Here are the line-ups for the two mid-week Opry shows this week:
Tuesday July 31
7:00: Ricky Skaggs; Love and Theft
7:30: Jimmy Dickens; Lorrie Morgan
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson; Del McCoury Band
8:45: Connie Smith; Marty Stuart
A nice line-up for the Tuesday Night show featuring 7 Opry members. And it is nice to see Lorrie Morgan and Marty Stuart at the Opry two weeks in a row.
Wednesday August 1
7:00: Jim Ed Brown; Josh Thompson
7:30: Connie Smith; Joey+Rory
Intermission
8:15: Del McCoury Band; Darryl Worley
8:45: Aaron Tippin
Not as strong as Tuesday night, but still a good looking show.
I listened to last Friday's Opry with Barry Gibb & Ricky Skaggs together - their entire segment was beyond excellent. I have loved Ricky's music since he came onto the country music scene & now that he has been playing bluegrass his music has gotten even better. In my opinion he has mastered his craft & deserves to be a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. I thought the song Ricky & Barry did was just fabulous & the background vocal harmony Ricky did with Barry on How Can You Mend A Broken Heart was just beautiful. I have always loved that song.
ReplyDeleteTonight's Opry line-up is really good - Ricky, Lorrie & Marty again & I really dig the Del McCoury Band - they are just awesome.
I agree with Byron that tomorrow night's line-up isn't as strong but still good - Del & Darryl Worley, wish they would make Darryl an Opry member.
Since this week's line-up became available, I noticed that Aaron Tippen has an entire 30 min. segment. I don't recall the Wednesday night show ending at 9:00. I really like Aaron Tippen & always have but he will have 30 min.? Interesting ... Bryon what are your thoughts that maybe he is invited to become a member? Or maybe they will have someone from the line-up join Aaron for a song & have an "Opry moment" as Eddie Stubbs always says.
(Jeanene)
I don't know what's going on in Nashville, but it seems to me that the 'Opry lineups of late, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday, have been really good.
ReplyDeleteJeanene, thanks for the comments. You are right that Ricky Skaggs and Barry Gibb were outstanding on Friday night. It just continues to show that the Opry can produce magical moments when he wants to.
ReplyDeleteFor the past 3 weeks, the Wednesday show has ended with one artist doing the last half hour. Vince Gill the first week, Rascal Flatts last week and now Aaron Tippin. Maybe it is just the way they are scheduling that show.
As far as Aaron becoming an Opry member, while I don't see it happening, I would not have a problem with it. I have been at the Opry before when he has been there and has always received a great audience response. And, he has performed reguarly at the show. As far as Darryl Worley, he is another of those artists such as Jimmy Wayne, Holly Williams, Elizabeth Cook, Mandy Barnett, Rhonda Vincent, Dailey & Vincent and others who seem to perform at the Opry more than the majority of the Opry's members. I don't think it would hurt the Opry one bit to make some of those members and move out a few of the others.
(from Byron)
Byron and Jeanene, I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteI had this idea, which I'm happy to share with Buchanan and Fisher, since I bet they read blogs like this one in hopes of finding out if any Opry artists are sharing the truth about them so they can further destroy that member (I'm feeling snarky today). Namely, go back to 2 1/2 hours and make the last half-hour a concert by a big name, as they are doing on Wednesday night. If it's a guest, that's fine; people tend to forget that guests would host the Prince Albert segment from time to time on NBC Radio. I don't mind guests. I do mind when the guests matter more to the management than the members, which is painfully evident.
First, Mandy Barnett has been added for Wednesday night.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, if you remember a few years ago Mike, they Opry did that when Reba McEntire was there. They had the 2 hour Opry show and then there was an extra segment added with just Reba. The problem was that she only did 3 songs and was done, not the whole half hour. I would hate for them to mess with the Saturday show anymore, but it is not a bad idea for a Tuesday or Wednesday night show.
Thank you Byron and Michael ...
ReplyDeleteIt didn't register until you mentioned it that yes, Vince Gill & Rascal Flatts closed out the show with both doing a 30 min. mini-concert - I'm good with that but now not tomorrow night with the addition of Mandy Barnett. She has a great voice as well. Saw her at the Ryman Auditorium in Always Patsy at least 12 years ago, probably more, I forget. After the first song she sang, she literally became Patsy Cline - she was that excellent.
I absolutely adore Elizabeth Cook - she can be so funny & she can sing. I have heard a few cuts off of her new gospel album - very good & she was recently on the David Letterman show.
I really like Dailey & Vincent & I wouldn't be a bit surprised if in the next couple of years they became Opry members - however, in my opinion, NOT before Darren's sister, Rhonda. Rhonda Vincent is just great, her band, The Rage are just terrific & I think she is very deserving of being an Opry member - the Opry needs more than Alison Krauss who doesn't appear on the Opry stage but once a year at best.
Byron, please correct my thinking (for a second time today - thank you!) but since his induction Blake Shelton has or has not appeared on the Opry stage? I really do not recall if he has or not.
We can look forward to Keith Urban in a couple of weeks - he was in Australia for The Voice program over there. I'll be watching just as much as everyone else to see just how often he appears - hope it is a whole lot more than Blake. And I give up on Reba ever appearing again. She just isn't into the Opry & that is evident by the total lack of appearances. Byron when did she last appear & perform on the Opry stage?
For those who haven't seen it - YouTube now has the Ricky Skaggs/Barry Gibb performance from last Friday's show. I watched it & it was excellent all over again. Visuals do work!!!
Thank you ....
(Jeanene)
Blake made 4 Opry appearances in 2011. So far this year, he is missing in action. Obviously not a good pick by Steve Buchanan and Pete Fisher. I will give the 2 of them credit in the fact that most of the new members they have picked have a much better track record than those who joined in the 1980s and 1990s.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rhonda Vincent and Dailey & Vincent should both be made members of the Opry. It would be a shame, however, if Rhonda was not first.
Joey & Rory seem to be making a "big splash" with the traditional country scene these days. They have been included on the "Family Reunion" shows lately and are now given their own show on RFDTV. I could see them becoming great Opry members. Sadly, they have only had one song in the Billboard County Top 40. That may heard them with Fisher and the others.
ReplyDeleteProbably. By the way, I don't get RFD-TV in Las Vegas, but we were out of town and I watched one of the shows. Oscar Sullivan was on, 92 years young, and sang "I'm My Own Grandpa." He never had a great singing voice, but he sounded good and clear, and he looked great. I noticed he wore the "baggy pants" outfit that Dave Hooten had talked him out of wearing when he became the third Lonzo.
ReplyDeleteMichael, I believe you can order RFD-TV and watch it on the computer for abot $8 a month - thats not really bad as to get on dish now cost $5 (was $3).As sorry as most TV is, really about the channel we watch. It's worth the money just for Marty Stuart.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Rory & Cory getting their own show, that was a dissapointment to a lot of us, as Doyle Dykes is suppose to be getting his own show on RFD-TV for almost 2 years. It will be a guitar (with lots of guest) show, so we can expect a lot of Opry people to be guest I suspect.
Mel
Rfd comes with the dish family pack too. It was 19.99 the 1st yr and 24.99 after that. Since it and gac were my go to channels its a no brainer. That includes all your locals all the Christian stations , hallmark, etc.
ReplyDelete