Nationally recognized independent Grand Ole Opry historian Byron Fay offers news and comments regarding country music's premier show.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Grand Ole Opry 8/8 & 8/9
The Grand Ole Opry has posted the line-ups for the shows this weekend. In looking at the schedule, there are a few interesting names. The Friday Night Opry will feature guest artist Hunter Hayes. Hunter is one of the new young male singers that have been making a name for themselves with not only country hits, but songs that have been crossing over into the pop music world. In other words, he fits the definition of today's country. Joining Hunter will be Opry members Ricky Skaggs, who also is scheduled for Saturday night, and Marty Stuart, who makes a return to the Opry stage.
Saturday's Grand Ole Opry will feature an appearance by Opry member Martina McBride. Nice to see Martina back on the Opry where she is always well received. Also guesting will be frequent Opry guests Restless Heart, along with Janelle Arthur.
Friday August 8
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Sara Haze; Jean Shepard
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Connie Smith; Greg Bates
Intermission
8:15: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Francesca Battistelli
8:45: Marty Stuart (host); Hunter Hayes
Saturday August 9
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Janelle Arthur; Jim Ed Brown
7:30: Connie Smith (host); Restless Heart
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Jesse McReynolds; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); Martina McBride
I don't expect the Opry to add another artist for the final segment either night, letting the "big" names do an extra song. They do have a couple of spots to fill on Saturday night, possibly one for Jimmy Dickens, who did not appear last week.
Another note of interest is that as of Wednesday evening, the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree still has not named a host for this week's show. If you remember 2 weeks ago, the record shop did not do a live show, but ran a tape of a previous show. I don't know what the issue is regarding the lack of interest in hosting the Jamboree, or finding a host for the show. I know there have been some tough times recording the show, and I hope things get straightened out as it does have a great history and being free, it is one of the better bargains in Nashville.
Now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from 5 years ago this weekend, August 7 & 8, 2009:
Friday August 7
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jimmy C Newman; Darryl Worley
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Sunny Sweeney
8:00: Jim Ed Brown (host); Helen Cornelius; Stonewall Jackson; George Hamilton IV; Mark Wills
8:30: Charley Pride (host); Connie Smith; Jim Lauderdale
Saturday August 8
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jeannie Seely; David Nail
7:30: Hal Ketchum (host); Stonewall Jackson; Jack Greene; Jean Shepard
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jan Howard; Sunny Sweeney; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Charley Pride (host); Jim Ed Brown; The Whites
And from 10 years ago, August 6 & 7, 2004:
Friday August 7
7:30: Porter Wagoner (host); The Whites; Ronnie Bowman
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Amy Dalley
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jean Shepard; Lane Turner
9:00: Mike Snider (host); Mel McDaniel; Carolyn Dawn Johnson
9:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Connie Smith; Daryle Singletary
Saturday August 8
1st show
6:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Amy Dalley
7:00: Jim Ed Brown (host); Mel McDaniel; Billy Joe Shaver
7:30: Jean Shepard (host); Jimmy C Newman; Dan Seals
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Billy Walker; Lane Turner; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Jack Greene; Carolyn Dawn Johnson
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Amy Dalley
10:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jimmy C Newman; Carolyn Dawn Johnson
10:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Stu Phillips; Dan Seals; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Jean Shepard (host); Jack Greene; Lane Turner
11:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Billy Walker; Billy Joe Shaver
For this week's feature line-up, I want to post the show running order from Saturday August 7, 1993. This was the night of Opry member Teddy Wilburn's final appearance on the televised portion of the Opry.
While the Wilburn Brothers came to the Opry many years earlier, they officially joined in 1953. Doyle Wiburn died in 1982, after which Teddy continued as a solo member. By 1993, his Opry appearances had really dropped as he battled health issues and spending less time performing. In fact, his 6 Opry appearances in 1993 would be his last until 1998, when he appeared just 4 times.
Here is the line-up from Saturday August 7, 1993:
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Jack Greene (host): I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today
Skeeter Davis: Lovesick Blues
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything/He Is My Everything
6:45: Hall of Fame
Grandpa Jones (host): Pliny Jane
Jeannie Seely: Tell Me About It
Charlie Walker: A Way to Free Myself
Grandpa Jones: Four Stoned Walls and A Ceiling
7:00: Shoney's
Bill Monroe (host): I'm on My Way Back to the Old Home
4 Guys: My Special Angel
Jimmy C Newman: Big Mamou
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells
Jean Shepard: Slippin's Around
Bill Monroe: It's Me Again Lord/Fair Play
7:30: Standard Candy
Del Reeves (host): A Dozen Pair of Boots
Teddy Wilburn: Because He Lives
Oswald: Dobro Chimes
Dude Mowrey: Hold On, Elroy/View From the Bottom
Del Reeves: The Race is On
8:00: Martha White
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Riders In The Sky: How Does the Yodel
Charlie Louvin: I Don't Love You Anymore
The Whites: It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Forked Deer
Porter Wagoner: Trouble in Amen Corner
8:30: Kraft
Hank Snow (host): Vanishing Breed
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Ray Pillow: Congratulations, You're Absolutely Right
Roy Drusky: Molly Darling
Mike Snider: Dueling Banjos
Hank Snow: Bluebird Island
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Y'All Come
Charlie Louvin: Mama's Angels
Jan Howard: Wayfaring Stranger
Wilma Lee Cooper: Poor Ellen Smith
Dude Mowrey: View from the Bottom
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home
10:00: Little Debbie
Grandpa Jones (host): Free Little Bird
Bill Carlisle: I'll Fly Away
Jean Shepard: If Teardrops Were Pennies
Grandpa Jones: Rosalee
10:15: Sunbeam/Tennessee Pride
Bill Monroe (host): Roll On Buddy, Roll On
Del Reeves: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me
Bill Monroe: True Life Blues/Blue Moon of Kentucky
10:30: Picadilly
Jim Ed Brown (host): Looking Back to See
Mike Snider: Battle Cry of Freedom/Get Your Hand Off Me Knee and Load the Cannon
Jim Ed Brown: The Chapel
10:45: Opry Book
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
4 Guys: Shut the Door; Keep Out the Devil
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Bill Cheatham
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
The Whites: San Antonio Rose
Justin Tubb: Tears in Heaven
Stonewall Jackson: Old Chunk of Coal
Riders In The Sky: Blue Bonnet Lady
Hank Snow: Roll Along Kentucky Moon
11:30: General Jackson
Jack Greene (host): Looking Back is Easier
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Roy Drusky: Homesick
Johnny Russell: You Just Better Not Do That
Jack Greene: Statue of A Fool
2 very nice shows that night. And I have to ask, what ever happened to Dude Mowrey? Nice try but he just never made it.
Finally, for those keeping track, here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry, August 12th:
7:00: Aaron Tippin; The Whites
7:30: Rhett Walker Band; Connie Smith
Intermission
8:15: Tyler Farr; John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band
8:45: Little Big Town
The following week, August 19th, the Tuesday Night Opry will have 2 shows as Carrie Underwood will be returning to the Opry.
Enjoy the Opry this weekend!!!
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Seeing that lineup reminds me that Del Reeves developed a mental block and at least twice on the TV portion (I don't know about the other times) introduced him as "Teddy Doyle." One time, Teddy corrected him. Ralph Emery once said that Doyle Wilburn was the biggest operator he ever met--he was always up to something. Another thing about that lineup is that the TV portion included an 82-year-old who was not yet a member. The idea that today's management would have given that kind of air time to someone like Oswald? Puh-leeze.
ReplyDeleteByron may end up with a post on this, but I thought I would alert anyone checking in that we lost another Opry veteran this morning. Earl White died at the age of 78. He had been the fiddler for the Crook Brothers from 1973 until the group dissolved, and remained on the Opry performing with the square dancers until just a couple of weeks ago. He first came to the Opry as a musician in 1955 and worked with a variety of legends. I had the pleasure of exchanging emails with him and being Facebook friends, and he was just a treasure.
ReplyDeleteMichael, I am in total agreement with you on your point about Os. I think we've probably heard the last of Bessyl Duhon's fine Cajun accordion playing on the Opry.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else having trouble logging into wsm tonight?
ReplyDeleteListening to the Opry last evening really adds to my confusion about what the mission is or the method for determining who gets to perform. Much of it is my taste which is obviously conservative and traditional but some of the things I hear just make me shake my head in dismay. There were a few of those performances last night that I will let your imagination figure out. Yet, what I am shaking my head about goes over with huge applause and screams and maybe even baby throwing for all I know.
ReplyDeleteThen, here comes Jean Shepard and she was in better form last evening than on some nights recently, and she knocks em' out and got applause that sounded like was going to turn into a standing ovation after her yodel.
The same thing often happens to Jim Ed Brown and others like Connie Smith, Bill Anderson, and others. Granted, most I mention are among those older or traditional artist who seem to get the call most often. However, they are getting the big applause with what I guess I can know call "Opry Roots Music" so why is it being programmed disproportionately to the new stuff. Where is the time for some of the others who seem to rarely get called anymore? And I do believe based on more than just my own prejudice, that it is a matter of not getting the call.
Sorry for bringing up points we have discussed here many times before. It just continues to baffle me and makes me sad as we continue to loose folks like Earl White and others. I feel they will pass into obscurity when they are gone because they are not being replaced with anyone who will carry on their music and therefore no one will be around to say "here's a song in the style of Charlie, Bill, Connie or whoever. Today those who are left will mention Bob Wills, Roy Acuff, the Louvins, but who will mention them when they are gone. And I really do feel that management is awaiting the day they can say "finally, all those old so and so's are gone, now we can make something of this place.
Again, I apologize for the bore revisit to old news but it helps to talk about it.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
I just heard the new fiddle player.
ReplyDeleteThey fired Hoot Hester to replace him with this guy????
Matt Combs is the fiddle player that replaced Hoot Hester. He used to work with Mike Snider back in the day. Not sure how he really sounded last night, but overall, he is a good fiddler and has been around the Opry for a while.
ReplyDeleteAgain, no Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree last night and no more live shows until September. Things are not going well over there.
I agree Jim. I have a feeling that after "all those old so and so's are gone" and management sees the quality of entertainment left, they will realize what they truly had after it is too late to do anything about. From the way it sounded on the radio, Jesse McReynolds and the tribute to Earl White got the biggest crowd reaction of the night.
ReplyDeletewhat has happened to mike Snyder, he was a hoot on the grand ole opry and he was a mainstay and now a rarity? there is no reason for all the guests and non members having the majority of the show...
ReplyDeleteI was probably too hard on Matt Combs
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was just the particular song they asked him to play, but it didn't seem to have much life to it.
Might be because Hoot Hester is from around here, just like Joe Edwards was, that it sounded so bland to me.