I have spent today reading the various postings, text messages and responses to the invitation extended to Luke Combs, inviting him to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. As you would expect, it is a mixed bag, with those who are fine with Luke and those who believe that there are others more deserving. From a personal standpoint, I am fine with Luke, as he has had an amazing career at this point, and of his contemporaries, he might be the most country sounding of that group.
Several comments were in regards to how committed Luke would be to the Opry, as in their opinion, he hasn't made many guest appearances. I did some checking, and in 2016, the year that Luke debuted on the Opry, he made two appearances. That increased to three in 2017 and nine in 2018. His appearance on Tuesday night was his first for 2019, and as I write this, there has been no date established for his formal induction. With the Opry asking each member to commit to ten appearances, I am hopeful that Luke will meet that standard.
The addition of Luke Combs to the Opry's cast continues the rapid growth of the Opry's cast. Since Sally Williams became the Opry's general manager, those added to the cast have included Dailey & Vincent (3/11/17); Chris Janson (3/20/18); Bobby Bare (4/7/18); Dustin Lynch (9/18/18); Mark Willis (1/11/19); and Kelsea Ballerini (4/16/19). With the addition of Luke, that will make seven new members in just over two years, a much stronger pace then we saw in the final years of Pete Fisher's reign as the Opry's manager. In many ways, it replicates the period of the late 1980s and early 1990s when a dozen new members were added, for many of the same reasons as today.
So why the rush to add new members? The answer to that question is to take a look at the Opry's current cast. Of the 66 Grand Ole Opry members, 15 are over the age of 80. (Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Charlie Daniels, Tom T Hall, Jan Howard, Stonewall Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Del McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Bobby Osborne, Stu Phillips, Ray Pillow, Charley Pride, Jeanne Pruett and Buck White). And while a number of those are still active and contributing members, lets be honest. The life expectancy of those over the age of 80 is not that long.
To take it a step further, of the current 66 Opry members, 12 are either retired or not performing due to health issues. (Bobby Bare, Tom T Hall, Jan Howard, Stonewall Jackson, Hal Ketchum, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Stu Phillips, Ray Pillow, Jeanne Pruett, Randy Travis and Ricky Van Shelton). And let's not even get into the discussion of the Opry members who are healthy and active, but do not come out and support the show. In the business world, those members would be considered dead weight.
Adding new members who will support the show will help to keep the Opry going as it heads toward it's 100th anniversary. A question was asked if the Opry is adding too many members? I don't think so. I know in the early 1990s, the membership was just over 70. And really, does there need to be a limit on the number of members? In my opinion, there is still room for growth and I wouldn't be surprised to see that cast get back up to 70 members. If the trend continues, I would expect the next member to be a veteran artist as the mix of members continues.
Bottom line: congratulations to Luke Combs as the Grand Ole Opry's newest member and as with every new Opry member, I hope that he will support the show and continue to push the growth of the Grand Ole Opry.
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Now, let's look at the line-ups for the Grand Ole Opry this weekend, with one show each on Friday and Saturday night.
Grand Ole Opry members scheduled for both nights include Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, The Whites and John Conlee. Joining that quartet on Friday night will be Riders In The Sky, Bobby Osborne and Ricky Skaggs. Saturday night has Jesse McReynolds and Vince Gill on the schedule.
Guesting on Friday night will be Smithfield, Shovels and Rope, T. Graham Brown, Restless Heart, and making his Opry debut, Filmore. Saturday night has William Michael Morgan, The Swon Brothers, Striking Matches, and making his Opry debut, Austin Jenckes.
Friday June 14
7:00: Riders In The Sky (host); Smithfield; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press
7:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Filmore; Mike Snider
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Shovels and Rope; T. Graham Brown
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Restless Heart
Saturday June 15
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); William Michael Morgan; Jesse McReynolds
7:30: Mike Snider (host); The Whites; The Swon Brothers
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Striking Matches; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Vince Gill (host); Austin Jenckes
The host of this week's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree will be Anita Stapleton, one of my personal favorites.
As mentioned, two artists will be making their Opry debuts this weekend, Filmore on the Friday Night Opry and Austin Jenckes on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry.
Tyler Filmore, who goes by the stage name Filmore, has been in the music business for a few years. He started as a band then moved to a solo career before forming a duo and finally settling on being a solo artist once again. He chose to chop his first name from his branding because, "there's a lot of Tylers in country music so why not just go by my last name?" "Slower" is his most popular song to date, with over five million streams on Spotify, while "Headlights" and "You Know You Wanna" have each topped one million streams. He spent the previous week in Nashville performing at various CMA Festival events.
Austin Jenckes grew up in Duvall, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. He moved to Nashville six years ago to focus on being an artist and his songwriting. Previously named one of Rolling Stones Country's
Artist You Need To Know," he has performed with Brothers Osborne, Lee Brice, The Cadillac Three and Ashley McBryde. This past December, he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Lyric Award in Country, in honor of his songwriting.
On May 31, Austin released his debut album, "If You Grew Up Like I Did." He wrote or co-wrote every song on the album with the exception of one. He just finished his first UK tour and returned stateside to perform a number of shows during CMA Fest, and to make his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
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And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the weekend of June 12 and 13, 2009:
Friday June 12
7:00: Pam Tillis (host); Jimmy C Newman; Riders In The Sky; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jean Shepard
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Mike Snider; Emerson Drive
8:30: Charley Pride (host); Stu Phillips; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Collin Raye
Saturday June 13
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); The Whites; Mandy Barnett
7:30: Charley Pride (host); Connie Smith; Jim Ed Brown; Mike Snider
8:00: Mel Tillis (host); Charlie Louvin; Pam Tillis; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jean Shepard; Tracy Byrd
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Connie Smith; Mandy Barnett
10:00: Charley Pride (host); Jeannie Seely; George Hamilton IV; Mike Snider
10:30: Mel Tillis (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Pam Tillis; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Ray Pillow; Jean Shepard; Tracy Byrd
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday June 11, 1994
1st show
6:30: Bill Monroe (host); Skeeter Davis
6:45: Bill Anderson (host); Jean Shepard
7:00: Grandpa Jones (host); The Four Guys; Hank Locklin; Ricky Skaggs; Jack Greene
7:30: Roy Clark (host); Ray Pillow; Loretta Lynn
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Billy Walker; The Whites; Brother Oswald; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jimmy C Newman; Whitstein Brothers; Mike Snider
2nd show
9:30; Porter Wagoner (host); Loretta Lynn; Roy Clark
10:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jean Shepard
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); The Four Guys
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Stonewall Jackson
10:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Whitstein Brothers; Hank Locklin; Rhonda Vincent; Jeannie Seely
11:30: Jack Greene (host); Jimmy C Newman; Charlie Walker; Mike Snider
From 50 years ago, Saturday June 14, 1969:
1st show
6:30/6:45: Stu Phillips; The Four Guys; Ray Pillow; Bill Monroe
7:00: Billy Grammer; The Glaser Brothers; Archie Campbell; Del Wood
7:30: Billy Walker; Stringbean; Harold Weakley; Crook Brothers
8:00: Lester Flatt; Dottie West; Johnny and Jonie Mosby; Bobby Lewis
8:30: Hank Snow; Lonzo and Oscar; Jimmy Dickens; Margie Bowes; Fruit Jar Drinkers
2nd show
9:30: Stu Phillips; The Four Guys; Ray Pillow; Wayne Kemp; Justin Tubb
10:00: Archie Campbell; Lonzo and Oscar; Pete Sayers
10:15: Billy Grammer; Stringbean; Del Wood
10:30; Bill Monroe; Dottie West
10:45: Billy Walker; Johnny and Joni Mosby; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow; Doug Kershaw; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins; Margie Bowes; Bobby Lewis; Bobby Bishop
Looking back at past Grand Ole Opry dates, it was 22 years ago, Saturday June 14, 1997 that Barbara Mandrell made her final performing appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
Barbara Mandrell joined the Grand Ole Opry's cast on July 29, 1972. This summer she will celebrate her 47th year as a member. Early on, she made many Opry appearances, however, once her career took off, like others, her Opry appearances were fewer and fewer. When she did appear on the Opry during Roy Acuff's lifetime, she always insisted on appearing on the segments that he hosted.
When Barbara announced her retirement, she asked the Opry's management to allow her to continue to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, becoming the first member to make that specific request, which the Opry granted. Since Barbara retired, she has made several backstage visits to the Opry, and one night Bill Anderson introduced her on stage, which she seemed to do reluctantly.
Here is the running order from Barbara Mandrell's final night performing on the Grand Ole Opry, June 14, 1997:
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Wilma Lee Cooper: Poor Ellen Smith
Jimmy C Newman: Diggy Liggy Lo
Cajun Country: Cajun Stripper
6:45: Jogging In A Jug
Grandpa Jones (host): Banjo Sam
Bill Carlisle: I've Waited Too Long
Grandpa Jones: Any Old Time
7:00: Shoney's
Bill Anderson (host): Get A Little Dirt on Your Hands
Jeanne Pruett: A Poor Woman's Man
The Four Guys: Amazing Grace
Jeannie Seely: Speaking of the Devil
The Whites: Hangin' Around
Bill Anderson: I Love You Drops
7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy Dickens (host): Country Boy
Speer Family: After Awhile; I Want to Be Ready to Meet Him
Barbara Mandrell: I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool/Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
Speer Family: The Dearest Friend I Every Had
Jimmy Dickens: I Love Lucy Brown
8:00: Martha White
Porter Wagoner (host): Howdy Neighbor Howdy
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Stonewall Jackson: Side-Steppin' the Blues
Del Reeves: Two Dollars in the Jukebox/A Dime at a Time/Looking at the World Through A Windshield
Eddie Stubbs and the Opry Square Dance Band w/The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Wake Up Susan
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home
8:30: Clifty Farm
Mike Snider (host): (?)
Roy Drusky: Alone With You
Jean Shepard: Farewell Party
Charley Pride: Crystal Chandeliers/Kiss an Angel Good Morning
Mike Snider: Born to Shop
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Y'All Come
Speer Family: I Remember the Day/I'm Building a Bridge/Surely I Will/What a Day that Will Be/I'll Meet You in the Morning
Barbara Mandrell: Sleeping Single in a Double Bed/Night Life
Porter Wagoner: Freight Train Boogie
10:00: Massey Ferguson
Charley Pride (host): Crystal Chandeliers/Kiss an Angel Good Morning/Heartaches by the Number/Kaw-Liga
10:15: White by MTD
Grandpa Jones (host): Apple Jack
Jean Shepard: Together Again
Grandpa Jones: Some Little Bug is Gonna Find You Someday
10:30: Purnell's
Jimmy Dickens (host): Out Behind the Barn
The Four Guys: How Married are You Mary Ann
Jimmy Dickens: Another Bridge to Burn
10:45: Quality Certified Homes
Mike Snider (host): Lonesome Road Blues
Eddie Stubbs and The Opry Square Dance Band w/The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Pretty Poly
Mike Snider: Foggy Mountain Breakdown
11:00: Coca-Cola
Bill Anderson (host): Did She Mention My Name
Connie Smith: Once a Day
Stu Phillips: Heart Over Mind
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Bill Anderson: That's What Made Me Love You
11:30: Opry Book/Ryman Auditorium
Johnny Russell (host): Good Hearted Woman
Charlie Nagatani: Eddie's Song
Del Reeves: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me
Jeannie Seely: When He Leaves You
Johnny Paycheck: I've Loved a Lot More Than I've Hurt/The Old Violin
Johnny Russell: Act Naturally
A couple of notes from that night. First, it was Roy Drusky's 38th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Secondly, the 2nd segment on the 2nd show featured only Charley Pride. I have a tape of the show from that night and when Eddie Stubbs introduced Charley, he mentioned that it was the first time that an Opry segment was scheduled to feature just one artist. Finally, Eddie played fiddle that night with the Opry Square Dance Band.
There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and following and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend.
Oh, and Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers out there!!
First, a note about Eddie--I have Earl White's live CD of performances with the Opry Square Dance Band and the Melvin Sloan Dancers, and Eddie often joined in back then, including one where Joe Edwards also performed so there were THREE fiddlers with the square dancers.
ReplyDeleteAs for Luke Combs, I apply the Carrie Underwood standard. I am not the biggest fan of her music, but she takes the Opry seriously, and so I salute her. I am a bigger fan of other folks (Hello, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson) whose phoniness on this subject has become ridiculous.
Whisper has dates three nights in a row starting Friday in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana!
ReplyDeleteJim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, wasn't that the old Three-I League in baseball?
DeleteIt seems the Opry will need a much larger number of members moving forward in order to present a show each week that is not mostly loaded with guests, assuming the most committed of its members are only willing to play around 10 shows annually at best. The days of reliable "workhorse" members that are faithful to the show, that will play 30-40+ shows annually, appear to be mostly behind us now. Not that I am a big fan of their music, but the Opry isn't catering to the tastes of my age group any longer nor should it. It's hard to admit, but it's a younger generations world now and I guess it's their turn to have an Opry to enjoy and love as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteAnother alternative might be to bring in talented members that may not be as well known, that can be counted on to fill the roster out on a weekly basis, but the Opry seems to only want the big name of the week nowadays.
We were blessed to have experienced the Grand Ole Opry when we did, when it was truly Grand. Without a doubt we got the better deal.
Paladin
That Mandrell final appearance was on TNN and recently played on RFD. I remember watching it with my grandparents, who loved the Speers (sad to say the whole group is now deceased).
ReplyDeleteI had mentioned the period of the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Opry was adding new members at a rapid pace. Just to refresh:
ReplyDelete1988: Ricky Van Shelton(6/10; Patty Loveless(6/11)
1990: Mike Snider(6/2); Garth Brooks(10/6)
1991: Clint Black(1/10); Alan Jackson(6/7); Vince Gill(8/10)
1992: Emmylou Harris(1/25); Travis Tritt(2/29); Marty Stuart(11/28)
1993: Charley Pride(5/1); Alison Krauss(7/3); Joe Diffie(11/27)
1994: Hal Ketchum(1/22)
That was 14 new members in just over a 5 1/2 year period. Much of the reason for the rapid growth in Opry membership during that period was because of two basic reasons: first, the Opry cast was aging. Ernest Tubb and Marty Robbins had already passed away and artists such as Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Hank Snow, Bill Monroe and Grandpa Jones were at the tail end of their careers and most had battled some health issues; secondly, Hal Durham made the decision to ease the attendance requirements, basically allowing those who joined to make no commitments. Sadly, it showed as with the exception of Mike Snider, and somewhat Vince Gill, those who joined largely ignored the Opry except for special shows.
So far, of those who have joined in the current membership push, the results have been promising. Crystal Gayle, Dailey & Vincent, Chris Janson and Mark Wills have all made numerous appearances on the Opry since joining. Bobby Bare has tailed off and it is too early to tell in regards to Dustin Lynch and Kelsea Ballerini, although the early indications are that they will support the show. Let's hope the trend continues.
LOVE IT!!!! Wed. June 19th. 7:00 PM (CT) Opry House... Rhonda Vincent, and The Grascals Bob
ReplyDeleteWhether you are a big fan of Bill Anderson or not, please consider going to see him if comes to your area. He is among the last active performers with ties to the 1950's.
ReplyDeleteBill was in Effingham, Illinois tonight, a venue he played in January 2018. He had what has become his standard road band consisting of James Freeze, Ziggy Johnson, Cotton Payne and Kenzie Wetz. Sorry Nat, still no steel! They had worked in eastern Oklahoma last night and will be going to Iowa tomorrow then to Jasper, Indiana on the way back to Nashville Sunday. My estimate is that about 1000 to 1200 folks were in attendance. We paid $44.00 for our seats. Kind of what we have been talking about lately with the Opry and ticket prices.
Bill did about an hour and forty minutes and a total of 17 songs. As you might expect, several of the songs are regular features on his show but there were some unique tunes. He did Old Army Hat and tonight set it up by saying that he liked to read local news papers when he traveled. He had brought a copy of the Effingham paper on stage and took time to pull out the page that had the American flag printed across 2 pages. He praised the paper for having the courage and making the space to do that on Flag Day.
Since he and Jamie Johnson recorded Everybody Wants to Be 21, he has been doing it on the road with Kenzie doing Jamie's part. It was kind of strange but he did Waffle House Christmas which gave him the chance to tell about the video and who was in it.
The performance of the night was in his encore set. With Sunday being Father's Day, he talked a little about his dad and then sang That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine. Near the end of the song Bill became emotional and could barely sing the final lines. After, he had to wipe his eyes and use his handkerchief to clear his nose. He apologized for getting so emotional but that emotion was the high point of a nice evening to me. The only other time I have seen him emotional in this way was in August 2017 in Illinois when he described where he was performing and how he got the news of his mother passing.
He closed his show with one of his newer pieces called Thankful which he directs toward the audience even though in the song he mention people like Jim Ed, George IV, Roger, and others and all the good things that have come his way.
After the show they all signed autographs, took photos and sold items for about an hour. Visiting with Bill, he apologized for the technical difficulties they had at the beginning show. (trouble with his guitar pickup and his ear set among other things) I told him that didn't hurt a thing, it was just good to be in the room with all of them performing for us.
Right now I know he is going to be back up our way in Scottsburg, Indiana on his birthday, November 1. He did tell the crowd that seeing so many people come out was what made him continue to travel because he still enjoyed performing and would continue as long as he could and the folks still came out and enjoyed it.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Minor note, but if the Opry is correct you must have missed one of Luke Combs's appearances on the Opry. During his invitation, they referred to the night as his 16th Opry appearance while what you posted would have only made it his 15th. Of course, I use the caveat "if the Opry is correct" because I feel like I trust your records just as much and if not more than their own.
ReplyDeleteJoe, let me check. I may have missed something but on my counting I still came up with 15. I'll get back on this one.
DeleteWhat I do know is that Chris Janson had to make over 100 guest appearances before he got his invitation.
Joe, I did some checking and my records have him with 15 Opry appearances. As to the 16th, I think I may have found it. On Tuesday December 16, 2018, there were two shows. I show Luke as performing only on the first show that night. I would guess that he also appeared on the 2nd and I missed it. I think it is too late to go back and catch the replay to see, but I am thinking that is where the 16th appearance might have come from.
DeleteJim, so agree with your comments about Bill Anderson. We last saw him in Hanover PA in early Dec. The show was great, as always for Bill, and he stayed until the last picture and autograph were done. We have seen him many, many times over the years, to include after the Midnight Jamorboree in the ET Record Shop about 2am (have a great picture from that time also). We missed him on the Country Family Reunion Cruise last January but that was understandable because he was grieving from the loss of his lady friend. We is scheduled for the next cruise and if we can, we will definitely catch him again in concert. Bill Anderson is a class act, wonderful talent, and a gentleman. (Anonymous in PA
ReplyDeleteWell, I have several thoughts about some of tonight's performances on the Opry but I will keep all but one to myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice that the Opry brings on young acts that remember those that inspired them. I only wish more were inspired by those who stepped on the center circle before, lets say 2010! Tonight was a good example of what the music is going to come to in the mainstream. We had the Swon Brothers on doing a tribute to their inspiration, the Eagles. Then they have the nerve to say they get nervous each time they stand in the center circle. Now Vince Gill has been traveling with the Eagles on his own time. At least when he is on the Opry he understands and respects the place enough to leave the Eagles on the road.
Okay, I will voice a second thought, but a good one!
My nod to the veterans for the night was Jesse McReynolds. Nice to see he is feeling well and enjoying being on stage. Tonight was the first solo vocal he has done in some time as I can remember and for a guy about to turn 90, he sounded pretty darn good.
Jim
Knigthsville, IN
On Wednesday June 19th Rhonda Vincent will be debuting a brand new single on the Opry written by Jeannie Seely, Bobby Tomberlin and Erin Enderlin. The Opry starts at 7:00 PM (CT) I'm not sure what time Rhonda will be on. I hope everybody will check it out at www.wsmonline.com or WSM 650 Bob
ReplyDelete