’s the only way to have fun (onstage), instead of trying to pretend to be cool and all the rest of that stuff.”

As you would expect, Dennis will be on the televised/livestream portion of the Opry on Saturday night.
________________________________________________________________________

And now, from 50 years ago. Saturday December 12, 1970:

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Drusky (host): Alone With You
Skeeter Davis: I'm A Lover; Not A Fighter
Jim and Jesse: Where the Chilly Winds Don't Blow
Del Wood: Snowbird
Roy Drusky: Burning Bridges
Skeeter Davis: I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
Jim and Jesse: I've Got a Freight Train on My Mind
Roy Drusky: Long, Long Texas Road

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Hank Locklin: Country Hall of Fame
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Big Midnight Special
Crook Brothers: Mississippi Sawyer
Lester Flatt: A Great Big Woman and A Little Bitty Bottle of Wine
Hank Locklin: Danny Boy
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: When My Time Comes to Go
Roland White: Turkey in the Straw

8:30: Stephens
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Ray Pillow: I'm Going Out and Burn Some Bridges
Tommy Cash: One Song Away
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
Ray Pillow: Grazin' In Greener Pastures
Brother Oswald: Worry, Worry Blues

9:00: Luzianne
Bill Anderson (host): Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Earl Scruggs Revue: Rubin
Stringbean: Me & My Old Crow
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Take Me Back to Tulsa
Jan Howard: Try a Little Kindness
Bill Anderson and Jan Howard: Someday, We'll Be Together
Earl Scruggs Revue: My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans
Bill Anderson: Where Have All Our Heroes Gone

9:30: Kellogg's
Hank Snow (host): Golden Rocket
Willis Brothers: Cool Water
The 4 Guys: Cottonfields/Mariah
Hank Snow: The Next Voice You Hear
Willis Brothers: Oh, Lonesome Me
The 4 Guys: Daddy Sang Bass
Hank Snow: Traveling Blues

10:00: Fender
Hank Locklin (host): Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Jim and Jesse: When I Stop Dreaming
Skeeter Davis: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Ray Pillow: Proud Mary
Hank Locklin: Jealous Heart

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Tommy Cash: Six White Horses
Roy Acuff: The Last Letter

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): I've Been Walking
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Guide Me Home, My Georgia Moon
Willis Brothers: There Goes the Farm
Stringbean: Pretty Polly
Vic Jordan: John Henry

10:45: Beechnut
Bill Anderson (host): I Get the Fever
Earl Scruggs Revue: Paul & Silas
Jan Howard: My Son
Crook Brothers: Chicken Reel
Bill Anderson and Jan Howard: If It's All the Same to You

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Vanishing Breed
Archie Campbell: Long Black Limousine
Justin Tubb: Lodi
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cacklin' Hen
Hank Snow: Born for You
Justin Tubb: Looking Back to See
Sam McGee: Under the Double Eagle
Hank Snow: That's When the Hurtin' Sets In

11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
The 4 Guys: Over on the Other Side/My Special Angel
Ronnie Robbins: I'll Go on Alone/They'll Never Take Her Love From Me
Marty Robbins: I Walk Alone/So Afraid of Losing You/Big Boss Man/Bouquet of Roses/I Could Never Be Ashamed of You/Lovesick Blues/Long Gone Lonesome Blues/El Paso
_______________________________________________________________________

Finally, I am sure most have now seen the news that a date has been set for the induction of Rhonda Vincent as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. The date will be Saturday February 6, 2021. It has been a long wait for Rhonda as it was on February 28 that she was asked by Jeannie Seely to join the Opry's cast. Covid put a hold on that, along with Rhonda's own touring schedule. It is wonderful to see that a date has finally been set. 

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this weekend. 

Sunday, December 6, 2020

December Opry Highlights

As we enter the final month of 2020, I think we can all say that we are very happy to see this year end. What a year and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a challenge to a lot of people. Like every place else, the Grand Ole Opry was seriously affected. As the Opry prepares to close out another year, here are the important dates and events that have taken place regarding the Opry, or Opry members, during the month of December:

December 2, 1889: Herman Crook was born. Herman was one of the Opry's original members, joining the show when it was still called the WSM Barn Dance. Herman's first Opry appearance was on July 24, 1926, and he was with the show until his death in June 1988, just short of 62 years. When he passed away, the Crook Brothers were the last of the originals on the Opry, and they never wavered from the traditional string band sound. As Roy Acuff said, "He loved country music, but he wanted it country. He didn't go for any of this rock n' roll type stuff."

December 14, 1899: DeFord Bailey was born. DeFord was another of the Opry's original members, making his first appearance on June 19, 1926. DeFord was there the night Opry founder George D. Hay changed the name of the show from the WSM Barn Dance to the Grand Ole Opry, and he played the first song on the newly named show. DeFord was with the Opry until he was fired in 1941, in a move that left DeFord very bitter. Despite repeated efforts by Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl and Bill Monroe, among others, DeFord stayed away from the Opry until returning on February 23, 1974, when he appeared for the Opry's first reunion show. DeFord would make several more Opry appearances before passing away in 1982. In 2005 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

December 11, 1914: James Clell "Tex" Summey was born. Known professionally as Cousin Jody, he first came to the Opry with Roy Acuff in 1937, and he later worked with Pee Wee King and Lonzo & Oscar. He also performed as a solo act, until health issues forced him to retire. He passed away in 1975, and it should be noted that he was the first person to play the dobro and steel guitar on the Opry stage and he was the one who brought the original dobro sound with Roy Acuff.

December 19, 1920: Jimmy Dickens was born in Bolt, West Virginia. Jimmy first came to the Opry in 1948. While he left the show for a period of time, Jimmy returned to the Opry in 1975 and remained an Opry member until his death in January 2015. It is pretty safe to say that at the time of his death, Jimmy might have been the most beloved member of the Opry. It is hard to believe that he has been gone for five years now. 

December 12, 1925: Dr. Humphrey Bate and his group soon to be known as the Possum Hunters, appeared for the first time on George D. Hay's Saturday night program. There are many who feel that Dr. Bate was the first performer to play country music on a Nashville radio station.

December 26, 1925: The WSM Barn Dance was formally listed for the first time on the WSM program schedule that was printed in the Nashville Tennessean. The listing read, "Because of this recent revival in the popularity of the old familiar tunes, WSM has arranged to have an hour or two every Saturday night starting Saturday December 26. Uncle Dave Macon, the oldest banjo picker in Dixie, and who comes from Readyville, Tennessee, and Uncle Jimmy Thompson of Martha, Tennessee, will answer any requests for old-time melodies."

December 10, 1927: While there seems to be some confusion as to the exact date, it would appear that his was the date that the WSM Barn Dance became known as the Grand Ole Opry. The Barn Dance came on the air at 8:00. In the hour prior to the start of the Barn Dance program, WSM aired a classical musical show on the NBC radio network called "Music Appreciation Hour." At the conclusion of the Music Hour show that particular night, Barn Dance founder George D. Hay announced, "For the past hour we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera; from now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry." While this is the story that was told by George D. Hay, there seem to be no independent verification of this event. In fact, some historians who have looked back at the WSM program schedules,  believe that the date was actually December 8, 1928, a year later, as the "Music Appreciation Hour" did not begin on WSM until that year. However, to back up the 1927 claim, others have pointed out that on December 11, 1927, the Nashville Tennessean used the word "Grand Ole Opry" in their editions of the paper. Either way, the new name stuck.

December 17, 1927: George W. Wilkerson and his Fruit Jar Drinkers first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. Along with the Crook Brothers, the Fruit Jar Drinkers would continue on the Opry into the 1980s. 

December 13, 1930: Grand Ole Opry member Buck White was born, Along with his daughters Sharon and Cheryl, The Whites have been Opry members since 1984. Most weekends will find Buck and his daughters performing on the Opry, and if asked, Buck will also dance with the square dancers. At the age of 90, Buck is right behind Jesse McReynolds as the Opry's oldest member.

December 7, 1931: Grand Ole Opry member Bobby Osborne was born in Leslie County, Kentucky. Along with his brother Sonny, Bobby became an Opry member in 1964. At the age of 89, Bobby still appears on the Opry weekly and of course, always does "Rocky Top," sounding as good as ever.

December 7, 1940: After making several guest appearances during the month of November, this is the first date that Minnie Pearl is listed in the Opry program as a regular member of the Opry.

December 30, 1944: Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, appearing on the Prince Albert portion of the show that was broadcast on the NBC radio network. Minnie Pearl, who was there that night, remembered that a lady in the balcony was so excited that she fell out of the balcony onto the Ryman stage. And after Roy Acuff heard the electrified fiddles that Bob brought, he made the statement that the Opry would be ruined forever. What is interesting, that while Bob brought electrified fiddles with him, both Pee Wee King and Ernest Tubb had been playing electric instruments on the Opry previous to that night. There is another story from that night, regarding the use of drums and Bob being told to keep his drummer behind the curtain. Much like the electric fiddles, Bob's drummer was not the first to drum on the Opry, as Harold "Sticks" McDonald, a member of Pee Wee King's Golden West Cowboys, had brought drums to the Opry several years prior. He supposedly used them for a couple of weeks until George D. Hay told Pee Wee to take the drums home and leave them there. While that may be true, within a few years, many of the Opry's acts included drums.

December 8, 1945: Earl Scruggs made his Grand Ole Opry debut as a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. He was the final member to join what many consider the greatest of Bill's many renditions of the Blue Grass Boys, and what many feel was the greatest bluegrass band ever. That group included Lester Flatt, Chubby Wise and Harold Watts. This group would only stay together until 1948. After leaving Bill's group, Earl would team up with Lester Flatt, before moving on to play a more progressive sound with his sons.

December 7, 1957: One of the Grand Ole Opry's early homes, the Dixie Tabernacle, burnt down as fire destroyed the building which was on the east side of Nashville. 

December 21, 1957: Elvis Presley made a backstage visit to the Grand Ole Opry where he was seen visiting with several Opry members including Hank Snow, Ray Price and Faron Young. While he didn't perform that night, he did go out on stage and wave to the audience.

December 28, 1958: Grand Ole Opry member Joe Diffie was born. Sadly, Joe passed away earlier this year, one of the early victims of the Covid pandemic. 

December 12, 1959: While performing on the Opry, Bill Monroe was served with divorce papers from his wife, Carolyn Brown. She charged that Bill was having an affair with his bass player, Bessie Lee Mauldin. The story goes that Carolyn was waiting for Bill outside the Opry that night and when he came out the Ryman's back door, she really laid into him.

December 24, 1960: The final Prince Albert Grand Ole Opry show was broadcast on the NBC network. The decline of radio and the rise of television led to the decision to end the Opry's broadcasts. Hank Snow was the host for that final broadcast, and I am happy to say that I have a recording of that show.

December 3, 1961: "Doctor" Lew Childre passed away. Lew, who was born in 1901, became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1945. He remained with the Opry through most of the 1950's.

December 6, 1964: The Grand Ole Opry fired 12 of its members for failing to meet the required number of yearly appearances on the show. The Nashville Tennessean wrote, "Twelve top country and western stars will not appear on the Grand Ole Opry in 1965, and have been prohibited from using the Opry name in their outside billings, it was learned yesterday. Another entertainer, long-time favorite Minnie Pearl, has been given a leave of absence from the show for the coming year, but will continue to use the Opry billing in her present contracts," a WSM spokesman said. Those who were dismissed from the Opry were George Morgan, Don Gibson, Billy Grammer, Johnny Wright, Kitty Wells, the Jordanaires, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, Chet Atkins, Justin Tubb, Stonewall Jackson and Ray Price. It was later found that Chet Atkins was not an actual Opry member, which led to some comments concerning if the Opry's management really knew what was going on at the show. At the time, Opry members were required to appear 26 times per year. Many of those fired would later return to the show as members, including George Morgan, Don Gibson, Billy Grammer, Justin Tubb and Stonewall Jackson, while Minnie Pearl would return after her leave of absence. While never rejoining the cast, the remaining ones would appear on the show as guest artists.

December 23, 1967: Jack Greene became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jack started as a member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours before going on to a very successful solo career. Jack would remain an Opry member until his death in 2013.

December 14, 1973: Lorrie Morgan, age 14, made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Lorrie was brought on stage by her father, Opry member George Morgan. She sang "Paper Roses." A decade later, Lorrie would become an Opry member.

December 15, 1973: Grand Ole Opry member Skeeter Davis was suspended by the Opry's management for comments she had made the previous Saturday night while performing on the Opry. As Skeeter said, "Hank Williams got kicked off the Opry for drinkin' too much old wine. Me? I got kicked off for singing about the new wine." What actually happened was that Skeeter was on her way to the Ryman Auditorium for an Opry appearance when she witnessed the arrest of what were known as "Jesus Freaks," which was another name for the young people who were protesting not only in Nashville, but around the country. The arrests enraged Skeeter and on the Opry, she expressed her rage by talking about it, singing about it, and weeping about it. When she came off the stage after performing, she faced an angry Opry management. She was told that she was no longer considered an Opry member. Happily for all, and especially for Skeeter, she was invited back to the Opry 18 months later.

December 29, 1973: Opry member Tex Ritter made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. Tex, who had joined the Opry in 1965, would pass away after suffering a heart attack, the following week.

December 25, 1976: Larry, Steve and Rudy, The Gatlin Brothers, became members of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be their 44th year as Opry members, and according to my records, the only members to join the cast on Christmas day. In addition to their Opry appearances, Larry Gatlin serves as host of the Opry Country Classics show held in the Spring and Fall at the Ryman Auditorium.

December 27, 1978: Grand Ole Opry member Bob Luman passed away at the age of 41. Bob joined the Opry in 1965 and was known for his rockabilly sound that was very popular with many of the Opry's younger fans. While some on the Opry felt Bob's music had too much rock in it, he was a popular member of the cast and enjoyed great support. His last Grand Ole Opry appearance was on Saturday December 2, 1978, while Friday December 15 was his final Friday Night Opry appearance.

December 15, 1979: Kelly Foxton made her first Grand Ole Opry appearance as Hank Snow's new duet partner. It was an interesting pairing to say the least. Many feel it was an attempt by Hank to rejuvenate his career that had grown stagnate.  

December 26, 1981: Kelly Foxton made her final Grand Ole Opry appearance as Hank Snow's duet partner. The partnership, which produced several albums, never really succeeded. 

December 8, 1982: Marty Robbins passed away in a Nashville hospital at the age of 57. Probably the Opry's most popular member, he was famous for hosting the 11:30 segment when he was in town, and making the last half hour of the Opry his own, often performing well past the traditional midnight sign off time. Just that previous October, Marty had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

December 10, 1982: Longtime Smoky Mountain Boy Jimmy Riddle passed away. Over the years, Jimmy was an integral part of Roy Acuff's sound.

December 24, 1983: Longtime Grand Ole Opry sponsor Kellogg's sponsored the 9:30 segment of the Opry for the final time. The following week, Dollar General would assume the sponsorship. One of the joys of listening to the Kellogg's segment on the Opry was hearing the Willis Brothers singing the Kellogg's theme. 

December 20, 1986: Randy Travis became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Randy's 34th year as an Opry member. Randy had a string of hits in the 1980s and 1990s, and helped to bring back a more traditional sound to country music. Sadly, Randy has suffered a serious of health setbacks and will probably never perform on the Opry again. However, he has visited the show several times in the past couple of years, and he always receives a great audience response when introduced on stage. Randy is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

December 17, 1993: Herman Harper, the famous and very popular bass singer for the Carol Lee Singers, passed away. Herman had been a member of the Oak Ridge Boys back in the day when they were considered one of the country's top gospel acts. Herman last appeared on the Opry several weeks prior.

December 24, 1994: Vic Willis was scheduled to perform on the Grand Ole Opry for the final time. The Willis Brothers, originally known as the Oklahoma Wranglers, came to the Opry in 1946. After leaving in 1949 to tour with Eddy Arnold, they returned in 1957. In addition to Vic, the group included brothers Guy and Skeeter. Skeeter had passed away in 1976, while Guy retired in 1979 due to health issues. Vic continued on, forming the Vic Willis Trio, until he passed away early in 1995 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

December 30, 1994: Grand Ole Gospel Time, which followed the Friday Night Opry and hosted by Reverend Jimmie Snow, Hank's son, was broadcast for the final time. The show was taped on Friday night and broadcast on WSM Sunday mornings. Airing for 23 years, the show would feature a number of Grand Ole Opry performers including Connie Smith, Billy Walker and Roy Acuff, and feature such guests as Johnny Cash and Dennis Weaver.

December 10, 1996: Faron Young passed away in Nashville in what was a tragic end to his life. Faron was a former member of the Grand Ole Opry and was fired as part of the "Purge of 64." While he never rejoined the Opry's cast, Faron would come back and make several guest appearances.

December 19, 1999: Former Grand Ole Opry member Marion Worth passed away at the age of 69. Marion joined the Opry in 1963, and while never a superstar, she was very entertaining and a fan favorite. She left the Opry cast in 1980, when she went into semi-retirement and continued to perform for a time in Las Vegas.

December 20, 1999: The legendary Hank Snow passed away at his Rainbow Ranch in Madison, Tennessee after a period of declining health. Hank joined the Opry in January 1950 and was just weeks shy of 50 years of Opry membership. Hank last appeared on the Opry in September 1996, and is considered one of the all-time Opry greats.

December 16, 2000: Brad Paisley was surprised on stage by Jimmy Dickens and Jeannie Seely, in a segment hosted by Bill Anderson. Jimmy & Jeannie were dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the reason for the surprise visit was the delivery of an invitation for Brad to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Brad tearfully accepted and the following February he would officially join the cast.

December 30, 2000: Grand Ole Opry member Skeeter Davis made her final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Skeeter, who had been battling various illnesses, would enter a period of declining health that made it difficult for her to continue performing. Skeeter passed away in December 2004. Additionally, after being notified the previous month that he was being terminated, this was the final night that Jerry Strobel was employed as the Opry House manager. Jerry had worked at the Opry for over 30 years.

December 21, 2001: Josh Turner made his first guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. His debut song was "Long Black Train" after which Josh received a standing ovation. Over the next several years, Josh would make dozens and dozens of guest appearances, until finally becoming a member in October 2008.

December 31, 2002: Grand Ole Opry member Jim McReynolds, one half of Jim & Jesse, passed away in Gallatin, Tennessee after a long illness. Jim & Jesse, along with the Virginia Boys, became Opry members in March 1964, and are considered one of the greatest acts in bluegrass music history.

December 30, 2006: The Grand Ole Opry's 2nd Saturday night show concluded at midnight for the final time. The following week, both Saturday Grand Ole Opry shows were cut to 2 hours, with the late show ending at 11:30.

December 16, 2011: Grand Ole Opry member Jack Greene made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Jack, who joined the cast in 1967, was in declining health which forced him into retirement. Jack passed away in 2013 from Alzheimer's. 

December 13, 2013: Grand Ole Opry member Joe Diffie was honored for 20 years of Opry membership. Joining Joe on the Opry that evening were Opry members Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

December 20, 2014: Grand Ole Opry member Jimmy Dickens made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. On Christmas Day, Jimmy was admitted to a Nashville hospital and would pass away shortly after the first of the year. Jimmy's final song? "Out Behind the Barn."

December 11, 2015: Grand Ole Opry member Mel Tillis made his final Opry appearance on the Friday Night Opry. Mel, who joined the Opry in 2007, entered a period of declining health after the first of the year, that would ultimately lead to his passing in November 2017.

December 17, 2016: Brad Paisley sings "Out Behind The Barn," then unveils a wax statue of Little Jimmy Dickens during the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The figure will go on display when Madame Tussauds opens a Music City location in the spring

December 30, 2016: During a guest appearance on the Friday Night Opry, Marty Stuart, with help from John Carter Cash, surprised Dailey & Vincent with an invitation to become the Opry's newest members. This was also the 100th guest appearance for Dailey & Vincent. Their actual Opry induction would take place the following March.

December 1, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart celebrated his 25th anniversary as member of the Opry. Helping Marty celebrate were Connie Smith, Charlie Worsham, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dallas Frazier, Kenny Lovelace, Marty's mother Hilda, and the Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers.

December 31, 2017: Longtime Grand Ole Opry announcer, and WSM personality, Hairl Hensley passed away. Hairl was a WSM and Grand Ole Opry announcer for 35 years, joining the station in 1972. He was a member of the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.

December 21, 2018: Grand Ole Opry Staff Band member Jimmy Capps was honored upon his 60th anniversary of performing on the Grand Ole Opry. Jimmy originally came to the Opry as part of the Louvin Brothers group and continued after they left. In honor of Jimmy, the rehearsal room backstage at the Opry House was renamed the "Jimmy Capps Music Room." Jimmy, who passed away earlier this year after a short illness, should receive some future consideration for the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

December 21, 2018: On the same night that Jimmy Capps was honored, Vince Gill surprised long-time and frequent Opry guest Mark Wills with an invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.  

December 23, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member Ray Pillow made his final appearance on the Opry. Ray, who joined the Opry cast in 1966, apparently has made the decision to retire form performing.

December 6, 2019: The legendary singer Dionne Warwick made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry. 

There you have it for the final month of the year. As usual at the Opry, there was a lot of activity during the month.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Grand Ole Opry 12/4 & 12/5

Updated with the lineups: 

Welcome to December and the final month of 2020, and another weekend at the Grand Ole Opry. Once again a show on Friday and Saturday night. 

I know there were a few comments regarding the shows last week, especially the short show on Friday night, along with what seems to be a difficult time filling out the Opry line-ups. I thought I would share what Bill Anderson wrote on his monthly newsletter that he sends out each month, which might help explain why some artists have not been appearing on the Opry: 

I had some good days and nights going back to the Grand Ole Opry in October and November, but it looks as though those will be my last trips out there for awhile. For safety's sake, the Opry has had to cut back on the number of people they allow backstage, and none of us will be permitted to bring our band members to the show for a while. It wasn't an easy decision for the Opry management, but it's for the best with the COVID numbers continuing to rise in Tennessee and elsewhere. Hopefully things will reverse themselves soon and we can all go safely back to our Opry Home again. Meantime, I'll sit by the fire and listen to the show just like you.

Just my opinion, but with the Covid numbers increasing I would think the Opry management is doing everything humanly possible to keep these shows going and continuing to have a live audience. I think it is safe to say that if there is one positive test that is anyway associated with the Opry, it could potentially shut it down. 

Now, let's take a look at who is on the schedule for this weekend. 

The Friday Night Opry has Grand Ole Opry members Connie Smith and Dailey & Vincent on the schedule. Joining them will be Dom Flemons, Maggie Rose, Travis Denning and Erin Enderlin. 

Saturday nights show is being promoted as the 75th anniversary of bluegrass, according to this press release from the Opry: 

Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury will help the Grand Ole Opry celebrate the 75th anniversary of Bluegrass music in a special show on Saturday, Dec. 5. Opry member McCoury is also a member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and Skaggs is a member of both the Country Music and Bluegrass Halls of Fame. The two will be joined by group Sister Sadie, the first female group to ever be named as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year.

After years in its development, bluegrass as we know it today was born on the Opry stage at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Dec. 8, 1945. On that night that Earl Scruggs made his Opry debut with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys that included Lester Flatt, and just three months later, the historic lineup that would serve as the prototype for the bluegrass sound was complete: Monroe on mandolin, Scruggs on banjo, Flatt on guitar, Chubby Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts on bass.

Unfortunately, since that initial release, Ricky Skaggs has been taken off the schedule. For those who might be aware, Ricky had recent heart surgery. This from Ricky: 

After speaking about how grateful he was to spend so much time with his wife this year, Ricky shared a piece of news. He said earlier this year, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. “I came through quadruple bypass heart surgery perfectly, (thank you Jesus)…” he said.

In addition to Del McCoury and Sister Sadie, also scheduled to appear on Saturday night is Opry member Jeannie Seely, along with Opry members Jeannie Seely along with guest artists Carly Pearce, Chonda Pierce and Darin & Brooke Aldridge. 

As a final reminder, the Circle televised portion and livestream will take place an hour earlier as Circle will have special programming in the normal Opry timeslot. The televised portion will feature Del McCoury, Sister Sadie and Darin & Brooke Aldridge. 

Friday December 4
7:00: Connie Smith; Travis Denning
7:30: Erin Enderlin; Maggie Rose
8:00: Dom Flemons; Dailey & Vincent

Saturday December 5
7:00: Travelin' McCourys; Darin & Brooke Aldridge; Sister Sadie; Del McCoury Band
8:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Chonda Pierce; Carly Pearce
_____________________________________________________________________

Now from 50 years ago, Saturday December 5, 1970: 

7:30: Hank Locklin (host); Skeeter Davis; Charlie Walker; The 4 Guys; Ernie Ashworth
8:00: Lester Flatt (host): Mel Tillis; Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper; Crook Brothers
8:30: Stephens: Charlie Louvin (host); Diane McCall; Earl Scruggs Revue; Bob Luman; Jean Shepard; Stringbean
9:00: Glaser Brothers (host); Lonzo and Oscar; Osborne Brothers; Fruit Jar Drinkers
9:30: Hank Snow (host); Willis Brothers; Dottie West; Jimmy C Newman
10:00: Charlie Louvin (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Jean Shepard; Ernie Ashworth
10:15: Hank Locklin (host); Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper; Bob Luman; Stringbean
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Charlie Walker; Jimmy C Newman
10:45: Glaser Brothers (host); Mel Tillis; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Willis Brothers; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Osborne Brothers (host); Dottie West; Lonzo and Oscar; The 4 Guys

Looking back, it was on Saturday December 4, 1993 that Herman Harper made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. 

Herman Harper was born in Fountain Head, Tennessee, 1938. He was a pioneering gospel vocalist known for his deep bass voice. From the late 1950s through the 1960s, he was bass singer for the Oak Ridge Quartet and was instrumental in getting live coverage of gospel music on the Grand Ole Opry and other cable television broadcasts. He is the founder of the Gospel Music Trust Fund and he created the Harper and Associates-a leading Southern Gospel talent agency in 1985. In 1997, he was posthumously inducted into the Southern Gospel Singers Hall of Fame.

After leaving the Oak Ridge Boys, he became a member of the Carol Lee Singers, of which he was a member of at the time of his death. It was his low voice that was heard on the Opry, many times backing up Roy Acuff on one his gospel numbers. 

Herman passed away on December 17, 1993 at the age of 54. 

Here is the running order from Saturday December 4, 1993: 

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Ricky Skaggs (host): Heartbroke
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Ricky Skaggs: Honey, Won't 'Cha Open that Door

6:45: Country Music Hall of Fame
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take An Old Cold Tater
Bill Carlisle: Elvira
Jean Shepard: Second Fiddle
Jimmy Dickens: We Could

7:00: Shoney's
Bill Monroe (host): Will You Be Loving Another Man
Wilma Lee Cooper: No One Now
Charlie Walker: Smoke, Smoke, Smoke
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Connie Smith: The Key's In the Mailbox
Bill Monroe: Tombstone Junction

7:30: Standard Candy
Grandpa Jones (host): Going Down the Country
J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet: American Trilogy
Roger Francis: He Stopped Loving Her Today/Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain/He'll Have to Go/Today I Started Loving You Again/El Paso
Shotgun Red: Comedy
Stonewall Jackson: Life to Go
J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet: You'll Never Walk Alone
Grandpa Jones: Eight More Miles to Louisville

8:00: Martha White
Porter Wagoner (host): Big Wind
John Conlee: The Old School/Common Man
Jeannie Seely: When He Leaves You
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Ragtime Annie
Porter Wagoner: An Old Log Cabin for Sale

8:30: Kraft
Hank Snow (host): On the Sea Shores of Old Mexico
Jan Howard: Oh, Lonesome Me
Jim Ed Brown: Fools
The Whites: Pins and Needles
The 4 Guys: In the Middle of the Night
Hank Snow: That's When He Dropped the World in My Hand

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
Ray Pillow: Someone Had to Teach You
The Whites: It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know
The 4 Guys: I Know; I Know
J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Quartet: I'm A Poor, Poor Rich Man/Will the Circle Be Unbroken/I'll Fly Away/I Saw the Light/Let Us Have a Little Talk With Jesus

10:00: Little Debbie
Ricky Skaggs (host): I Wouldn't Change You If I Could
Jean Shepard: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
Ricky Skaggs: You're Runnin' Wild

10:15: Tennessee Pride/Sunbeam
Grandpa Jones (host): Ol' Rattler
Skeeter Davis: Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Roger Francis: He Stopped Loving Her Today/Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain/Hello Darling/But Love Me
Shotgun Red: Comedy
Grandpa Jones: Come & Dine

10:30: Piccadilly
Jim Ed Brown (host): Everyday People
Connie Smith: You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me
Jim Ed and Maxine Brown: Looking Back to See

10:45: Opry Book
Bill Monroe (host): Get Up, John
Jimmy C Newman: Big Mamou
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Dance All Night
Bill Monroe: Christmas Time's 'A Comin'

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Snowbird
John Conlee: Domestic Life/Lifetime Guarantee
Jan Howard: You Don't Know Me
Clinton Gregory: An Old Hard Time Blues
Hank Snow: Old Shep

11:30: General Jackson
Jimmy Dickens (host): Me & My Big Loud Mouth
Jeannie Seely: When He Leaves You
Charlie Walker: Silver Dew on the Bluegrass Tonight
Johnny Russell: Why Me Lord
Jimmy Dickens: There's No Place Like Home on Christmas

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend.