Grand Ole Opry Saturday June 20

First, the latest from the Grand Ole Opry website:

"We continue to work to resume Grand Ole Opry shows with live audiences as soon as we can do so aligning with the re-opening guidelines of Nashville. When shows with a live ticketed audience do return, we plan to start slowly, having shows one night per week on Saturdays. Assuming all goes well, we would expand to additional nights. 

While we are unsure when ticketed shows will return, presently tickets are on sale for Saturdays throughout July. Shows on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during the month of July have been canceled and tickets for these events will be automatically refunded to the credit card used to place the order. It may take up to 14 days for the refund to reflect on your credit card account. There is no need to call or email our Customer Service team – they have already begun to process these refunds. No decision has been made about shows beyond July. Right now, we hope to proceed as planned."

Even as that notice was posted last week, Bobby Bones again on Saturday's show said that no final decisions had been made. Obviously still a lot in play.

Coming off another fine show this past Saturday night, one that featured no Grand Ole Opry members, there are two on the schedule for this week as Darius Rucker and Clint Black are scheduled to perform. It is really nice to see Clint on the schedule as he rarely comes to Nashville to do the Opry. I know he has been promoting new music so it will be nice to hear what he has to offer. _______________________________________________________________________

From 25 years ago, Saturday June 17, 1995

1st show

6:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Bill Carlisle

6:45: Jeanne Pruett (host); Brother Oswald

7:00: The Four Guys (host); Wilma Lee Cooper; Charlie Louvin; Jean Shepard

7:30: Opry Square Dance Band; Mike Snider (host); Billy Dean; The Whites

8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Hank Locklin; Carolee Singers; Charlie Walker
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Stu Phillips; Tim Watson and Black Creek; Jeannie Seely

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Hank Locklin; Jeanne Pruett; The Whites
10:00: Grandpa Jones (host); Wilma Lee Cooper
10:15: Jean Shepard (host); Roy Drusky
10:30: Mike Snider (host); Charlie Louvin; Bob Clark
10:45: The Four Guys (host); Brother Oswald; Opry Square Dance Band; The Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Stu Phillips; Charlie Walker; Billy Dean
11:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Carolee Singers; Charlie Nagatani; Tim Watson and Black Creek

This was also the night that Eddie Stubbs became the Grand Ole Opry's newest announcer.

And from 50 years ago, Saturday June 20, 1970:

1st show
6:30:
6:45: Billy Walker (host)
7:00: Stu Phillips (host); Bill Carlisle; Stringbean; Ernie Ashworth
7:30:
8:00: Billy Grammer (host); Bob Luman; Joe and Rose Lee Maphis; Margie Bowes
8:30: Ernest Tubb (host); Loretta Lynn; Cousin Jody; Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Billy Walker (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Wilma Burgess; Del Wood
10:00: Ray Pillow (host); LaWanda Lindsey; Bill Carlisle
10:15: Stu Phillips (host); Stringbean; Norro Wilson
10:30: George Morgan (host); Ernie Ashworth; Joe and Rose Lee Maphis
10:45: Ernest Tubb (host); Billy Parker; Crook Brothers
11:00: Billy Grammer (host); Loretta Lynn; Darrell McCall; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Bob Luman (host); Margie Bowes; Cousin Jody; Tommy Jones

Who remembers LaWanda Lindsey?

LaWanda Lindsey was born on January 12, 1953 in Tampa, Florida. She began her career at age 14 and had her first nationally charted record at age 16 with "Partly Bill". She was one of several quite young artists recording country music for Chart Records during this period and was paired with country singer-songwriter Kenny Vernon, to record a number of duets. She got her start singing on WEAS-AM radio station in Savannah, GA, where her father, Norman H. "Lefty" Lindsey, was the General Manager and on-air personality. In 1973 she became a protégé of Buck Owens and began recording for Capitol Records, later in 1977-1978 she was on Mercury Records.

From 1969 to 1978, LaWanda Lindsey placed 14 songs on the Billboard country charts but only two of her songs ("Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" in 1970 and "Hello Out There" in 1973) placed in the top 30. She nevertheless had a nice mid-level career in the industry before retiring in 1979.
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Now let's go back to Saturday June 19, 1982 as it was on this night 38 years ago that Riders In The Sky became members of the Grand Ole Opry.

Here is the running order from that night:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Stonewall Jackson (host): Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Ernie Ashworth: There's No Place I'd Rather Be Tonight
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry

6:45: Rudy's
Jack Greene (host); Walking on New Grass
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything

7:00: Shoney's
Ernest Tubb (host): Letters Have No Arms
Del Wood: Are You from Dixie
Bobby Lord: Fall Away
Riders In The Sky: How the Yodel Was Born/Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Jack Leonard: Back on My Mind Again
Ernest Tubb: Rainbow at Midnight

7:30: Standard Candy
Grandpa Jones (host): Apple Jack
Jean Shepard: Cryin' My Heart Out Over You/Slippin' Away
Wilburn Brothers: Making Plans
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Rachel
Grandpa Jones: Four Stoned Walls & A Ceiling/What'll I Do with the Baby-O

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Lonzo and Oscar: All the Gold in California
Justin Tubb: Lonesome 7-7203
Bill Carlisle: Elvira
Connie Smith: I Just Had You on My Mind/Once a Day
Roy Acuff: Stream Line Cannonball

8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): Storms Never Last
The Four Guys: I Think About Your Loving All the Time
Ray Pillow: She's Doing it to Me Again
Roy Drusky: Have I Stayed Away Too Long
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Saturday Night Hop
Hank Snow: I Have You & That's Enough For Me

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Ernest Tubb (host): Have You Ever Been Lonely
Del Wood: Just Because/Bill Bailey/Beer Barrel Polka
Stonewall Jackson: Why I'm Walkin'/Ol' Chunk of Coal
Jack Leonard: Lone Star Beer & Bob Wills Music
Ernest Tubb: Waltz Across Texas

10:00: Little Debbie
Grandpa Jones (host): The Banjo is the Instrument for Me
Jeanne Pruett: It's Too Late/Temporarily Yours
Grandpa Jones: There's a Grave in the Wave of the Ocean

10:15: Sunbeam
Jack Greene (host): Try a Little Kindness
Justin Tubb: Take a Letter Miss Gray
Jack Greene: Your's for the Taking/There Goes My Everything

10:30: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Down in Union County
Riders In The Sky: (?)/Turkey in the Straw/Chicken Reel/Devil's Dream
Roy Acuff: In the Center of the Grand Ole Opry Stage/I Saw the Light

10:45: Beechnut
Roy Drusky (host): Second Hand Rose
Connie Smith: Lovin' You Baby
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Mississippi Sawyer
Roy Drusky: Blues in My Heart

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Right or Wrong
Jean Shepard: Alabama Jubilee
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Saturday Night Hop
Wilburn Brothers: Release Me
Lonzo and Oscar: Little Cabin Home on the Hill
Kirk McGee: While I'm Away
Hank Snow: It Kinda Reminds Me of Me

11:30: Bama
The Four Guys (host): I Think About Your Loving All the Time
Bill Carlisle: Have a Drink of Me
Sheila and Bill Carlisle, Jr.: In the Pines
Ray Pillow: All You Have to Do is Come Back Home/Remember Me
The Four Guys: Swing Down Chariot

Riders In The Sky have been great Opry members over the years and have kept Western music alive on the Opry. Congratulations on another year of Opry membership.

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

Oh, and not to forget, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!!