The Grand Ole Opry has posted the line-ups for the three shows this weekend. The shows once again look pretty good, although I wish there were more Opry members scheduled. What we have this weekend is Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, John Conlee and Vince Gill scheduled for all three shows, with Bobby Osborne and Montgomery Gentry joining them on Friday night and Bill Anderson and Jesse McReynolds on Saturday. Like I said, I wish we could say that there were more then six Opry members per show. Of those who are appearing, it is nice to see Montgomery Gentry back at the Opry, along with the birthday boy, Vince Gill, who turned 59 on Wednesday.
Among the guest artists this weekend, Friday night will have a return appearance by Marty Brown. Marty really made a great impression on his last Opry visit earlier this year. Restless Heart is also scheduled, as are Sara Haze, Jimmy Wayne, The Steeldrivers and Lee Greenwood. All have appeared on the Opry many, many times.
Saturday night will feature Jackie Lee, TG Sheppard, Annie Moses Band, Striking Matches, and a new addition who hasn't been on the Opry for a while, Mark Collie. Mark Will also be in the Opry Shop signing copies of his new CD.
Friday April 15
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Sara Haze; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Restless Heart; Marty Brown
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Jimmy Wayne; Montgomery Gentry
8:45: Vince Gill (host); The Steeldrivers; Lee Greenwood
Saturday April 16
1st show
7:00: John Conlee (host); Jackie Lee; Mike Snider
7:30: Jeannie Seely (host); TG Sheppard; Annie Moses Band
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Mark Collie; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Vince Gill (host); Jesse McReynolds; Striking Matches
2nd show
9:30: John Conlee (host); Mike Snider; Annie Moses Band
10:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jackie Lee; TG Sheppard
10:30: Bill Anderson (host); Mark Collie; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Vince Gill (host); Jesse McReynolds; Striking Matches
That comes out to 12 acts on Friday night, of which 6 are Opry members, and 11 acts for each show on Saturday night, of whom 6 are Opry members.
And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from five years ago, the weekend of April 15 & 16, 2011, both nights of which I attended:
Friday April 15
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jim Ed Brown; Rebecca Lynn Howard
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; The Grascals
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Clint Black; Steve Wariner
8:45: Vince Gill (host); John Conlee; The Whites
Saturday April 16
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Rebecca Lynn Howard
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jean Shepard; Jack Greene; Point Of Grace
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); John Conlee; Mountain Heart; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Vince Gill (host); Riders In The Sky; Connie Smith
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Rebecca Lynn Howard
10:00: John Conlee (host); Jean Shepard; Point Of Grace
10:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jan Howard; Mountain Heart; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Vince Gill (host); Riders In The Sky; Connie Smith
Now from ten years ago, the weekend of April 14 & 15, 2006:
Friday April 14
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jan Howard
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Ray Scott; Del McCoury Band
9:00: Riders In The Sky (host); Jean Shepard; Mountain Heart
9:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Billy Walker; Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Dierks Bentley
Saturday April 15
1st show
6:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jeannie Seely; Hal Ketchum
7:00: Steve Wariner (host); Dierks Bentley; Blake Shelton; Mountain Heart
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jean Shepard; Del McCoury Band; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Jack Greene; Brad Paisley
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Steve Wariner
10:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Billy Walker; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Blake Shelton
10:30: Hal Ketchum (host); Hank Locklin; Dierks Bentley; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Jean Shepard (host); Mountain Heart; Brad Paisley
11:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Jack Greene; Del McCoury Band
Finally from fifteen years ago, April 13 & 14, 2001:
Friday April 13
7:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Riders In The Sky; Bill Carlisle; Jimmy C Newman; Osborne Brothers; Mel McDaniel
8:00: John Conlee (host); Jack Greene; Billy Walker; Del McCoury Band
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Stonewall Jackson; Del Reeves; Chad Brock
9:00: Bill Anderson (host); Ricky Skaggs; Brad Paisley
9:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); v/Helen Cornelius; Jan Howard; Mike Snider; Andy Griggs
Saturday April 14
1st show
6:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Osborne Brothers; Bill Carlisle Mel McDaniel
7:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jeannie Seely; Jim & Jesse; Billy Walker; Del McCoury Band
7:30: John Conlee (host); Chad Brock; Jack Greene; Victoria Shaw; Kent Blazy; Pat Alger
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Mike Snider; Ricky Skaggs; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Brad Paisley; Hal Bynum
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); The Whites; John Conlee; Mel McDaniel
10:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Mike Snider; Chad Brock
10:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Jim & Jesse; Del Reeves; Riders In The Sky; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Victoria Shaw; Kent Blazy; Pat Alger; Brad Paisley
11:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Elizabeth Cook; Del McCoury Band; Hal Bynum
For this week's featured line-up, let's go back 44 years to Saturday April 15, 1972. This was also the week of the first Fan Fair that took place in Nashville. Obviously it was a success and has continued to this day, growing bigger each year. Here is the line-up from that night.
1st show
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Billy Walker (host): Smokey Places
Donna Fargo: The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA
Billy Walker: You Gave Me A Mountain
6:45: Rudy's
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper (host): Coming Down from God
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Barbara Fairchild: Love's Old Song
Stoney Cooper & Earl Snead: Back Up and Push
7:00: Luzianne
Porter Wagoner (host): What Ain't To Be Just Might Happen
Dolly Parton: Touch Your Woman
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton: The Right Combination
Dolly Parton: Joshua
Speck Rhodes: Running Bare
Porter Wagoner: Be A Little Quieter
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Skeeter Davis: Sad Situation
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Vernon Solomon: Sally Johnson/Sally Goodin/Leather Britches
8:00: Martha White
Ernest Tubb (host): In The Jailhouse Now
Jean Shepard: I Thought of You/It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels/You Win Again/A Dear John Letter
Charlie McCoy: Today I Started Loving You Again
Ernest Tubb: Say Something Nice to Sara
Charlie McCoy: Orange Blossom Special
Leon Boulanger: For The Good times
8:30: Stephens
Charlie Walker (host): Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
Penny DeHaven: Gone
4 Guys: Turn Your Radio On
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Hickory Leaf
Charlie Walker: My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You
4 Guys: Shenandoah
Charlie Walker: Jambalaya
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Billy Walker (host): When A Man Loves A Woman
Willis Brothers: Bob
Del Wood: Standing Room Only
Barbara Fairchild: Loving You Is Sunshine
Billy Walker: Gone Our Endless Love
Barbara Fairchild: He Touched Me
Del Wood: Down Yonder
Billy Walker: Heartaches By the Number
10:00: Fender
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper: Big Midnight Special
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Wilma Lee Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
10:15: Union 76
Porter Wagoner (host): Wake Up, Jacob
Dolly Parton: Coat of Many Colors
Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton: Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man/The Last Thing on My Mind
10:30: Trailblazer
Roy Acuff (host): I Saw the Light
Skeeter Davis: Sad Situation
Leon McAuliffe: Steel Guitar Rag/San Antonio Rose
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
10:45: Beech-Nut
Ernest Tubb (host): Pass the Booze
Jean Shepard: Second Fiddle
Crook Brothers: Chicken Reel
Ernest Tubb: Another Story; Another Time; Another Place
11:00: Coca-Cola
Charlie Walker (host): Good Deal, Lucille
Charlie McCoy: Today I Started Loving You Again
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
Charlie Walker: Little Old Wine Drinker Me
Charlie Walker: Orange Blossom Special
Kirk McGee: Milk Cow Blues
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): I Walk Alone
4 Guys: Cottonfields/Mariah/Shenandoah
Penny DeHaven: Down In The Boondocks
Marty Robbins: Singing the Blues/Begging to You/Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/I'll Step Aside/To Get to You
And of course, I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop has finally updated the Midnight Jamboree link and has been mentioned previously, Rhonda Vincent will be hosting on Saturday April 30. They are still doing the taping at 10:00 with the show airing at midnight. Hopefully they get off to a good start and with Rhonda hosting, at least they have someone who should draw a good crowd. It will be interesting with the record shop closed how they handle things. I wonder if they will have the little snack bar open and if there will be an area after the show for Rhonda to sell items and sign for the fans. Usually that took place in the record shop.
ReplyDeleteThey have listed a few more upcoming hosts including Dennis Stroughmatt & Cherokee Cowboys on May 28; Tim Atwood on June 4; what they are calling the "Midnight Jamboree Marathon" on June 9, 10 & 11, hosted by Charlie Worsham; Sylvia on June 18; Justin Trevino July 2; Heart of Texas Show July 16; and David Frizzell July 30. Still a lot of dates to fill but at least it is a start.
It will be interesting to see what the "Midnight Jamboree Marathon" is. I called and nobody had any definite information. Those dates are during the CMA Music Fest and those shows are taking place at the Broadway shop downtown.
"IF" they continue the Midnight Jamboree at the Troubadour Theater, it will have to be at 10:00; that was one of the reasons for the demise of the "midnight" time because of the Opry time change - people won't/didn't hang around for 2 hours. We "old-timers" to the Opry/Ernest Tubb Record Shop/Midnight Jamboree/Opryland etc, will just have our memories - newcomers to the Opry and Nashville will never get those experiences we all cherish. Just like the former "Fan Fair" now the CMA Music Fest - the "good old days" are gone!
ReplyDeleteYes, Indeed! I remember the late, lamented "Golden Age" of Nashville: the excitement on a Saturday night when the Opry was based at the Ryman, when Roy would belt out "The Wabash Cannonball, Miss Minnie making us laugh with the latest news from Grinder's Switch, and Marty's legendary 11:30 pm time slot, where he'd keep performing after Midnight. (And maybe even grabbin' a brew at Tootsie's or watching the live broadcast of the "Midnight Jamboree." Man, oh man, those were the Days!!!! - Anonymous in Kingman
DeleteI think this is th emain reason I find myself watching more and more videos on youtube........
DeleteNittannee1973:
DeleteFor sure. . .Thank goodness for YouTube!! It's great to see all of those wonderful video clips! Especially the Gannaway films, video clips recorded at the Ryman, and Uncle Dave singing "Take Me Back to That Old Carolina Home." - from Anonymous in Kingman
On the Friday Night Opry from April 13, 2001, they had as many Opry members on the 7:30 portion as they do for the entire show on each of the three shows this weekend. It takes a whole show to see what we could see in one single 30 minutes portion just 15 years ago. Very sad to witness how far the Opry has fallen in such a short time.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest beef right now is the fact that Chris Jansen, who has set the joint on fire every time he's been on the 'Opry (his number of appearances is now way over 100), is NOT a member, while guys like Darius Rucker and a few others who could care less about the 'Opry and are barely country ARE members.
ReplyDeleteRant over.
And a well stated rant it is. I also would note that Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley and Charlie Daniels and Dierks Bentley have only one Tuesday, Friday or Saturday a year when they aren't busy.
DeleteNat, I think Chris will be a member soon. Maybe before summer. AS to the rest, if it wasn't for the Tuesday night Opry, some of the Opry's members wouldn't appear at all.
DeleteByron;
DeleteI certainly hope you're right.
It's LONG past due.
The following is from the “musicrow.com” web page, dated March 10, 2016. I about fell out of my chair when I read this:
ReplyDelete“The Big Apple will soon have a new country music-themed restaurant and live music space in New York City’s Times Square. Ryman Hospitality, which owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, has plans to open the restaurant and music venue, with a design based on the famous Grand Ole Opry.
The multi-level space will offer a street-level shop featuring Nashville’s premier brands, two distinct entertainment spaces with a restaurant/bar and performance space and a showcase club for ticketed performances and special series. Live performances will be a key part of the overall experience, and video screens throughout will provide a backdrop with performances from the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage. On the menu will be Southern-inspired fare.
Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said, “There’s no doubt that Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry are the homes of country music, but the genre’s incredible growth and mainstream appeal means that there are now lovers of country music all over the world. This venue will bring to Times Square and its nearly 40 million annual global visitors a rich country music heritage and an opportunity to experience the unique county music lifestyle.”
Reed continued, “This is also a significant step for our business. We have been saying for some time that we were exploring ways to leverage the incredible power and value of the Opry brand, and this represents just the first stage in our efforts to bring this strategy to fruition.”
“We are excited to launch this new endeavor in New York City and introduce the Opry experience to other parts of the country and the world,” said Steve Buchanan, president of Opry Entertainment Group. “By exposing an increasing number of people to the rich music and truly American cultural tradition of the Opry, we hope to drive even more visitors to Nashville.”
Additional details about the venue and the timeline for construction will be announced at a later date.”
What’s next? Animatronic versions of Uncle Dave Macon and Judge Hay to greet the tourists at this new restaurant? Hey, since RHP will have a NYC location, maybe some of those Opry members (who barely make one appearance a year), will show up at this new “prestigious” venue!!
End of my rant!!! --- Frank Apperson
Yes Frank, the Opry is now a valuable brand to Ryman Hospitalities, who finally are doing very well, as is the Opry. I am not sure where they plan to take this concept, maybe like the House of Blues, where they offer a restaurant and a show? Maybe like the Hard Rock Café? It will be interesting to watch and see where this goes.
DeleteOn the good side, it seems to me that if Ryman Hospitatlites sees value in the 'Opry brand, it makes it harder for them to give up on the 'Opry in the future.
DeleteByron: Yes, indeed. It will be interesting where RHP takes this new concept. We can only hope that they will be successful, like the Hard Rock Café. I must admit it would be very cool if RHP eventually opened up a venue out here in the West! - Frank A.
DeleteFred, Bismarck:
ReplyDeleteAll this production swirling around a product -- country music, the original occasion for it all -- that has all but disappeared!
I'll say this: Now you hardy folks who have stuck with the Opry through thin and thinner will have a second Mecca to visit. (Or am I hearing maybe not?)
Fred, Bismarck:
DeleteWe shall see what happens. . . - Frank A.
Nat Hill IV: I agree.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to point out, for those interested, that WSM has archived the 5 hour tribute to Merle with Eddie Stubbs. The was Eddie's regular show on 4-11-16.
ReplyDelete