As the Grand Ole Opry continues with its current format, at least for the majority of the month of May, I thought it would be a good time to review who has appeared thus far since March 14, when the Opry began the current format of presenting the show with no audience.
March 14: Connie Smith, Sam Williams, Bill Anderson, Mandy Barnett, Jeannie Seely, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
March 21: Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Brad Paisley
March 28: Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Jenny Gill, Corrina Grant Gill
April 4: Terri Clark, Ashley McBryde, Lauren Alaina
April 11: Trace Adkins, T. Graham Brown, Jason Crabb
April 18: Ricky Skaggs, Dailey & Vincent
April 25: Craig Morgan, Luke Combs
22 different acts have appeared thus far, with Vince being the only repeat. 12 have been members of the Opry, so a nice split. And it is nice to see some of the Opry's bigger names participating. This will will be no different.
So, what show has been your favorite so far? Tough choices as all of been very good, but if I were to list the Top 3, I would go with:
1) Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Jenny Gill, Corrina Grant Gill
2) Ricky Skaggs, Dailey & Vincent
3) Trace Adkins, T. Graham Brown, Jason Crabb
Just my opinion and I am interested in what others think.
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As I mentioned, some of the Opry's bigger names have been coming out to support the show and this week will be no different as Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are scheduled to appear. Somehow I expected at some point that Garth would do one of these shows as he is a great supporter of the Opry and while his actual appearances might be slim, he does a lot to support the show behind the scenes. As with the past shows, this should be another great night and I would think Circle will see their highest viewership since the current format began.
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And now, from 25 years ago, Saturday April 28, 1995:
1st show
6:30: The Whites (host); Del Reeves
6:45: Bill Monroe (host); Hank Locklin
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jim Ed Brown; The Four Guys; Jean Shepard; Mike Snider
7:30: Jack Greene (host); Mandy Barnett; Billy Dean
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Brother Oswald; Jeanne Pruett; Billy Walker; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Wilma Lee Cooper; Connie Smith; Jimmy C Newman
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Charlie Walker; Skeeter Davis; Hank Locklin; Jeannie Seely
10:00: Bill Monroe (host); Stu Phillips
10:15: Jimmy Dickens (host); Billy Dean
10:30: Mike Snider (host); Roy Drusky
10:45: Jack Greene (host); Jeanne Pruett; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Ray Pillow; Mandy Barnett; The Four Guys; Connie Smith
11:30: Billy Walker (host); Jean Shepard; Jimmy C Newman
And from 50 years ago, Saturday May 2, 1970:
1st show
6:30: Hank Locklin (host); Johnny Seay; Connie Eaton
6:45: Stu Phillips (host); Hugh X Lewis; Cousin Jody
7:00: Jim Ed Brown (host); Stringbean; Bill Carlisle; Minnie Pearl
7:30: Bill Monroe (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Ray Pillow; Crook Brothers; James William Monroe
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); Willis Brothers; Ernie Ashworth
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jimmy C Newman; Justin Tubb; Fruit Jar Drinkers
2nd show
9:30: Hank Locklin (host); Willis Brothers; Connie Eaton; Johnny Seay
10:00: Bill Monroe (host); Earl Scruggs Revue
10:15: Stu Phillips (host); Stringbean; Hugh X Lewis
10:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Cousin Jody; Waylon Jennings
10:45: Ray Pillow (host); Bill Carlisle; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Justin Tubb; Louie Roberts; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Jimmy C Newman (host); Ernie Ashworth; Martha Carson
2nd show that night with Waylon Jennings and former Opry member Martha Carson making appearances.
Johnny Seay appeared on the Opry that night and is a name that might not be familiar to everyone.
Johnny was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. His first major break in 1957 by winning a state talent show (whose runner-up was Bill Anderson). As a result of this he was offered a recording contract as well as the opportunity to appear on Louisiana Hayride and The Grand Ole Opry. In 1959, he scored a hit on the country charts with "Frankie's Man Johnny", and had a second in 1960 with "Nobody's Darling but Mine". Both his early hits were on NRC Records. After these hits he moved westward to become a cowboy.
In 1964 he began recording again and his songs, "My Baby Walks All Over Me" and "My Old Faded Rose", became country chart successes. Signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1966, he released the song "Day For Decision" which featured a background chorus singing "America". The recording was a country success and also peaked at No. 35 on the US pop charts and it was nominated for a Grammy award. Its accompanying album, which was a minor chart success, featured renditions of several popular patriotic tunes. After 1967, he had two more country hits for Columbia Records, "Goin' to Tulsa" and "Three Six Packs, Two Arms and a Juke Box". His 1968 (released in 1970) song "Willie's Drunk and Nellie's Dyin'" were about his real-life neighbors Willie and Nellie York.
Johnny Seay died May 14, 2016, when his single-engine plane clipped a cell telephone tower wire and crashed near West, Texas. He was 75.
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One of the forgotten members of the Grand Ole Opry is Cousin Jody. A great musician and comedian who helped define the Roy Acuff sound.
James Clell Summey was born in Possum Hollow, near Sevierville, Tennessee. When he was young his family moved to Knoxville where he grew up in a musical environment, since both parents (Matty and Jim) were musicians. Other musicians regularly stayed in the home and young Jody soon learned to play several instruments. He began on the guitar but by 1931, was an accomplished dobro player (a relatively new instrument in those days, having only been developed in the late 20s).
By 1933, he was playing local venues with a group known as the Tennessee Crackerjacks, when they were joined by Roy Acuff. He became an important member of Acuff’s band and in February 1938, when Acuff and his band played the Grand Ole Opry, he became the first player to feature the dobro there. He also provided the dobro backing on most of Acuff’s early recordings including ‘The Great Speckled Bird’ and ‘Wabash Cannonball’. After differences of opinion over material, he and two other band members left Acuff in January 1939. Jody would later say that he "owed everything" to Roy for getting him started in the music business.
He returned to Knoxville but was soon back in Nashville, where he worked with Pee Wee King, Lonzo And Oscar and briefly as a comedy duo with Oral Rhodes, as Odie And Jody. He had played the comedian during his days with Acuff and finally became a solo Opry act in his alter ego role of the baggy-panted and toothless grinning hayseed, Cousin Jody. In this guise, he mixed rube comedy with his instrumental talents and for many years remained a very popular Opry regular.
In the mid 1960s, he was involved in a lawsuit against The Informer Publishing Company, located in Chicago. His lawsuit stated the the company used his picture without his permission in connection with a libelous article, causing him embarrassment and damage. In November 1968, he won a judgement of $200,000 against the company.
In his later years, Cousin Jody suffered from various heath issues, forcing his retirement from the Opry, eventually passing away from cancer on August 18, 1975. He was either 55 or 61, depending on the source. His grave stone lists his date of birth as December 11, 1919, while his obituary lists his year of birth as 1913.
When asked how he became known as "Cousin Jody," his response was "Don't I look like your Cousin Jody?"
In honor of Cousin Jody, here is the running order from his final Grand Ole Opry appearance, Saturday May 1, 1971:
1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Stu Phillips (host): Let the Guitars Play
Peggy Little: I've Got to Have You
Stringbean: Mountain Dew
Stu Phillips: El Tigrae
6:45: Rudy's
Willis Brothers (host): Bob
Justin Tubb: Big Fool of the Year
Willis Brothers: For the Good Times
Cousin Jody: On Top of Old Smokey
7:00: Luzianne
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Tex Ritter: I Dreamed of a Hillbilly Heaven/Boll Weevil
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nine Pound Hammer
Howdy Forrester: Billy in the Low Ground
Connie Eaton: Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Brother Oswald: Columbus Stockade Blues
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Big Midnight Special
Roy Acuff: Cabin in Gloryland
7:30: Standard Candy
Bill Monroe (host): Molly & Tenbrooks
Stoneman Family: Looking Out My Back Door
Joe and Rose Lee Maphis: If I'm Gonna Have Your Lovin'
Crook Brothers: Mississippi Sawyer
Bill Monroe: Wicked Path of Sin
Stoneman Family: Orange Blossom Special
Joe and Rose Lee Maphis: I Gotta Lot of Lovin'
8:00: Martha White
Archie Campbell (host): Make Friends
Bill Carlisle: Shanghai Rooster
The Four Guys: My Special Angel
Bobby Lewis: He Gives Us All His Love
Archie Campbell: Hey, Waiter
Del Wood: Kentucky Turnpike
The Four Guys: Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): I've Been Everywhere
Marion Worth: How Great Thou Art
Charlie Walker: My Baby Used to Be that Way
Louie Roberts: Sandy/Cattle Call
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Devil's Dream
Marion Worth: Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed
Hank Snow: I've Cried a Mile
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Justin Tubb (host): Be Glad
Willis Brothers: Women's Liberation
Peggy Little: Son of a Preacher Man
Stringbean: Ruby
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Peggy Little: I Got to Have You
Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans
Justin Tubb: Lonesome 7-7203
10:00: Fender
Stu Phillips (host): Me & Bobby McGee
Connie Eaton: Take Me Hand, Precious Lord
Cousin Jody: On Top of Old Smokey
Stu Phillips: For the Good Times
10:15: Union 76
Bill Monroe (host): I Haven't Seen Mary in Years
Tex Ritter: Wayward Wind
Joe and Rose Lee Maphis: Run That By Me One More Time
Bill Monroe: I've Never Love No One Else But My Darling
10:30: Trailblazer
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Del Wood: Are You from Dixie
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
10:45: Beechnut
Archie Campbell (host): Make Friends
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nobody's Darling But Mine
Crook Brothers: Old Joe Clark
Archie and Phil Campbell: Release Me
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Charlie Walker: My Baby Used to Be that Way
Stoneman Family: White Lightening #2
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Soldier's Joy
Hank Snow: Bluebird Island
Charlie Walker: Tell Her Lies & Feed Her Candy
Sam McGee: Where the Roses Never Fade
Hank Snow: My Little Old Home Down in New Orleans
11:30: Elm Hill
The Four Guys (host): Cottonfields/Maria
Marion Worth: Okie From Muskogee/How Great Thou Art
Louie Roberts: Sandy
Bobby Lewis: From Heaven to Heartache/He Gives Us All His Love
The Four Guys: Sweet Caroline/One Pair of Hands
There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this Saturday night.
First, I bow to Garth and Trisha for doing this. Also, Garth did an acoustic show in Las Vegas for a few years, so this shouldn't be much of a challenge for him.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I'll go along with Byron's first two choices, but my third place one would be the first week with the classic regulars--who now should indeed by sheltering in place!
Finally, it's interesting to me how often the lineups didn't make much sense. In 1970, having Stringbean and Bill Carlisle on the same segment, and Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs together. I suspect they tried to put Scruggs with Messrs. Monroe and Acuff a lot because the sound was untraditional. But putting together the bluegrass performers or comedians just looks a bit odd. Then again, Bud Wendell is in the Country Music Hall of Fame, so what do I know?
I've enjoyed all the shows and have watched all of them on Circle Network with the exception of the March 14th show, which I "watch" via Facebook Stream, but listened on WSM.
ReplyDeleteMy three favorites, in no particular order have been:
March 14 with many of the Opry Regulars, Bill, Jeannie and frequent guest Mandy Barnett, March 21, mainly because of the tribute Vince did by singing Kenny Rogers song, Sweet Music Man and April 11 with the special Easter Themed show. As I said, all of the shows have had their many strengths and a few weaknesses.
I'm sure there will be a lot of main stream media promoting this week's performance, the CBS show that Garth & Trisha did was hugely popular, so this should be no less so.
There was a comment a couple of weeks ago about the various announcers with particular kudos to Mike Terry and Eddie Stubbs. I feel each of the 4 regular announcers, including Bill Cody and Charlie Mattos brings their unique personalities to the podium and enjoy waiting for air time to hear who is behind the microphone that week. I've been to enough Opry Shows to also see each of them behind the podium and have enjoyed them all from the audience as well.
I would say T. Graham,, Trace and Jason, first. Second would be Ricky and Dailey and Vincent. 3rd but still great Vince, Amy and family.
ReplyDeletePatrick is certainly correct that all four announcers are pros and each one brings a unique style to the announcers stand. I made the comments because the two I mentioned were on the nights I made the comment. Certainly no intent of discounting any of them.
I confess to doing a weakness for imitations (it's been painful--when we met Jimmy C. Newman, she insisted that I do my Acuff and Snow for him). And I can actually do mediocre impressions of earlier announcers like "Graint" Turner and HAIRL HENSLEY (you have to boom out) and Hal Durham (there must be something about being named Harold, as in Reid and Durham, that makes yo a bass?) and it's interesting how different their styles and personalities actually are.
DeleteWhile Luke Combs and Craig Morgan have tremendous talent, their songs Saturday night, to me all sounded the same ---maybe the lack of full band and unique arrangements added to that , but the one song. "This Ain't Nothin " by Craig Morgan would have been perfect to express the feelings we all have at this time during the epandemic , but never got performed --- hoping this week's show will be more expressive of the situation we are all trying to endure ---- Dashmann, Flushing, Michigan ____
ReplyDeleteDashmann, I never even thought about it, but you're right.
ReplyDelete"This Ain't Nothing" would have been PERFECT.
I will say this, I appreciate the fact that the one hour shows are ALL MUSIC, no back stage interviews, no messing with the 'Opry itself.
Just about everybody who has put the 'Opry on television has pretty much screwed it up beyond repair.
Bones is doing better every week, hope he continues to stay out of the way and let the 'Opry roll!
Hopefully that will continue when things get back to normal.
Really looking forward to Mr. and Mrs. Yearwood this week, although I do think they should have added a 3rd artist and had them share the spotlight. An email promoting the show also had the lineup for next week where we will see 4 artists...Trace Adkins, Dustin Lynch, Blake Shelton, and Gwen Stafani. I am sure that will end up being the least popular show among this crowd. Personally, I don't mind it as much, but I will say I am really starting to miss the variety that the Opry is known for. Obviously with limited artists and musicians available, they are sticking with more closely connected people creating almost "theme" nights, but for me the best part of the Opry is showcasing the variety of country genres (traditional, modern/pop, western, bluegrass, comedy, gospel, etc.).
ReplyDeleteDashmann and Nat, I follow you, but maybe they were trying to FORGET what's going on or help us forget it. Not that we can!
DeleteJoe, not my kind of show, but if that's what's coming and it's good for the Opry, well ...
I always said of the regular show what Porter said about bringing James Brown in, that it's a good idea to shake things up now and then. The problem is that under the regime before Sally Williams, the goal was to shake things up enough to make the Opry unrecognizable.
Here's to all of them for doing this.
Trisha and Garth did a "live" show from their home studio recently on one of the national tv stations for one of the sheltering event , it was very well done - they switched up the music between their classics and their professional experiences made a smooth show for tv. I have always liked Trisha and can take or leave Garth; they should do a good show Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI am personally thrilled that Gwen Stafani is going to be on the 'Opry.
ReplyDeleteShe totally understands what the 'Opry is all about, right?
Even better ---> "The pair will appear virtually, tuning in to the Opry stage from Blake's Oklahoma ranch during the May 9 broadcast."
Perfect!
Can't wait for Saturday night! :)
Make that NEXT Saturday night. :)
DeleteI missed the detail that they will not actually be at the Opry. I have no issues with Blake and like seeing him on the show. I also have nothing against Gwen, although I'm not aware of her doing any music that would "jive" with the Opry. Those two appearing remotely would explain why they were suddenly ok with 4 performers, but I really can't say I am a fan, especially with all 4 being modern country performers (see my earlier comment on diversity).
DeleteLooks like Nat and I are soul brothers ---- I have heard the name, but know nothing about Gwen Stefani ----- Dashmann, Flushing, Mich
ReplyDeleteMarch 14: Connie Smith, Sam Williams, Bill Anderson, Mandy Barnett, Jeannie Seely, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
ReplyDeleteApril 18: Ricky Skaggs, Dailey & Vincent
My favorites!!!!!!!!
Another outstanding show tonight with Garth and Trisha. Very well done. A lot of music and a lot of love.
ReplyDeleteGreat night of tribute to Traditional Country Music. This is probably my new leader in the clubhouse of these 1 hour Oprys.
ReplyDeleteI had a thought during the show for whenever we get back to some normalcy. A Reunion Show for all the Artists who appear during these audience-free shows. Maybe a double show night in December?
Great show tonite!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteVery enjoyable show tonight with Garth and Trisha ---- lots of emotional moments for me as I lost my wife of 49 years 2 1/2 years ago ---- and bare Bones ----we only saw him twice tonight at the intro and sendoff --- Dashmann - Flushing Michigan ----
ReplyDeleteDashmann, I didn't know then but would like to extend my sympathies now.
DeleteBones was ok, paying tribute to them. I thought it was sweet that Trisha invoked Porter. She and her lesser half did a marvelous job.
Agree, Garth and Trisha put on a great "Opry" show - just watched the re-run via Circle (unfortunately there was a lot of Bobby Bones).(from Anonymous in PA)
ReplyDeleteI love this blog and all the people in it who care enough about the Opry to comment, whether I agree or not !!!!! Thanks again Byron for your labor of love ------ be safe everyone ---- Dashmann ---Flushing, Mich
ReplyDelete