October Opry Highlights

With the month of October upon us, I wanted to highlight historical moments that have taken place in Opry history during the month of October. Traditionally, October has been a busy month for the Opry, as October was formally known as Country Music Month. In addition, the Opry has held their annual birthday celebration during the month. And, with the CMA awards being held in October for a number of years, it was traditionally the month that new inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame were announced. Let's take a look back:



Several Grand Ole Opry members celebrate Opry anniversaries during the month:
>October 1, 2005: Dierks Bentley(4 years)
>October 6,1990: Garth Brooks(19 years)
>October 25, 2003: Del McCoury(9 years)
>October 27, 2007: Josh Turner(2 years)


Looking at Grand Ole Opry history, the following historical events took place in October:
>October 5, 1925, The National Life & Insurance Company opens Nashville radio station WSM, broadcasting at 1,000 watts.
>October 1932, WSM radio increases its power to 50,000 watts on a clear channel frequency. This power was crucial to the Opry's future success.
>October 1934, the Opry rents the 800-seat Hillsboro Theater and begins broadcasting its shows from that location. The show's platooning system begins here, as the performers play two 15-minute segments in front of separate audiences.
>October 14, 1939, the NBC radio network begins carrying a half-hour Opry segment, hosted by Roy Acuff and sponsored by Prince Albert Tabacco. The show attracts mostly regional affiliates. In 1943, NBC extended its Opry network to 143 stations.
>October 28, 1939, Bill Monroe becomes a member of the Opry and performs "Muleskinner Blues." George D. Hay is so taken with Monroe's performance that he declares that if Monroe ever wants to leave the Opry, he'll have to fire himself.
>October 2, 1954, Elvis Presley makes his one and only Opry appearance. He sings Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Presley was nervous singing the song in a much faster tempo than what Bill Monroe recorded, but Monroe reportedly told Elvis that if it helped his career, it was fine with him. Later, after Presley's huge success with the faster version of the song, Monroe would re-record it at the faster 4/4 version instead of the waltz, and that was the way he performed the song for the rest of his career.
>October 1955, Jim Reeves joined the Opry.
>October 1959, Jan Howard makes her first Opry appearance.
>October 15, 1960, Loretta Lynn makes her Grand Ole Opry debut.
>October 27, 1962, Sonny James becomes an Opry member.
>October 14, 1966, Del Reeves joins the Grand Ole Opry.
>October 1970, Bill Monroe was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1973, Patsy Cline elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1975, Minnie Pearl elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1976, Kitty Wells elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1978, Grandpa Jones elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1979, Hank Snow elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1982, Marty Robbins elected to the Hall of Fame.
>October 1983, Jimmy Dickens elected to the Hall of Fame.
>October 1985, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 1987, Rod Brasfield elected to the Hall of Fame
>October 1988, Loretta Lynn elected to the Hall of Fame.
>October 14, 1989, Holly Dunn joined the Opry. She would remain a member until giving up the music business and moving to New Mexico to become an artist.
>October 6, 1990, Garth Brooks becomes an Opry member. He was introduced first on the Opry by Johnny Russell, and he insisted that Johnny be the one to formally induct him into the Opry. On a side note, this was the night of Alan Jackson's first appearance on the Opry. He would later become a member. While not on the Opry very often, Garth still calls his Opry membership the most important achievement of his career.
>October 19, 1991, Grand Ole Opry announcer Grant Turner died after his last show. He became the Opry's announcer in 1944 and from then until his death was considered the voice of the Opry. He previously had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1981.
>October 1992, George Jones elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>October 23, 1992, Roy Acuff makes his final Opry appearance. This was on a Friday night and he performed his segment sitting in a director's chair. The previous Saturday night was his last Saturday Opry show. He would die one month later.

As always, I hope you enjoy our little look back at Opry history.

October Is Opry Birthday Month

With the Opry's 84th Birthday celebration coming up in October, the Opry has announced a series of events and activities that are scheduled throughout the month:

Thursday October 1: The Opry kicks off the month with Opry Country Classics and a salute to the "Perfect Country and Western Song," featuring Spotlight Artist Ray Price.

Friday October 2: The Opry goes Pink as the Opry joins the fight against breast cancer by "going pink" during two Opry performances at 7:00pm and 9:30pm. Carrie Underwood will take the stage to "flip the switch," turning the Opry's signature barn pink in support of the groups Women Rock for the Cure and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The shows will also include performances from Carrie Underwood, Terri Clark, Mindy Smith, Jo Dee Messina, and many more, as well as activities recognizing breast cancer survivors and continuing the fight against the disease.

Also, Friday October 2, Ray Price will be in concert at the Acuff Theater.

Saturday October 3: the Grand Ole Opry will have two performances at 7:00 and 9:30, featuring Hal Ketchum, Gene Watson, Jamie O"Neal, and many more.

Tuesday October 6: The Tuesday Night Opry will feature performances by Charlie Daniels Band, Craig Morgan, Hal Ketchum and more.

Thursday October 8: Opry Country Classics will be at the Ryman Auditorium featuring Hal Ketchum and more.

Friday and Saturday October 9 and 10: The Grand Ole Opry Birthday Bash. The Opry will have one show on Friday night at 7:00pm and a special birthday concert featuring Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers on Saturday at 3:00 at the Acuff Theater. On Saturday night, there will be two Opry shows at 7:00 and 9:30. Plus, fans can make a full day of fun on Saturday at the Opry Plaza Birthday Party presented by Martha White, offering music, fun, and special events beginning at 11am. Also, Diamond Rio will sign copies of their new CD, THE REASON, and their new book, "Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio" in the Opry Shop on Saturday from 5-6:30. Birthday Bash weekend will include performances by Josh Turner, Montgomery Gentry, Diamond Rio, Joe Diffie, Lorrie Morgan and more.

Also being featured later in the month of October are Justin Moore, Wade Bowen, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Whitney Duncan, Keith Anderson, Eric Church, Ricky Skaggs, Trace Adkins, The Oak Ridge Boys, Martina McBride, Jimmy Wayne, Del McCoury, Gloriana and, on the final weekend of the month, Keith Urban.

Opry Country Classics-Thursday October 1

Here is the line-up for this week's Opry Country Classics-October 1
7:00-9:00
This week: The Perfect Country & Western Song
Host: T.G. Sheppard
Spotlight Artist: Ray Price
Also Appearing: Rhett Akins; Jim Ed Brown; Rebecca Lynn Howard; Opry Square Dancers; Ray Pillow; Chris Scruggs; Chris Young

Tuesday Night Opry-9/29

Here is the line-up for tonight's Tuesday Night Opry:
7:00: Riders In The Sky; Mandy Barnett
7:30: Jeannie Seely; The Grascals
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee; Point of Grace
8:45: Jimmy Dickens; Charlie Daniels Band

Grand Ole Opry Line-up-9/25 & 9/26

Here is this week's Grand Ole Opry line-ups:
Friday September 25:
7:00: Mike Snider(host); Jimmy C. Newman
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jan Howard; Joey + Rory
8:00: Jim Ed Brown(host); w/Helen Cornelius; Jack Greene; Steep Canyon Rangers
8:30: Pam Tillis(host); Stonewall Jackson; Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; The Whites

Saturday September 26:
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman
7:30: Jeanne Seely(host); Jim Ed Brown; Orleans
8:00: Pam Tillis(host); Charlie Louvin; The Whites; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Mike Snider(host); Jack Greene; Craig Morgan

Notes:
>Charlie Louvin will be the host of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree
>Again, only 1 show on Saturday night.
>A couple of slots to fill: 1 on Friday and 1 on Saturday, both in the opening segment

Tuesday Night Opry 9/22 & Opry Country Classics 9/24

Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry-September 22nd

7:00: Bill Anderson; Justin Moore
7:30: Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Sunny Sweeney
Intermission
8:15: George Hamilton IV; Darryl Worley
8:45: Jimmy Dickens; Trace Adkins

Here is the line-up for Opry Country Classics-September 24th

7:00-9:00
This week, A Salute to George Jones
Host: Vince Gill
Spotlight Artist: George Jones
Also Appearing: Jimmy Dickens; Jamey Johnson; Lorrie Morgan; Opry Square Dancers; Tanya Tucker

We have discussed the quality of the Opry Country Classics shows in the past. This week's show is a great example of how this show should be. A salute to a great, classic Opry artist, and a great line-up of talent. I would not be suprised if this was a sold-out show. Hopefully, this will start a trend and we will see better shows.

Grand Ole Opry Line-Up 9/18 & 9/19

Here is the line-up for this week's Grand Ole Opry

Friday September 18th:
7:00: John Conlee(host); Jean Shepard; George Hamilton IV; The Flatlanders
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Jim Ed Brown; John Anderson
8:00: Bill Anderson(host); Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky; Suzy Bogguss
8:30: Vince Gill(host); Jan Howard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; The Whites

Saturday September 19th:
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Connie Smith; Buddy Jewell
7:30: Jeannie Seely(host); Jack Greene; Jim Ed Brown; The Lovell Sisters
8:00: Riders In The Sky(host); Ray Pillow; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: John Conlee(host); The Whites; Raul Malo

Still on just 1 show for Saturday night. Looking at the line-ups, the Friday show is certainly the stronger show this weekend. The Saturday show still has 1 slot to fill, during the 8:00 segment.

Tuesday Night Opry 9/15 & Opry Country Classics 9/17

Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry-September 15th:
7:00: Jimmy C. Newman; Emily West
7:30: Connie Smith; Del McCoury Band
8:00: Bill Anderson
8:30: Jimmy Dickens; Montgomery Gentry

Here is the line-up for Opry Country Classics-September 17th:
This week, A Salute to Hank Williams
Host: Nan Kelley
Spotlight Artists: Moe Bandy; Joe Stampley
Also Appearing: Jimmy Dickens; Andy Griggs; Chuck Mead; Jimmy C. Newman; Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Emily West; Holly Williams; Jet Williams

Comments:
>Both of these shows have solid line-ups. A much better effort for the Opry Country Classics show than last week.
>Interesting to see Nan Kelley as the host. With GAC no longer televising the Opry, I wonder if there is something behind her being asked to host this show. She would be the first non-entertainer to fill this role since the classics show started.
>Nice to see Holly and Jett Williams on the salute to Hank. Too bad that they could not book Hank, Jr. for this.

Enjoy!!!

Grand Ole Opry Line-Up 10/13 & 10/14, 1995

During the weekend of October 13 and 14, 1995, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated it's 70th birthday. The weekend featured 2 shows on both Friday and Saturday night. During the early Saturday show, the 7:30 segment was on TNN, and was to include the traditional Opry birthday cake. However, due to Martina McBride running over her time allowed for her 2 songs, the segment on TNN ended before the cake could be brought out. The cake was held back until the 8:00 segment that Porter Wagoner hosted. During the television segments, the show went off the air at exactly 8, whether the segment was done or not. Also, at the time, Martina was not an Opry member, but was appearing as a guest. I believe it was her first Opry appearance, and she said afterwards that she was given the cold shoulder by many Opry members because of her timing mistake. She said later that she just did not realize that she was running long with her songs, and felt bad about it. Whatever cold shoulder the other Opry members gave her, it did not prevent her from later becoming an Opry member. Now, here is the line-up for that Opry birthday weekend:

Friday October 13, 1995
First Show:
6:30: The Whites(host); Bill Carlise; Charlie Louvin; Jean Shepard; Brother Oswald & Charlie
7:00: Porter Wagoner(host); Jeanne Pruett; Skeeter Davis; Good Shepard Quartet
7:30: Bill Monroe(host); Wilma Lee Cooper; Jack Greene; Del Reeves; Connie Smith
8:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Hank Locklin; Jimmy C. Newman; Mike Snider
8:30: Hank Snow(host); The 4 Guys; Stonewall Jackson; Jeannie Seely

Second Show:
9:30: Porter Wagoner(host); Jan Howard; Stu Phillips; Good Shepard Quartet
10:00: Bill Monroe(host); Hank Locklin; Jean Shepard; Charlie Walker; The Whites
10:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Ray Pillow; Del Reeves; Billy Walker
11:00: Hank Snow(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Connie Smith; Jack Greene; The 4 Guys
11:30: Mike Snider(host); Jeannie Seely; Stonewall Jackson; Bill Anderson

Saturday October 14, 1995
First Show:
6:30: Jimmy C. Newman(host); Bill Carlisle; Holly Dunn
6:45: Billy Walker(host); Wilma Lee Cooper
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jeanne Pruett; Stonewall Jackson; Jan Howard; Jean Shepard
7:30: John Conlee(host); Del Reeves; Country Music USA; Martina McBride
8:00: Porter Wagoner(host); Skeeter Davis; Hank Locklin; Jeannie Seely; Opry Squaredance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow(host); The 4 Guys; Charlie Louvin; The Whites; Charlie Walker

Second Show:
9:30: Porter Wagoner(host); Ray Pillow; Wilma Lee Cooper; Brother Oswald & Charlie; Holly Dunn
10:00: Jimmy C. Newman(host); Skeeter Davis
10:15: Billy Walker(host); Stu Phillips
10:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jeanne Pruett
10:45: John Conlee(host); Jean Shepard; Opry Squaredance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow(host); The Whites; Jeannie Seely; Del Reeves
11:30: The 4 Guys(host); Charlie Walker; Jan Howard

Grand Ole Opry Line-Up 9/11 & 9/12

Here is the Grand Ole Opry line-up for this week:

Friday September 11th:
7:00: Steve Wariner(host); Jeannie Seely; Mike Snider
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Stonewall Jackson; Joe Diffie
8:00: Bill Anderson(host); Jean Shepard; Pam Tillis
8:30: Marty Stuart(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Jim Ed Brown; Connie Smith

Saturday September 12:
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; The Infamous Stringdusters
7:30: Lorrie Morgan(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jack Greene; Jean Shepard
8:00: Mike Snider(host); Jan Howard; The Carter Twins; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson(host); The Whites; Pam Tillis

A pretty solid line-up for both nights. A couple of quick notes:
>After going with 2 shows last Saturday night, the Opry is back to 1 show, and will continue with that through most of September, unless ticket sales demand more. Unless there is a big superstar coming on, such as Carrie Underwook or Keith Urban(who is scheduled coming up later in the fall), the crowds are just not there.
>Jean Shepard is on both shows this weekend. She was on Eddie Stubb's radio show last night on WSM and she told Eddie that her book is finally finished and will be released in 3 weeks. She stated that she started working on it 25 years ago and that the person who was writing it with her just dropped it into her lap, so she finished it up on her own. She said for a while, they did not work on it, but for the past several years, she worked hard on getting it done. She said there are lots of stories in the book, all true. I am looking forward to it, as with all the years she has in the business, the people she has known and the experiences she has had, it should be a great book.
>When you think about it, many books have been written about, or by, Opry members. They include Roy Acuff, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Bill Carlisle, Skeeter Davis, Bill Anderson, Porter Wagoner, Jim Reeves, Charlie Pride, Pee Wee King, Bill Monroe, Eddy Arnold, June Carter, Faron Young, The Browns(Maxine), Jan Howard, Stonewall Jackson, Charlie Louvin. Minnie Pearl, and I know I am missing many. My personal favorites are the Ernest Tubb biography by Ronnie Pugh, Hank Snow's book, Porter's book, The Bill Monroe book and the Bill Carlisle biography. All of those are well done and tell great stories about the industry and the people involved. Hank Snow, in fact, was very candid in his book about a lot of things. I think if I would like to see one more book written, it would be a new Roy Acuff biography, told in an independent way, as lots of things took place in his life that he was involved in, and have not been written about.


Update:
After I wrote this post, I got to thinking about the books written by or about Grand Ole Opry members. I have come up with a better list:
>"Pride-The Charley Pride Story", by Charley Pride with Jim Henderson
>"I Lived to Tell it All", by George Jones with Tom Carter
>"Hell-Bent for Music: The Life of Pee Wee KIng", by Wade Hall
>"The Hank Snow Story", by Hank Snow with Jack Ownbey and Bob Burris
>"Ernest Tubb-The Texas Troubadour", by Ronnie Pugh
>"Eddy Arnold-Pioneer of the Nashville Sound", by Michael Streissguth
>"Can't You Hear Me Callin'-The Life of Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass", by Richard Smith
>"A Satisfied Mind-The Country Music Life of Porter Wagoner", by Steve Eng
>"Live Fast Love Hard-The Faron Young Story", by Diane Diekman
>"Looking Back to See-A Country Music Memoir", by Maxine Brown
>"Bus Fare to Kentucky", by Skeeter Davis
>"Roy Acuff-The Smoky Mountain Boy", by Elizabeth Schlappi
>"Like a Moth to a Flame-The Jim Reeves Story", by Michael Streissguth
>"Whisperin' Bill", by Bill Anderson
>"The Delmore Brothers-Truth is Stranger than Publicity", by Alton Delmore
>"Not Too Old to Cut the Mustard-Bill Carlisle" by Anita Capps
>"In the Beginning..There Was the Men's Room", by Sam Wellington(The Fabulous Four Guys)
>"From the Heart", by June Carter Cash
>"Sunshine and Shadow", by Jan Howard
>"Coal Miner's Daughter", by Loretta Lynn
>"Get to the Heart-My Story", by Barbara Mandrell
>"In Close Harmony-The Story of the Louvin Brothers", by Charles Wolfe
>"Tom T Hall-Country Poet", by Tom T. Hall
>"Dolly-My Life and other Unfinished Business", by Dolly Parton
>"Reba-My Story", by Reba McEntire
>"Man of Constant Sorrow-My Life and Times", by Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean(October 15)
>"It's The Cowboy Way-The Amazing True Adventures of Riders In The Sky", by Don Cusic
>"The Life Story of Kitty Wells-The Queen of Country Music", by A.C. Dunkleburger
>"Cowboy Copas", by John Roger Simon
>"Minnie Pearl", by Minnie Pearl
>"Life Everlaughter-The Heart and Humor of Jerry Clower", by Jerry Clower
>"Everybody's Grandpa-Fifty Years Behind the Mike", by Grandpa Jones and Charles Wolfe
>"Honky Tonk Angel-The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline", by Ellis Nassour and Dottie West
>"George Hamilton IV", by Paul Davis



As a disclaimer, I know that numerous books have been written about Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash(both former Opry members), and Dolly Parton. Bill Anderson has written several books. I also realize that a number of books have been written about Patsy Cline, Reba, Ralph Stanley, Eddy Arnold, etc, but I tried to stick to the major title associated with them. I know that Jeanne Pruett and others have written cookbooks, which I did not include. I also did not include the newer Opry members, who have had books written about them. Again, I know that I am missing some. I was amazed to find no major biographies written about a number of great stars including Little Jimmy Dickens(which I think would be great), a major Kitty Wells biography(in more detail than the earlier one written), or a Wilma Lee Cooper biography. I mention these three entertainers because of their age and the fact that they might not be around much longer and could provide us with many details of the past eras of country music. We'll, the list above is a start.

Ernest Tubb and Ralph Stanley

I was out of town yesterday, so I did not get to mention again that Sunday was the 25th anniversary of the death of Ernest Tubb. He was one of the greats and his influence on country music is still felt today. He is still missed.

On another note, last night I had the opportunity to go see Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. He performed at an outdoor festival park in my area with Donna The Buffalo, of all people. I knew Ralph was experiencing some health issues, so I was even more determined to see him perform. He and his group performed for about an hour and a half, with Ralph singing on half the songs and featuring his group on the other half. He said that he just got out of the hospital yesterday after being there for a week with the flu. He sounded great, although he forgot the words on his song" Oh Death". At age 82, that can be forgiven. He did look frail but his voice was strong. He also played the banjo on 2 songs, which is a treat, as he rarely plays the instrument any more. The show drew about 1,000 people, many of them younger who were there to see the jam bands following him. But, they knew his music and were calling out various song titles for him to sing and he accommadated many of their requests. After the show, I did get a chance to meet him for a few moments. Again, he had a frail look to him and was depending on his crew to direct him where to go. I thanked him for coming to the show, and asked how he was feeling and he said he was feeling ok. After his show, he spent about half an hour at an autograph table, meeting with the fans and signing albums and having photos taken. All in all, it was a great night. With so many of the legends passing away of late, the opportunties will not always to there to see them. Please take the time to go and see a concert or appearance by them if they come to your area. It will be a memory that will stay with you.

Tuesday Night Opry 9/8 & Opry Country Classics 9/10

Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry-September 8th:
7:00: Jim Ed Brown; Jason Michael Carroll
7:30: Jean Shepard; Dailey & Vincent
8:00: Bill Anderson
8:30: Jimmy Dickens; Restless Heart

Here is the line-up for Opry Country Classics-September 10th:
7:00-9:00
This week, Country Music Goes To The Movies

Host: Jeannie Seely
Spotlight Artist: The Whites

Also Appearing:
Rhet Akins
Elizabeth Cook
Opry Square Dancers
Waylon Payne
Gene Watson
The Whites

The only comment I will make concerning the Opry Country Classics show is that if Gaylord wants to make this a success, it will take a much stronger line-up than this. Don't get me wrong-there are all nice artists. But, this group is not going to fill the auditorium, or even come close, at the prices they are charging. Let's hope next week is better.

Grand Ole Opry Line-Up 9/4 & 9/5

Here is this week's Grand Ole Opry line-up. The Opry returns to 2 shows on Saturday night, which will remain through the end of the year.

Friday September 4th:
7:00: Mike Snider(host); Jeannie Seely; Luke Bryan
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Andy Griggs
8:00: Bill Anderson(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Mark Wills
8:30: Ricky Skaggs(host); Stu Phillips; Jack Greene; The Whites

Saturday September 5th:
First Show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Emily West
7:30: Mike Snider(host); Jack Greene; Blaine Larsen
8:00: Jim Ed Brown(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Johnny Counterfit; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Ricky Skaggs(host); The Whites; Connie Smith

Second Show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Blaine Larsen
10:00: Mike Snider(host); Stonewall Jackson; Legacy Five
10:30: Ricky Skaggs(host); Charlie Louvin; The Whites; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Jim Ed Brown(host); Emily West; Connie Smith

Also, for the first time in as long as I can remember, there will be no live show for the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. Instead, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the death of Ernest Tubb, the Midnight Jamboree is going to replay highlights from the shows that Ernest hosted through the years. It should be a great night and a great trip down memory lane.