The Opry has added Andy Gibson both nights. A few changes have been made in the line-ups because of that.
The Grand Ole Opry has posted the line-ups for the 2 shows this weekend, along with the Tuesday Night Opry, August 28. As with last weekend, there will be 1 show on Friday night and 1 show on Saturday night.
The Friday Night Opry will feature frequent Opry guests Steel Magnolia, Restless Heart and Holly Williams, while the Saturday night show will feature a number of guest artists. The major name is Lee Greenwood, who is no stranger to the Opry stage. Lee has guested on the Opry for a number of years and was once asked to become a member. Lee himself told the story in a radio interview a number of years ago, saying that he told Opry management that while he would enjoy the honor of being a member, he was too busy touring to make a commitment to the Opry. He said management's response was that they understood and left Lee with the understanding that while not a member, he would be welcomed at the Opry whenever he wished.
Also appearing on Saturday night will be a number of younger artists. Jaida Dreyer performed at the Opry a few weeks back and was well received, which resulted in a 2nd invitation to perform on the show. While not a newcomer, Matthew West is a contemporary Christian musician who is quite popular with a number of albums out. Finally, Charlie Worsham is scheduled. He has been trying to get come name recognition for a few years and has been playing the clubs in the Nashville area and touring as the opening act for a number of people. This will be his 1st Opry appearance.
Finally, Opry members Ricky Skaggs, Jimmy Dickens and Riders In The Sky are scheduled both nights.
Friday August 24
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Andy Gibson; Jimmy C Newman; Jeannie Seely
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jesse McReynolds; Steel Magnolia
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); George Hamilton IV; Jean Shepard; Holly Williams
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Restless Heart
Saturday August 25
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jaida Dreyer; John Conlee
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Charlie Worsham; Lee Greenwood
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); Jim Ed Brown; Andy Gibson; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Matthew West
That comes out to 13 artists on Friday night and 12 on Saturday night, with 10 Opry members on Friday and 8 on Saturday
Dave Moody and George Hamilton IV will be hosting the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree Saturday night/Sunday morning following the Opry. They will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lamon Records, the label that George has done a lot of recording on.
The line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry, August 28 is as follows:
7:00: Jim Ed Brown; Thomas Rhett
7:30: Jimmy Dickens; Dailey & Vincent
Intermission
8:15: Johnny Lee; Chris Young; Josh Turner
Now for our look back in Opry history as it was Saturday August 24, 1991 that Dottie West made her final Grand Ole Opry appearance. It was the following Friday night, August 30, that Dottie was critically injured in an automobile accident while being driven to perform on the Friday Night Opry. She would pass away on September 4 at the age of 58. Dottie had a very successful solo career and was also a highly successful duet partner with a number of artists. In fact, her first #1 record was a duet with Kenny Rogers in the late 1970s, while her first solo #1 was "A Lesson In Leavin" in 1980. She won many awards during her career and in 2002, CMT ranked her #23 on the list of greatest women in country music history. Many have made the argument that Dottie West should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and I agree totally. She earned it with her successful career and the influence she had on a number of younger female artists who followed her. I think a few things have kept her out including her early death, the various issues involving her personal life and finally, the fact that she changed her image later in her career which raised a few eyebrows.
Dottie joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and would remain a loyal and popular Opry member until her death. To remember Dottie West, here is the Opry line-up from Saturday August 24, 1991, her final Grand Ole Opry appearance.
1st show
6:30: Bonanza
Porter Wagoner (host): Company's Comin'
Ernie Ashworth: Shamrock Motel
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home/Ol' Slewfoot
6:45: Hall of Fame
Jim & Jesse (host): Dream of Me
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Bill Carlisle: Is Zat You Myrtle
Jim & Jesse: A Flower in the Desert
7:00: Shoney's
Del Reeves (host): Girl on the Billboard
Billy Grammer: Steel Guitar Rag
Jean Shepard: If You Can Live With It
DOTTIE WEST: I CAN'T HELP IT
David Houston: I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
Del Reeves: Good Time Charlies
7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
McCarters: No Where to Go But Up/If I Could Stop Loving You
Clinton Gregory: If It Weren't For Country Music, I'd Go Crazy/Satisfy Me & I'll Satisfy You
Jimmy C Newman: Colinda/The Ring That Shines
8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Stonewall Jackson: Side-Steppin' The Blues/Muddy Water
Connie Smith: Did We Have to Come this Far to Say Goodbye/Louisiana Man
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Bill Cheatham
Roy Acuff: I Can't Help It
8:30: Opryland USA
Hank Snow (host): Tangled Mind
George Hamilton IV: Forever Young
Roy Drusky: Too Old to Die Young
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Johnson Mountain Boys: Maybe You'll Change Your Mind
Hank Snow: I'm Glad I Got To See You Again
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Connie Smith: The Key's in the Mailbox
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Billy Grammer: Steel Guitar Rag/Sentimental Journey/Gotta Travel On
Jeannie Seely: Too Far Gone
Porter Wagoner: I'll Go Down Swinging
10:00: Little Debbie
Del Reeves (host): Six Days on the Road/Truck Driving Man
Skeeter Davis: He Says the Same Things to Me
Del Reeves: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me
10:15: Tennessee Pride/Sunbeam
Roy Acuff (host): Just A Friend
Wilma Lee Cooper: Gathering Flowers from the Hillside
Dan Kelly: Sally Goodin
10:30: Pet Milk
Jimmy C Newman (host): Pistol Packin' Mama
Jean Shepard: Days of Wine & Roses
Jimmy C Newman: Down on the Bayou
10:45: B. C. Powder
Charlie Walker (host): Right or Wrong
Clinton Gregory: Satisfy Me & I'll Satisfy You/Nobody's Darling But Mine
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Golden Slippers
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): Giesha Girl
Jim & Jesse: When I Dream About the Southland
DOTTIE WEST: HERE COMES MY BABY
Justin Tubb: Keep Me From Blowing Away
McCarters: Everytime You Leave
Bill Carlisle: Gone Home
Hank Snow: It Kind of Reminds Me of Me
11:30: Creamette
George Hamilton IV (host): Early Morning Rain
Stonewall Jackson: Side Steppin' the Blues
Roy Drusky: I Really Don't Want to Know
Johnson Mountain Boys: Duncan & Brady/Springtime in Glory
George Hamilton IV: Life's Railway to Heaven
The interesting thing about Dottie's appearance on that night is that she wasn't even scheduled to be on the Opry. She was scheduled to do a show in Ohio that either got cancelled or changed. So because of that, Dottie was able to make one last Opry appearance.
Thanks for more great stuff, Byron. Now I have a question or two. One, is it David Houston singing "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen." Two, didn't the Johnson Mountain Boys have a fiddler named Eddie Stubbs, and would he have been in the group when it did the Opry?
ReplyDeleteMike, you are right on the David Houston song. I don't know what I was looking at, but once again, I need to fire my proofreader!!
ReplyDeleteAs far as Eddie Stubbs and the Johnson Mountain Boys, you are right. From what I can tell, Eddie was still with the group at this point as he was with the "Boys" from 1978, right after they started, until they disbanded in 1996. That was when Eddie went to Nashville and hooked up with Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright. I assume Eddie would have been with the Johnson Mountain Boys on the Opry that night.
Oddly enough, David's wife at the time was named Cathy. Not sure of the spelling. She did sing and they recorded some things together!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this was the night that Billy Grammer and Jean Shepard were at the Midnit Jamboree together and Billy got Jean to sing the Steel Guitar Waltz? I'll have to look that one up. And, I didn't know anything about the Johnson Mountain Boys at the time and did not remember them appearing. Thanks for the reminder Byron.
Jim
Knightsville
I THINK it was Kathy, Jim, though I could be wrong. And I would have loved to hear that Midnite Jamboree.
ReplyDeleteI counted, if I'm right, 21 members, including the dancers. But I was struck that, even with Hal Durham at the wheel, the TV portion was two guests with Jimmy C. hosting, and, no "younger" members. Also, it seems to me that Earl White and the dancers haven't done "Bill Cheatham" or "Golden Slippers" in a while when I've been listening.