Just a note, although not really Grand Ole Opry related. Kitty Wells will be the guest on Saturday night's Marty Stuart show on RFD-TV. His show airs at 8:00 in the East and is replayed on Sunday.
Kitty makes very rare appearances anymore so this is a treat for all of her fans. If I remember right, the show was taped either in mid February or the first of April, so it is very recent. (I don't remember the exact date, but I remember on one of my trips to Nashville, they were advertising the taping for that week and offering tickets to the taping). I could kick myself for not staying for it, but I had to get back to town.
I will be watching and I am sure others will be also. This may be the last time we see an appearance by her on network television.
Rats! I was just out of town where I got RFD-TV, and now I'm not!
ReplyDeleteWe also owe Kitty Wells for hiring Eddie Stubbs as her fiddler, inspiring him to move to Nashville full-time and get a job at WSM.
You are so right about Kitty Wells hiring Eddie Stubbs. I am sure between Eddie and Marty, they really had to persuade her to do the show. I honestly don't remember the last time that she did a television show.
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether she will sing or they will just talk with her. Just talking would be great!
ReplyDeleteI will let you know as I plan on watching it later tonight.
ReplyDeleteI watched the Marty Stuart show with Kitty Wells and wanted to give my impressions. First, I think Marty's show is one of the best half-hours on television right now. The formula is the same each week. The show starts with Marty doing a number, then the guest star doing a song. After that it is Connie Smith, then LeRoy Troy, then a gospel number, a final song by the guest star and then the finish. A good show with Eddie Stubbs as the announcer.
ReplyDeleteLast night, the show was dedicated to Kitty Wells. All of the songs were hits by either Kitty or Johnny & Jack. A big highlight of the show was an appearance by the Opry Square Dancers, who danced while Eddie played the fiddle. Just like at the Opry, and they were great.
Kitty spent most of the show sitting on the side of the stage. She waved to the camera a couple of times, but did not sing anything or even talk. She looked like she has aged quite a bit since I last saw her. And that is ok, as she is 91 now. Marty mentioned her husband, Johnny Wright several times, and the fact that he and Kitty had been married for 72 years,but he was nowhere to be seen. Also, they showed their daughter, who was sitting in the audience.
For the last number of the show, Connie sang the biggest Kitty hit, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels". Kitty stood between Connie and Marty holding a bouquet of roses that were given to her. She just stood there with no real movement, but then at the start of the chorus at the end of the song, she started silently singing along with Connie, and then Connie put the microphone up to Kitty's mouth, and Kitty sang the last verse. From the expressions on Marty's and Connie's faces, I don't think that was planned, but it came off real well. That was the only point during the show that Kitty said anything. But, she sounded ok.
All in all, it was a great tribute show for Kitty and Marty seemed very happy to be doing it.
Marty's show this year featured some great guest stars including Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless (last week), Dolly Parton and the great Merle Haggard. I hope his show continues next year as it is a very fine country music show.
Good for them doing that tribute. Of course, we have to remember that she's 91 and Johnny is 95 or 96. The last photo I saw, Johnny looked pretty frail and she looked much older than I remember (I think it may have been her 90th birthday at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop--many great photos on that site).
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have several CDs by Earl White, including one of live performances with the Melvin Sloan Dancers, and Eddie used to play frequently with Earl and Charlie Collins. We have to get him back into the game!