Grand Ole Opry Saturday October 3

While the WSM Barn Dance started in November 1925, October has traditionally been the month in which the Grand Ole Opry celebrates its birthday/anniversary and this year is no different. Saturday night the Opry will celebrate its 95th anniversary, in what will be the start of a month long celebration. 

This year will be different as there will be only one show on Saturday night and not only will the 95th be celebrated, but it will be the first live audience show since March 7th, as the Opry will welcome myself and 499 others to the Grand Ole Opry House. 

While the Opry will not be back to normal, it is a start in the right direction and it would appear that the shortened show with a limited audience will continue at least through the month of October, with Circle TV still airing and streaming the shows. 

So to start off the month of celebration, four of the Opry's members are scheduled to appear, headlined by Vince Gill. Joining Vince will be Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley. For Dierks, it will also be a celebration of his 15th anniversary as an Opry member as he joined the cast on October 1, 2005. 

It should be a wonderful night and I know many are looking forward to being back at the Opry House and for those watching and listening at home, a chance to see actual people in the seats. 

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And now, from 50 years ago, Saturday October 3, 1970:

1st show
6:30: Willis Brothers (host); June Stearns; David Rogers
6:45: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Bobby Wright; Cousin Jody
7:00: Stu Phillips (host); Norro Wilson; Stringbean; Claude Gray
7:30: Bobby Bare (host); Jeanne Pruett; Johnny Carver; Crook Brothers
8:00: Hank Locklin (host); Dottie West; Cal Smith; Del Wood
8:30: Glaser Brothers (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Jay Lee Webb; Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Willis Brothers (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Bobby Wright; June Stearns
10:00: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Stringbean; Claude Gray
10:15: Stu Phillips (host); Cousin Jody; Norro Wilson
10:30: Bobby Bare (host); Dottie West; Del Wood
10:45: Hank Locklin (host); Cal Smith; Crook Brothers
11:00: Glaser Brothers (host); Peggy Little; Tommy Overstreet; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); Justin Tubb; Jeanne Pruett; Don Winters;

Looking back, October 2, 1982 was the final Grand Ole Opry performance for Opry member Doyle Wilburn.

Virgil Doyle Wilburn was born July 7, 1930, in Hardy, Arkansas. His father, Benjamin, a disabled World War I veteran, purchased from the Sears, Roebuck catalog a guitar, mandolin, and fiddle in the hopes that the children might aid the family's dire finances by performing in public, and with older brothers Lester and Leslie and sister Geraldine, Doyle and his brother Teddy began their professional music career as the Wilburn Family on a street corner in Thayer, MO, on Christmas Eve 1937.

Soon the children were spending six months of each year in Hardy's one-room schoolhouse and the other six touring radio stations, school auditoriums, and churches throughout the South; during a 1940 stop in Birmingham, AL, the Wilburn Family caught the attention of singer Roy Acuff, and on his recommendation they were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry that spring. Their stay lasted only six months as pressure from child labor organizations forced the Opry to terminate their contract.

The Wilburns returned to Hardy and continued touring, although their schedule was curtailed by the United States' entry into World War II; after the war, Geraldine married and retired from the road, although the four brothers continued performing and in 1948 were named to the cast of the Louisiana Hayride radio show, where they befriended a then-unknown Webb Pierce. In 1951 both Doyle and Teddy were drafted to serve in the Korean conflict; upon returning from duty they resumed touring, but with Lester and Leslie since retired from performing, they continued on alone as the Wilburn Brothers. By now Webb was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and he was instrumental in the brothers rejoining the show. Teddy and Doyle also backed Pierce on tour and even signed to his label, Decca.

The Wilburns scored their first major hit with "Sparkling Brown Eyes," a collaboration with Pierce that spent 18 weeks on the charts, peaking at number four in mid-1954. They were also uncredited backing vocalists on Pierce's biggest hit, "In the Jailhouse Now," and even appeared on television's The Arthur Godfrey Talent Show and American Bandstand. Between 1955 and 1972 the Wilburn Brothers scored 30 chart hits, including "I Wanna Wanna Wanna," "I'm So in Love With You," "Go Away With Me," "Which One Is to Blame," "Trouble's Back in Town," "Roll Muddy River," and their biggest single, 1966's "Hurt Her Once for Me." They also notched two Top Ten duets with Ernest Tubb, "Hey, Mr. Bluebird" and "Mister Love."

During the late '50s, Doyle and Teddy teamed with steel guitarist Don Helms to found the Wil-Helm Talent Agency; Doyle and Teddy also convinced Lester and Leslie out of retirement to run Sure-Fire, a music publishing house. The two business concerns helped launch the professional careers of talents including Sonny James, Jean Shepherd, the Osborne Brothers, and in particular Loretta Lynn, who toured with the Wilburns' road show and later landed a recording contract with Decca under their managerial wing. In 1963 the Wilburn Brothers began their own weekly syndicated TV variety series -- one of the first country music programs broadcast in color, The Wilburn Brothers Show ran through 1974, providing early exposure to acts including the Oak Ridge Boys, Tammy Wynette, and Barbara Mandrell.

In 1967 the Wilburns were named Duet of the Year in the Music City News Awards, and were nominated for Vocal Group of the Year honors by the Country Music Association in 1972. In 1978 they recorded their final Decca LP, Sing Hinson and Gaither, and on October 16, 1982, Doyle's life was claimed by cancer. "It was like a 45-year marriage ended," Teddy said soon after. "There was a lot of adjusting to do." Teddy then mounted a solo career, and remained a member of the Grand Ole Opry until his death from congestive heart failure on November 24, 2003.

There are many who fell, as do I, that the Wilburn Brothers should long ago have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. There have been many reasons and explanations given over the years as to why they have been excluded, but regardless the reasons why, someday they hopefully will be elected to the Hall.

Here is the running order from 38 years ago, Saturday October 2, 1982, the final night that the Wilburn Brothers performed on the Grand Ole Opry.

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
The Four Guys (host): I Don't Want Your Love Forever
Justin Tubb: Lonesome 7-7203
The Four Guys: Catfish John

6:45: Rudy's
Jack Greene (host): I've Still Got Room for One More Heartache
Lonzo and Oscar: Take Me Home Country Roads
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything/Statue of a Fool

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Howdy Neighbor, Howdy
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Ernie Ashworth: There's No Place I'd Rather Be Tonight
Charlie Louvin: Mama's Angels
Jeannie Seely: You Don't Need Me, But You Will
R.E. Hardaway: New York City Song
Porter Wagoner: I've Enjoyed As Much of this As I Can Stand/Ol' Slewfoot

7:30: Standard Candy
Grandpa Jones (host): Eight More Miles to Louisville
Charlie Walker: T for Texas
Jean Shepard: Alabama Jubilee
Ray Pillow: She's Doing it to Me Again
Billy Grammer: Homestead on the Farm
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Cotton Eyed Joe
Joe Carroll: Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jan Howard: You Don't Know Me
David Houston: Almost Persuaded
Stonewall Jackson: Life to Go
Wilburn Brothers: The Light House
Roy Acuff: Jesus Will Outshine Them All

8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): Right or Wrong
Vic Willis Trio: Old Flames
Bill Carlisle: Have a Drink on Me
Roy Drusky: What About You
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Saturday Night Hop
Hank Snow: I'm Glad I Got to See You Again

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Porter Wagoner (host): Howdy Neighbor Howdy
The Four Guys: Turn Your Radio On
Jeannie Seely: I'm All Through Crying Over You
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Lonzo and Oscar: I Can Hear Kentucky Calling Me
R.E. Hardaway: New York City Song
Porter Wagoner: I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand

10:00: Little Debbie
Grandpa Jones (host): Banjo Sam
Skeeter Davis: I'll Fly Away
Charlie Louvin: Northwind
Grandpa Jones: It's Raining Here this Morning

10:15: Sunbeam
Charlie Walker (host): San Antonio Rose
Jean Shepard: Too Many Rivers
Ray Pillow: One Too Many Memories
Charlie Walker: Waltz Across Texas

10:30: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Low & Lonely
Wilburn Brothers: Arkansas
Roy Acuff: Farther Along

10:45: Beechnut
Roy Drusky (host): Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy
Billy Grammer: I'm Letting You Go
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Billy in the Low Ground
Roy Drusky: Blues in My Heart

11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): Down the Trail of Aching Hearts
Jan Howard: Where No One Stands Alone
Justin Tubb: Pull the Covers Over Me
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
David Houston: I'm Gonna Hire a Wino
Kirk McGee: Blue Night
Hank Snow: Old Doc Brown

11:30: Hardees
Stonewall Jackson (host): Don't Be Angry
Vic Willis Trio: Last Cheater's Waltz/Let It Be Me
Bill Carlisle: Same Ol' Tale That the Crow Told Me
Sheila and Bill Carlisle, Jr: In the Pines
Stonewall Jackson: Ol' Chunk of Coal/Waterloo

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One final note: 

Since the Covid pandemic started, there have been 29 Saturday nights of Circle TV Opry shows. In those 29 weeks, 31 different Grand Ole Opry members (out of 66 current members) have appeared, with Vince Gill, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Ricky Skaggs, Craig Morgan, Steve Wariner, Darius Rucker and Mark Wills making multiple appearances. 

While 31 Opry members made appearances, a total of 43 non-members appeared, with Ashley McBryde the only one appearing more than once. 

Most of the shows have been very solid and have offered a wide range of artists and musical styles. 

There you have it for this weekend. As I wrote, I will be in Nashville and at the Opry on Saturday night as I have missed only one birthday weekend in 30 years. At the very least, it should be interesting. I'll certainly post any news that comes up. 

As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night.