Welcome to another week of the Grand Ole Opry and let's start off with this bit of news that was announced earlier this week:
Grand Ole Opry members Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton will serve as co-hosts for Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music, honoring the iconic Nashville show and the incredible country stars that call it home. The two-hour special is set to air Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Later that same week, Paisley will celebrate his 20th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member. Shelton is marking 10 years as a member.
For almost a century, the Grand Ole Opry has celebrated the past, present and future of country music, showcasing a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. In that same spirit, the anniversary special brings together artists from across generations who share a passion and reverence for the Opry. With country music stars not only performing their biggest hits, but also covering classics from some of the Opry’s most famous members, it will be an unforgettable night of music. In addition to the incredible performances, the Opry will open its archives that span a period of over nine decades and include interviews, performances and appearances by country artists in all stages of their careers.
It is really nice to see that the Opry will be getting some nationally televised air time on one of the major networks. With Blake's association with NBC, it would seem natural that he would be one of the hosts and of course, Brad Paisley is well known for his association with the Opry. I anticipate both doing a great job. Hopefully there are a lot of classic clips from the archives and they don't spend the majority of the two hours on a half dozen or so current members of the show. Let's hope.
Now looking at this week with the reminder that there is no Friday Night Opry until the middle of February, the Grand Ole Opry has posted the schedule for Saturday night. The good news is that there are three Grand Ole Opry members on the schedule. The bad news is that the Circle televised portion/live stream has no Opry members on the schedule.
The first hour will include Opry members Jeannie Seely and Connie Smith, both of whom have made regular appearances over the past several months, and joined this week by members Larry, Steve and Rudy; The Gatlin Brothers. Joining that trio in the first half of the show will be Aaron Weber.
The second hour, which is the televised portion of the show, will feature guest artists Zach Williams, Maggie Rose, Devin Dawson and Keb' Mo'.
Saturday January 23
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers; Connie Smith; Aaron Weber
8:00: Zach Williams; Maggie Rose; Devin Dawson; Keb' Mo'
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From 50 years ago, Saturday January 23, 1971:
7:00: Billy Walker (host); Bill Carlisle; Lonzo and Oscar; Johnny Carver
7:30: Jack Greene (host); Jeannie Seely; Stringbean; Ernie Ashworth
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper; Crook Brothers; Billy Grammer
8:30: Roy Acuff (host); George Morgan; Tom T. Hall; Grandpa Jones
9:00: Hank Locklin (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Ray Pillow; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Del Wood
9:30: Hank Snow (host); Willis Brothers; Stu Phillips
10:00: Billy Walker (host); Bill Carlisle; Stringbean; Ernie Ashworth
10:15: Jack Greene (host); Jeannie Seely; Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Billy Grammer; Willis Brothers; Lonzo and Oscar
10:45: Roy Acuff (host); Hank Locklin; Tom T. Hall; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Grandpa Jones; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Justin Tubb; Sam McGee
11:30: George Morgan (host); Stu Phillips Ray Pillow; Del Wood
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Looking back, it was on Saturday January 23, 1999 that Grand Ole Opry member Brother Oswald made his final Saturday night appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
For nearly 60 years, Bashful Brother Oswald was one of the most influential and talented dobro players in country music. For the majority of his career, he was the dobroist for Roy Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys, becoming the leading player in country, as well as one of the most popular members of the band. Over the course of his career, Oswald released only a handful of solo recordings, but left behind enough music to illustrate why he was one of the most influential players of his era.
Beecher Ray Kirby was the son of an Appalachian musician. As a child, he learned how to play dobro and banjo, as well as to sing gospel music. When he was a teenager, he began playing square dances with various country groups. In the late '20s, Oswald moved to Flint, Michigan, to work in a Buick factory. After the Great Depression hit, he lost his job and became a musician at the radio station WFDF. Because Hawaiian music was very popular, the station manager decided to feature it prominently during regular programming, thus inspiring Oswald to buy his first steel guitar. In 1933, he performed at the Chicago World's Fair and found himself greatly influenced by the wide variety of music he heard there. The following year, he went to Knoxville and began playing dobro with several different bands, including Roy Acuff's Crazy Tennesseans. Oswald became a permanent member of Acuff's band after the singer was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in the late '30s.
As a vocalist, Oswald gained recognition for singing a few lines on Roy's classic "Precious Jewel" (1940) and on "Wreck on the Highway" (1942). Acuff named his sideman "Brother Oswald" in a ruse to convince audiences that he was the brother of the band's singer, Rachel Veach, to obscure the fact that Veach was an unmarried woman. The dobroist happily complied in creating the Oswald character, and began wearing a floppy mountain hat, tattered overalls, and enormous shoes while adopting a braying horse laugh. The cartoonish character became a favorite of audiences immediately, and stayed popular throughout his career.
Brother Oswald continued performing and recording with Acuff, but began a solo career in the '60s. After working as a session musician, he released a few albums of his own, beginning with 1962's Bashful Brother Oswald. In the early '70s, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had Oswald perform on their 1972 hit album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Also in 1972, guitarist and dobro player Tut Taylor produced Oswald's Brother Oswald album. In the late '70s, he began playing in the Opryland theme park with former Smoky Mountain bandmate Charlie Collins. During the '80s, Oswald continued performing with Collins at Opryland and with Roy at the Opry. Following the death of Roy Acuff in 1992, Oswald and Collins continued to perform on the Opry, with Brother Oswald becoming an official Opry member on January 21, 1995. He would remain an Opry member until his death, becoming one of the few artists to have been associated with the Opry for over 60 years.
Here is the running order from Saturday January 23, 1999:
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Del Reeves (host): Anywhere USA
Bill Carlisle: Gone Home
Del Reeves: Looking at the World Through a Windshield
6:45: Opry Book
Billy Walker (host): Come a Little Bit Closer
Skeeter Davis: I Go to the Rock
Billy Walker: Jesus Walks In
7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Tennessee Saturday Night
Brother Oswald: Waltzing Dobro
Ronnie McDowell: I May Never Get to Heaven
Jim and Jesse: East Bound, Freight Train
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
Porter Wagoner: When the Shiny Silver Eagle Meets the Great Speckled Bird/'Ol Slewfoot
7:30: Standard Candy
Johnny Russell (host): Red Necks, White Socks & Blue Ribbon Beer
Billy "Crash" Craddock: Rub It In; Rub It In
Lonestar: Come Crying to Me/Everything's Changes
Chely Wright: The Love That We Lost
Johnny Russell: Act Naturally
8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): I Get the Fever
Jeff Carson: The Car
The Whites: House of Gold
T. Graham Brown: Wine Into Water
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Bill Cheatham
Bill Anderson: The Paper
8:30: Physicians Mutual
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Jim Ed Brown: Morning
Osborne Brothers: A Child Again
Roy Drusky: As Long As I Live
Mike Snider: Wheel Hoss
Jimmy Dickens: Life Turned Her that Way
2nd show
9:30: Wild Horse Saloon
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Del Reeves: Lover's Question
Jim and Jesse: Are You Missing Me
The Whites: Steal Away and Pray
Ronnie McDowell: Hurt
Porter Wagoner: The Pastor's on Vacation/Rock of Ages
10:00: Lincoln Mercury
Jack Greene (host): Highway to the Sky
Billy "Crash" Craddock: American Trilogy
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything
10:15: Opry Book
Jimmy Dickens (host): Out Behind the Barn
T. Graham Brown: Wine Into Water
Jimmy Dickens: I Love Lucy Brown
10:30 Epiphone
Mike Snider (host): Ground Speed
Chely Wright: She Went Out for Cigarettes
Mike Snider: Black Mountain Rag
10:45: Jogging In A Jug
Billy Walker (host): Cross the Brazos at Waco
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Flop Eared Mule
Billy Walker: I Spend A Lot of Lonely Nights These Days
11:00: Coca Cola
Bill Anderson (host0: No Fair Falling in Love
Osborne Brothers: Nearer My God to Thee
Stu Phillips: The Great El Tigre
Stonewall Jackson: Angry Words
Lonestar: Everything's Changes
Bill Anderson: Still
11:30 Detro Enclosed Trailers
Johnny Russell (host): Good Hearted Woman
Grand Ole Opry Cast: Happy Birthday Johnny Russell
George Hamilton IV and Sandy Kelly: The Way Old Friends Do
George Hamilton IV and V: Abilene
Jim Ed Brown: Barroom Pals and Good Time Gals
Charlie Louvin and Debbie Wilkerson: When I Stop Dreaming
Jeff Carson: Shine On
While January 23 was his last Saturday night appearance, Oswald's final Opry show would be the Friday Night Opry on February 19. After that show, Oswald retired from performing due to declining health. Beecher Ray Kirby passed away on October 17, 2002.
There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday night.
Byron, your perspective of the Opry is always on the positive/rosy side as expected, however, if "Circle" doesn't even show the regular Opry I don't have much hope that the Blake/Brad program will either. Sadly, I continue to be more skeptical and disappointed - we just discussed last night that our many trips to Nashville gave us such great memories and we enjoyed the past meeting the future over the years but we no longer have an interest in the current environment. Our focus and $$$ is better spent on individual concerts and festivals and we do travel distances to do that and hopefully those will be coming back soon. I always love your commentary and thoughts from your followers. (from Anonymous in PA)
ReplyDeleteAnon, I don't have much hope for the Circle segment, but I think it's important to remember that right now, the Opry is severely limiting who can appear there. Bill Anderson basically has been told to stay home, and he's now what I would call a pillar of the place. They're limiting the number of artists AND band members. So I think right now just keeping the place open will do. Frankly, the one who will decide how the Opry is doing may not be Dan Rogers, but Dr. Fauci!
DeleteIn my mind at least, Circle Network is making a calculated decision that the 'Opry needs a new direction. A show featuring young new artists, most of whom have no real love of traditional country music.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, I can't decide if Circle is a good or bad thing for the 'Opry, but I'm beginning to have a bad feeling.
Shoving the 'Opry members into the hour NOT on TV doesn't sit well with me. Let's see what happens in the future.
Welcome to my world of negativity!! Just kidding but I share the three opinions for the most part. We had a show pulled up on Circle the other day that had something to do with classics or tradition in the title. What we saw was newer folks talking about their career or a particular song or period, relating it loosely to a true classic artist like Patsy Cline or Minnie Pearl and getting about 20 seconds of sound or video of them. I think we need to face the fact that history especially pre 1980, is becoming less attractive to all facets of our society and is acknowledged more to make us feel good that we are not forgetting than really to acknowledge the true contribution of the historical figure or event. ("That's deep now" as Porter might have said.)
ReplyDeleteI will qualify the above by saying I thing public demand, lack of interest and lack of knowledge is driving the loss of respect for history. But the uderlying problem with that is lack of education and in the case of the Opry that would be the old clips that might be shown on this NBC show and the new artist doing the older artist song. So, as best they can based on the public maybe they are trying.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
What I find interesting Jim is how the recent 16 hour PBS film "Country Music" by Ken Burns was so widely praised and received by the general public. Spent a whole lot more time talking about the roots of country music than the vanilla, bland, blather we hear today.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you're right that things have to change over time, but as my late father used to joke, "I've seen hundreds of changes in my life, and I've been against every d*&n one of em!" :)
Well said!
DeleteI honestly don't understand who the Circle network is trying to appeal to with their Opry tv broadcasts. Looking at their schedule, the programs they tend to air are reruns of old shows like Hee Haw, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, and The Lone Ranger. You would think that with shows like that being prominently aired on their Network, they're trying to attract an older crowd.
ReplyDeleteBut yet, when it comes to broadcasting live Opry shows, they decide to instead focus on younger artists. Now, I can understand if there is a big star they'd like to focus on instead of an older performer, but in the case of this week's tv broadcast, they're removing any traces of the artists that viewers in the network's supposed target demographic actually would be interested in seeing. Keb' Mo' & Zach Williams might have fanbases to bring in people to watch him perform (even though they don't really fit the demographic), but I'd say more viewers are interested in seeing a performance by Grammy winners Jeannie Seely & The Gatlin Brothers, and Country Music Hall of Famer Connie Smith than Maggie Rose & Devin Dawson.
Furthermore, it doesn't make sense to me why The Circle Network can't air the entire Opry broadcast live. After all, it is their biggest draw to the network, yet they'd rather limit this exclusive content in favor of programming nobody really cares about.
I appreciate the Opry televising their broadcasts again, but they really need to figure out who they're trying to appeal to overall.
I did a little research regarding the Saturday Opry shows since November 7, which was the date that the Opry went back to the two hour format with the 2nd hour on Circle and of the 11 Saturday nights, 3 of the Circle broadcasts featured no Opry members at all.
ReplyDeleteOf the other 8 shows, there were 8 appearances by an Opry members and 28 appearances by a non-member. Comparing that to the 1st hour (non-televised) that featured 20 Opry member appearances and 16 non-member appearances.
Of the 8 appearances by an Opry member on the televised portion, there were the members:
Craig Morgan
Trace Adkins
Jeannie Seely
Chris Young
Kelsea Ballerini
Terri Clark
Emmylou Harris
Dailey & Vincent
(each appeared one time)
The members who have appeared on the non-televised hour:
Jeannie Seely
John Conlee
Bill Anderson
Del McCoury
Mark Wills
Riders In The Sky
Connie Smith
Marty Stuart
Bill Anderson and John Conlee have not appeared since the decision was made that artists have to use the Opry band during their appearances and not their own musicians. And it does seem like Jeannie, Connie and the Riders have basically become the Opry "regulars" that have been scheduled for the majority of the recent shows.
Kyle, I agree with you as to your observations regarding the Circle network and their target audience. The programming seems all over the map, from the Opry related programming back to the old rural shows that were no network television decades ago. I just can't believe the same audience that is interested in F-Troop is the same audience interested in Lady A, Keb'Mo' and Carly Pearce.
The Circle Opry is obviously drawing viewers and the streaming and web-based numbers, according to Pollstar, are among the highest of any of the weekly streams. I do believe that the Opry has created a lot of new fans interested in the Opry since they started televising on Circle and I am sure that the Opry is hoping that those new fans will come to the Opry once it reopens to unlimited seating.
Great research Byron.
DeleteEspecially glad to hear that the 'Opry is drawing so well on the Circle Network portion.
Who knows, they may be making a brilliant move.
My son leads worship at our Church, and I know he's fired up that Zach Williams will be on Saturday night.
BREAKING:
ReplyDeleteLadyA was surprised with an invitation from Darius Rucker
to join the Grand Ole Opry during the group’s performance taping for the upcoming NBC special, “Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music” airing Feb. 14.
Is it just my television, or isn't the audio quality really bad on the Circle Network broadcast tonight?
ReplyDeleteOne thing is certain, not every songwriter can sing. I'll leave it that. :)
Just finished watching the show and her listening to Golden Era of the Opry on WSM, which is much more appropriate, than the train wreck I just saw with Dawson, Rose, and Williams... Keb Mo interesting, but need Opry Members on the teelvised portions. I also agree with posts above on the target audience... Lets see some of the Hall of famers and legends or at least put a mix to satisfy all demographics. Ed Sullivan did it for years by mixing genres of entertainment....why cant circle do it with genres of country music and musicians???
ReplyDeleteI see they are advertising Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers for the televised segment next week, so that will give us one Opry member. The week after, it looks like Rhonda and Dierks Bentley are TV, so that will give us 2 weeks in a row of at least one member.
ReplyDeleteWho else has noticed that the Opry seems to be including a comedian on the show most weeks? Last night it was Aaron Weber. Previous weeks have seen Henry Cho (several times), Brad Upton and Chonda Pierce.
I wonder how much of that is the idea that a comedian doesn't need a band and they don't have to worry about instruments!
Delete