The line-ups have been posted for the two Opry shows this weekend, the Friday Night Opry and Saturday's Grand Ole Opry. One show each night.
Looking at the list of Grand Ole Opry members appearing, Connie Smith, Bill Anderson, The Whites, and Mike Snider, who has been missing the last couple of weeks, are scheduled for both nights. They will be joined on Friday night by members Larry, Steve and Rudy, the Gatlin Brothers, while on Saturday night Jeannie Seely will join the group. That comes out to five members each night.
Guesting on both nights this weekend will be Christian comedian Chonda Pierce. Joining her on Friday night will be Adam Craig, Shelly Fairchild, Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys, Wade Hayes, William Michael Morgan, and making their annual appearance, Wild Blue Country.
Saturday night, in addition to Chonda, we will see a return appearance by The McCrary Sisters. Joining those two will be Jackie Lee, Kalie Shorr, John Berry and the legendary Gene Watson.
Friday August 3
7:00: Connie Smith (host); Adam Craig; The Whites
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Shelly Fairchild; Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson (host); Wade Hayes; Chonda Pierce
8:45: Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers (host); Wild Blue Country; William Michael Morgan
Saturday August 4
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jackie Lee; The Whites
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Kalie Shorr; Gene Watson
Intermission
8:15: Connie Smith (host); Chonda Pierce; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Bill Anderson (host); John Berry; The McCrary Sisters
Two pretty nice shows this weekend.
And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the 1st weekend in August 2008:
Friday August 1
8:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Connie Smith; Mark Wills
8:30: Jimmy C Newman (host); Mountain Heart; David Ball
9:00: Jean Shepard (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Raul Malo
9:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Buddy Jewell; Mandy Barnett
Saturday August 2
1st show
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Jimmy C Newman; Randy Houser
7:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jamey Johnson
8:00: Jean Shepard (host); Stu Phillips; Raul Malo; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: John Conlee (host); Connie Smith; The Grascals
2nd show
9:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Jimmy C Newman; Randy Houser
10:00: Jim Ed Brown (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jamey Johnson
10:30: Jean Shepard (host); Jan Howard; Raul Malo; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: John Conlee (host); Connie Smith; The Grascals
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday August 7, 1993:
1st show
6:30: Jack Greene (host); Skeeter Davis
6:45: Grandpa Jones (host); Jeannie Seely; Charlie Walker
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); The Four Guys; Jimmy C Newman; Jim Ed Brown; Jean Shepard
7:30: Del Reeves (host); Teddy Wilburn; Brother Oswald; Dude Mowrey
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Riders In The Sky; Charlie Louvin; The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jeanne Pruett; Ray Pillow; Roy Drusky; Mike Snider
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Charlie Louvin; Jan Howard; Wilma Lee Cooper; Dude Mowrey
10:00: Grandpa Jones (host); Bill Carlisle; Jean Shepard
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Del Reeves
10:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Mike Snider
10:45: Jimmy C Newman (host); The Four Guys; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); The Whites; Justin Tubb; Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky
11:30: Jack Greene (host); Jeanne Pruett; Roy Drusky; Johnny Russell
Ok, let's be honest. Who remembers Dan "The Dude" Mowrey?
Dan was from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was discovered by Mel Tillis in the mid-1980s while he was still a teenager. Mel acted as Dan's manager and helped to get the singer signed to Capital Records in 1991. His debut album, "Honky Tonk" was released in 1991 and included the singles "Cowboy's Don't Cry" and "Honky Tonk Song," which Mel had written for Webb Pierce. By 1993, Dan had moved to Arista Nashville and released a self-titled album as well as three singles. After that, he disappeared from the Nashville scene and reemerged in 2002 with limited success.
To finish it up this week, it was 30 years ago, Saturday August 6, 1988, that former Grand Ole Opry member Webb Pierce made his final guest appearance.
1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Charlie Walker (host): Right or Wrong
Wilma Lee Cooper: This Old House
Charlie Walker: Just Call Me Lonesome/Take Me Back to Tulsa
6:45: Rudy's
The Four Guys (host): Sing it High; Sing it Low
Jeannie Seely: Why Doesn't He Just Leave Me Alone
The Four Guys: Look Out for Me, Oh Muddy Water
7:00: Shoney's
Jack Greene (host): My World Ain't Turning Yet
Jean Shepard: A Stranger in My Place
Ray Pillow: So Far, Not So Good
Webb Pierce: There Stands the Glass/Memory No. 1
Jack Greene: You Are My Treasure/There Goes My Everything
7:30: Standard Candy
Tom T Hall (host): Faster Horses
Osborne Brothers: Midnight Flyer
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
The Wagoneers: I Want to Know Her Again/Every Step of the Way
Tom T Hall: The Old Side of Town
8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jan Howard: Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye/Faded Love
Billy Walker: A Million and One/Charlie's Shoes
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Opry Square Dance Band/Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Rachel
Roy Acuff: I Saw the Light
8:30: Music Valley Merchants
Hank Snow (host): Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Stonewall Jackson: Why I'm Walkin'
Vic Willis Trio: American Trilogy
Teddy Wilburn: Lovesick Blues
Connie Smith: Sing, Sing, Sing
Hank Snow: Among My Souviners
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Jack Greene (host): Try a Little Kindness
David Houston: Have a Little Faith
Wilma Lee Cooper: Big Midnight Special
Ray Pillow: Don't We All Have the Right
The Four Guys: Tennessee
Jack Greene: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me/Midnight Tennessee Woman
10:00: Little Debbie
Charlie Walker (host): Cherokee Maiden
Jeannie Seely: Tell Me Again
Charlie Walker: Just Call Me Lonesome/San Antonio Rose
10:15: Sunbeam
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Tom T Hall: Old Dogs, Children, & Watermelon Wine/I Love
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away
10:30: Pet Milk
Osborne Brothers (host): Flying South
Roy Drusky: Time Has Made a Change in Me
Osborne Brothers: Kentucky
Glenn Duncan: Katy Hill
10:45: B.C. Powder
Billy Walker (host): Down to My Last Cigarette
Jean Shepard: At the Time
Opry Square Dance Band/Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Bill Cheatham
Billy Walker: Wild Texas Rose
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Snowbird
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Justin Tubb: Looking Back to See
Webb Pierce: In the Jailhouse Now/I'm Walkin' the Dog
Hank Snow: Little Buddy
11:30: Creamette
Stonewall Jackson (host): Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Jan Howard: Slow Burning Memory
Bill Carlisle: Leave that Liar Alone
Teddy Wilburn: Arkansas
Connie Smith: I've Got My Baby on My Mind
Stonewall Jackson: Ol' Chunk of Coal/Waterloo
Appearing on the first show that night were The Wagoneers.
Webb Pierce had been an Opry member for a short amount of time in the 1950s. He left just a few years after joining when he figured out how much money he was losing on Saturday night dates that he had to give up to be at the Opry. At the time, Webb was the hottest thing going in country music. A very successful artist and businessman, Webb still would do the Opry on occasion. In 2001, after he had passed away, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
There you have it for the first weekend in August. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend.
Some nice things tonight. Now we know why Mike missed the past couple weeks. For any who were not listening, Mike's 88 year old father passed a little over a week ago and he had his mother on stage to close his show playing Tennessee Waltz on the piano and getting a standing ovation. Later, Bill Anderson did Deck of Cards and got a standing ovation. Bill mixed up one line in the recitation. Still don't know how he remembers all those in depth stories.
ReplyDeleteLater, Larry Gatlin did a nice dedication to some folks who had lost their 17 year old son to cancer. Not to many clinkers tonight.
Did anyone catch the dedication by the Whites a week or two ago and one of the anniversaries they mention was Charles Whitstien and his wife of 50 years. Nobody including Eddie elaborated but do you think that was Charles of the Whitstien Brothers who had appeared on the Opry back int 90's and recorded for Rounder?
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, yes it was. Charles performed with his brother Robert who passed away in 2001. They were on the Opry many times, beginning in the 1960s through the 1990s. Jim and Jesse were very instrumental in their careers, and as you mentioned Jim, helped them get their record deal on Rounder Records. Charles, if I remember correctly, later sang with Charlie Louvin, recreating Ira's sound. They were on the Opry many times. I think he also did some recording with Jesse. The Whitstien brothers were one of those bluegrass groups that most fans were not familiar with but that those in the business held a very high regard for.
DeletePoor Webb was a sad case , I think, as I saw him 3 times on package shows in the 1960s as a secondary artist and all 3 times, his portion was short and that wonderful, powerful voice never showed up. On one show I attended, they announced that Webb had showed up unexpectedly, introduced him and former funny man and banjo player, Harold Morrison, just staggered on and off the stage as a cruel joke. Webb put out some wonderful music in his prime and should be remembered for that. Flushing Michigan Dashmann
ReplyDeleteWebb embarrassed Nashville for a long time with his guitar shaped swimming pool and Pontiac with genuine bull's horns on the front (still in the Hall of Fame!). My kind of country music singer, way better than the "Nashville sound" that nearly destroyed traditional country music.
ReplyDeleteWebb is a country music legend and I agree with Dashmann, let's remember his stardom and fabulous music.
I think WSM switched channels to another station on the 8:45 session. Unbelievable. Country was not there.
ReplyDeleteMust have been something wrong with your computer.
DeleteShow sounded just fine to me.
Jeannie Seely missed Saturday's Grand Ole Opry due to travel issues. She did a show earlier in the week in Montana with Tim Atwood. The Whites hosted the segment with Darin & Brooke Aldridge added.
ReplyDeleteWe should all feel good about the added artists as many times in the past if someone did a last minute cancellation, nobody would be added.