No joke intended, but it seems like as the flood waters have retreated, some missing Opry stars have been found. First, we had Brad Paisley scheduled for the Friday Night Opry and now Alan Jackson has been scheduled for the Saturday night show. And if that is not enough, George Jones is going to be on the Tuesday Night Opry. I would suspect that this will be the first wave of country stars, both members and non-members, who we will see appearing as a show of support on the show in the coming weeks.
The Grand Ole Opry has posted the line-up for this weekend's shows. There is one show on Friday night and one show on Saturday night, with both nights being at the Ryman Auditorium. The line-up for Friday is the stronger of the two, with Brad Paisley making an appearance. Other stars that night include Ricky Skaggs, Dailey & Vincent and Diamond Rio. Saturday nights show is highlighted by Lee Greenwood. Looking at Saturday's line-up, there are still a couple of slots to fill.
Here is the line-up for the Friday Night Opry
7:00: Ricky Skaggs(host); Jean Shepard; George Hamilton IV; The Whites
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Janie Fricke
INTERMISSION
8:15: Jim Ed Brown(host); Connie Smith; Dailey & Vincent
8:45: Diamond Rio(host); Jan Howard; Mike Snider; Brad Paisley
Here is the line-up for the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Emily West
7:30: Jean Shepard(host); Jack Greene; Connie Smith
INTERMISSION
8:15: Jim Ed Brown(host); Stonewall Jackson; Lee Greenwood; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Mike Snider(host); Alan Jackson
Now both Opry shows look good this weekend. Finally, Larry Gatlin is going to be on Larry King live tonight, and he will be live from Opry Country Classics. Hopefully, Larry will not interrupt him too much and give him a chance to say something. Maybe others will be on also. And, if you are a fan of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, Leona Williams is the host for this week's show.
A new lineup has been posted for Saturday night. Connie Smith is now on at 7:30 and Lee Greenwood at 8:00 (I refuse to acknowledge the intermission). The only guest on the final segment is Alan Jackson. I get the feeling that some of the members are trying to show support for an institution that, they may be beginning to realize, they have been ignoring and taking for granted. Hope springs eternal.
ReplyDeleteI agree Michael. Alan Jackson on Saturday night and George Jones is going to be on the Tuesday Night Opry next week. I would expect to see more stars appearing as the weeks go by.
ReplyDeleteI watched the Larry King show and of course, he had Larry Gatlin on for the last 5 minutes of the show. Larry was on stage live from Opry Country Classics. The crowd cheered many of his comments and when they showed the audience, it looked like a fairly small crowd. The lower level looked about half full and the balcony had people just in the center.
ReplyDeleteThis may seem like a small thing, as Larry said it last night, but also Pete Fisher has said it a few times. They keep saying that the Opry is not a place, but a show. I agree with that statement, but it should also be noted that for most country music fans, depending on their age, either the Grand Ole Opry House or the Ryman Auditorium is considered as either the "Mother Church of Country Music", or as the home of country music.
I know they are saying this so that people realize that the Opry will continue to go on even though the Opry House is unable to be used right now, but to many of us, the Opry as a show and the Opry House go together.