Grand Ole Opry 2/25 & 2/26

The Grand Ole Opry closes out the month of February with another weekend of shows. This week, two of the Opry's newest members are on the schedule as Carly Pearce is scheduled for the Friday Night Opry, while Lady A is listed for Saturday night. It is nice to see both of these members supporting the show, and in fact, both are listed on upcoming dates at the Opry. 

Joining Carly Pearce on the Friday Night Opry will be members John Conlee, Riders In The Sky and Bobby Osborne, while on Saturday night Jeannie Seely, Bill Anderson and Crystal Gayle will be joining Lady A. Personally, it is nice to see Crystal back on the Opry schedule as her appearances dropped over the past couple of years. 

The designated comedian this weekend is Gary Mule Deer, who is scheduled for both nights. If my math is correct, these will be his 94th and 95th appearances on the Opry, the most by any of the comedians. 

Another name listed on the Friday schedule is David Nail, who hasn't appeared on the Opry in some time. David has had some success in country music, including an ACM nomination and a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Also guesting on Friday night will be Priscilla Block and the wonderfully talented Wendy Moten. 

Saturday night will feature Levi Hummon and another Opry debut as We The Kingdom is scheduled. Not only will it be the group's Opry debut, but they will be featured on the Circle TV televised portion. As the name implies, worship is an important aspect of this group which features brothers Ed Cash and Scott Cash, Ed’s daughter Franni, his son Martin and dear friend Andrew Bergthold. 

Ed is an award-winning songwriter and producer, steering records for artists like Chris Tomlin, Crowder and Bethel Music and co-writing timeless songs like “How Great Is Our God”, “Amen (Because He Lives)” and “All My Hope,” among other hits. 

The group organically formed at a Young Life camp in Georgia. Scott had asked the other four to help him lead worship at the camp, and they gathered late one evening to write a song, which they presumed was for the campers. “We were writing a song for those kids to tell them about the beauty of the Father’s love and how much He lavishes that over them,” Ed remembers, “but now I see that He was telling us that truth. In that moment, we really needed to hear that.” Gradually, over the course of the following year, We The Kingdom forged their artistic identity—an amalgamation of four different decades of music encompassing worship, rock, soul, Country, folk and pop, providing a textured sonic background for vulnerable, often gritty, lyrics

Their debut EP, Live At The Wheelhouse, was recorded live to capture high school kids at a Young Life camp singing these new songs at the top of their lungs. The recording is just as unfiltered and authentic as their lyrics, and the collective voices in the room bring the songs to life in a real way, taking the band back to the very place where the songs were conceived. “As we have continued on this journey, I’ve noticed that it can be easy to forget where we came from – and that’s with anything in life. Recording our first project together at this camp has been such a timely reminder to us all to remember where we’ve been planted and not to step outside of ourselves.”

Friday February 25
7:00: John Conlee, David Nail, Riders In The Sky, Priscilla Block
Intermission
8:15: Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Wendy Moten, Gary Mule Deer, Carly Pearce

Saturday February 26
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Jeannie Seely, Levi Hummon, Bill Anderson, Gary Mule Deer
8:00: Crystal Gayle, We The Kingdom, Lady A

The 8:00 hour will be televised live on Circle TV
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Now from 50 years ago, Saturday February 26, 1972: 

1st show
6:30: Charlie Louvin (host) and Diane McCall; Bill Carlisle; Ernie Ashworth
6:45: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Stu Phillips
7:00: Tom T. Hall (host); Skeeter Davis; Stringbean; Archie Campbell
7:30: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard; Willis Brothers; Crook Brothers
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Bobby Bare; Justin Tubb
8:30: Tex Ritter (host); Del Reeves; The 4 Guys; Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Charlie Louvin (host); and Diane McCall; Willis Brothers; Stringbean; Stu Phillips
10:00: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Skeeter Davis
10:15: Roy Acuff (host); Tom. T Hall
10:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton
10:45: Archie Campbell (host); Lorene Mann; Justin Tubb; Crook Brothers; Phil Campbell
11:00: Tex Ritter (host); Bobby Bare; Jean Shepard; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Del Reeves (host); The 4 Guys; Jimmy Dickens

(Connie Smith and Marion Worth canceled, while as a reminder, Jimmy Dickens, who appeared on the late show, was not an Opry member at that time).

Looking back, it was on Saturday February 26, 2005, that Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin was honored upon his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

As half of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie Louvin (born Charlie Elzer Loudermilk on July 7, 1927) was one of the most influential musicians of the '40s and '50s; the Louvins defined close harmony duet singing for several generations of country fans. After the Louvins disbanded in 1963, Charlie began a solo career, recording for Capitol Records until 1972. During that time, he had two Top Ten hits -- "I Don't Love You Anymore" (number four, 1964) and "See the Big Man Cry" (number seven, 1965) -- as well as a series of minor hits. 

Louvin continued to perform and record for a variety of labels into the 21st century. The eponymous album Charlie Louvin was released in 2007 on the Tompkins Square label and featured a cast of characters including George Jones, Elvis Costello, Marty Stuart, Tom T. Hall, and Jeff Tweedy. It was nominated for a Grammy Award the following year, thus prompting Louvin to continue releasing new material. Steps to Heaven, a collection of traditional gospel tunes, arrived in 2008, followed two months later by the tragedy-themed Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs. Two albums were released in 2010: The Battles Rage On, produced by Mitchell Brown and featuring songs about war and redemption; and Hickory Wind, a live set recorded at City Auditorium in Waycross, GA in 2009. 

Here is the running order from February 26, 2005, the night Charlie Louvin was honored: 

1st show
6:30: Cracker Barrell
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed
Connie Smith: (?)/I keep Looking for a Reason
Lane Turner: (?)
Jimmy Dickens: What Will I Do Then

7:00: Tootsie's
Jeannie Seely (host): Burning that Old Memory
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Jack Greene: Statue of a Fool
David Lee Murphy: Nobody's Perfect/Party Crowd
Jeannie Seely: Make the World Go Away

7:30: Standard Candy
Ricky Skaggs (host): Black Eyed Susie
The Whites: Blue Letters/Doing it by the Book
Craig Morgan: Almost Home/That's What I Love About Sunday
Ricky Skaggs: The Family Who Prays

8:00: Martha White
Jim Ed Brown (host): Pop A Top
Charlie Louvin: What Are Those Things
Miranda Lambert: I Can't Be Bothered To Miss You Anymore/Me & Charlie Talking
Opry Square Dance Band: Cherokee Shuffle
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells

8:30: Tennessee Pride
Bill Anderson (host): Walk Out Backwards
Osborne Brothers: Rocky Top
Mel McDaniel: Stand Up
Bill Anderson: Him & Me/Bright Lights and Country Music

2nd show
9:30: Cracker Barrell
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Connie Smith: Love's Not Everything/Heart's Like Ours
David Lee Murphy: (?)/(?)
Jimmy Dickens: Life Turned Her that Way

10:00: Martha White
Ricky Skaggs (host): I Live a Simple Life
The Whites: Making Believe/Swing Down Chariot
Lane Turner: (?)/(?)
Ricky Skaggs: (?)

10:30: Ruthledge Hill Press
Jeannie Seely (host): Roarin' & Runnin'
Charlie Louvin: Must You Throw Dirt in My Face
Craig Morgan: That's What I Love About Sunday/When A Man Can't Get a Woman Off His Mind
Opry Square Dance Band: (?)
Jeannie Seely and Charlie Louvin: Think I'll Go Somewhere & Cry Myself to Sleep

11:00: Cracker Barrel
Bill Anderson (host): Liars 1; Believers 0
Osborne Brothers: Rocky Top
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything/He Is My Everything
Miranda Lambert: I Can't Be Bothered to Miss You Anymore/Me & Charlie Talking
Bill Anderson: The Corner of My Life

11:30: Opry Visa
Jim Ed Brown (host): Southern Loving
Mel McDaniel: Louisiana Saturday Night/Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On/Stand Up
Jim Ed Brown: The Old Lamplighter/Four Walls; He'll Have to Go/Blue Side of Lonesome

I can remember that every time it was brought up about how long Jimmy Dickens had been a member of the Opry, Jean Shepard would be quick to point out that Charlie Louvin had been around longer than anyone, including Jimmy, who had left the Opry for a number of years. Once Charlie joined, he never left. 

The Louvin Brothers were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and after that election, Charlie saw his Opry appearances gradually cut. He often said that it was because the Opry was cheap and that they had to pay him double as a Hall of Fame member. Toward the end, he was very bitter about the Opry's management and the way he, and a few of the other veterans, were treated. 

Charlie Louvin died of complications from pancreatic cancer on January 26, 2011; he was 83 years old.

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