It seems like each week a couple more of the Grand Ole Opry members return to the stage at the Opry House and this weekend is no exception as the legendary Gene Watson and Kelsea Ballerini will be making their first Opry appearances of 2021. While Kelsea did make an Opry appearance during the Covid shutdown of the live Opry shows, this will be Gene's first appearance since Covid appeared on the scene. Glad to see both of these Opry members returning.
Both Gene and Kelsea will be appearing on the Friday Night Opry, with Riders In The Sky the only other Opry member appearing. Riders In the Sky will be back on Saturday night, joined by Jeannie Seely.
Guesting on Friday night will be Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy. Also appearing are a couple of acts that have been making frequent stops at the Opry this year, The Isaacs and Carly Pearce. While it is probably a given that Carly will be an Opry member at some point in the near future (in my opinion), The Isaacs would also be a wonderful addition to the cast. Mo Pitney is also on the schedule as is veteran country music artist, Doug Stone. It has been a long, long time since Doug last appeared on the Opry and it is good to see him back.
Saturday night will feature the father/son solo acts Rhett Akins and Thomas Rhett. For those wondering and who may not know, Thomas (Rhett) Akins is the dad and (Thomas) Rhett Akins, Jr. is the son. Both will be on the Circle televised portion of the Opry. Those two will be joined in the final hour by Tracy Lawrence. A few years back, Tracy was making a lot of Opry appearances. So many in fact, that many thought Tracy might become an Opry member at some point. However in the past couple of years, we have not seen much of Tracy at the Opry and he seems to have fallen off the frequent guest list. I am happy to see Tracy back as he really has a nice country sound and a solid collection of hits. And yes, I always thought that Tracy would make a good Opry member.
Also on the Saturday night schedule are Smithfield and Steven Curtis Chapman.
Friday June 11
7:00: Gene Watson; Mo Pitney; Charlie McCoy; Kelsea Ballerini
Intermission
8:00: Doug Stone; Riders In The Sky; Carly Pearce; The Isaacs
Saturday June 12
7:00: Opry Square Dancers; Jeannie Seely; Smithfield; Steven Curtis Chapman; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Tracy Lawrence; Rhett Akins; Thomas Rhett
Just three Opry members on Friday night and only two members on Saturday night, with no Opry members on the televised portion of the show on Circle. I would have thought at this point we would have seen more artists and more members appearing. Certainly some of the legends such as Bill Anderson, John Conlee and Bobby Osborne, all of whom have been welcomed back to the show.
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Now from 50 years ago, Saturday June 12, 1971:
1st show
6:30: Jack Greene (host); Jimmy Dry
6:45: Ray Pillow (host); Ernie Ashworth; Del Wood
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; James William Monroe; Jeannie C. Riley
7:30: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Stringbean; Willis Brothers; Crook Brothers
8:00: Roy Acuff (host); Billy Grammer; Connie Smith; Brother Oswald
8:30: Ernest Tubb (host); The 4 Guys; Marion Worth; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Kenny Price; Alton Thrasher
2nd show
9:30: Jack Greene (host); Willis Brothers; Jimmy Dry; Ernie Ashworth
10:00: Bill Monroe (host); Hamilton County Bluegrass Band
10:15: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Stringbean; Jeannie C. Riley
10:30: Roy Acuff (host); Del Wood
10:45: Ernest Tubb (host); Kenny Price; Crook Brothers
11:00: Billy Grammer (host); Connie Smith; Ray Pillow; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); The 4 Guys; Marion Worth
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June 11, 1949. Every Grand Ole Opry fan in the world should know the significance of that date. Just in case there are new Opry fans out there, it was on that date 72 years ago that Hank Williams made his debut on the Opry.
Here is the short version of Hank's story:
In the tragically short life of country legend Hank Williams, there were many broken relationships, both personal and professional, that resulted from his self-destructive behavior. One such relationship was with the most important institution in his chosen field: The Grand Ole Opry. Shortly before it cost him his life, Hank’s drinking cost him his membership in the Opry, just three years after his triumphant debut. That debut, however, remains one of the most famous in the history of the live country-music performance program broadcast weekly on WSN Nashville since 1925. Hank Williams took to the microphone for his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 11, 1949, electrifying a live audience at Ryman Auditorium that called Williams out for six encores and had to be implored not to call him out for more in order to allow the rest of the show to go on.
Hank Williams was only 25 years old when he was invited to appear for the first time on the Grand Ole Opry. As a young man growing up dirt poor in southern Alabama, he began supporting his family at the age of seven by shining shoes and selling peanuts, but by 14 at least, he was already performing as a professional musician. The life of a “professional musician” playing the blood-bucket honky-tonks of the Deep South bore little resemblance to the lifestyle that would later become available to him, but it was there, in country music’s backwater proving grounds, that Hank Williams developed his heavily blues-influenced style and began writing his own music. Williams left music behind during WWII, but then he went to Nashville in 1946 hoping to sell some of his songs. Quickly signed to a publishing contract by one of Nashville’s most prominent music publishers, Fred Rose, Williams soon had a recording contract with MGM and his first hit record with “Move It On Over” (1947).
Williams’ heavy drinking had already earned him a reputation in the industry, however—a reputation that ruled out an invitation to appear on The Grand Ole Opry. It was the Opry’s biggest competition, The Louisiana Hayride, that first exposed Williams to a wide radio audience, but when his 1949 record “Lovesick Blues” became a monumental popular hit, the powers that be in Nashville relented, and Williams made his Opry debut. His performance on this day in 1949, during which he performed six encores of “Lovesick Blues” for a wildly enthusiastic live audience, led to regular appearances over the next three years, until the Opry fired Williams in July 1952 over his heavy drinking. Six months later, Hank Williams died of alcohol-induced heart failure at the age of 29.
Here is the running order from that famous night 72 years ago:
7:30: American Ace Coffee
Roy Acuff: Low and Lonely
Tommy Magness: Black Mountain Rag
Dot & Smokey: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Jimmy Riddle: Dill Pickle Rag
Roy and Oswald: Eye From on High
Uncle Dave Macon and Dorris: Take Me Back to My Old Carolina Home
Jug Band: Johnson's Old Grey Mule
Roy Acuff: Unclouded Day
Joe Zinkas: 12th Street Rag
Dot & Smokey: Are You Tired of Me Darling
Rachel & Oswald: Jesse James
8:00: Purina Show
Cowboy Copas: Dolly Dear
Uncle Dave Macon: Chewing Gum
George Morgan: Candy Kisses
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Girl I Left Behind Me
Cowboy Copas: Carless Hands
Lazy Jim Day: Singing The News
George Morgan: Rainbow in My Heart
Robert Lunn: Talking Blues
Hank Garland: Short Creek Shuffle
Cowboy Copas: One Step More
8:30: Prince Albert
Red Foley: Tennessee Polka
Tommy Wakeley: Try To Understand
Fowler Quartet: Old Blind Bartemus
Red Foley: Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Jimmy Wakeley: Someday You'll Call My Name and I Won't Answer
Old Hickory Quartet: In the Good Ole Summertime
Red Foley: I'm Throwing Rice at the Girl I Love
Square Dance: Stony Point
9:00: Royal Crown Cola
Possum Hunters: Widow McGraw
Roy Acuff: Tennessee Central Number 9
Jamup & Honey: Jokes
Jimmy Riddle: Wabash Blues
Jimmy Dickens: Cold Tater
Jug Band: Uncle Noah's Ark
Lonzo and Oscar: I Wish I Had A Nickle
Rachel & Oswald: Rabbit in the Log
Roy Acuff: Waiting for My Call to Glory
Bradley Kinkaid: Won't You Come Over to My House
Tommy Magness: Leather Britches
9:30: Warren Paint
Lew Childre: My Mammy
Ernest Tubb: Biting My Finger Nails and Thinking of You
Bill Monroe: To Be Announced
Hank Williams: Lovesick Blues
Crook Brothers: Old Joe Clark
Ernest Tubb: Daddy When Is Mommy Coming Home
String Beans: Cross Eyed Gal
Mel & Stan: I'll Gladly Take You Back Again
Bill Monroe: To Be Announced
Ernest Tubb: I Hung My Head and Cried
10:00: Wallrite
Bill Monroe: Kitty Clyde
Bradley Kinkaid: When I Was A Boy From the Mountains
Blue Grass Quartet: Goodbye Old Pal
Shenandoah Valley: Live and Let Live
10:15: Gaylark
Milton Estes: John Henry
Jimmy Dickens: Bible on the Table
Jimmy Selph: A Petal From A Faded Rose
Milton Estes: Build Me A Cabin in Glory
10:30: Royal Flour
Roy Acuff: Coming From the Ball
Uncle Dave Macon and Doris: Kissing on the Sly
Roy Acuff: Poem
Roy and Gang: Farther Along
Tommy Magness: Cackling Hen
10:45: Dr. Le Gear
Cowboy Copas: Package of Lies Tied in Blue
Mel & Stan: Two Little Rose Buds
Lazy Jim Day: Singing the News
Cowboy Copas: Waltzing With Tears in My Eyes
Red Herron: Sally Goodin
11:00: Allen Manufacturing Company
George Morgan: Need You
Hank Williams: Mind Your Own Business
Velma: The Little Kid Sister of Mine
George Morgan: Put All Your Love In A Cookie Jar
Gully Jumpers: Going Cross the Sea
11:15: Sustaining
Ernest Tubb: Don't Rob Another Man's Castle
Lew & String Bean: Darling Nelly Grey
Butter Ball: I Can't Go for That
Ernest Tubb: Frankie & Johnny
11:30: Sustaining
Jimmy Dickens: The Rose from the Brides Bouquet
Lonzo and Oscar: Sour Wood Mountain
Crook Brothers: Ida Red
Jimmy Dickens: Pennies for Papa
Zeb Turner:
11:45: Sustaining
Wally Fowler: Lead Me to that Rock
Robert Lunn: Corina
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Alabama Jubilee
Wally Fowler: May the Circle Be Unbroken
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Leather Britches
Wally Fowler: Get on Board
Most accounts of that night have Hank on "The Prince Albert Show" portion of the Opry the was hosted by Red Foley. It has also been written that Hank was called back out for six encores with Red finally settling down the crowd by promising that Hank would be heard again on the Opry.
Roy Acuff had his own memory of Hank's debut and he has claimed that he was the one who first introduced Hank at the Opry. Roy had known Hank for several years, as the two had met in the early 1940s when Roy and his Smoky Mountain Boys did a concert in Montgomery, Alabama and Hank came backstage. On future trips, Hank would show up and would share songs with Roy, leading up to the 1946 audition that Hank did for Fred Rose.
In a 1967 interview, Roy said the following, "Vito, it would really be a feather in your cap if you could get this boy on the Opry.....I was glad to take Hank under my wing. I introduced him to everyone backstage and then brought him out on the stage and introduced him to the crowd. You might hear it a lot of ways, but that's the way it happened." (The Vito Roy is referring to is Vito Pellettieri, the Opry's stage manager.)
Then there was Grant Turner's memory of Hank's debut. "Hank brought that song 'Lovesick Blues' to the Opry. They brought him in that first night and put him in the boss's office so he could relax, and when it came him time, they brought him down, and Red Foley introduced him. People loved that 'Lovesick Blues' song so much, they kicked up the dust in the auditorium. The spotlights looked like they were picking up smoke, there was so much dust kicked up."
Finally, here is how Red Foley introduced Hank on the Prince Albert Opry. "Well, sir, tonight's big name guest is making his first appearance on Prince Albert Grand Ole Opry. He's a Montgomery, Alabama, boy. Been pickin' and singin' about twelve years, but it's been about the last year he's really come into his own, and we're proud to give a rousing Prince Albert welcome to the Lovesick Blues Boy, Hank Williams." (Notice that Red said Hank was making his "first appearance on the Prince Albert Opry"!!)
The facts are that it was neither Roy or Red who introduced Hank Williams his first night at the Opry, but instead it was Ernest Tubb, a fact that is confirmed not only by Ronnie Pugh's excellent Ernest Tubb biography, but from the actual line-up from that night.
On his first night at the Opry, June 11, 1949, Hank appeared on the Warren Paint portion of the Opry, which was "hosted" by Ernest Tubb. Ernest introduced Hank and he did sing "Lovesick Blues." He was then on again during the 11:00 portion sponsored by Allen Manufacturing Company and hosted by George Morgan. During that portion he did "Mind Your Own Business." Both Red Foley and Roy Acuff were on the Opry that night, but Hank did not appear during their segments.
Hank was back on the Opry the following Saturday night, June 18, and it was on that night that he did appear on the Prince Albert Show hosted by Red Foley and did "Lovesick Blues." Later on that portion, he did "Wedding Bells." He later appeared that night on the 11:30 segment hosted by Jimmy Dickens.
My opinion is that his June 11 debut was sort of an audition (which is how the Opry tried out new acts in those days), and the management wanted to see how Hank would go over. After the initial reception, the following week he was given a prime spot on the network show. The six encores definitely took place during the June 11 appearance as there is a recording of the June 18 Prince Albert portion and there was no encore by Hank as the PA portion was a tightly scripted 30 minute segment for network radio. For what it is worth, Jimmy Dickens was on the Opry both weeks, June 11 and 18, so he would have witnessed both events.
Time changes people's memories and I don't blame Roy or Red for having different versions of Hank's first night at the Opry. It is possible that Red was thinking of the Prince Albert Show, and not the Opry in general. And I am sure it was Roy who took Hank around backstage and introduced him to folks. Regardless, it was a great night in the Opry's history and many people today still consider it the greatest night in the history of the Opry.
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6:30: Grandpa Jones (host); The 4 Guys; Ramona Jones
6:45: Bill Anderson (host); Lorrie Morgan
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Skeeter Davis; Del Reeves; Charlie Louvin; Jan Howard
7:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Ray Pillow; David Houston; Patty Loveless
8:00: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard; Jack Greene; Roy Drusky; Larry McNeely
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jeanne Pruett; Billy Walker; Holly Dunn
2nd show
9:30: Bill Anderson (host); The 4 Guys; Jeannie Seely; Wilma Lee Cooper; Bill Carlisle; Roy Acuff
10:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Patty Loveless
10:15: Roy Acuff (host); Del Reeves; Randy Pollard
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Stonewall Jackson; Hank Locklin
10:45: Jimmy Dickens (host); Crook Brothers; Stoney Mountain Cloggers; Charlie Walker
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Justin Tubb; Charlie Louvin; Holly Dunn
11:30: Jack Greene (host); Jeanne Pruett; Roy Drusky; Johnny Russell
I'll be a history professor for a moment (that's what I do in real life) and say this is a great example for what we call the study of memory. What happened and what we remember are often so different.
ReplyDeleteI THINK--I could be wrong--Mac Wiseman was the last living performer from the night of Hank Williams's debut. He would then have been Bill Monroe's lead singer.
As for the current Opry, I wonder if they're still trying to be extra careful with the number of people backstage. Also, not everyone may be vaccinated.
Also, I'm typing this on the 37th anniversary of Lorrie Morgan's induction, and I'll never forget that they showed a clip of it on "Nashville Now," where she was then one of the regulars. Bill Anderson introduced her and was crying the whole time. She came out with a bouquet of flowers and my mother said, "If she sings 'Candy Kisses' ..." and she did. Ralph Emery asked her about the night and she said "Uncle Bill" inducted her. Ralph asked if he gave her the flowers. She said, "No, Uncle Jimmy" and mentioned Newman. The first time Jimmy C. did the Opry, he was scared to death, and George Morgan came over and settled him down.
DeleteWhat a night in June of 49. One of the most important nights in Country Music history. While not Opry members, Thelma Acuff (Roy’s daughter) and Jim Kincaid (Bradley’s son) are both still around and were both there.
ReplyDeleteHanks addition, along with a few others, was really the last straw for Bradley Kincaid. He soon left thereafter, giving reason that the Opry was not “his style” of music anymore. In 1950 he basically retired.
Doug Stone had some great hits in the 90s. Glad to see him on the bill.
It's weird that the circle portion has only 3 guests. Perhaps Tracy will become the first person to be invited to join the opry on tv? I feel like that is long over due! For those who don't follow modern christian music, Steven is the most successful artist in the history of the style, winning more awards than any other artist. Sandy Patty may be slightly ahead or behind but it's been those 2 for over 20 years! He would make a wonderful member as I don't think his radio success is what it once was, but his name is more well known with more people than just about any gospel artist in history! Am I the only one who thinks the first hour on Friday gets all the big names other than one out and off real fast? Wonder why that is this time? I'm assuming there is a recording of the Prince Albert segment from June 11th? That would be cool to hear just to know what was coming later! I may have to find it.
ReplyDeleteE. Z.
Byron, thanks for the reminder of Patty Loveless' Opry induction. I remember, very well, watching on TNN the night that she was inducted. She was born and raised in a small town in Kentucky not very far from where I was reared, so I was very happy that a fellow eastern Kentucky native had "made it". Am I remembering correctly that Ricky Van Shelton was inducted as a member the night before? I seem to recall watching the backstage show before Patty's induction, and they mentioned that Ricky had been inducted as a member on that Friday. Am I remembering this correctly?
ReplyDeleteYour memory is good. Ricky Van Shelton was inducted as a new member on the Friday Night Opry, June 10, 1988, the night before Patty was inducted.
DeleteIt's after 3 am on a Thursday morning, and I stumbled on a 5 hour long video on youtube of a bunch of tnn shows around mr. Acuff's fifty year opry anniversary. Tnn was a HUGE part of my childhood, and I remember each week night just about I'd watch Nashville Now, and every Saturday evening backstage was on followed by the half hour opry show. There was such a charm about tnn and how very southern it was! We live in such a very eunique part of the world in the deep south that I don't know unless you're here for a long time if you can really get it but, if you watched tnn and how laid back and yet amazing it was, you got it! I did not even know wsm existed back then, so I guess promoting the opry on tv and not really talking about radio is not new to Circle but, Circle is just missing the charm of tnn. Keith by the way was just about the only opry personality I ever heard of til the 2010s when I started listening to wsm online. So these clips hold a ton of meaning for me! Those of you who listened to the radio first, did you guys even like tnn or did you feel the way many of us do about Circle now? Just rambling thoughts very late at night as I watch all this very old yet still amazing stuff! E. Z.
ReplyDeleteI loved TNN. Watched it all the time. Some of the names I remember were Ralph Emery on Nashville Now, Shotgun Red, Debra Maffett did Country News, Al Wyntor, Katie Haas, Cathy Martindale, Gary Beaty, Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase and Gary Chapman to name a few. Bob
DeleteI'll continue the memories. The three regular singers on Nashville Now were Lorrie, Darlene Austin, and Tom Grant, and there was a running gag that every time Tom tried to sing "The Gambler," Ralph would interrupted him. The Nashville Now Singers included Donna and Perry Rhodes, whose uncle was Porter's old pal Speck.
DeleteGene Watson has a gig after his Opry Appearance. He'll be playing the Nashville Palace, a short distance from the Opry House. His show has been rescheduled 4 times, March 21, 2020, July 10, 2020, September 4, 2020 and May 7, 2021. My tickets have gotten dusty waiting for the show to happen. I've seen him at The Palace before and it's a great venue for a Honky Tonk singer such as Gene.
ReplyDeleteEvery show Gene Watson does, whatever the venue, is a GREAT show. We had tickets so see him again for this past May in PA but unfortunately it was rescheduled and to a date we can't attend. So we drove to VA to see his best buddy, Moe Bandy !! Same for him, any venue is a great show.
ReplyDeleteWho do you guys see going into the Hall of Fame this year?.
ReplyDeleteSo I looked it up and Steven is still the most awarded artist in the history of christian music standing at 59 GMA Dove Awards! Nobody in christian music is close to that and he's probably the most well known artist in the music's history. So again, opry membership seems obvious!
ReplyDeleteOh and who do you guys see going into the Hall of Fame this year????????
ReplyDeleteE.Z. ....
DeleteWe haven't seen the Inductees from last year go into the Hall of Fame ... no Medallion Ceremony yet, hopefully before the end of the year. It's really a shame this has happened to these three guys. They all have foot IN the hall, one foot still OUT!
While this is only a guess on my part, I really don't see anyone being elected this year but we could still get a surprise.
(Jeanene)
I believe there will be a 2021 class of inductees, and they’ll likely be inducted with the class of 2020 this fall.
DeleteMy guess is the favorites in the veteran category lay between Lynn Anderson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Crystal Gayle, The Gatlins, Mickey Gilley or Tanya Tucker.
Modern will likely lay between The Judds, Steve Wariner, Patty Loveless, Clint Black and possibly moving into the early 90s with Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride or even Tim McGraw.
Musician could be Bob Moore (bass), Hank Garland (guitar), Buck Trent (banjo), Buddy Harmon (drums), Pete Drake (steel) or they might even look back finally to Bashful Brother Oswald, Tommy Duncan or Don Rich.
With at least 6 going in, it should be a great show. They may even divide it into two shows.
I am very surprised that Jimmy Capps is not mentioned as far as musicians. I know he passed in June 2020 so I am going to assume that he would fall under the one year moratorium on eligibility within a year of death. Of the other names listed in the musician category, Buck Trent would be somewhat of a surprise, especially considering that in general, the voters seem to have favored the session musicians.
DeleteAs far as the other categories, the Veterans category continues to have a backlog, which would lead me to think that there will be a 2021 class of inductees. In the Modern category, Martina would be a surprise. I still think they need to clear the decks as far as The Judds, Steve Wariner, Clint Black, and even throwing in Rosanne Cash. It is just so tough when only one per category is elected each year.
It will be interesting to see how they do handle the Medallion ceremony in the fall. Would they do it all in one night, or break it up into two?
Byron: I suspect Capps is on the radar. It would not surprise me and he deserves it.
DeleteBuck Trent is well respected in the country music community. He’s on those 50s and 60s records of The Carlisle’s, then moved on to Porter Wagoner, then Hee Haw, then Branson. Really, he grew into an entertainer on his own. No Banjoist has been honored as of yet. He’s got the right friends, I would not be surprised.
DeleteDavid, yes; Buck has had a very successful career and deserves mention for the Hall of Fame. My reference to being somewhat of a surprise was in the fact that Buck had really never been mentioned in past years. I would think Capps would be at the top of the list considering he had a 60 year carrier and the number of recordings that he played on.
DeleteThis just illustrates one of the problems with the categories and the Hall of Fame. Rotating the musician and songwriter category every three years (along with the contributor category), is not going to come close to getting everyone in that deserves to be in. While I realize that there is a separate Musicians Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, election to the Country Music Hall of Fame is the pinnacle. The CMA really needs to reconsider these categories and perhaps it is time to do a reset. (Of course, this is the discussion we have every year around this time).
Hi Byron, have you heard anything on the possibility of a 2021 Class? While it is still early enough in the year, it is very possible there could be a new Class. I have learned to no longer try to second guess Nashville, the music they pump out of that town & anything regarding the Country Music Hall of Fame & the newest inductees.
DeleteI thought in years past the Medallion Ceremony was held in late October.
And it would be great if Jimmy Capps would be elected to the Hall of Fame as well as Steve Wariner & Clint Black.
(Jeanene)
Gene Watson seemed genuinely happy to perform. Great song with the Isaacs. Perfect song for Gene!
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to listen to the show from 72 years ago when Hank made his debut?
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of a tape of Hank's Opry debut. I know that there is audio of Hank's debut the following week on the Prince Albert portion of the Opry. That I do have somewhere in the collection.
DeleteJeannie Seely off to a great start. "I just go on livin', if you can call it that!" Now THAT is country music.
ReplyDeleteOK, I’ll play. This will have to appear as several posts due to Blogger’s character limits and the fact that I talk too much. I don’t even know if anybody reads these extended comments but I enjoy writing on the subject matter so I’ll entertain myself if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t been a regular contributor here for a long, long time but I still visit weekly and enjoy the conversation. Every year, I find the Hall of Fame discussion to be interesting and sometimes the inductees even more interesting. I appreciate that the discussion here is thoughtful, passionate and informed unlike what I read on other blogs or websites. I’m not a big fan of the “category” system and definitely not a fan of the rotating categories as I feel like if even 10 of the people in each of them make the cut it will take 30 years and by that time a lot of deserving people will be long gone and mostly forgotten. I feel like the “Modern Era” category was put in place to generate news coverage outside of Nashville but I’m not sure it’s worked too well. The CMA doesn’t even find the Hall of Fame important enough to mention on their annual awards show…something that traditionally was always one of the highlights of the night and back when the inductees weren’t announced until the night of the broadcast it made for some very genuine emotion that was compelling television. But today, the Hall of Fame announcement seems to be greeted with a shrug in most places. And, while I understand how and why headlines work, I still find “Reba McEntire, others, named to country hall” to be a little insulting to the “others” who are sometimes relegated to the final paragraph of the article.
To me, the categories have outlived their time but in the “Veteran Era” I still find a lot of names that made significate contributions to country music in its early years, namely the Maddox Brothers and Rose, Fiddlin’ John Carson and Bradley Kincaid. Between making records, performing, booking and publishing, the Wilburn Brothers were highly influential in Nashville. Sonny Osborne credits Teddy Wilburn with finding 90% of the songs that the Osbornes recorded in their heyday. The Osborne Brothers were some of the most daring innovators in country and bluegrass music and the fact that they were the first to record one of the most well-known songs in any genre of music makes them Hall-worthy in my estimation. The Stanley Brothers were a huge influence on Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, among others. Helen, June and Anita Carter, Archie Campbell, and Tanya Tucker are some, but not all, of the names that round out my list.
And, certainly a long shot, but I would make an argument that Hank Locklin’s contributions to moving country music forward are worthy of consideration. He had one of the most recognizable voices and was able to hit those high notes right up until the end of his career. He released 96 singles with two that are country standards and was a pioneer of the “concept” album. He brought a cosmopolitan feel to his music. He was one of the first artists to really feature the piano on his recordings and his work with Chet Atkins and embrace of strings and horns on his records helped define the “Nashville Sound” in the late 50s and early 60s.
Like I said, I’m not a big fan of the “Modern Era” category, although there are some names that fit into that box that stand out: The Judds, Crystal Gayle, Eddie Rabbitt and Larry Gatlin are at the top of that list. In spite of his success as a songwriter, slew of number one hits and being one of the most popular concert draws in the 70s and 80s, I wouldn’t have given Larry Gatlin much of a shot even a few short years ago. He’s written some of the most well-known songs in country music but early on his abrasive manner didn’t endear him to a lot of people and his refusal to sign autographs rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way. I still remember the phrase that went around Nashville in the 70s, “Will Rogers never met Larry Gatlin”. Ouch. He seems to be well-regarded these days but now it may be his decidedly conservative political views in what has become a decidedly liberal music community that might hurt his chances these days. There are a lot of other names that meet the CMAs criteria but my short list is the shortest of my lists.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the rotating category that interests me the most every year. I guess that’s the historian in me. The inductees in those categories are not well-known to the average country music fan but as one who has spent most of his career in a “backstage” role I appreciate the contributions those people make on a different level than most. This year, it’s a musician who will be going in and there’s such a backlog in the category of deserving musicians that if everyone on my list made the cut it would take nearly 100 years to get them all in. Only a handful of them are still living and I’m afraid that the further down the road we go the more likely that many of them will be forgotten. So, here goes (in no particular order).
I've never seen Larry Gatlin. But I've heard he's not very friendly. Bob
DeleteThe steel guitar is the instrument that is really unique to country music and I find it odd that no steel player (unless you count Barbara Mandrell) has been recognized so far. I guess the top steel player on my list would have to be Pete Drake for his pioneering work in the studio. His career started in Atlanta with his band, Sons of the South, whose members included people you probably haven’t heard of like Doug Kershaw, Roger Miller, Jack Greene, Jerry Reed and Joe South. After arriving in Nashville in 1959, he played on “Anymore” with Roy Drusky and became one of the top members of the A-Team and the list of artists he worked with over the years reads like a Who’s Who of country music. He played on “Rose Garden” with Lynn Anderson , “Behind Closed Doors” with Charlie Rich, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” with George Jones, “Lucille” with Kenny Rogers, and played one of the most iconic licks in country music history on “Stand By Your Man” with Tammy Wynette. He did all of the legendary Bob Dylan Nashville sessions and later worked in the studio with both George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He invented the “talk box” and had a big hit with “Forever” (although the device was more popular among rock guitarists like Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh) and his “Pete’s Place” studio was one of the busiest studios in town where he produced “No Charge” for Melba Montgomery and B.J. Thomas’ Grammy and Dove award winning “Amazing Grace” album. In the early 80s, he produced a series of albums on his own “First Generation” record label featuring Opry stars including Justin Tubb, Jean Shepard, Ray Pillow, the Vic Willis Trio, Lonzo and Oscar, the Wilburn Brothers and also produced Ernest Tubb’s final recording sessions in 1982. He 1962, he opened one of the first music publishing houses in town. His first writers were Ed Bruce and Bill and Dottie West and he also helped develop the talents of writers like David Allan Coe, Sonny Throckmorton and Linda Hargrove. For a time in the 60s, Windows Music was having a song a day recorded. In 1987 he was awarded the Nashville Entertainment Association’s Master Award and was also inducted into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Since his passing in 1988, he has been named to the Musicians Hall of Fame as part of the A-Team, the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. And, for years, his song “For Pete’s Sake” opened the Grand Ole Opry Warmup Show with Grant Turner every Saturday night.
ReplyDeleteLloyd Green is another steel player at the top of my list. He has nearly 300 studio albums under his belt including The Byrds’ iconic “Sweethearts of the Rodeo” album. He’s recorded with Charley Pride, Faron Young, Connie Smith, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Nat Stuckey and Barbara Mandrell. That’s Lloyd Green you hear on Freddie Hart’s recording of “Easy Loving” and Barbara Mandrell’s “The Midnight Oil”. He was one of the musicians featured in the Hall of Fames recent “Nashville Cats” exhibit and is still in demand as a studio player today.
Pete Drake!!!!! I love his talking STeel Guitar!!!!!!
DeleteBuddy Emmons was probably the best steel guitar player of his day. In 1955, he came to Nashville to work with Little Jimmy Dickens. In 1956, Dickens broke up his band and Emmons began doing studio work. One of his first sessions was Faron Young’s recording of “Sweet Dreams”. He was widely sought after in Nashville and Los Angeles recording with Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parson, The Carpenters, Roger Miller, Jimmy Dickens, John Sebastian, George Strait and Ray Charles. He is also well known for his tenure as a member of Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours and can be heard on Tubb’s recording of “Half a Mind”. In 1962, he went to work for Ray Price and his playing on the 1963 recording of “Night Life” is one of the most iconic sounds in country music history. In addition to being a master musician he was also an innovator who added features to the guitar that are now standards of the modern-day instrument. Along with Shot Jackson, he formed the Sho-Bud Company to design and build steel guitars in 1956. A nine time winner of the ACM’s “Best Steel Guitarist” award beginning in 1969, Buddy Emmons died of a heart attack in 2015.
ReplyDeleteYou know Weldon Myrick from his years with the Opry staff band. His recording debut came in 1964 when he played on “Once A Day” with Connie Smith and she has called him the man who is responsible for creating the Connie Smith sound. In addition to his Opry gig he was also a member of the group “Area Code 615” with Charlie McCoy and Bobby Thompson. He can be heard on Dobie Gray’s 1973 recording of “Drift Away”, “Bobbie Sue” with the Oak Ridge Boys, “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” with George Strait and “Whoever’s In New England” with Reba McEntire. He worked on the “Honky Tonk Angels” album with Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn and recorded with many others including Marie Osmond, Moe Bandy, Kris Kristofferson, Collin Raye and Linda Ronstadt. He passed away in 2014.
Hal Rugg arrived in Nashville in 1961 and began a long series of touring jobs with Bobby Lord, Jean Shepard, Stonewall Jackson, Leroy Van Dyke and George Jones. Over the years, he worked in the studio with Billy Walker, The Wilburn Brothers, Jean Shepard, Norma Jean, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, and Eddie Rabbitt and played on most of Loretta Lynn’s records from 1965 through the mid-1980s. He was a member of the Opry Staff Band from 1963 until 1978. For seven years he was the band leader and music director on the Statler Brothers’ show on TNN. He died in Tucson, Arizona, in 2005.
BUddy Emmons!!! Was key for Ernest Tubb. Him and Leon Rhodes made that Ernest Tubb sound in the early 60s. For me that is the best incarnation of that band. THen, everything he did with Ray Price.... words fall short... Once saw a concert with him and Ray Price on Austin City Limits.... priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteJohn Hughey is probably best known for his 30 years touring and playing with his high school classmate, Conway Twitty. His playing emphasized the higher range of the steel guitar and it helped define Conway Twitty’s sound in the early 70s. After Conway’s passing, he went to work for Loretta Lynn and then spent 12 years touring with Vince Gill. Gill has said that John Hughey gave definition to his music and cites his recording of “Look At Us” as an example. He was a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and played with The Time Jumpers until his passing in 2007. On a personal note, I knew John Hughey and he was a delightful guy. Very quiet and laid back but a very kind and decent man.
ReplyDeleteNashville native Bob Moore will be 89 years old in November. His career spans more than 60 years and he has played bass on over 17,000 sessions and may well be the single most recorded musician in music history. At the age of 18, he was hired to play bass with Little Jimmy Dickens and in 1955 went to work on the Ozark Jubilee with Red Foley. When Owen Bradley took over as head of Decca Records, he hired Bob Moore as a studio musician. As a member of the A-Team, he was one of the most sought after studio musicians in town often playing on four sessions and day. He has recorded with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Julie Andrews, Andy Williams and Burl Ives. His playing can be heard with Patsy Cline on “Crazy”, Roger Miller on “King of the Road”, Loretta Lynn on “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, “Hello Darlin’” with Conway Twitty, Brook Benton’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” and “El Paso” with Marty Robbins. He helped start Monument Records with Fred Foster in 1959 where he played on many of Roy Orbison’s classic recordings. He has also played at the Newport Jazz Festival and with the Boston Pops. In 1994, Time Magazine named him the best country bass player or all time.
Buddy Harman was the A-Team’s go-to drummer and played on close to 72,000 songs in his storied career. His playing can be heard on almost all of Patsy Cline’s recordings, including “Crazy”, “Sweet Dreams”, “She’s Got You”, “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Leavin’ On Your Mind”. You’ll also hear him on Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, “Bye Bye Love” with the Everly Brothers, Ray Price’s “Heartaches By the Number”, “Only the Lonely” with Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man”, “King of the Road” with Roger Miller and Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. He was the Opry’s first staff drummer although when he started he had to play behind a curtain. After an absence of several years, he returned to the Opry in 1991 where he remained a member of the staff band until ill health forced his retirement. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 79.
Fiddle player Tommy Jackson is regarded as one of the best commercial fiddle players of all time. His output from the 40s to the 70s makes him another one of the session players who has been heard on more country records than anyone else. He played with Kitty Wells and Paul Howard prior to serving in the Army in World War II. After he returned to civilian life he toured with The Duke of Paducah before joining Red Foley’s band at the Opry. He played on a number of Hank Williams’ classic recordings including “Lovesick Blues”. He played Ray Price’s recording of “Crazy Arms” almost all of Price’s recording through the mid-1960s. He recorded a number of hoedown albums (11 in all) under his own name and many of those recordings are now considered the definitive version of those tunes. You can see and hear him playing on many television shows from the 60s including the “National Life Grand Ole Opry” and the “Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry” that was hosted by T. Tommy Cutrer. He influenced many young fiddle players. Ironically, some of those fiddle players came to Nashville and slowly eased Tommy Jackson out of studio work. By the time he passed away in 1979, he was already largely forgotten.
ReplyDeleteRay Edenton will be 95 in November. Primarily known as an acoustic and rhythm guitar player he is another of the most prolific studio musicians in Nashville he’s played on more than 15,000 sessions by this own estimate. He played his first session in 1949. That same year he went to work on the “Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round” on WNOX where he played with Chet Atkins, The Carter Family, Archie Campbell, Bill Carlisle and Carl Smith, among others. He came to Nashville in 1952 where he got a job working for Opry comedians Jamup and Honey. The first big hit he played on was Webb Pierce’s 1953 recording of “There Stands the Glass”. He can be heard on Marty Robbins’ recording of “Singing the Blues”, “King of the Road” with Roger Miller and “Wake Up Little Susie” and “Bye Bye Love” with the Everly Brothers. In addition, he’s recorded with Julie Andrews, Henry Mancini, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and Neil Young. He retired in 1991 and lives in Nashville.
Hank Garland is considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time and would be better known had his career not been cut short by a car accident in 1961 that left him unable to play in the studio again. He came to Nashville at the age of 16 and lived at Ma Upchurch’s Boarding House where he roomed with Bob Moore and Dale Potter. When he was 18, he recorded his million-selling hit “Sugarfoot Rag” (a song often performed by Porter Wagoner on the Opry). He played on all of Elvis Presley’s sessions between 1958 and 1961 and his work is also spotlighted on Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock”, Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and Faron Young’s “Alone With You”. He recorded the highly regarded album “Jazz Winds from a New Direction” in the late 50s in addition to recording sessions with Mel Tillis, Boots Randolph, Marty Robbins, Moon Mullican, Patsy Cline and Conway Twitty. Along with Billy Byrd, he influenced the design of Gibson’s Byrdland guitar. In 1961, he was involved in a car crash that left him in a coma. He recovered but was never able to play guitar well enough to record again. He died in Florida in 2004. He was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 fire at Universal Studios in California.
Jimmy Capps passed away just a year ago so, according the voting rules, he isn’t eligible this year. If he were, I think he would be an odds-on favorite. I doubt if there was a more versatile or well-regarded guitar player in Nashville. If you haven’t read his book, “The Man In Back”, I highly recommend it. He came to the Opry to play with the Louvin Brothers and never left. He was the last surviving member of the group of staff musicians who came with the Opry from the Ryman Auditorium in 1974 and, as Byron has mentioned, the band rehearsal room at the Opry House in named in his honor. He played on “Elvira” with the Oak Ridge Boys, “Amarillo By Morning” with George Strait, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” with George Jones and “Lost in the Feeling” with Conway Twitty. He seemed to be everywhere. He appeared on the RFD-TV show “Larry’s Country Diner” and just about every television show and special that came out of Nashville…in addition to playing on the Opry nearly every Friday and Saturday for over 50 years. He was still a much in demand studio musician right up until his passing.
ReplyDeletePianist, composer and conductor Bill Walker is still living having just turned 94 in May. Were he to be elected, I believe he would be the first native of Australia in the Hall of Fame. He was born in Sydney in 1927. In 1959, he went to work for RCA Records in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he arranged and recorded cover versions of songs that were popular in America. While there, he worked at tour with Jim Reeves and wrote the score for Reeves’ feature film “Kimberley Jim” that was also filmed in South Africa. Reeves offered him a job as musical director of a new TV series he was about to host and he arrived in Nashville in 1964…just in time to learn that Reeves had died in a plane crash. He decided to stay in the USA and apply for citizenship. He soon met Chet Atkins who asked him to do orchestral arrangements for a new album Eddy Arnold was recording. One of the songs, “Make the World Go Away” became Walker’s first gold record. He continued to arrange for concerts and television specials and his arrangements gave the annual CMA awards show a decidedly uptown feel for many years. He was the music director for Johnny Cash’s ABC television show and Cash would end every episode by shouting “Good night, Bill Walker!” before the camera would zoom in on Walker’s smiling face. The Bill Walker Orchestra was featured on the Statler Brothers’ TNN show for seven years and audiences saw Bill Walker playing piano during the group’s gospel music numbers (although his back was turned to the camera most of the time). He also served as musical director for three of the Statler Brothers’ television specials as well as “Music Hall America” and the Music City News awards show. As a producer, he worked with Roy Rogers and Donna Fargo and currently lives in Nashville.
I guess you would put the Anita Kerr Singers in the musician’s category since she is primarily known for her session work. For years, if you didn’t have the Jordanaires singing backup on your session you had the Anita Kerry Singers (specifically the quarter consisting of Anita Kerr, Dottie Dillard, Gil Wright and Louis Nunley). While she led other groups recording in Los Angeles and Europe, it’s this quartet that is best known for their Nashville recording work. In 1948, she led an octet that included Millie Kirkham (who had the haunting high voice you hear on “He Stopped Loving Her Today”) and performed on WSM’s “Sunday Down South” program. Their first recording session was with Red Foley in 1950. In 1951, the group was signed by Owen Bradley to record for Decca Records. They were highly in demand as backup singers and worked with Eddy Arnold, Burl Ives and Ernest Tubb and by 1955 were doing an average of eight sessions a week.
ReplyDeleteIn 1956, the group had been cut to a quartet and won “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” and often traveled to New York to appear on Godfrey’s daily television and radio broadcasts. They contributed backup vocals to Patsy Cline’s first studio album and appeared with Jim Reeves on his national radio program on WSM. The Jordanaires or the quartet the included Kerr, Dillard, Wright and Nunley sang backup on almost every hit record in Nashville from the late 50s to the early 60s and by that time were doing as many as sixteen sessions per week. In 1961, they were signed as a solo act to RCA and won a Grammy in 1965 for their album “We Dig Mancini”. Dottie Dillard continued to do studio and television work. She can be seen in a hilarious turn as Minnie Pearl’s “sister” on an old Opry TV show that can be found on YouTube. Louis Nunley later did work with the Jordanaires. The quartet continued to record in Nashville and can be heard singing with Hank Snow, Brenda Lee, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Willie Nelson, Al Hirt and Ann-Margaret.
Anita Kerr disbanded the Nashville quartet and moved to Los Angeles where she formed a new group and explored other styles of music and recorded for Warner Bros. In 1967, she was the choral director for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. She moved to Switzerland in 1970 where she formed still another version of the Anita Kerr Singers and continued to arrange and record. In 1975, she received an award from ASCAP for being “a lady of class and a first-class musician for her significant contributions to the birth and development of The Nashville Sound”. Anita Kerr is 93 years old. Sadly, Dottie Dillard, Gil Wright and Louis Nunley have all passed on.
I love teh Anita Kerr Singers!!! On Youtube there is a performance of teh Anita Kerr Singers, Bobby Bare, and Jim Reeves from Oslo, Norway in 1964 shortly before Gentleman Jim´s passing.... It is a fantastic show!!!!!!
DeleteBoots Randolph is another one of those rare studio musicians, like Floyd Cramer, and managed to become a star in his own right. Everybody knows his recording of “Yakety Sax” and if it doesn’t make you smile a little you might want to get yourself checked out. As a studio player, he can be heard with Roy Orbison on “Mean Woman Blues” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” as well as Elvis Presley’s recording of “Return to Sender”. For many years, he operated a popular club in Printer’s Alley and was featured on Hee Haw as a member of the “Million Dollar Band”. He often toured with Chet Atkins and Jethro Burns and for a short time operated a new theatre in Nashville with Danny Davis. Of all the people on this list, he probably has the most name recognition with the general public and I’m sure he will be elected to the Hall of Fame sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteWhile we’re visiting the horn section, one of the most popular acts on the fair circuit in the 70s was an unlikely band led by a jazz trumpet player from Massachusetts named George Nowlan, aka Danny Davis. He was working for MGM records in New York when he made contact with Fred Rose. He was making pop demos of country songs for Rose and his demo for “Cold, Cold Heart” led the Tony Bennett’s recording of the Hank Williams classic. While at MGM, he also produced records for Connie Francis and also brought Herman’s Hermits to the label. It was during this time that he got the idea for recording country songs with brass instruments. In the mid-60s he went to work for RCA in New York. His idea of recording country songs with a brass ensemble was not well received but shortly after he joined RCA he was transferred to the Nashville office to work for Chet Atkins. There he produced Waylon Jenning’s Grammy winning album “Mac Arthur Park” and also worked with Floyd Cramer, Dottie West and Hank Locklin. He pitched his idea about doing country songs with a brass band to Chet Atkins who liked the idea. Working with arranger Bill McElhiney he created the sound of the Nashville Brass using two trumpets, two trombones and a rhythm section (bass, guitar, drums and banjo). His first recording, “I Saw the Light” came out in 1968. In 1969, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass won the CMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year award and they would dominate that category for the next five years. In 1970, they won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance and would go on to garner eleven more Grammy nominations. They were a popular concert draw in Las Vegas and on the fair circuit and were one of only a handful of country acts to travel in their own airplane. He became a member of Hee Haw’s “Million Dollar Band” and later partnered with Boots Randolph in a theatre near the Opryland complex. Over the years, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass released 28 albums. He retired from performing in 2005 and passed away in Nashville in 2008 at the age of 83.
That’s just the top of the list. There is a tremendous backlog in this category and at the rate it’s going, if everyone I’ve mentioned so far eventually gets into the HOF it will be 45 years and none of them (and most of us) won’t be around anymore. So, I don’t have much hope for seeing the others a little farther down the list being honored like Junior Huskey, Lightnin’ Chance, Norm Hamlet, Roy Nichols, Ralph Mooney, Leon Rhodes, Billy Byrd, Jerry Byrd, Pete Wade, Norbert Putnam, David Briggs, Mac Gayden, Kenny Buttrey, Fred Carter, Jr., Larrie London, Buddy Spicher, Don Helms or Velma Smith.
The musician category also includes “touring musicians”. So far, only session players have been inducted under the umbrella but there are a couple of musicians who should definitely be honored at some point for being absolutely crucial to a specific artist’s sound. You don’t think of one without thinking of the other and I’ve got three that jump right to the top of that list of elite “sidemen”.
ReplyDeleteBeecher Ray “Pete” Kirby, known to all as Bashful Brother Oswald, was just as famous as the man he worked for over 50 years. You rarely saw Roy Acuff take the stage without Oswald by his side. His dobro playing and wailing tenor voice were unmistakable and while it was Roy Acuff who was introduced every Saturday night it was Oswald that kicked off the first notes of “Wabash Cannonball”. Oswald’s dobro WAS the Roy Acuff sound. Oswald came to the Opry with Acuff in 1938 and stayed by his side until 1992. He could be heard on the Opry every Friday and Saturday and for many years had a popular act at Opryland with Charlie Collins. And, on the occasions when Roy Acuff was away from the Opry for health reasons, Oswald continued to appear in his own slot. He was just as famous and well-respected as his boss and I think everyone way overjoyed with the Opry made Oswald a full time member after Acuff’s passing. He was one of the last links between the Opry’s “golden era” and the modern day show and a true American original.
Another artist whose records had such a unique sound that you knew before you even heard his voice was Porter Wagoner. Much of that sound came from the electric banjo of Mr. Charles Wilburn “Buck” Trent. Wagoner’s band, The Wagonmasters, were just as popular and well known as their boss thanks to their exposure on his weekly television show. He came to Nashville in 1959 to work for Bill Carlisle. He was a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys from 1960 to 1962 and joined the Porter Wagoner Show in 1962 where he until 1973. He is known for his banjo playing but he is also an excellent lead guitarist as well. In 1974, he went to work with Roy Clark. Clark would often introduce him by saying that many people knew that he used to work with Porter Wagoner. “I had a choice between Buck and Dolly Parton…and I chose Buck. Which shows how far my mind can wander at times.” Together, they recorded several instrumental albums and were twice named the CMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year. Buck also won the Instrumentalist of the Year award from the Music City New twice. The same year he joined Roy Clark’s show, he also joined the cast of Hee Haw where his “talking blues” routine and catch phrase “Oh, yeah!” became weekly staples of the show. He was one of the first national acts to open a theatre in Branson and had a popular breakfast show for many years. He recently got some major national television exposure playing with Dolly Parton on her 50th Opry anniversary special.
Finally, another musician joined at the hip with his boss was Don Rich, long time guitar and fiddle player and frontman for Buck Owens. The version of “The Buckaroos” that featured Don Rich, Doyle Holly, Willie Cantu and Tom Brumley is still considered one of the best bands in the history of country music and each one was a bit of a star in his own right. His harmony singing defined the Buck Owens sound and his electric guitar really helped define the “Bakersfield Sound”. Buck Owens regularly used his touring band in the studio and Don Rich can be heard on all of the classic Owens recordings of “Act Naturally”, “Love’s Gonna Live Here”, “My Heart Skips A Beat”, “Together Again”, and “Tiger By the Tail”. The Buckaroo’s recording of the instrumental “Buckaroo” was one of the only instrumentals to ever reach the number on position on the country music charts. Rich and the Buckaroos played on the 1966 album recorded at Carnegie Hall that is considered one of the best live country music recordings of all time. The band was so tight that no fixes had to be made in post-production before the album was released. Don Rich was only 32 years old when he died in a motorcycle accident in 1974. Buck Owens was devastated and has said, “I think my music life ended when he died”. And, in a way, he was probably right because the Buck Owens sound without Don Rich really wasn’t the Buck Owens sound.
ReplyDeleteSo, there you have the ramblings of an old guy with a little bit of time on his hands. By now, everybody has probably moved on and no one will even pay attention to all of this. And, I realize that most of what I’ve said the regulars here already know. But maybe someone new will come along and maybe learn something they didn’t know before. Every time I pick up a new book about country music I learn something new. Maybe I can help someone like those girls I saw at the Hall of Fame one time who were looking over the plaques in the rotunda and when they came to the Carter Family they looked at each other and said, "Who are they?" At which point I made a quick exit for fear that lightning might strike the spot where they were standing! (LOL) I don’t know who the Hall of Fame electors are or what they might be thinking. In the end, this is always just an academic exercise for me. Interesting to speculate and comment on but in the end not worth a whole lot. I just love the rich history of country music and the characters who made it happen. Please excuse any typos and misspellings. If you’re still awake, I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks so much for this great flurry of fact-filled posts. I'd like to see more 1920s-40s stars in the CMHOF. Very,very few of the really early stars are in. Fiddlin' John Carson and Carson Robison and Al Dexter aren't in, for instance. Going a bit more modern, even June Carter Cash isn't in.
DeleteBarry, as always, an outstanding analysis of the Hall of Fame and those who should be considered. I also agree with you on the rotating categories. As I know I have written, the songwriter and musician category will never come close to catching up with one inductee every three years. Those categories should be yearly.
DeleteI am not sure if this would work or not, but a couple of years ago the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and prior to that the Baseball Hall of Fame, established a special committee to look at the early pioneers and determine if there were individuals who should be in those Hall of Fames. I think it would be nice for the CMA to do something similar, looking at those perhaps prior to 1950 or 1960 that have been missed and forgotten and doing a one time catch up. Let's face it, under the current voting procedures and categories, those individuals will never be considered. As Barry put it, many of these voters have no idea who some of these performers were.
As to the CMA specifically, they seem perfectly satisfied with what they have and how they are doing it. It is a shame that there are only three inductees per year. Unless someone, or someones, with some influence puts pressure on the Hall, nothing will change, and even then there is no guarantee.
I know many of us go though this discussion each year about this time and I personally enjoy it and thanks to all who participate.
Barry, again thanks. Your research and analysis is probably more detailed and factual then what the voters actually receive from the CMA and the CMHOF.
Barry:
DeleteIn addition to John Carson, Bradley Kincaid and The Maddox Brothers and Rose, I would add Stringbean, Lulu Belle & Scotty Wiseman and Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers.
We all know Stringbean’s legacy. Had he lived he’d already been in the CMHF like Grandpa and Carlisle.
The Wiseman’s were the biggest country act in America for many years, they simply are overlooked because they were based in Chicago and not Nashville. They were nominated in the late 70s and early 80s.
Tanner & The Skillet Lickers were the first big country “band” to speak of. Imagine 80s fans not having Alabama in the CMHF.
What hurts Tanner, Carson and Kincaid is the minstrel type songs they did, among their most popular.
In general, the CMA needs to revamp the whole process.
What an AMAZING read. My knowledge of country music is a mile wide and an inch deep, but I could remember almost every one of the names mentioned and could hear them in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated as I read so many details of this fabulous group of entertainers.
THANKS BARRY!
Barry,
ReplyDeleteReally good to hear from you. I often wonder if you are out there watching us! Very enjoyable read and I did learn several things and got a refresher on others. I love Roy Acuff but I'm not sure we'd still be talking much about him without Oswald. Roy had the stage presence and the M.C. abilities but when it came to vocals, they were more like a duo and as you say, Oswald's dobro was THE Acuff sound. In some way, I think Millie Kirkham should be in the HOF.
Again, thanks. Not boring at all.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
Very awesome read. I like when I learn things and am able get an education on Country Music. Some of the names I have heard of before, but others are new to me. THere should be more fans that push for these individuals to get in. For example, thsi year, I have signed on with a group of fans that is petitioning the Vetrans Committee for the MLB Hall of Fame to consider Gil Hodges for membership. We are doing it through a sportswriter who votes each year. Its the only way we can get our voice heard. Perhaps an initiative of this sort could take place to help gain membership for some of these individuals that Barry has discussed. This blog is a great place to start as many of us are devout Opry and Country Music fanbs with lots of years of listening, appreciation, understanding, and knowledge. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it would be really cool if there was a way to see a line up of the Opry Staff band from its beginnings to the present time..... I wouldlike to know more about the people in the people in the back. Especially those from the 40s-70s!!!!!!
ReplyDelete'Opry staff band members are "hired to be fired."
DeleteSeems like the pattern is impossible to figure out.
Joe Edward was there for a LONG time. Hoot Hester was great on fiddle. The list is endless. Seemingly random firings.
I attended an Opry show in the 70s and Bill Carlisle snipped Joe Edwards pantlegs off at the knees as Joe played guitar and smiled --- the radio audience never knew that --- Dashmann, Flushing, Michigan
DeleteDashmann, on one of the PBS Opry telecasts, while Joe was playing guitar for Kirk McGee, out came Jimmy Capps, Billy Linneman, and Tony Lyons, and they cut his pant leg off AND shaved his leg. Joe didn't miss a beat.
DeleteBarry, I enjoyed reading your posts and learned a lot of things. I also agree that unless the CMHoF changes the way it selects its new inductees, there will be many undeserving people never elected.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes scratch my head at who does make it considering those who aren't in already.