Tonight Dustin Lynch will be inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. I offer Dustin my congratulations and sincere hope that Dustin takes his Opry membership seriously and fulfills the commitments of joining.
Apparently Dustin is not the only country music artist who had expressed interest in becoming an Opry member, as two others, Jamey Johnson and Luke Bryan, have expressed the thought that they also should become members of the Grand Ole Opry.
Dustin Lynch received his surprise Opry invitation when guesting on the Tuesday Night Opry, August 21. A week and a half later, Friday August 31, Jamey was making a guest appearance on the Friday Night Opry, and when he came out on stage he said the following:
"I was just talking to Bill Anderson over there on the side and I said, I'm gonna come out here and make this announcement tonight. I'd like to announce that I'm the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry." That was exactly what Jamey said, and after a round of applause from the audience, he followed it up by saying, "I would like to announce that, but it's not true. I've signed my part of the contract. If we can get them to sign their part, it'll be a done deal. We're working on it. We're getting there. 13 years now I've been playing this ol' Opry." Jamey concluded by thanking everyone.
It would be interesting to know what Bill Anderson, who is a friend and co-writer with Jamey, thought of all of this. Even more interesting would be to wonder what Sally Williams and the other members of the Opry's management thought of Jamey's statement. In all my years of following the Opry, I have never heard of any artist coming out on stage and saying what Jamey said. In a way, he put the Opry in a spot.
For the record, over the past three years, Jamey has made 15 guest appearances on the show. It will be interesting to see when his next one will be.
Then you have Luke Bryan, one of the biggest acts in country music today, and apparently he also wants to be an Opry member.
Luke told Country Countdown USA's Lon Helton that he's happy his friend Dustin Lynch is the Opry's newest member. "I called Dustin Lynch this morning and I congratulated Dustin. These are hard working guys out there that when they get these Opry nods, it changes their life. I've got to put in some good words with them, maybe I can be a member one day. The Opry, what they do for country music is amazing. I sit down with my manager and I'm like, 'I've got to get my butt down to the Opry and play more,' so Opry, save me some dates. I'm comin.'"
Luke added, "I asked my manager, 'Can I just take my guitar and drive out and show up and play?' And she said, 'They want to be able to promote that you're gonna be there.' So maybe I should just show up with my guitar and play some songs. I just always feel you owe the Opry that. They don't ask for it, but you owe that. It's a fun thing to be out there and give a night to the Opry."
Somehow I have a feeling that if Luke drove out to the Opry some night and showed up at the back door, they would let him in and allow him to play a couple of songs with his guitar.
And for the record, over the past three years, Luke has been at the Opry just once and that was on a Wednesday night in September 2017.
So as the Opry expands it's membership with the addition of Dustin Lynch, there seems to be interest from at least a couple of others.
But what about Rhonda Vincent? I know she would definitely wants to be an Opry member and she would be a good one. Jamey talks about guesting on the show for the last 13 years. I think Rhonda has been around longer than that.
In thinking about new Opry members, here is a fact for you. The last young female artist that the Opry has added to it's membership was Carrie Underwood and that was back in 2008. Over 10 years ago. The only other female added since then was Crystal Gayle, and this country music veteran was added early last year.
Seems to me there is an opportunity there for the Opry.
I think Jamey Johnson “gets it”, and would be a wonderful member, keeping many traditions alive. Now, whether or not his going about it will work is another thing. The Opry has never liked being put on the spot. Roy Acuff was gone a year over salary disputes; Hank Williams was fired for his alcoholism; Rose Maddox was fired for “immodesty”; Skeeter Davis was suspended over political reasons; Stonewall Jackson sues the Opry and is virtually blackballed from appearing; legends such as Kitty Wells and Earl Scruggs ask to come “back home” and are told no. Making such a statement live on the Opry may not have been a wise decision. Perhaps, he should have taken the “Patsy Cline” approach and asked back stage.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Luke Bryan, no. He would be a Blake Shelton or someone of that nature. Never appearing.
Right now the most deserving in my opinion is Mark Wills. He has an impressive catalog of hits, and his well received. But like others, Rhonda Vincent, Gene Watson, T. Graham Brown, Kathy Mattea, The Grascals, The Isaacs and others all come to mind.
Like the Hall of Fame, it’s become a guessing game.
I almost asked you about Jamey when I saw the Saving Country Music article about his comments on the Opry. I didn't remember seeing Jamey's name very often when I check the lineups here, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. That said, the Opry doesn't feel like a great fit for Jamey unless he is really willing commit more to it. It's one thing to let a Blake Shelton or Garth slide by with <10 appearances because when they do show up, they alone can sell the place out. However, Jamey can't do that and so extending membership to someone who comes around 5x per year is probably not in their best interest. That's not to knock Jamey or his fan base (In Color is one of my all time favorite songs), but it is the cold truth of the Opry right now.
ReplyDeleteLuke has put out a lot of bad songs, but I do believe he is one that would prefer to put out better music if he wasn't under the hold of the Nashville machine. His Opry comments are a bit hard to believe as Bryan points out, but I think if he would commit to even 5x per year he would be a good add for the Opry financially. That said, I don't see him committing to anything considering his track record.
I really like David's suggestion of Mark Wills. Finally, for female members, I would asterisk that stat with Little Big Town as they are split 50/50 and their songs end up with the females singing lead more often than not.
Hi Joe, as for me, I think Jamey Johnson would be a great fit for the Opry. I do believe the very bold statement he made when recently there tells me he is serious about joining the Opry cast. If he can only appear five times a year, that surely is better than Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt, Trisha Yearwood and a longer list than who appear next to nothing to nothing a year. So it really is hard to say who would be a great member or not ... for me, a great member meets and really makes the effort to exceed the number of appearances asked for. And if one really wants to be a member so badly, they should be showing up all on their own with no yearly requirements from Opry management, because they want to be there, so words are just that, actions always speak louder than words.
DeleteAs far as Luke Bryan, after reading how he would like to pick up his guitar and head out to the Opry unannounced, but his manager told him that the Opry would like to promote his appearance ... I am sure to some extent that is true, I don't think the Opry would like people just walking in the back door all the time, but there have been "walk-ons" in the past and if Luke Bryan thinks he would like to do just that, then he should DO just that. He doesn't need his manager 24/7 telling him how to think and what to do ... and I told Luke Bryan that on his Twitter account after I read what he said to Lon Helton a couple weeks back ... IF Luke Bryan is serious about becoming a member, he needs to appear more than one time in more than a three year span of time, THAT the Opry already has - see my partial list of members above.
The guy is busy, between his touring schedule and he will be starting, if he hasn't already, a second year of being a judge on American Idol that I don't think anyone really need look for Luke Bryan walking on-stage with his guitar announced or unannounced any time too soon, because really, what can the Opry do more for him, than he hasn't already accomplished all on his own? Well with the help of his manager, record label and touring band? No one can say they do it by themselves, that would not be truthful. But he could prove me wrong, not sure he will be.
I was happy that the Grand Ole Opry live streamed on Facebook Dustin Lynch's Opry induction last night. What a great surprise to see it was Reba. Let's just see how often he appears in the next year. Byron will post his yearly Opry appearance list at year's end or beginning of next year.
As for me, many more females should be invited. I would love for Rhonda Vincent to become a member, the Opry really needs another female bluegrass singer. Alison Krauss rarely appears. I would like to think that Rhonda would appear a required amount of appearances It would be great if Mandy Barnett and Elizabeth Cook were to be invited. Everywhere more females are needed to be inducted; the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Country music has always been a male dominated genre of music and it has always seemed a bit strange to me, of course when shaking ones backside or hips in front of female fans, guess what? (Webb Pierce and Luke Bryan both have done this.) So while I get it, it really needs to change.
(Jeanene)
I should clarify, and maybe it is because my background is in accounting and finance, but I was looking at the situation from the Opry's perspective. I would love to have a member list that looks a fair bit different than the current one, but you have recognize that when Blake Shelton shows up, he sells out the place which is big for the Opry. Others have helped through various branding initiatives outside of the Opry such as the movie a couple years ago. Of the somewhat recent inductions, each of them are either someone who can draw a crowd to the Opry or are playing 10+ shows per year (Bobby Bare may be the exception there but his membership was a little different being reinstated vs a new invitation). From that standpoint, I just don't see Jamey as a fit without a little more of a commitment to show up. Is it a double standard, yes, but I also believe it is the reality.
DeleteCurrently the Opry has 66 members.
ReplyDeleteActive female members:
Terri Clark
Crystal Gayle
Emmylou Harris
Alison Krauss
Patty Loveless
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Lorrie Morgan
Dolly Parton
Jeannie Seely
Connie Smith
Pam Tillis
Carrie Underwood
Trisha Yearwood
Retired or Inactive Female Members:
Jan Howard
Loretta Lynn
Barbara Mandrell
Jeanne Pruett
The Whites and Little Big Town are groups that feature female vocalists.
Of the solo female artists that adds up to 18 of which 14 are active in the industry.
Of those 14 the only ones who meet their Opry obligations on a regular yearly basis would be Terri Clark, Crystal Gayle, Lorrie Morgan, Jeannie Seely, Connie Smith, Pam Tillis and Carrie Underwood. Total of 7, or 8 if you include The Whites.
Seems like a natural Opry member would have been traditional artist Leona Williams all these years. Has she just not been interested in Opry membership ???????? Flushing , Michigan Dashmannn
ReplyDeleteWhere are the new great young acts like Teea Goans, Mo Pitney, Malpass Brothers - offering great traditional country music - are they ever intivted as guests? Absolutely agree, Rhonda Vincent would be a wonderful addition to the Grand Ole Opry, she is always appearing somewhere, sold out shows, new music every year, just received a Grammy, why in the world is she not there !!! Do they ask these artists before induction, just to be sure of the commitment etc?
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question, yes, there is discussion that takes place before an Opry invitation is given. There have been times where artists have been asked to become members and have declined. Lee Greenwood is one, and earlier in their careers Charley Pride and the Oak Ridge Boys declined.
DeleteWhile the timing of the invitation might be a surprise, it generally has already been discussed with the artist and their management/representatives.
Leona Williams has lived in her home state of Missouri the past few years but she is now living in Nashville. There isn't any reason she shouldn't at least be a guest on the Opry once in while. She is one of those pure country female singers who never quite made the big time but has recorded and written some great material over the years.
ReplyDeleteThere is still so much opportunity out there to present older classic country or whatever you want to call it. Tea Goans and others of her generation could appear once in a while and make the show more well rounded. Instead, too often we get artist that would be more Americana than Country. Barbara sang she was country when country wasn't cool. The Opry has improved some since Fisher left but in my opinion the older style of country still isn't all that cool in the minds of Opry management. They are not nurturing any younger artist of that syle, just allowing the veterans of the style perform while they last.....which I am grateful for
I'm not complaining, I'm kind of past that. Just saying and agreeing with others that the Opry could present more young artist that do the older style of music if they wanted to. That will not sell out the house for two shows like Blake, Carrie or a few others, but it could certainly make the show better rounded on those non superstar weekends and provide a show with more than a half dozen artist.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, thanks ----- Leona has had some great traditional country music and has lived thru a lot of her songs. I absolutely have loved her as an artist for years ----- Dashmann, Flushing, Mich
DeleteMaybe some of those artists we all think would be great assets to the Opry have been asked and turned it down.
ReplyDelete