Grand Ole Opry 6/8 & 6/9

With the CMA Music Festival wrapping up this weekend, the Grand Ole Opry will be presenting one show on Friday and Saturday night, along with a special Opry Country Classics show at the Ryman Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.

Grand Ole Opry members appearing both nights include Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, Bill Anderson and Riders In The Sky. They will be joined on Friday night by The Whites, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart. Saturday night, Charley Pride is scheduled, along with Dailey & Vincent and Bobby Osborne.

As to guest artists, Heather Land, who is making her Grand Ole Opry debut, is scheduled for both nights, while The Wandering Hearts will be making their Opry debut on Friday night, as special guests of Marty Stuart. Joining those two on Friday will be Easton Corbin and Trent Harmon. Along with Heather Land on Saturday night will be The Sisterhood, "Nashville" star Charles Esten and Jamey Johnson.

Friday June 8
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Easton Corbin; Mike Snider
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); The Whites; Trent Harmon
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Heather Land
8:45: Marty Stuart (host); The Wandering Hearts; Connie Smith

Saturday June 9
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); The Sisterhood; Mike Snider
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Charles Esten
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Heather Land; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Dailey & Vincent (host); Charley Pride; Jamey Johnson
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As mentioned, the Wandering Hearts will be making their Opry debut on Friday night, at the special invitation from Marty Stuart. When Marty did his tour of England last year, this group opened for Marty and he was so impressed that he invited them to Nashville.

London country-folk-pop quartet the Wandering Hearts became a part of the British Americana scene in the mid 2010s. The group began in 2015 when Tim Prottey-Jones and Tara Wilcox met. Shortly thereafter, they were introduced by mutual friends to A.J. Dean and Francesca "Chess" Whiffin. They got together to visit and immediately hit it off. Originally named Paper Hearts, they recorded two demo songs "Today Is Ours" and "Sunshine." The group made an immediate impression, with their deft finger picking, rousing choruses, dark-hued lyrics, and sweet, close vocal harmonies being compared to groups such as Fleetwood Mac, The Civil Wars, Tom Petty, and Simon & Garfunkel. Re-branding themselves as the Wandering Hearts, to avoid confusion with other groups that had similar names, they began playing at a number of high-profile festival shows and in 2017 released their first single "Wish I Could." Their debut album was released later that year.

Also making her Grand Ole Opry debut this weekend is Heather Land, who is scheduled for both the Friday Night Opry and Saturday's Grand Ole Opry. Heather is described as a comedian with "wit, peppered with some sarcasm and a whole lot of truth." She is from Tennessee and as a writer and has a blog that features an ongoing series of "I Ain't Doin It" videos, that have been viewed by millions. On a video that she has posted regarding this week's appearances, she said that the Opry has given her eight minutes for her comedy. She said perhaps the Opry doesn't know what it is in for. Hopefully, something good.

Besides the Opry shows, there will be several autograph signings taking place. After the Opry Country Classics show on Saturday, Jeanne Pruett will be signing her book "Satin Sheets, I Remember," while Charles Esten will be at the Opry Shop signing copies of his various CDs.

And speaking of Opry Country Classics, there will be a special classics show taking place Saturday afternoon at the Ryman Auditorium.

Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Charley Pride
Also Appearing: The Gatlin Brothers; Mandy Barnett; William Michael Morgan; Mark Wills

And for those headed to the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, Jeannie Kendall will be the host.
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And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from 10 years ago, the weekend of June 6 & 7, 2008:

Friday June 6
8:00: Charley Pride (host); Connie Smith; Riders In The Sky
8:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Mark Wills
9:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jeannie Seely; The Four Guys
9:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jean Shepard; Jack Greene; The Whites

Saturday June 7
1st show
6:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jim Ed Brown; Sunny Sweeney
7:00: Dwight Yoakam; Joe Nichols; Jennifer Hanson; Charley Pride
8:00: Mel Tillis (host); Jan Howard; Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jean Shepard; Riders In The Sky

2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Charley Pride
10:00: Mel Tillis (host); Jack Greene; Jennifer Hanson
10:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Jean Shepard; Joe Nichols; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Sunny Sweeney; Riders In The Sky

What was special about that weekend was the appearance of The Four Guys. The group had been fired from the Opry by Pete Fisher in April 2000. Sam Wellington writes about the firing and his feelings about it in his excellent book, "In the Beginning, There was the Men's Room." The 2008 appearance was the first, and only time that the group has appeared on the Opry since being terminated. For those who did not listen that night, Bill Anderson gave a very nice introduction and the group was well received.

Now from 25 years ago, Saturday June 12, 1993:

1st show
6:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Skeeter Davis
6:45: The Four Guys (host); Bill Carlisle
7:00: Del Reeves (host); Charlie Walker; Jeannie Seely; The Whites; Connie Smith
7:30: George Jones (host); Lorrie Morgan; Johnny Russell
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jean Shepard; George Hamilton IV; Brother Oswald; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jeanne Pruett; Roy Drusky; Mike Snider

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Roberta Rast; Ray Pillow; Lorrie Morgan
10:00: The Four Guys (host); The Whites
10:15: Billy Walker (host); Connie Smith
10:30: Del Reeves (host); Stonewall Jackson
10:45: Jim Ed Brown (host); Mike Snider; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Jean Shepard; Justin Tubb; Brother Oswald; Bill Carlisle
11:30: George Hamilton IV (host); Jeanne Pruett; Roy Drusky; Charlie Walker

Finally, it was 34 years ago, Saturday June 9, 1984 that Lorrie Morgan became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

"You can't imagine how it felt the night I became a member of the Opry," Lorrie Morgan says. "The first time I could really call this place home. I couldn't stop shaking or trembling or crying." That Saturday night more than 30 years ago might have been Lorrie's first night as an official member, but it certainly wasn't her first night at the Grand Ole Opry. Lorrie grew up backstage at the Opry, the daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer George Morgan, a 26-year member known everywhere for his smash 1949 hit "Candy Kisses."

Born in 1959, Lorrie made her Opry stage debut early, introduced at the Ryman Auditorium by her proud father. "My little 13-year old knees were absolutely knocking," she recalls. "But Dad was standing there right beside me with big tears in his eyes, and those people gave me a standing ovation. I thought, this is what I'm going to do the rest of my life. This was a dream of my dad's long before it was my dream. I have all of this because of Dad. We're very blessed to be a musical family here at the Grand Ole Opry. What more could you ask for?" George Morgan died when Lorrie was 16, but she still carries in her heart two pieces of advice he left her: "Never say, I Can't" and "Always remember your manners."

Morgan's vocal style, combining country sincerity and pop sophistication, really took off in 1989 with the emotion-filled hit "Dear Me." She won a CMA award in 1990 for her work with her late husband, Keith Whitley, the great country traditionalist who had died the year before. Subsequent albums "Leave the Light On," "Something in Red," and "Watch Me," all sold more than a million copies.

Throughout her career, Morgan says, she has thought of the Opry as home. "The Opry gave me my start in country music. It's a place we all need to go from time to time to remember why we're here and what gave us the opportunity to be here."

Loretta Lynn Morgan was born in Nashville, Tennessee and on that first Opry appearance at age 13 sang "Paper Roses." After her father died in 1975, she took over his band, and then joined Little Roy Wiggins group in 1977. After leaving that group, she worked as a receptionist and demo singer at Acuff-Rose Music, where she, also wrote songs. In the 1970s, she was the featured vocalist on Ralph Emery's morning television show in Nashville. Lorrie had her first minor hit in 1978, after which she toured with a number of different acts including Jack Greene, Jeannie Seely and George Jones. She also performed at Opryland. Finally, in 1989 she had her first Top 10 single, "Dear Me." The chart hits followed through the 1990s. More recently, Lorrie has been touring with Pam Tillis and continues to make new music.

Here is the running order from Saturday June 9, 1984, the night Lorrie Morgan became a member of the Grand Ole Opry:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Stonewall Jackson (host): Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Connie Smith: Had a Dream
Stonewall Jackson: Muddy Water

6:45: Rudy's
Del Reeves (host): Two Dollars in the Jukebox/A Dime at a Time/Looking at the World Through A Windshield
Jeannie Seely: You're Sweet Lies Just Turned Down the Sheets Again
Del Reeves: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me

7:00: Shoney's
Jim Ed Brown (host): Lying in Love With You
Billy Grammer: Homestead on the Farm
Skeeter Davis: Turning Away
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Jean Shepard: Virginia
Jim Ed Brown: Pop A Top

7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Anderson (host): Po Folks
Lorrie Morgan; Candy Kisses/Stand By Your Man
Crook Brothers/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Sally Goodin
Billy Walker: Funny How Time Slips Away
Bill Anderson: Still

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
The Whites: Forever You/Swing Down Sweet Chariot
Dan Kelly: Sally Goodin
Jeanne Pruett: Back to Back
Howdy Forrester: (?)
Roy Acuff: I Saw the Light

8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): Forever and One
Dottie West: It's High Time/Crazy/I Fall to Pieces/Sweet Dreams
The Four Guys: Cottonfields/Mariah
Roy Drusky: The Last Farewell
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Hank Snow: I Don't Hurt Anymore

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Jim Ed Brown (host): Southern Loving
The Four Guys: How Married Are You Mary Ann
Jeannie Seely: When You Hearts Been Stepped On
Del Reeves: Good Hearted Woman
Wilma Lee Cooper: A Daisy A Day
Jim Ed Brown: You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma

10:00: Little Debbie
Bill Anderson (host): I Love You Drops
Jan Howard: Lord, I Hope this Day is Good
Ray Pillow: Julie Loved Boston More than Me
Bill Anderson: Southern Fried

10:15: Sunbeam
Billy Walker (host): Cross the Brazos at Waco
Hank Locklin: Danny Boy
Skeeter Davis: Turning Away
Billy Walker: He Sang the Songs About El Paso

10:30: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Jean Shepard: Second Fiddle
Roy Thackerson: Eighth of January

10:45: Beech-Nut
Roy Drusky (host): Don't It Make You Want to Go Home
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Crook Brothers/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Gray Eagle
Roy Drusky: One Day at a Time

11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Dottie West: It's High Time/Here Comes My Baby
The Whites: Hangin' Around
Jerry Douglas: Cincinnati Rag
Hank Snow: Born for You

11:30: Quincy's
Stonewall Jackson (host): Why I'm Walking
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard Anymore/Oh, What a Party
Lorrie Morgan: What I've Got in Mind/Crazy
Stonewall Jackson: Old Chunk of Coal

There you have it for this week and the CMA Music Fest comes to an end. I am sure it was a great week and we will all be hearing about it. Finally, and as always, I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend.