The Grand Ole Opry is scheduled to salute the U.S. Military with an annual red carpet parade and special Salute the Troops Opry performance on Tuesday May 21. Among the artists scheduled to perform are Trace Adkins. Brantley Gilbert, Lee Greenwood, Craig Morgan, The Wild Feathers and Mark Wills.
95-year-old World War II sailor Ernie Andrus is set to lead the red carpet parade of fellow military men and women into the Opry House before the evening's performance. In 2016, Andrus became the oldest person to run across America, journeying from San Diego, California to Saint Simons Island, Georgia. Last month, he began a second run across the country, beginning in Georgia with a planned finish in California after his 100th birthday. Andrus is running to raise money an awareness for the LST 325 Ship Memorial in Evansville, Indiana. While 1,051 LST's (landing ship tanks) were built during World War II, only the 325 is fully restored, operational, and open for tours.
The Opry and the United Service Organizations (USO) will invite men and women of the U.S. Military as well as spouses, children and parents of service members to follow Andrus on the red carpet into the Opry House for the evening's show, dedicated to saluting the troops and their families for their service to the nation.
The public is invited to cheer on the honored red carpet parade guests in advance of the evening's show.
Tuesday May 21:
Scheduled to Appear: Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, Mark Wills, Lee Greenwood, Brantley Gilbert, The Wild Feathers and Travis Denning.
Opry Country Classics, Thursday May 23
Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Crystal Gayle
Also Appearing: The Gatlin Brothers, Craig Campbell, Erin Enderlin, Jesse McReynolds
No doubt that Crystal Gayle should be the spotlight artist, and she has been before. But how about Jesse? Maybe it is time that he should be featured on night.
Enjoy!!
I agree Byron, and given Jesse`s health issues the past year ir so, common sense says give him that honor on Opry Classics at least once before management says, "We wish we would have."
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad they are featuring Jesse on a few more shows besides just the weekend. I was at the Del McCoury 80th birthday Opry in February and was SO excited when Jesse was added to a show on a Wednesday night!! It's so frustrating to travel to Nashville and have the veterans only appear once, either Friday or Saturday and your favorite be on the opposite night. Remember when Acuff would appear on EVERY show, including the matinees! (oldtimeopry)
ReplyDeletep.s. Saw Travis Denning on the Opry during my last trip and that poor boy was terrible.
Jesse should be featured. He has given much to the Opry for many years. I think our idea of the Opry and the ownerships view of it is gradually drifting in different directions.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don’t think our side has much input. It seems to me the group I call th senior artists seem to have already conceded. I just don’t see or hear the passion as I used to hear from them.
I think the problem here guys is, unfortunate as it may be, most people say in their 40s or down, have no idea who most of the vets are! I grew up on tnn, and Saturday night live portions with Mr. Acuff, but I can honestly tell you that other than Bill Anderson, I had no idea who most of the older artists were, and I consider myself to be a very well rounded musician, til I started listening to the radio. The sad fact is, a veteran act has to be someone like Milsap who had 40 #1s to even hope to headline and sell tickets these days.
ReplyDeleteP. S. Travis is from my home town, and yeah, he's a terrible singer, but an amazing guitar player! Use to come as a kid and sit in places with me and never tried to sing cuz he can't, but he can play his fingers off!
E.Z.:
ReplyDeleteName recognition can't be all they are after or they would not have so many debut artist and folks that have not had major hits, only views on the net. I'll state what I think many of the contributors here could agree to. We want to see the veterans respected but it is just as much about keeping hard older Country alive. I don't care how old they are if they are doing something different or older style than so many of the artist they are bringing in. Take the new but remember the old. I know many here really appreciate the Old Crow guys but they are I think representing the earliest days of the Opry when they are not doing Wagon Wheel. What is missing is the late 40's through the late 60's style other than the veterans that are left....in my opinion, the golden age!
If this comes down to that old question of "who you going to the Opry to see?" as so many unfamiliar always ask or the one timers expect, they have a ways to go. Bill Anderson calls it a rainbow but it seems the rainbow is showing less colors as we go along. Or maybe it is that the colors are representing something different, like old Rockers and lead singers for Rock groups like Foo Fighters.
Not putting anyone down, just passing along my thoughts.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, agree with your comments. Some of the younger generation doing the older (veteran sounding) styles - Teea Goans, Wilson Fairchild, Malpass Brothers (especially echoing the Louvin Brothers), Joshua Hedley, Mo Pitney, to just name a few. New Opry Member Mark Wills is helping. Plus, they need more Bluegrass acts and there are a multitude of good ones out there - especially Rhonda Vincent (where's her invitation?). It just gets tiring to hear the "new" acts who are put on the shows and they all sound the same and say the same "how are y'all doing Grand Ole Opry"). I am a broken record on this topic. Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry used to be our favorite "go to" trip but we have not been there since the 90th anniversary and frankly don't feel like we have missed much. We are catching our favorites as they come to town near us and we aren't spending nearly as much $$$ for a full show as we would for Opry tickets. (From Anonymous in PA).
ReplyDeleteI have been to Nashville the past four summers and have not gone to the Opry. That saddens me but I can't justify spending all that money for something that I will enjoy as little as 25% of. Some things I can tolerate on the radio but that doesn't mean I have to pay for it. Further, I do not care to support the promotion of old Rock and Rollers when old Country acts are avoided. Granted, many of the older Country acts went to Hillbilly Heaven under Mr. Fisher's watch and were kept from appearing much in their last days. Sally Williams is doing better but that doesn't offset the promotion of the Rock acts. And I agree and have stated before that at this point I would rather put the money in my gas take and for food to drive some distance to see what I want to see, pay less and see more entertainment. That is getting harder to do within a one day trip or an overnighter. Texas is too far for me.
ReplyDeleteThis past week I have had the chance to listen to some of my recordings from about 2011 to 2013. Just in that short time we have lost several folks and things have changed. Whether from respect or from resistance by the more influential artist, the loss of the old guard seems to have accelerated things. We had a local Hall of Fame disc jockey tell us 25 years ago that one day it would all be almost one music!
From just 6 or 7 years ago I have listened to many interesting things this week. Jim Ed Brown excited as always when he could have his sisters back on the Opry stage with him. I think it was a week night show that they got fifteen minutes and did all or part of over a half dozen songs. Then, there was Jim Ed beaming all over and promoting his first new music in years and singing "In Style Again. I heard Jimmy C. Newman do "Your Still On My Mind" in honor of George Jones who had just passed and later, his hit "A Fallen Star". I listened to Jan Howard do "My Son" and set it up with the most personal introduction I have heard her do. She explained about her son Jimmy going to Vietnam and then Corky(Carter) following shortly and how Jimmy's tanks hit a land mine killing him and then Corky bringing him home. Touching! I also heard what I believe was her last time to host the Midnite Jamboree. Listened to a lot of Jean Shepard and Bill Anderson to including one of the earliest times Bill did "Old Army Hat" after he had just recorded it.
As the song Ray Pillow was doing in his last appearances on the Opry and then Moe Bandy has recorded says, "Lucky Me"
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim - your post brings back a lot of good memories of Jim Ed, Jan, Jimmy C and Jean. Amazing how fast we lost so many of our regulars in such a short time frame. I'd add that watching Jimmy Dickens and Porter recently on replays of Opry Live on RFD brought back good memories to me. This weekend I downloaded the Bill Monroe album "Live Recordings 1956-1969." Can't get enough of the live recordings and Bill was in his prime. Had forgotten how big of a role instrumental music played in Bill's live shows as well as at the Opry. Aside from Mike Snider and the square dance band, instrumentals have all but disappeared from the Opry. Mr. Acuff featured fiddle music on his Opry shows as did Jimmy C, of course Del Wood, and even Hank Snow usually included an instrumental if he had time for a third number (oldtimeopry)
ReplyDelete