Grand Ole Opry 3/27 & 3/28

After last week's fine Grand Ole Opry that featured Vince Gill, Marty Stuart and Brad Paisley, Vince is back again this Saturday night for the show that will be on Circle, along with streaming on Facebook and YouTube.

Actually, it will be a family affair on Saturday as Vince will be joined by his wife, Amy Grant, along with daughters Jenny Gill and Corrina Grant Gill. As with the show last week, Bobby Bones again will be the host for those watching on video and it would appear that Billy Cody will handle the duties on WSM.

The streak continues as this will be the 4,917th consecutive Saturday night show.

I have been reading a few comments about about the Opry only having a one hour show and the lack of artists appearing. Let's be honest. These are difficult times and many of the Opry's members have been following the recommendations to stay home and practice social distancing. In no way would I expect any of the senior members to risk their health, or the health of their family, to appear on the show.

Also taken into account is the acoustical nature of these shows, with limited musicians on stage. This basically eliminates the majority of bluegrass acts, along with members such as Old Crow Medicine Show or Riders In The Sky. This type of format just doesn't work well for those.

Finally, there are a number of Opry members who live outside of the Nashville area. They are safely at home and are not going to risk flying to Nashville for an appearance on the Opry.

I applaud Vince for stepping forward to appear again this week on the Opry, as well as bringing his family with him. It again shows Vince's commitment to the Opry, and also his willingness to help out the show while others stay on the sidelines protecting themselves.

It will be interesting in the weeks and months ahead as the Opry tries to sustain itself going forward. There might be some difficult weeks going forward and in times like these, we need to continue to support the show. So instead of complaining about who isn't there, let's appreciate who is.

And now, here is the Grand Ole Opry line-up from 25 years ago, the last Saturday in March 1995:

Saturday March 25
1st show
6:30: Bill Monroe (host); Stonewall Jackson
6:45: Grandpa Jones (host); Jan Howard
7:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Jack Greene; Alison Krauss; Charlie Louvin; Jean Shepard
7:30: Holly Dunn (host); Del Reeves; Nashville Bluegrass Band; Vestal Goodman
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Hank Locklin; Jeanne Pruett; Ricky Skaggs; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); The Four Guys; Charlie Walker; Mike Snider

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Holly Dunn; Jean Shepard; Vestal Goodman
10:00: Grandpa Jones (host); Alison Krauss; Ricky Skaggs
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Brother Oswald
10:30: Bill Anderson (host); Billy Walker
10:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Jimmy C Newman; Hank Locklin; Nashville Bluegrass Band
11:30: Mike Snider (host); Roy Drusky; Charlie Walker

From 50 years ago, Saturday March 28, 1970:

7:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Grandpa Jones; Stu Phillips; Bill Carlisle
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); Charlie Louvin; Billy Walker; Crook Brothers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; George Morgan; Jan Howard
9:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Bobby Bare; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Del Wood
9:30: Hank Snow (host); Willis Brothers; Leroy Van Dyke; Jim and Jesse; The Four Guys
10:00: Jim Ed Brown (host); Grandpa Jones; Stu Phillips; Bill Carlisle
10:15: Bill Anderson (host); Charlie Louvin
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Billy Walker; George Morgan
10:45: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Earl Scruggs Revue; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Bobby Bare; Willis Brothers; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Del Wood; Kirk McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); Jim and Jesse; Leroy Van Dyke; The Four Guys

Notice that each segment was hosted that night by a future Hall of Fame member.
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Saturday March 27, 1971 was a very special night at the Grand Ole Opry as Jan Howard was introduced as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

The following is from Jan's website:

It's safe to say that few people have been through as many hardships and heartbreaks as Jan Howard. When someone once suggested to her that she'd make a good soap opera actress, Jan laughed and replied, "My life has been a soap opera".

Jan is the survivor of a difficult life, but has always made it clear that she doesn't want pity. Her saga - which includes miscarriages, marital abuse, bigamy, poverty, war, suicide, cheating, divorce, thievery, depression, and mental collapse - has only made her stronger.

Born in West Plains, Missouri, Jan was the eighth of eleven children of an impoverished farm couple. Her humble roots include attending a one-room schoolhouse wearing the homemade, feed sack clothes of a rural Depression-era child.

Married at age fifteen, Jan had three sons before she turned twenty. After two divorces, she headed to Los Angeles in 1955 and took on jobs as a waitress and a secretary. A chance meeting with aspiring songwriter Harlan Howard resulted in a Las Vegas wedding just one month later. One evening while Jan was washing dishes, Harlan came in the room unexpectedly and heard her singing for the very first time.

Harlan coaxed Jan to make a demo tape of his song "Mommy For A Day" which went on to become a hit for Kitty Wells. Jan later sang demos for other artists like Tex Ritter, Johnny Bond, Ned Miller, and Buck Owens. She also recorded the original demo of the Patsy Cline classic, "I Fall To Pieces". Backed by Wynn Stewart's band, Jan released Harlan's "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" in 1959. She subsequently recorded several duets with Wynn including "Yankee Go Home" and "Wrong Company".

In 1960, Jan scored her first solo Top Ten hit with "The One You Slip Around With". That same year, the Howards moved to Nashville and Jan made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

Meanwhile, painfully shy Jan was suffering from the psychological scars of her youth, as well as the anxiety of beginning a new adventure. When her weight dropped below ninety-seven pounds, Harlan hospitalized Jan and she went into therapy.

Although strong friendships were formed with several Opry members, Jan faced some resentment and had to deal with her lack of self-confidence. She soon felt out of sync with the Opry's expectations for female acts.

Jan's fans, however, found her blunt, no-nonsense manner and stylish, no-frills look appealing.She won Billboard magazine's Most Promising Country Female Award in 1960, and she brought feminine spunk to The Nashville Sound.

In 1963 Jan had a Top 40 hit with "I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again", but it was a couple years later that her career really caught fire. Jan's string of gutsy hits included "What Makes A Man Wander" (1965), "Evil On Your Mind" (1966), "Bad Seed" (1966), "Roll Over And Play Dead" (1967), "Count Your Blessings Woman" (1968), "We Had All The Good Things Going" (1969), "Rock Me Back To Little Rock" (1970), "Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel" (1971), and "Let Him Have It" (1972).

Several of Jan's songs of the period reflected her troubled marriage with Harlan which eventually ended in a 1968 divorce. For the first time in her life, Jan's singing became an economic necessity.

Between 1965 and 1973, Jan teamed with Bill Anderson to form one of country's hottest duos on the road, on his syndicated TV show, and on record. Their hits included "I Know You're Married" (1966), "If It's All The Same To You" (1969), and "Someday We'll Be Together" (1970). Jan and Bill's 1967 recording of "For Loving You" stayed at No. 1 for four weeks on the country singles chart.

Jan not only recorded songs, but wrote them as well. She penned the 1966 Kitty Wells hit "It's All Over But The Crying" and Bill Anderson's 1970 hit "Love Is A Sometimes Thing", as well as her own singles "Marriage Has Ruined More Good Love Affairs" (1971) and "The Life Of A Country Singer" (1981).

Jan and Bill co-wrote Connie Smith's hit "I Never Once Stopped Loving You". Together with Jan's son Carter, they co-wrote their own 1972 hit "Dis-Satisfied".

Jan's proudest composition is 1968's "My Son", a moving recitation that began as a letter to her son in Vietnam. Jan's plea for the safe return of her son Jimmy had been released for two weeks when he was killed. Thousands of letters from soldiers and their parents subsequently poured in to Jan. Recent world events have renewed interest in the song, which Jan has performed in response to several requests.

Four years after Jimmy's death in Vietnam, Jan's youngest son David committed suicide. Jan softened the edges of tragedy with her strong faith in God and her belief that there is a reason for everything.

In 1987 Jan released her candid, compelling, and best-selling autobiography titled Sunshine and Shadow. The outline for the book was actually a song called "My Story" which Jan composed during a low point in her life when she became suicidal.

"Never Let Yesterday Use Up Today" has been one of Jan's mottos for years. "You can't change the past," she explains, "so learn from it, cherish the good, and go on from there. This is not a rehearsal; this is the show and there are no retakes."

Throughout her career Jan has accumulated many accolades for her recordings and songwriting, including several Grammy and CMA nominations. She has received countless acknowledgements for her charitable contributions and has taken an active role working with Veterans groups across the United States. In West Plains, Missouri, the "Jan Howard Expressway" has been named in her honor.

From 1960 through 1978, Jan placed thirty singles on the Billboard country music charts. Her vocals can be heard on over twenty albums. Recently she released a boxed set collection containing eighty songs and a twenty-page photo album.

Jan has toured every state in the USA, along with twenty-one foreign countries. She's made television appearances on dozens of shows like Hee Haw, Family Feud, The Today Show,Nashville Now, Music City Tonight, Prime Time Country, and Opry Live.

Jan's most memorable moment in country music was her induction as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 27, 1971. For over thirty years she has been a regular performer and a fan favorite on the world-famous Opry stage. The charming, brown-eyed entertainer has also opened many doors for female country artists.

Over the years Jan has pursued a variety of interests including acting and golfing. Along with friends Jeannie Seely and Rita Coolidge, Jan appeared in a motion picture titled Changing Hearts which was released in 2003 and is available on DVD and VHS.

Words like "classy", "sophisticated", "witty", "determined", "strong-willed", and "compassionate" have often been used to describe Jan. She is undoubtedly a lady of rare talent and determination who challenges life on a daily basis.

Jan has the gift of communicating the emotions of life through her music. Her love of life touches everyone she encounters.

"It almost seems like an accident that I became a singer," Jan states, "but I'm so thankful for it."

So are we all.

Jan, who is now retired, is the Grand Ole Opry's oldest member, will be celebrating her 49th anniversary as an Opry member on Friday night.

And now, here is the running order from Saturday March 27, 1971, the night Jan Howard joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry:

1st show
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Billy Walker (host): I Taught Her Everything She Knows
Ray Pillow: Grazin' in Greener Pastures
Del Wood: Are Your from Dixie
Billy Walker: How Great Thou Art

6:45: Rudy's
Jack Greene (host): There's a Whole Lot About a Woman A Man Don't Know
Jeannie Seely: Please Be My New Love
Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely: Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything

7:00: Luzianne
Bill Monroe (host): My Little Georgia Rose
Earl Scruggs Revue: Loraderojosp III Breakdown
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Each Season Changes You
Ernie Ashworth: Jesus Is a Soul Man
James William Monroe: Come With Me Up Happiness Hill
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Earl Scruggs Revue: Foggy Mountain Top
Wilma Lee Cooper: The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Anderson (host): Wild Weekend
Grandpa Jones: Mountain Dew
Jan Howard: Evil on Your Mind
George Morgan: For the Good Times
Bill Anderson: Always Remember
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Grandpa Jones: Fair & Tender Ladies
Bill Anderson and Jan Howard: Someday We'll Be Together

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Loretta Lynn: I Wanna Be Free
Tex Ritter: The Men in My Little Girl's Life
Willis Brothers: Women's Liberation
Lonzo and Oscar: Crawdad Song

8:30: Stephens
Porter Wagoner (host); The Carroll County Accident
Dolly Parton: Coming For to Carry Me Home
Stringbean: Hot Corn; Cold Corn
Tom T Hall: Ballad of 40 Dollars
Porter Wagoner: The Last One to Touch Me
Hank Locklin: She's as Close as I Can Get
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Walking in My Sleep
Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton: Better Move it On Home

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Bill Anderson (host): You Can Change the World By Changing Your Mind
Willis Brothers: For the Good Times
Jan Howard: Were You There
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nobody's Darling But Mine
Ray Pillow: Working Man Blues
Bill Anderson: I Love You Drops

10:00: Fender
Bill Monroe (host): Little Joe
Earl Scruggs Revue: Bugle Call Rag
Bill Carlisle: I'm Movin'
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie

10:15: Union 76
Billy Walker (host): When A Man Loves A Woman
Grandpa Jones: Dooley
Ernie Ashworth: Jesus Is A Soul Man
Billy Walker: Make the World Go Away

10:30: Trailblazer
Roy Acuff (host): I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
Jack Greene: There's a Whole Lot About a Woman a Man Don't Know
Jeannie Seely: Don't Touch Me
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:45: Beechnut
Porter Wagoner (host): Big Wind
Dolly Parton: Joshua
Stringbean: Lonesome Road Blues
Crook Brothers: Arkansas Traveler
Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton: Better Move it On Home

11:00: Coca Cola
Tex Ritter (host): Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
Hank Locklin: Country Hall of Fame
Fruit Jar Drinkers: (?)
Tex Ritter: High Noon
Loretta Lynn: I Wanna Be Free
Sam McGee: San Antonio Rose

11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
Lonzo and Oscar: There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
Ronnie Robbins: Put You Hand in the Hand/Today I Started Loving You Again
Marty Robbins: I Walk Alone/Don't Worry/A Heart Full of Love/Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Marty Robbins and Ronnie Robbins: It Finally Happened

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night.