Should The Opry Do Live Webcasts?

I am currently watching the live broadcast of the Wheeling Jamboree on their website. Overall, the quality of the broadcast is pretty good. The sound is very good, and the video stream is pretty good, although there were a couple of problems with the stream.

Watching this webcast show gave me the thought how I wished that the Opry would do live webcasts. Maybe not everyweek, but certainly once in a while. It is something that I would pay a reasonable cost for. It would give people who live long distances away from the Opry the opportunity to see the show, and, I think it would help the Opry and encourage more people to attend. As the Opry continues to explore other media opportunites and with live television broadcasts not happening right now, perhaps this is something that they should explore.

Now, back to the Wheeling Jamboree. They have restarted the show and tonight was the 77th anniversary of the show. Jeannie Seely acted as the host and she looked and sounded great. Also on the show were Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, who sang individually and together. Again, as with Jeannie, they both looked and sounded great.

Also on the show, and highlighting the show, was Little Jimmy Dickens. He looked great and was very, very funny with some great jokes, many of which we hear on the Opry each week. But, he also did some that I haven't heard lately. He moved around the stage and was very engaged with the audience. But, and I am sorry to say this, he sounded just horrible. He was completely out of tune and sang like he had a frog in his throat. Now, I will say, that he apologized to the audience for how he sounded and he said he had laryngitis. (I know that he always jokes at the Opry about having it, but tonight he was serious about it). He only sang a couple of songs. I know it has got to be tough being 89 years old, but God bless this national treasure as he keeps performing.

Even though he sounded bad, the crowd loved him. It looked like he received a standing ovation, although you could only see parts of the crowd. They were very loud with their laughs and generous with their applause. You could tell that they enjoyed having him back in West Virginia.

All in all, it was a very good show and if you did not get a chance to see it, you can go to the Wheeling Jamboree website and they have video on demand and you can watch it when you want.

And, finally, Happy Easter to all of you and I hope you get the chance to enjoy the day with your families.