Remembering Grandpa Jones

It was on February 19, 1998 that the great Country Music Hall of Fame member, and over 50 year Grand Ole Opry member, Grandpa Jones passed away. Louis Marshall Jones was born on October 20, 1913. He joined the Opry in 1946 and would remain a member until his death.

I am not going to go through the career of Grandpa. It is well known. But, I just wanted to share 2 quick stories that have always stuck with me. The first was on a Friday night in 1989, Grandpa was hosting the opening segment of the 2nd show on the Friday Night Opry. He came out at 9:30 and did his opening number and then broke for a commercial. After coming back, someone in the audience yelled out the famous question from Hee Haw, "Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?". I don't know if Grandpa was in a bad mood that night, or not feeling like being funny, but he just looked at the audience and said into the microphone, "I don't know. I haven't had my supper yet." And, he didn't say it in a funny way.

The 2nd Grandpa story that I witnessed was on day at Opryland, Grandpa was with a group of Opry stars that were signing autographs. I had a birthday card for my wife and I thought it would be fun to have some Opry stars sign it and all of them did, which she really enjoyed. Anyways, I walked up to Grandpa at his table and he is sitting there with his pen in his hand and he asks me what do I want him to sign. When I told him a birthday card, he said, thanks for not asking him to autograph one of his pictures because each one cost him $5.00. And, he said it with a straight face, so I don't know if he was joking or not.

Grandpa's last Opry performance was on January 3, 1998, when he suffered the first of a series of strokes after leaving the stage after hosting his segment during the 2nd Opry show. He was still in his stage clothes when he was taken to the hospital.

In honor of Grandpa Jones, here is the line-up from his last night on the Opry, January 3, 1998.

6:30: GHS Strings
Grandpa Jones(host)
Wilma Lee Cooper

6:45: Jogging in a Jug
John Conlee(host)
Bill Carlisle

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner(host)
Brother Oswald
Jimmy C. Newman
Osborne Brothers

7:30: Goo Goo
Johnny Russell(host)
Ricochet
Del Reeves
Tracy Byrd
Riders In The Sky

8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson(host)
Ricky Skaggs
Vince Gill
Opry Square Dance Band

8:30: Clifty Farms
Jimmy Dickens(host)
Mike Snider
The Whites
4 Guys
Billy Walker

9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner(host)
John Conlee
Riders In The Sky
Ricochet
Kristy Lynn

10:00: Opry Book
Grandpa Jones(host)
Tracy Byrd

10:15: Banquet
Jimmy Dickens(host)
Jack Greene

10:30: Purnells
Bill Anderson(host)
Osborne Brothers

10:45: (?)
Ricky Skaggs(host)
Jean Shepard
Opry Square Dance Band

11:00: Coke
Del Reeves(host)
The Whites
Vince Gill

11:30: Johnny Russell(host)
4 Guys
Charlie Walker
Stu Phillips

Johnny Paycheck was scheduled for the 7:00 and 11:00 segments and canceled out. Jeanne Pruett was scheduled for the 7:00 segment also and canceled out.

As far as the songs that Grandpa sang on his final night, during the 1st show he did "Banjo Sam" During the 2nd show, he opened with "Stop That Ticklin' Me" and closed, as his final number, "Any Old Time."

Even though Mike Snider carries on the banjo tradition on the Opry today, Grandpa Jones and his humor and playing is still missed, even though he has been gone for 13 years.