It was 63 years ago today, November 3, 1956, that the legendary Stonewall Jackson became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He is the last member of the current cast who joined the Opry prior to 1960. While he joined the Opry 63 years ago, it should be noted that he was fired from the Opry in December 1964 and rejoined in May 1969, thus an actual Opry member just over 58 years.
Stonewall's last Opry appearance was in November 2016 when he was honored upon his 60th year of joining the Opry. While he has been battling health issues, he was at the Country Music Hall of Fame several weeks ago, attending the induction of the newest members. From the picture, he looked pretty good and happy that he is still out an about.
Here is a wonderful clip of Stonewall on the Opry, introduced by Roy Acuff.
Stonewall Jackson became a member of the Grand Ole Opry about as fast as anyone ever did. It took him about 24 hours.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing a stint in the Navy, Stonewall — who was named after the famous Confederate general, claimed as a relative — farmed for two years, until he saved enough to buy a new pickup truck. Once he got it, he drove right to Nashville.
“I came into town, stopped at a little motel on the south side of town, and checked in,” Stonewall recalls of that day in 1956. As fate would have it, he’d booked a room just across the street from the offices of Nashville’s top publishing company at the time, Acuff-Rose. “I said, I believe I’ll walk over there and see if anybody in country music will talk to me.”
Stonewall — the kind of person who was “stone country” before people ever started tossing that term around — wound up singing for publisher Wesley Rose. One of the best-connected men in Nashville’s music industry, Rose quickly took him downtown to meet Opry founder George D. Hay and manager W.D. Kilpatrick. Stonewall sang the same three songs for them that he had at Acuff-Rose.
“They took me down the hall and signed me to a regular member’s contract,” Stonewall says. “I’ve been here ever since.”
The same men also helped Stonewall secure a contract with Columbia Records. Until his recording career took off, he also worked shipping Opry souvenir books from the basement of the National Life Building.
Stonewall had his first hit — “Life to Go,” a George Jones composition — in 1958. The follow-up single, “Waterloo,” became Stonewall’s signature tune. Other hits included “Smoke Along the Track” (later covered by Dwight Yoakam), “A Wound Time Can’t Erase,” “Don’t Be Angry,” “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water,” and the 1964 chart-topper “B.J. the D.J.” All in all, Stonewall placed 44 singles on the Billboard country charts.
Stonewall also made the first “live” album recorded at the Ryman Auditorium, 1971’s Recorded Live at the Grand Ole Opry. “We went in and recorded a few new songs, and a few of the hits I already had, kind of like I did my show out on the road,” he says. “It was a real good seller for me.”
Stonewall toured as support for Opry legend Ernest Tubb until “Life to Go” hit, so it was fitting that Stonewall was presented the Ernest Tubb Memorial Award in 1997 for his contributions to country music.
Porter Wagoner used to introduce Stonewall by saying that he came to the Opry “with a heart full of love and a sack full of songs.” He still sings those songs with the same old-school, down-home directness that he did the day he first walked onto the Opry stage.
Happy anniversary, Stonewall!
ReplyDeleteThis got me to thinking...who holds the record for being an Opry member for the longest period of time? I'm thinking it may be Bill Anderson at 58 uninterrupted years? Are there any Opry legends of yesteryear who were members longer? (The Crook Brothers, Sam & Kirk McGee perhaps? How long were they members?)
ReplyDeleteDarrell, Herman Crook, Lewis Crook and Jean Shepard were all Opry members for 60+ consecutive years. Herman was an original in 1926 and remained until his death in 1988, just short of 62 years. Lewis Crook joined the Crook Brothers in 1929 and remained with the group until Herman passed away, then continued to play with the Opry Staff Band. Jean Shepard joined in 1955 and was there until her death in 2016, coming in at 61 years.
DeleteSam and Kirk McGee did not make it to 60. Kirk was there just around 57 years and Sam just under 50 years.
I almost said Jean Shepard but I couldn't remember for sure how long she was a member. I don't remember what I was watching, it may have been an old episode of "Opry Backstage", but the host mentioned Jimmy Dickens being on the Opry since 1948 and Jean spoke up and corrected them, "Jimmy left for several years then came back, so I've been here longer!" Sounds like Jean Shepard and Herman Crook are the two current record holders. Thanks for the info!
DeleteDarrell,
ReplyDeleteI think Jean loved Jimmy and they were good friends but that little mentioned fact about Jimmy really got under her skin. I understand that completely and it probably went double because she was the longest female member all those years. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but Jimmy had the opportunity to tour under sponsorship of Phillip Morris which conflicted with sponsors on the Opry so he was absent from the membership roster that 12 years ending in 1975.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Jim, you are correct about Jimmy Dickens. He was gone from the Opry for just over 17 years and it always irked Jean Shepard when Jimmy was introduced. If you noticed, Eddie changed the introduction of Jimmy to say that "he first joined the Opry in 1948" instead of how many years Jimmy had been an Opry member.
ReplyDeleteThe other item I remember about Jean, in addition to reminding people that she never left the Opry, was she was always pointing out, when he was alive, the Charlie Louvin had been around longer then anyone on the current cast. (another dig at Jimmy). I just have a feeling she wasn't that thrilled with Mr. Dickens.
Byron,
DeleteI had never considered that Jean wasn't very fond of Jimmy. When they were on stage together I thought she always cut up with him and acted like they got along good. I remember her setting in on a road date with the Country Boys in Oden, Indiana back in August 1996 when Jimmy was unable to keep the date.
Regardless, it was no secret that the membership thing disgusted her! Sure miss both of them.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
My dear departed wife of 49 years, not a country music fan, after I had dragged her to the Opry said upon seeing Jimmy, " If he was fish, they would have thrown him back !" Jimmy was a DJ in my home town , Saginaw , Mich when Roy Acuff discovered him and took him to the Opry ---- Dashmann, Flushing, Mich
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