Grand Ole Opry's 53rd Birthday-October 21, 1978

As I have been doing all during the month of October, I want to post another birthday line up from the Opry. This one is from the Grand Ole Opry's 53rd birthday show, which took place on Saturday October 21, 1978 at the Grand Ole Opry House. Here is the running order of the shows:

1st show:
6:00 Vietti
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleeping At The Foot Of The Bed
Wilma Lee Cooper: Come Walk With Me/Cheated Too
Jim & Jesse: My Baby's Gone/Ashes Of Love
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Jimmy Dickens: We Could
Jimmy Dicken's Band: Little Liza Jane

6:30 Mrs Grissom's
Wilburn Brothers (host): It's Another World
Justin Tubb: What's Wrong With The Way That We're Doing It Now
Bill Carlisle: Is Zat You, Myrtle
Wilburn Brothers: Mama's Shoebox

6:45 Rudy's
Ernest Tubb (host): Thanks A Lot
Jeannie Seely: There Goes My Everything
Ernest Tubb: Waltz Across Texas
Billy Grammer: Kentucky

7:00 Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Ole Slewfoot
Skeeter Davis: The End Of The World/I'll Fly Away
Charlie Louvin: I Gave My Love A Cherry/What Are Those Things With Big Black Wings
Vic Willis & C.W. Mitchell: Cimarron
Philamena Begley: Blanket On The Ground
Porter Wagoner: I'm Gonna Feed You Now

7:30 Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball/Tenn. Central #9/Sunshine Special
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Hearted Me
Stonewall Jackson: My Favorite Sin
Crook Brothers/Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Sally Goodin
Roy Acuff: I Saw The Light

8:00 Martha White
Lester Flatt (host) & The Nashville Grass: My Sara Jane
Grandpa Jones: It's Raining Here This Morning/Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
Lonzo & Oscar: There's A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea
Stu Phillips: It's A Heartache
Tater Tate: Black Mountain Blues

8:30 Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Ramblin' Rose
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Hank Locklin: Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On/Country Hall Of Fame
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cracklin Hen
Hank Snow: I'm Movin' On

2nd show:
9:30 Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): Seaman's Blues
Jeannie Seely: Who Needs You
Jimmy Dickens: Family Reunion
Wilburn Brothers: Mama's Shoebox
Wilma Lee Cooper: Where Is America Going
Ernest Tubb: Waltz Across Texas

10:00 Fender
Porter Wagoner: I'm Gonna Feed You Now
Jim & Jesse: Stormy Horizons
Justin Tubb: What's Wrong With The Way That We're Doing It Now
Billy Grammer: I'm Letting You Go
Porter Wagoner: Ole Slewfoot

10:15 Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Night Train To Memphis
Minnie Pearl: You Are My Sunshine
Roy Acuff/Minnie Pearl/S. Davis/S. Jackson/Wilburns: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry
Charlie Louvin: When I Was Your Man
Bill Carlisle: Same Ol' Tale The Crow Told Me
Roy Acuff: Gone Away

10:30 Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): Homestead On The Farm
Skeeter Davis: I'll Fly Away
Del Wood: Alabama Jubilee
Vil Willis & C.W. Mitchell: Bob
Charlie Nixon: Columbus Stockade Blues

10:45 Beech-Nut
Grandpa Jones (host): Are You From Dixie
Lonzo & Oscar: A Fan Of Country Music
Crook Brothers/Ralph Sloan Dancers: Billy In The Low Ground
Grandpa Jones: Kitty Klyde

11:00 Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): I've Been Everywhere
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry/My Favorite Sin
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Kirk McGee: While I'm Away
Hank Snow: I'm Not At All Sorry For You

11:30 Acme
Hank Locklin (host): Flying South
Jeanne Pruett: Break My Mind/Satin Sheets
Stu Phillips: Blue Canadian Rockies/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/You Win Again/Release Me
Hank Locklin: Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On

Del Reeves and Marion Worth were both scheduled that night but cancelled out. As usual with the birthday shows from that era, the 1st show ran basically on time, but the 2nd show ran long. The show ended at 12:28 pm and that was only due to the fact that the final segment, which had only 3 artists scheduled, took only 20 minutes to complete. Roy Acuff's segment that featured the formal birthday celebration and was supposed to be a 15 minute segment lasted 35 minutes.