So, any news from the Opry this past week?
Yes, they invited Kelsea Ballerini to become the Grand Ole Opry's newest member. As I noted, not a total surprise as she has been making numerous appearances on the Opry lately and she is very popular with the younger fans, those who will be buying tickets to future shows. As with any new member, I wish her well and hope that she supports the show. Her formal induction will be Tuesday April 16.
Now on to this week at the Opry. Two shows and while both have solid line-ups, the Friday Night Opry particularly looks strong. Heading the line-up will be Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker, who stops by for a visit before starting his summer tour with a reunited Hootie & The Blowfish. Joining Darius on the Friday Night Opry are members Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Diamond Rio, Jeannie Seely, Riders In The Sky, Bobby Osborne and Josh Turner, who will be visiting fans and signing in the Opry Shop.
Jeannie, Riders and Ricky are also on the schedule for Saturday night, where they will be joined by members Mike Snider, The Whites, Del McCoury, and coming off his 55th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jesse McReynolds.
Guesting on Friday night will be Elizabeth Cook, William Michael Morgan, Phil Vassar and making his Opry debut, Dee White. Saturday night, the list includes Carlton Anderson, Tegan Marie, Charles Esten and Doyle Dykes, who will also be signing in the Opry shop.
Friday March 8
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Elizabeth Cook; Dee White
7:30: Diamond Rio (host); William Michael Morgan; Phil Vassar
Intermission
8:15: Ricky Skaggs (host); Crystal Gayle; Josh Turner
8:45: Riders In The Sky (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Darius Rucker
Saturday March 9
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Carlton Anderson; Jesse McReynolds
7:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Tegan Marie; Del McCoury Band
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); Doyle Dykes; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Charles Esten
It seems as if each week there is another artist making his or her debut on the Grand Ole Opry and as mentioned, this weekend it will be Dee White appearing on the Friday Night Opry.
Dee White is from Alabama and is another of the young artists who made the Rolling Stone's list of 10 new country artists you need to know (August 2018). His debut album, Southern Gentleman, came out in August 2018 and while in Nashville has worked with producers Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, who did a lot of work with Johnny Cash.
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And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the weekend of March 6 & 7, 2009:
Friday March 6
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jean Shepard; Gloriana
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Del McCoury Band; Emerson Drive
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky; Rhonda Vincent
8:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Connie Smith; John Michael Montgomery
Saturday March 7
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jean Shepard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Josh Turner
8:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Connie Smith; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
10:00: Mike Snider (host); Jan Howard; Jean Shepard; Josh Turner
10:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday March 5, 1994:
1st show
6:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Jimmy Dickens
6:45: Grandpa Jones (host); Jean Shepard
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Bill Carlisle; Roy Drusky; Ricky Skaggs
7:30: Billy Walker (host); Greg Rowles; Rhonda Vincent; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; John Conlee; The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; Jimmy C Newman; The Four Guys
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Skeeter Davis; Brother Oswald; Greg Rowles
10:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jan Howard
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Charlie Louvin
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Billy Walker
10:45: Bill Anderson (host); Riders In The Sky; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; The Whites; Ray Pillow; Jimmy C Newman
11:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Charlie Walker; Connie Smith; Johnny Russell
For those who might not be familiar with Greg Rowles, he was a male vocalist of the year winner from Star Search. He has worked in television and radio and was a music minister for a period of time. He still does consulting work with churches, as well as performing at the Alabama Theater in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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45 years ago, Saturday March 9, 1974 was the final night for the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. It was also the final Saturday night in which Bobby Bare would be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For whatever reason, Bobby declined to follow the cast to the new Grand Ole Opry House. While Bobby decided to no longer be an Opry member, within a few years he would be back occasionally to make a guest appearance or two, and then in 2018 he would be invited to have his Opry membership reinstated.
Here is the running order from that final Saturday night:
1st show
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Willis Brothers (host): Give Me 40 Acres
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
Willis Brothers: Cool Water
6:45: Rudy's
Bobby Bare (host): Detroit City
Connie Smith: How Great Thou Art
Ernie Ashworth: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
Bobby Bare: The Mermaids
7:00: Rudy's
Billy Grammer (host): Under the Double Eagle/Black Mountain Rag/Wildwood Flower
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nine Pound Hammer
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Billy Grammer, Jr.: Orange Blossom Special
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: To My Mansion in the Sky
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain
Lonzo and Oscar: Charming Betsy
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Ida Red
Roy Acuff: Back in the Country
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
8:00: Martha White
Wilburn Brothers (host): Roll Muddy River
Justin Tubb: Rambling Man
Jody Miller: Good News
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Wilburn Brothers: Knoxville Girl
Justin Tubb: Texas Dance Hall Girl
Jody Miller: Let's All Go Down to the River
8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Jan Howard: My Kind of People
The Four Guys: Let Me Be There
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Hank Snow: Brand on My Heart
Jan Howard: Sunshine on My Shoulders
The Four Guys: Top of the World
Hank Snow: Hello Love
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Bobby Bare (host): Come Sundown
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Wilma Lee Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
Bobby Bare: Blowing in the Wind/Worried Man Blues/Gotta Travel On
Skeeter Willis: Maiden's Prayer
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: I Shall Not Be Moved
Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr.: Daddy, What If
10:00: Fender
Stu Phillips (host): Pride
Jody Miller: Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home
Bill Carlisle: Little Liza Jane
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): When I Lay My Burdens Down
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Loving Heart
10:30: Trailblazer
Wilburn Brothers (host): It Looks Like the Sun's Gonna Shine
Lonzo and Oscar: Traces of Life
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
10:45: Beech-Nut
Billy Grammer (host): Gotta Travel On
Jerry Clower: The Coon Hunt
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Liberty
Billy Grammer: How Great Thou Art
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): In the Misty Moonlight
Jan Howard: Where No One Stands Alone
The Four Guys: Streaking with My Baby on a Bright and Sunny Sunday Afternoon
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Tanya Tucker: Delta Dawn
Sam McGee: Freight Train/Victor Rag/I Don't Love Nobody
Hank Snow: I Don't Hurt Anymore
11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): I Walk Alone
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain/Satin Sheets
Justin Tubb: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/I'm Wanting To/Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms/Love Me/Now is the Hour
In looking at the line-up from that night, one of the things that stands out is the lack of long-time Opry members appearing that night. Folks such as Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Grandpa Jones. Lester Flatt, Archie Campbell, Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson...all among the missing.
To finish it up, the announcement for the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will take place on Monday March 18 at 10:00 a.m. Nashville time. Reba McEntire will be hosting the event. I am sure between now and then there will be a lot of names floated about.
Anyways, that does it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
Interesting as we see the induction of a female artist, something we have been short for some time, that Rhonda Vincent appeared on the 2009 show and all the way back to 1994 show presented above! I guess she has not been a loyal guest artist. For one thing, I can't remember her ever stating on the Orry stage how many times she has appeared. And I know she has a pretty good idea!
ReplyDeleteIt is sure refreshing and great to have Jesse back. Hope has continued good health and keeps making it to the Opry.
I wonder on the '74 show if My Kind of People by Jan Howard was the same song Stonewall recorded that I know as Not My Kind of People(But I'm So Glad They Came)?
Byron: Thanks for the '94 lineup. I filled in mine for the first three segments on the first show which I must not have been able to hear. I noted that Justin Tubb did the Record Shop but had not been on the Opry for two months.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Who do you guys see going into the Hall of Fame this year?.
ReplyDeleteMy predictions:
DeletePotential Modern Era Inductee: Brooks and Dunn
Veterans Era Inductee: Hank Williams Jr. or Jerry Lee Lewis
Non-Performer Inductee: Chet Flippo
My Darkhorse Candidate: Keith Whitley
DeleteI also have been giving this some thought and there are so many candidates that are worthy. While not making a prediction, personally I would like to see Ralph and Carter Stanley go in. They were one of the pioneers of early bluegrass and their music has influenced so many others. Sadly, Carter passed away way too early, but Ralph continued on. The Gatlin Brothers are another of my personal favorites who I think deserve induction. Others would include Hank Williams, Jr (who should have been in years ago), and Tanya Tucker. I think many forget what a great career she had. I think the issue with Tanya is the years she spent with Glen Campbell and we all know what went on during that time period. Then you have Ray Stevens. Great comedian and songwriter. Deserving as with the others.
DeleteIn the modern class, I think Keith Whitely deserves a lot of consideration. Died way too young but what a voice and classic hits. Brooks & Dunn would be the popular choice and after Garth and Alan got in, I think of that era they would be the next in line. How about Mickey Gilley? Thinking back to the Urban Cowboy era of country music, and nobody getting in as of yet from that time period. Great music and in many ways, overlooked.
Then there is Stonewall Jackson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wilburn Brothers, Eddie Rabbit...all great hitmakers and influences on others.
Glad I am not a voter
Tough choices.
I'm not certain who the candidates are--I saw a list, but, could there be others? I still think it's a mistake for them to ignore Archie Campbell. I'm with Byron on Tanya Tucker, who has had such an amazing career. As for her behavior with Glen Campbell, agreed--but I'm not sure Hank, Jr., is going to win the Choir Boy Award, either!
DeleteI haven't narrowed it down to one a piece yet.
DeleteModern Era: Brooks & Dunn, Marty Stuart or Alison Krauss
Veteran Era: Tanya Tucker, Crystal Gayle or The Gatlin Brothers
Non-Performer: Chet Flippo, Irving Waugh or Les Leverett
A.B.
Thanks. Someone mentioned Jimmy C. Newman, and this would thrill me no end.
DeleteThe non-performer category is always tough because there are so many. All the ones listed here are deserving, but I would bet on Irving Waugh if I were going to make a bet.
I think anyone who really follows the CMA circles could come close in guessing the nominees from year to year. I believe these are possibly the nominees this year:
ReplyDeleteVETERANS
1. Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers – They had a great solid career.
2. Crystal Gayle – She is presently the glaring female omission.
3. Mickey Gilley – With awards, chart numbers and a career in general comparable to Don Williams, he will be elected at some point.
4. Ray Stevens – Where do you put the great Ray Stevens? Comedian?, yes! But he also comes with other classics such as “Everything is Beautiful” and the Grammy winner “Misty”.
5. Hank Williams, Jr. – This legend is the most glaring living omission from the Hall of Fame. If he was not so politically vocal, he would already be in.
Others – The Osborne Brothers & The Stanley Brothers could be possible surprises in this category soon. Other possibilities are The Wilburn Brothers, Lynn Anderson, Anne Murray, Jerry Clower, Jack Greene, Gene Watson, Charlie Rich & Vern Gosdin. Also, we need not to overlook Jerry Lee Lewis, John Denver and Linda Ronstadt. All three had great and huge cross over success in Country Music. Grossly overlooked is the great Stonewall Jackson. The last of the great honky tonkers not inducted.
MODERN
1. Brooks & Dunn – If the CMA looks to anyone from 1990-1999 its going to be this legendary duo. Its a no-brainer, but I feel it still may be a few years to soon. Let’s look back into the 1980’s a few more years.
2. The Judds – Let’s face it, they are Hall of Famers. If not this year, within the next five. They had one of the biggest careers of the 1980’s.
3. Tanya Tucker – Yes I know her career started with Delta Dawn” in 1972. But she was the 1991 CMA Female Vocalist of the year, and I believe that is what is going to be considered at this point in time.
4. Steve Wariner – One of the most respected singers, songwriters and instrumentalists in the history of Country Music. A great solid hit making career from 1979 to 2003.
5. Keith Whitley – He was the Patsy Cline of his generation. Taken too soon, and only grown in popularity since his untimely death. He is just one of those artists you know would have gone so far in Country Music.
Others – One act seldom mentioned is The Bellamy Brothers; but look at their carrer numbers. They are Hall of Famers. Marty Stuart will go in within the next five years. I think Dwight Yoakum will be considered soon, as well as Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Clint Black, Patty Loveless and as you go into the 1990’s, Martina McBride. The Others, Toby Keith, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood, Tim McGraw will have to wait a little longer.
NON-PERFORMER
I think there is great consideration for the late Louise Scruggs, as well as the late Irving Waugh, Buddy Killen and Sam Louvello. Many have mentioned Chet Flippo. This may be a very posthumous nominee filled category this year. Opry photographer Les Leverett could also be a possibility.
As far as artists such as Stringbean, Johnny Horton, Bradley Kincaid, Archie Campbell, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Jimmy C. Newman, The Carter Sisters & Mother Maybelle, Lulu Belle & Scotty; musicians, Bashful Brother Oswald, Tommy Duncan, Don Rich; songwriter, Jenny Lou Carson; non-performers, Vito Pellitteri, Harry Stone—- all of whom I believe should be in the Hall of Fame; it’s never going to happen until the CMA sees the need and develops a category for pioneers.
The CMA has inducted every “Entertainer of Year” into the Hall of Fame, from 1967 to 1995, with the exception of Charlie Rich, John Denver and Hank Williams, Jr. That fact may be something worth taking notice of.
Reba is hosting so your gut automatically screams Brooks & Dunn, and her long Association with the duo. Also remember in the 1980’s she toured with Hank, Jr., and was included on his No. 1 single “Mind Your Own Business”. And it could be Reba is hosting just because she’s Reba and the CMA wanted her.
No predictions from me. I think all of us could come close within a five person ratio.
David, a great analysis of those who should be in the Hall. Regarding the pioneers, if you remember back when Pop Stoneman was elected, there was a lot of grumbling from some people saying that he was not Hall of Fame worthy (I disagree). After Pop was elected, the category was changed into what is the veterans category today. When they changed the category, it was said that one of the main reasons was that there were no more pre-World War II candidates to consider.
DeleteLooking back, how wrong they were. With limited films, recordings or accurate biographies, it is difficult for the younger voters to really appreciated those pioneers. Much of the information was passed along by the older voters, who have largely disappeared. I feel one of the great omissions from that time period is Bradley Kincaid. However, with no one pushing his name forward, I am afraid he and the others, will never have their names in the Hall.
My idea would be that a special committee be formed, much as the Baseball Hall of Fame did, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame does not, to consider those pioneer who are truly deserving and get them voted in during a special one time election. That could clear the slate of those names.
Byron:
DeleteI think we both know there are several pre-WWII candidates enshrined, that are Hall of Fame Worthy.
1. Bradley Kincaid - The biggest “hillbilly” star in the USA at one point. Star of WLS National Barn Dance and WSM Grand Ole Opry.
2. Lulu Belle & Scotty - They were huge on WLS. Gave us, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”; Lulu Belle pioneered for woman some 15 years before Kitty Wells. Scotty gave us “Mountain Dew” and several other classics as a songwriter.
3. Gid Tanner and The Skillet Lickers- They were country Music’s first super “group”. The Texas Playboys or Alabama if you will, of their day.
4. Stringbean- Yes, he could fit here. We all know had it had lived to those 80’s or 90’s like Grandpa Jones, Jimmy Dickens and Bill Carlisle he would be a Hall of Famer. He was and is that loved by many.
5. Archie Campbell- With a career that started in the 1930’s, and much longer professional career than Rod Brasfield, along with being one of the main writers of Hee Haw, he should be in.
Others that could fit in this category are The Carter Sisters & Mother Maybelle, The Stanley Brothers, Cowboy Copas, Elton Britt, Fiddlin’ John Carson, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, and even Brother Oswald.
I like your idea of the six categories per year. There is enough backlog. And as time progesses, it will only grow.
Where does a guy like Carl Jackson, who has performed, produced, and promoted our music fit in when it comes to Hall of Fame ???? Seems like someone who has done so much quality stuff for so long ought to have a place . Dashmann, Flushing, Mich
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOK, I’ll bite. This will take a while because I’m long winded and not inclined to just provide a list of names although I will for the two annual categories since you’re all familiar with the names and their bodies of work so there’s not a lot I could say about them that most people don’t already know.
ReplyDeleteBefore I get started, I’ll say that I’m not a big fan of the “category” model as it stands although for most of its history that Hall of Fame has used that model in some form (Living/ Deceased, Performer/ Non-Performer, etc.). I’m not in favor of mass inductions, either, although I think the 2001 election was necessary because there was such a huge backlog of deserving honorees and it helped to open the floodgates a bit while not cheapening the honor in any way. I saw where another poster suggested a new “Pioneers” category and I would be in favor of that. I would also suggest an “Open” category every three years or so. Electing a musician and songwriter in odd years and a non-performer and an “open” inductee in even years would allow those in the rotating categories a chance for induction while they are still living as most of those candidates are in their 70s and 80s or have already passed. I know there are those that feel that too many members somehow makes the honor less valuable but I don’t share that viewpoint. The Hall of Fame is the most elite club in any form of entertainment and will remain so even if you add just one more person each year.
In the Veteran category I’m still of the opinion that The Wilburn Brothers’ total body of work and influence is worthy of Hall of Fame honors. While they never had a number one record, I believe they deserve to be honored for their long running success in recording, television, film, publishing, talent booking and as popular and longtime Opry stars as well as for their role in promoting the careers of Loretta Lynn and Patty Loveless.
Others in the Veterans category short list include the Maddox Brothers and Rose, Bradley Kincaid, Lulu Belle and Scotty, The Stanley Brothers, The Osborne Brothers, Molly O’Day, Wanda Jackson, Hank Williams, Jr., Ray Stevens, Lynn Anderson, The Carter Sisters, Tanya Tucker, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Archie Campbell, Stringbean, Jerry Clower and Reno & Smiley.
As for the modern category, my short list would include Crystal Gayle, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Mickey Gilley, The Bellamy Brothers, The Judds, Eddie Rabbitt, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Whitley, Steve Wariner, Riders In The Sky and Alison Krauss.
Next: Part 2
Of the three Hall of Fame categories, the one I’m REALLY interested in this year is the Non-Performer. The last inductee in that category was Fred Foster who was on my Top 3 list for a long time. Historically, the inductees in this category have been largely record producers or record label and publishing executives and since they work largely outside of the public eye, I’ll give you a handful of choices and why I think they deserve a place in the Hall of Fame.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a vote, these would be my Top 3 (in alphabetical order):
1—Jim Halsey. The premier artist manager and booking agent through the 70s and 80s, Jim Halsey was primarily known for managing the careers of Hank Thompson, Roy Clark and the Oak Ridge Boys. The booking arm of the Tulsa-based Jim Halsey Company, boasted a roster of artists including Mel Tillis, Minnie Pearl, Reba McEntire, The Judds, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Wanda Jackson, Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Tommy Overstreet, Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp, George Lindsey, Lee Greenwood, Freddy Fender and non-country acts including James Brown, The Righteous Brothers and Woody Herman. In total, 29 current members of the Hall of Fame and 10 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were either managed or booked at some point by Jim Halsey. In the course of 40 years, The Jim Halsey Company booked more than 120,000 concert dates from New York to London to Tokyo. His 1976 tour of the Soviet Union with Roy Clark and the Oak Ridge Boys made headlines and won praise culturally and diplomatically. He sold his company to the William Morris Agency in 1990 but remained as a consultant for many years and has authored 2 books: “How to Make It in the Music Business” and “Starmaker”. From 1994 to 1999 he created and served as director of the Music and Entertainment Business program at Oklahoma City University and in 2010 launched the Jim Halsey Institute of Music and Entertainment Business at Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. At the age of 88, he still lives in Tulsa.
2—Buddy Killen. Given his long career and popularity in the country music community I’m surprised Buddy Killen wasn’t named to the Hall years ago. A key figure in the development of Nashville’s publishing industry he came to town in 1951 as the bass player for Jamup and Honey at the Opry. Shortly thereafter, Jack Stapp hired him to pitch songs for the newly founded Tree Publishing company and one of his early triumphs was getting Elvis Presley to cut “Heartbreak Hotel”, written by Tree songwriter Mae Axton. In 1957, he was at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and loaned $5 to a struggling songwriter and agreed to listen to some of his songs. The songwriter was Roger Miller and after he signed with Tree, he scored hits with Ray Price (“Invitation to the Blues”) and Jim Reeves (“Billy Bayou”). In 1965, he formed Dial Records to release R and B records by Joe Tex. He was also a songwriter whose best-known songs are probably “Forever” and Conway Twitty’s “I May Never Get to Heaven”. He became president of Tree Publishing in 1974, eventually buying the company after Jack Stapp’s death and eventually sold the company to Sony Music in 1989. His Stockyard restaurant north of downtown Nashville was THE place to see and be seen in the late 70s and 80s. The Bullpen Lounge was the scene of numerous auctions for charity, including one where George Jones dropped by to donate a guitar and ended up having Killen auction off his boots and the shirt and jacket off of his back! He was a well-liked and highly respected member of the music community and it’s no accident that the roundabout at the end of Music Row is called “Buddy Killen Circle”. He died way too young of liver and pancreatic cancer in 2006 at the age of 73.
Next: Part 3
Barry,
DeleteJim Halsey is well qualified and deserving to be a Hall of Famer. I have found that many “non-Nashville” based people do not seem to get much consideration.
I always point to Lulu Belle & Scotty and say, had they had WSM attached to their Resume and not WLS, they would have been in over 40 years ago.
Just my thoughts.
3—Irving Waugh. He started his radio career at CBS in New York City before joining the staff of WSM in 1941. He became an NBC network correspondent in the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan during the final years of World War 2. Following the war, he returned to Nashville and became station manager and sales manager for both WSM Radio and WSM-TV. He became WSM’s vice president for television in 1958. In 1952, he started the Grand Ole Opry Birthday Celebration which was influential in the creation of the Country Music Association. In 1955, he sold the Ralston-Purina Company a series of one-hour Opry TV specials which aired on ABC and were the first to bring the Opry to a national television audience. In the late 60’s, along with Jack Stapp, he secured sponsorship for the NBC broadcast of the CMA Award. The show was the first music awards show of any kind to be nationally televised and Waugh served as the show’s executive producer until 1993. In 1968, he was promoted to president of WSM, Inc., and it was under his leadership that planning began for the design and construction of Opryland, the Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry House. In 1972, he helped lead plans by the CMA and Grand Ole Opry in establishing Fan Fair. After retiring from WSM in 1977, he served as commissioner of tourist development for the state of Tennessee and was a long-time board member of the CMA and the Country Music Foundation. The Country Music Association’s “Irving Waugh Award of Excellence” is awarded to “the originator and caretaker of demonstrated ideas and actions that have dramatically broadened and improved country music’s influence on a national or international level for the benefit of the industry as a whole”. Past recipients have included Steve Buchanan, Donna Hilley, Vince Gill, Johnny Cash, Jo Walker-Meador, Frances Preston and, naturally, Irving Waugh. He died in 2007 at the age of 94.
ReplyDeleteThat’s my short list and I’m really surprised that all three have not yet been honored with a place in the Hall of Fame. That’s part of the problem I have with the rotating categories only coming up every three years. But there are countless others that fall into the “Non-Performer” category and here are just a few of them (in no particular order). Some of them may be left field longshots but all have played a significant role behind the scenes in the music business.
4—Louise Scruggs. She became the first female manager in country music when she became the manager and booking agent for Flatt and Scruggs in 1955 and, after their breakup, the Earl Scruggs Revue. Her booking of Flatt and Scruggs at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival exposed them to an entirely new fan base and helped catapult the band to international stardom. She was a force to be reckoned with and was a trailblazer for the women in the business side of music business that followed her. After her death in February of 2006, she was given the CMA’s Joe Talbot Award in 2006. The Hall of Fame created the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum in her honor in 2007 and in 2010 she was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
5—Don Pierce. Longtime president and owner of Starday Records. In the 50s and 60s, Starday had the largest catalog of bluegrass records in the country. Starday’s roster of artists included George Jones, Dottie West, Minnie Pearl, The Big Bopper, Cowboy Copas, Johnny Bond, The Willis Brothers, Moon Mullican, The Stanley Brothers, Pee Wee King, Carl Story, Curly Fox and Texas Ruby, Jimmy Martin, Red Sovine and Reno and Smiley. Among the biggest hits released on Starday were “Why Baby Why” (George Jones), “Alabam” (Cowboy Copas), “10 Little Bottles” (Johnny Bond), “Give Me 40 Acres” (The Willis Brothers) and Red Sovine’s monster 1976 hit, “Teddy Bear”.
Part 4 is on the way next.
6—Pappy Dailey. Founded Starday Records in 1952. The label’s 4th record was Arleigh Duff’s “Y’all Come” which has since become a country standard and was one of Porter Wagoner’s theme songs at the Opry for many years. And, as mentioned earlier, Starday had the largest catalog of bluegrass records in the 50s and 60s and some of country music’s biggest hits were released under the Starday banner well into the 1970s. Among the treasures in my record collection are a couple of 4 album Starday packages featuring rare early recordings by the Carter Family, George Jones, Roy Drusky, Buck Owens, the Duke of Paducah, The Stanley Brothers, Minnie Pearl, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins and many others. RCA, Columbia, Decca and Mercury all had offices in Nashville but were headquartered in New York. In its heyday, Starday was the only major label to have its home office in Nashville.
ReplyDelete7—Bob Mulloy. I just heard everyone out there go, “Bob Who?”. His is not a household name but without Bob Mulloy’s influence, Music Row might be a very different place today…for it was Bob Mulloy who founded Belmont University’s Music Business degree program and almost every publishing office, PR firm, recording studio, management and booking firm in Nashville has at least one person on staff who is a graduate of that program and sat in his classroom. In the 1980s, I doubt that any one person had a more direct influence on the people of Music Row than he did. Bob Mulloy was a man who was loved and respected by everyone who knew him and who passed away long before his time. Belmont has a scholarship fund and recording studio named in his honor and the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence is a prestigious honor given by Belmont’s Curb College of Music Business. Past recipients of the award include Vince Gill and Donna Hilley. (On a personal note, I was a student of Bob Mulloy’s in the early 1980s and still consider his classes some of the best experiences of my life. In his promotion and publicity course, the guy sitting behind me was a guy named Bill Gatzimos…who just happened to be the husband and manager of Crystal Gayle. Bob taught me to write a good press release and to build attention grabbing promotional packages and also gave me two of my favorite phrases: “Let’s run this rabbit” (meaning to take an idea and see where it leads) and “Under the Pink Sheets” which was the fictitious song title he always used when a song title was needed.)
8—Joe Talbot. Joe was Hank Snow’s steel guitar player from 1950-54. In the 1960s he was part owner of two record pressing plants, Precision Record Pressing and United Record Pressing. In 1965 he established a publishing company, Harbot Music, and later managed the Nashville office of SESAC from 1967 to 1971. He served as board chairman for both the Country Music Foundation and the Country Music Association and was a lifetime director of the CMA. The CMA’s “Joe Talbot Award” is presented “in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of country music’s values and tradition”. Past recipients of the award are Kitty Moon Emery, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Louise Scruggs, Janette Carter and, of course, Joe Talbot. He passed away in 2000.
Blogger only lets you post a certain amount of characters at a time, hence the different posts. Sorry about that. Part 5 is on the way.
9—Hoot Borden. Somebody has to drive those busses that the stars use to travel from city to city. Those drivers are just as important to the artist as the band, the crew, the managers, agents and everyone else working behind the scenes. So, if that army of nameless, faceless road warriors is ever represented in the Hall of Fame, the man representing the should be the granddaddy of the country music bus drivers, James “Hoot” Borden. He drove busses for Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Jacksons, ZZ Top and Alice Cooper but for 24 years he drove for Ernest Tubb and the Texas Troubadours. During those years he logged millions of miles behind the wheel of the “Green Hornet”, was as famous as any of the Troubadours and was always featured in the groups’ publicity pictures over the years.
ReplyDelete10—Bill Porter. Again, I just heard “Bill Who?” The Hall of Fame has honored every job involved in the making of records except one. There are producers, musicians, singers, songwriters, publishers and label executives but there are no recording engineers…the guys who actually turns the knobs, pushes the faders, plugs in the microphones and amplifiers and makes sure the sounds being made in the studio are mixed, enhanced and transferred to tape (or whatever storage medium is being used these days). Of all the recording engineers during the “golden era” of country music probably the most prolific was RCA’s Bill Porter. He was the man behind the console on “What A Wonderful World”, “The Three Bells”, “Last Date”, “End of the World”, “Java”, “Cathy’s Clown”, “Oh Pretty Woman”, “Please Help Me I’m Falling”, “Only the Lonely”, “He’ll Have to Go”, “Sheila”, “Poetry In Motion”, “Return to Sender”, “It’s Now or Never” and “Suspicious Minds” and many more. Had he produced or played on a fraction of those sessions, Bill Porter would have already been in the Hall long ago.
11—Nudie Cohn. What would country music be without the “Nudie Suit”? Jimmy Dickens was apparently the first to wear one of Nudie’s stage costumes on the Grand Ole Opry but it was Porter Wagoner and Hank Snow who made Nudie a bit of a household name. Walk through the galleries of the Hall of Fame and you’ll find dozens of his works on display including the infamous Gram Parsons outfit. His sewing machine and the original sign from his Hollywood shop are also on display in the Hall of Fame. In the 40s, 50s and 60s, everybody who was anybody was wearing Nudie’s clothes onstage. They were bright, imaginative, gaudy and sometimes garish but it’s hard to think of another clothing designer who had a bigger influence on the overall look of country music and I would argue that his contribution was just as important as those of the people who made and sold the music.
Part 6 is coming up.
12—T. Tommy Cutrer. People today might not recognize the name or the face but they would certainly recognize the voice. Between his hosting duties on Opry TV shows in the 60s and 70s and his appearances on numerous records, T. Tommy had a recognizable and down-to-earth manner that endeared him to Nashville audiences. His radio career took him from Macomb, Mississippi, through New Orleans to Little Rock, Jackson, Houston, Shreveport and finally to Nashville in 1954 when Jack Stapp hired him to host “Opry Star Spotlight”. He served as an Opry announcer until 1964 when he left to purchase his own radio station in Jackson, Mississippi. He later hosted his own syndicated radio show, “Music City USA” and was the voice behind “That Good Ole Nashville Music”. He was named the CMA’s Disc Jockey of the Year in 1957, was elected to the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2014. He ran for congress in 1976, losing to Al Gore, Jr., but served in the Tennessee State Senate from 1978 until 1982.
ReplyDelete13—Tom Collins. A three-time recipient of the CMA’s Producer of the Year award and nominated for seven Grammys, Tom Collins produced a steady stream of hit records over 30 years for Barbara Mandrell, Ronnie Milsap, Marie Osmond, Sylvia, Tom T. Hall, Jim Ed Brown and Steve Wariner. 1982 was probably his biggest year when “Nobody” (Sylvia), “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World” and “Any Day Now” (Ronnie Milsap) and “’Til You’re Gone” (Barbara Mandrell) all went to Number One on the Billboard chart. “Smoky Mountain Rain”, “Daydreams About Night Things”, “It Was Almost Like A Song”, “Sleeping Single in A Double Bed”, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”, and “Drifter” are just a handful of songs produced by Tom Collins. From 1970 until 1990 his catalog holdings made him one of Nashville’s most successful independent producers. He also served as Chairman of Board of the Country Music Association in 1979 and 1980.
14—Jerry Bradley. Son of Owen Bradley and head of RCA--Nashville, where he was responsible for the release of the first platinum record in the country music industry, “Wanted: The Outlaws”. He was also president of Acuff-Rose Publishing for 15 years until it was sold to Sony Music Entertainment. He is still very much involved in the country music scene having recently entered into a joint venture with Sony to expand his own longtime publishing company, Forrest Hills Music. The Bradley family has been a force in Nashville’s music industry almost from the very beginning and he would be the third member of the family to elected to the Hall, the others being his father and uncle Harold.
15—David Cobb. He was an announcer at WSM in 1950 when he coined the phrase, “Music City USA”. Although it’s become associated with Nashville’s country music industry Nashville was home to a variety of music in the 40s and 50s. But for coming up with that brilliant phrase that has become the symbol of Nashville around the world I would argue that David Cobb is deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame.
The 7th and final part is up next.
So, there’s 15 that I think would be more than deserving of the honor. I could go on but I feel like I’ve overstayed my welcome and my fingers are getting tired. Please forgive the typos, misspellings, punctuation and other freaks of nature.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t mentioned Ott Devine, Vito Pelletieri, and Eli Oberstein, all of whom have appeared on Hall of Fame ballots in the past and there is still long list of deserving producers, business people and personalities who have all had “Hall of Fame careers”: Donna Hilley, Connie Bradley, Maggie Cavender, Harry Stone, Charlie Lamb, Bill Ivey, Hairl Hensley, Hap Peebles, Bob Boatman, Colonel Dick Blake, Jimmy Bowen, Norro Wilson, Sam Lovullo, Tony Conway, Charlie Douglas, Carlton Haney, Shorty Lavender, Buddy Lee, Jim Ed Norman, Harold Shedd, Larry Butler, Norro Wilson, Felton Jarvis, Bill Malone, Bob Ferguson, Billy Deaton, Joe Galante, John Lair, Cousin Herb Henson…the list goes on and on and so have I so I’ll quit now. I’ll be interested in your thoughts and comments.
Barry, every year you step forward with an amazing list and analysis of those who are Hall of Fame worthy, and this year you did not disappoint again. My thanks my friend. The couple of names that do stand out on your list include Harry Stone, who started the Opry on the path that it is today, and John Lair, who was actually a Hall of Fame finalist several times back in the 1980s. It is tough for the non-performers to get in as most country music fans are not familiar with many of those names. Those of us who study country music, are. But with this being a rotating category, they will never catch up.
DeleteMy idea is to stop the rotating categories and make every category a yearly one. And add a pre-World War II pioneer category each year. That would raise the number of inductees to 6 each year, which I think would be just fine:
Modern
Veteran
Pre-World War II
Songwriter
Musician
Contributor-Non Performer
Barry,
DeleteIf you want to write a book, I'll buy it.
Fantastic information.
Very Interesting Barry...Bob
DeleteBack to the Opry for a moment, Randy Travis made a surprise walk on last night on the Friday Night Opry. Did not perform, walked out with a cane. He does have his new autobiography coming out.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Randy come out.
ReplyDeleteBarry, what a great job! And I temporarily--I say because I have thought of this, and hadn't thought of this for this year--forgot Louise Scruggs, whose induction would make a great statement as well about women pioneers.
Byron mentioned Bradley Kincaid. He also kind of mentored Grandpa Jones and my mother, who introduced me to country music and refused to acknowledge a single performer who came along in the 1970s, used to say that it was wrong for the Hall of Fame to put in a protege ahead of a pioneer. I KNOW she would have griped about Dolly going in ahead of Porter, for example, and felt Ray Price should have gone in ahead of Willie Nelson.
Michael,
DeleteBradley Kincaid should have been among the first decade inductions, I agree. He was both a star of WLS and WSM.
I think he’s mostly been overlooked in recent years because of some of his song catalog. Some of his most popular numbers were, “Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane”, “Methodist Pie”, “Liza’s Up the Simmon Tree”, etc. By today’s standards they would be considered racist. But much of his catalog was not! He was a great pioneer who influenced many hall of famers, from Monroe to Acuff to Wiseman and Grandpa.
In addition he was smart enough to realize the majority of the people who listened to “hillbilly” music could not afford a phonograph or the records. He published songbooks, much more affordable for the country and hill people.
It may never happen, but he should be in the Hall of Fame.
Great discussion … Love the information.
ReplyDeleteIrving Waugh has always stood out to me as the one individual who should have been elected to the Hall of Fame, not years ago, but decades ago. Barry did an outstanding job highlighting his accomplishments, which were many.
ReplyDeleteLet's ask this question? Where would be Grand Ole Opry be today without his forward thinking regarding the Opryland complex, including the hotel, the amusement park and the Grand Ole Opry House. He guided that project through? When you think of downtown Nashville in the late 1960s and early 1970s, those of us who are old enough to remember, it was not the place to be, nor was the Ryman the place to go. Downtown, nor the Ryman, were even remotely close to what they both are today. The Opry's days were numbered downtown and Irving led the planning for the new Opry complex.
I'll throw out a couple of names that probably should be considered, and may have been, but don't strike me as A-listers.
ReplyDeleteCohen Williams. He was the guiding force behind building Martha White Flour, made it an Opry advertiser (I could offer my theory that the previous management drove away and discouraged a lot of sponsors, but I'll avoid too great a digression), and then hired Flatt & Scruggs to be his spokesmen. I don't think bluegrass would have grown as it did without Martha White's support, and thus Williams's. And I think of the story of when they played Carnegie Hall. Dorothy Kilgallen, a columnist who also was a panelist on What's My Line, warned that the hicks from the sticks were in town and people had better leave, and Lester couldn't resist saying that a hall full of people didn't get the message. That audience started calling for them to do the Martha White theme, and Lester said he hesitated a bit at first because he suspected Williams was in the audience egging them on.
Hal Durham. We can argue about his management of the Opry, but we also could argue about a lot of things. Durham was program director at WSM, I believe, when he became an Opry announcer in 1964. I'm always hazy about when he became the Opry's manager, since Bud Wendell appears to have held the title but been concentrating on Opryland, but Durham was involved in managing the Opry from 1972 (I think) until 1995, when he retired. That's a significant time.
A couple of you referred to Harry Stone. How he is not in is mind-boggling, but I think he might be in the category that also includes The Wilburn Brothers and Hank Williams, Jr., and used to include Webb Pierce and Faron Young: stepping on some toes.
By the way, this is an interesting piece about the history of Opry managers, and refers to "a nationally-recognized independent Grand Ole Opry historian" named Byron Fay.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few things I think might be wrong, but it's quite a piece:
https://www.nodepression.com/changing-tradition-a-history-of-grand-ole-opry-general-managers/
Mike, I always appreciate you spreading the news. If I get to the point in my career that I need a press agent, I will put your name on the top of the list.
DeleteHarry Stone started the Opry on the path that it is on now. He recognized the value of the show to National Life and Accident, along with WSM. He was also the one who won the battle with George D. Hay, the Opry's founder, over the direction of the Opry. Judge Hay wanted to keep it the way it was, amateur performers, keeping the music low to the ground with string bands. Stone wanted to hire the professionals, such as Pee Wee King, Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and the others.
One is in the Hall of Fame. The other isn't. As Mike alluded to, one stepped on a lot of toes, the other didn't.
Byron, I will even take less than the normal percentage. But I think I can say something that everyone who posts here will agree with: you deserve all the credit you can get for this marvelous blog.
DeleteI agree with you Michael. There is only 1 Byron. Bob
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