Grand Ole Opry 1/1 & 1/2

With New Year's Eve on Thursday and New Year's Day on Friday, the Grand Ole Opry has gotten an early start to the week and has already posted the line-ups for the first two shows of 2016. Both nights look pretty good, especially the Friday Night Opry. 

The Friday Night Opry will feature Opry members Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, Ricky Skaggs, Riders In The Sky, The Whites, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Bobby Osborne, Marty Stuart and Connie Smith. The guest artists have all appeared on the Opry before, and that group includes Josh Thompson, Logan Brill and Charles Esten. 9 of the 12 acts are Opry members and overall, a pretty nice line-up for New Year's night. 

A number of those Opry members will also be appearing on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry, and that list includes Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, Riders In The Sky, Connie Smith, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs and The Whites. As with Friday night, the guests have all made numerous Opry appearances in the past and that list includes William Michael Morgan, Jimmy Wayne, Lindsay Ell and Jackie Lee. That comes to 8 Opry members out of the 12 acts booked. 

What is nice is seeing Ricky Skaggs and Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers continuing their string of Opry appearances from 2015 and it is nice to see Marty Stuart starting the year off at the Opry. Marty is one of the Opry members that we need to see more often at the Opry. Overall, a nice way to start off 2016.

Friday January 1
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Josh Thompson; Mike Snider
7:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Riders In The Sky; The Whites
Intermission
8:15: Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Logan Brill
8:45: Marty Stuart (host); Charles Esten; Connie Smith

Saturday January 2
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); William Michael Morgan; Mike Snider
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Jimmy Wayne; Connie Smith
Intermission
8:15: Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers (host); Jesse McReynolds; Lindsay Ell; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jackie Lee; The Whites

And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from five years ago, the weekend of December 31, 2010 & January 1, 2011:

Friday December 31
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jack Greene; Craig Campbell
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jean Shepard; Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); George Hamilton IV: John Conlee; Elizabeth Cook
8:45: Emmylou Harris (host); The Whites; Old Crow Medicine Show

Saturday January 1
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jean Shepard; Jett Williams
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Troy Olsen; The Bowling Family
Intermission
8:15: Mike Snider (host); Jan Howard; Restless Heart; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Emmylou Harris (host); Jesse McReynolds; Buddy Miller

Now from ten years ago, the weekend of December 30 & 31, 2005: 

Friday December 30
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jimmy C Newman; Dan Seals
8:00: Jean Shepard (host); Jack Greene; Mandy Barnett
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Leland Martin; The Grascals
9:00: Bill Anderson (host); Janie Fricke; Restless Heart
9:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Craig Morgan

Saturday December 31
6:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Erika Jo
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jack Greene; Janie Fricke
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Billy Walker; Jett Williams
8:00: Jean Shepard (host); Charlie Louvin; Dan Seals; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Daryle Singletary

With the new year upon us, let's go back a few years to 2 different shows. First, here is the Grand Ole Opry line-up from Saturday January 2, 1960, 56 years ago:

7:30: Pet Milk
Marty Robbins (host): Sweet Lies
Rusty and Doug: The Love I Want
Justin Tubb: I'm A Big Boy Now
June Carter: Comedy Routine
Marty Robbins: El Paso
Jerry Byrd: Slippery Elm
Glaser Brothers: Bay Of Mexico
Justin Tubb: Mine Is A Lonely Life
Marty Robbins: Just Married

8:00: Martha White
Flatt and Scruggs (host): Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
Carl Butler: Grief In My Heart
Benny Martin: If I Can Stay Away Long Enough
Alex Houston: And Elmer
Flatt and Scruggs: I'm On My Way
Carl Butler: Don't Steal From A Poor Man
Cousin Jake: Old McDonald Had A Farm
Crook Brothers: Lost Indian
Benny Martin: Me And My Fiddle
Flatt and Scruggs: Foggy Mountain Rock

8:30: Prince Albert
Don Gibson (host): I'm Moving On
Archie Campbell: Comedy Routine
Billy Grammer: Loveland
Tommy Jackson: Black Mountain Rag
Don Gibson: No One Stands Alone
Chet Atkins: Wildwood Flower
Minnie Pearl: Comedy Routine
Billy Grammer: It Takes You
Stringbean: Train Special 500
Don Gibson: Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
Tommy Jackson: Sally Goodin

9:00: Jefferson Island Salt
Porter Wagoner (host): Uncle Pen
George Morgan: You're The Only Good
Harvie June: Poor Wildwood Flower
Cousin Jody: Horses Carry Tales
Porter Wagoner: Your Kind Of People
Minnie Pearl: Comedy Routine
Fruit Jars: Sally Johnson
George Morgan: Come Away From His Arms
Porter Wagoner: Pay Day

9:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Chasin' A Rainbow
Bill Monroe: Tomorrow I'll Be Gone
Patsy Cline: Eyes Of A Child
Lonzo and Oscar: Gotta' Find Julie
Hank Snow: I Heard My Heart Break Last Night
Rusty and Doug: The Love I Want
Bill Monroe: Dark As The Night-Blue As The Day
Patsy Cline: Walking After Midnight
Hank Snow: Golden Rocket

10:00: Jamison Bedding
Marty Robbins (host): El Paso
Carl Butler: Grief In My Heart
Rusty and Doug: I Like You
Crook Brothers: Arkansas Traveler
Marty Robbins: Hanging Tree
Glaser Brothers: She Loves The Love I Give Her
Carl Butler: I'll Cry Tomorrow
Rusty and Doug: Love Me To Pieces
Marty Robbins: I Can't Quit

10:30: Pops-Rite Popcorn
Don Gibson (host): I'm Moving On
Justin Tubb: Almost Lonely
Stringbean: Barnyard Banjo Picking
Don Gibson: Who Cares
Fiddle Tune: Leather Britches

10:45: De Con
Flatt and Scruggs (host): If I Should Wander Back Tonight
Benny Martin: Nine Pound Hammer
Harvie June: Mama Don't Chase My Love Away
Flatt and Scruggs: I'm Crying My Heart Out Over You
Fiddle Tune: Soldier's Joy

11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): The Last Ride
Billy Grammer: Kissing Tree
Lonzo and Oscar: Going Down The Road Feeling Bad
Fruit Jars: Old Joe Clark
Hank Snow: The Party Of The Second Part
Jordanaires: He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Sam and Kirk: Roll On, Buddy, Roll On
Billy Grammer: Loveland
Hank Snow: My Blue Eyed Jane

11:30: Phillips & Buttorff
George Morgan (host): Cry Baby Heart
Bill Monroe: Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus
Cousin Jody: Mocking Bird
George Morgan: Candy Kisses
Bill Monroe (fiddle): Scotland

11:45: Wall-Rite
Porter Wagoner (host): Tell Her Lies And Feed Her Candy
Patsy Cline: Oh Lonesome Me
Rusty and Doug: I Like You
Porter Wagoner: Satisfied Mind

A couple of interesting facts about this show. First, Don Gibson hosted two segments and the first song on each segment was Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On." Interesting in the fact that Hank was also on the Opry that night, although he did not play his signature song. The second fact is Patsy Cline. She did two segments on this show, which would be her last Opry appearance as a guest artist as the following Saturday night, January 9, she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

There were also a couple of names on the schedule that might not be recognized:

Alex Houston was a ventriloquist and Elmer was his "wooden boy."  You can look him up on the internet and to put it mildly, Elmer was pretty scary looking. There are a few albums out of him and his material. During the late '60s, he toured military bases with Bob Hope and appeared on several country music television shows, including Porter Wagoner's. 

Then there was Harvie June. who was described as an "RCA songstress" who made several guest appearances on the Opry. She was around in the 1950s on various labels, eventually ending up on RCA in 1959. Other than that, I really can't find much about her. 

And to finish up the new year line-ups, let's go back 44 years to Saturday January 1, 1972 and see how they celebrated the start of 1972 at the Grand Ole Opry: 

7:00: Shoney's
Billy Grammer (host): I Saw Your Face in the Moon
Ernie Ashworth: Wanted Man
Tommy Overstreet: Take Me Home Country Roads
Billy Grammer: Detroit City
Ernie Ashworth: Jesus is A Soul Man
Tommy Overstreet: Gwen, Congratulations
Billy Grammer: He Touched Me

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper: Nobody's Darling But Mine
Stringbean: Old Joe Clark
Onie Wheeler: Mother Prays Loud in Her Sleep
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper: Turn You Radio On
Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans
Howdy Forrester: Sally Goodin
Roy Acuff: I Saw the Light

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): w/Uncle Josh, H. McCormick & Roland White: It's Mighty Dark for Me to Travel
Grandpa Jones: Raining on the Mountain Now, My Love
George Morgan: Easy Loving
Crook Brothers: Ida Red
Lester Flatt: I Can't Tell the Boys from the Girls
Grandpa Jones: Mountain Dew
George Morgan: The Gentle Rains of Home
Uncle Josh: Fireball

8:30: Stephens
Stonewall Jackson (host): Muddy Water
Charlie Louvin: To Take Up Where Goodbye Began
4 Guys: Cottonfields/Mariah
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Charlie Louvin: I Placed A Call
Harold Weakley: Where No One Stands Alone
Stonewall Jackson: Waterloo

9:00: Luzianne
Bill Monroe (host): Love, Come Home
Lonzo & Oscar: There's A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
Barbara Mandrell: Satisfied
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Fire on the Mountain
Bill Monroe: My Little Georgia Rose
Lonzo & Oscar: Out of Hand
Barbara Mandrell: Rocky Top
Bill Monroe: Bluegrass Breakdown

9:30: Kellogg's
Tex Ritter (host): Jealous Heart
Willis Brothers: I Can't Help It/Your Cheatin' Heart/Cold, Cold Heart/ I Saw the Light
Bill Carlisle: Knothole
Marion Worth: I Really Don't Want to Know
Tex Ritter: Fall Away
Bill Carlisle: What Kinda Deal is This

10:00: Fender
George Morgan (host): Easy Loving
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper: Coming Down from God
Stringbean: Pretty Polly
George Morgan: Walking Shadow; Talking Memory

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Billy Grammer: Gotta Travel On
Tommy Overstreet: The Games People Play
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): Will You Be Loving Another Man
Stonewall Jackson: Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Grandpa Jones: The Valley of the Never Do No Good
Lester Flatt: Is Anybody Going North to Cincinnati

10:45: Beech-Nut
Bill Monroe (host) w/James Monroe: I Haven't Seen Mary in Years
Charlie Louvin & Diane McCall: I'm Gonna Leave You
Bill Carlisle: Same Ol' Tale That the Crow Told Me
Crook Brothers: Arkansas Traveler

11:00: Coca-Cola
Tex Ritter (host): Wayward Wind
Willis Brothers: I Still Do
Barbara Mandrell: Tonight My Baby's Coming Home
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Hickory Leaf
Tex Ritter: High Noon
Willis Brothers: Bob
Sam McGee: Railroad Blues

11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): Lovesick Blues
Marion Worth: Burning Bridges
Lonzo & Oscar: Ol' Slewfoot
Marty Robbins: I Walk Alone/Begging to You/Don't Worry/My Woman, My Woman, My Wife/Wedding Bells/Big Boss Man/They'll Take Her Love From Me/Dear Lord, Forgive

Happy New Year and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend and welcome to 2016!!