For those interested, the Opry posted this today:
The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate one of country music’s most influential artists, Merle Haggard, on the anniversary of both his birth and his death, Wednesday, April 6.
The special Wednesday Night Opry will feature performances by just a few of the countless artists who have been influenced by the legend including Suzy Bogguss Music, his son Marty Haggard, Cody Johnson, Joe Nichols, Eli Paperboy Reed, and ACM New Female Artist winner Lainey Wilson, among others. Artists will perform Haggard classics as well as their own hits influenced by the Country Music Hall of Famer.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, March 10th at 10am.
(I have no issue with the Opry honoring the great Merle Haggard. Just interesting that they are devoting an Opry show to someone who was not an Opry member, nor performed on the Opry very often. But then again, it is Merle Haggard).
Now on to this weekend:
The Grand Ole Opry lineups are up and posted for the two shows this weekend. In looking at the schedules, the name that stands out this week is Grand Ole Opry member Clint Black, who is scheduled for Saturday night.
To be honest, since Clint became an Opry member in January 1991, he has not been one of the more loyal members of the Opry, or supporters of the show. In fact, there have been years that Clint has not appeared at all on the Opry and his Opry appearances have been few and scattered over the years. Regardless, it is nice to have Clint back on the Opry this weekend and as expected, he will be on the Circle TV portion of the show, which is back live this week.
While Clint will be appearing on Saturday night, Grand Ole Opry members Jeannie Seely, John Conlee and Bobby Osborne are on the schedule for Friday, while Connie Smith and Bill Anderson will be joining Clint on Saturday. That's correct, just three Opry members each night.
One of the acts listed for Friday night is singer/songwriter/producer Mac McAnally. Mac is a member of the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame; the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and he has been named the Musician of the Year by the County Music Association seven years in a row. He is a member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band and has produced several of Jimmy's albums. He has also recorded and worked with Ricky Skaggs, Toby Keith, George Strait and Amy Grant, among a host of others. Mac wrote Alabama's #1 hit "Old Flame" and has written for Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley.
Also appearing on Friday night are Ned LeDoux, Eric Paslay and a returning to the Opry are Maddie & Tae. Maggie Font and Tae Kerr have been a part of the Nashville music scene since signing their first record deal in 2014. In January 2022, Tae gave birth to baby girl after a difficult pregnancy that caused the duo to put their career on hold. And in a late addition to the schedule, Lindsay Ell has been added.
Guesting on Saturday night are former Nashville star Sam Palladio, along with frequent Opry guest Maggie Rose and Keb' Mo', with the latter two scheduled for the Circle TV portion of the show along with Clint. Since leaving Nashville, Sam has been continuing his film career and his appearance on Saturday night will be one of the few times he has been back in Nashville since the TV show ended.
Not forgetting the designated comedians this weekend as Killer Beaz will be on the Friday Night Opry while Dusty Slay is scheduled for Saturday night.
Friday March 11
7:00: Jeannie Seely, Ned LeDoux, John Conlee, Lindsay Ell
Intermission
8:15: Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Maddie & Tae, Killer Beaz, Mac McAnally, Eric Paslay
Saturday March 12
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Connie Smith, Sam Palladio, Bill Anderson, Dusty Slay
8:00: Maggie Rose, Keb' Mo, Clint Black
As mentioned, the 8:00 hour will be televised live on Circle TV. I knew with Clint Black booked on the Opry that night, he would be on the televised portion, but I was thinking there would be more. Outside of Clint, not a strong hour on Circle.
_______________________________________________________________________
Now from 50 years ago, Saturday March 11, 1972:
1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Tex Ritter (host): There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder
Lonzo and Oscar: Hillbilly Music's Gone Country
Del Wood: Standing Room Only
Tex Ritter: Boll Weevil
6:45: Rudy's
Charlie Louvin (host): I Got There Just in Time
Justin Tubb: Love is No Excuse
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Charlie Louvin and Diane McCall: Something to Brag About
7:00: Luzianne
Billy Walker (host): Smokey Places
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die
George Morgan: Running Wild
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Billy Walker: You Gave Me A Mountain
Wilma Lee Cooper: Leroy, The Crippled Boy
George Morgan: Easy Loving
7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy C Newman (host): Jambalaya
Skeeter Davis: Take Me Home, Country Roads
Willis Brothers: Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Crook Brothers: Eighth of January
Jimmy C Newman: Secret Lover
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Willis Brothers: Kaw-Liga
Jerry Whitehurst: Java
Jimmy C Newman: Happy Cajun Man
8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Grandpa Jones: Make Me A Pallet Down on the Floor
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Stringbean: Ruby
Roy Acuff: Carry Me Back to the Mountains
Grandpa Jones: It Takes a Lot of Living In a House to Make a Home
Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans
8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Tangled Mind
Charlie Walker: Good Deal, Lucille
Johnny Carver: I Start Thinking About You
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Walking in My Sleep
Hank Snow: My Little Old Home Down in New Orleans
Charlie Walker: My Baby Used to Be That Way
Hank Snow: Tammy
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Tex Ritter (host): Wayward Wind
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Justin Tubb: Big Fool of the Year
Del Wood: Standing Room Only
George Lindsay: Cottonfields
Tex Ritter: High Noon
Lonzo and Oscar: Lonesome Road Blues
Tex Ritter: Green Grow the Lilacs
10:00: Fender
Charlie Louvin (host): I Have My Love a Cherry
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Charlie Louvin: Will You Visit Me on Sundays/What About Those Things
10:15: Union 76
Billy Walker (host): Charlie's Shoes/Heartaches By the Number
Skeeter Davis: One Tin Soldier
Jimmy C Newman: A Fallen Star
Billy Walker: How Great Thou Art
10:30: Trailblazer
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host): Doin' My Time
Grandpa Jones: 'Ol Blue
George Morgan: Let's Live Together, Mary Ann
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: There's A Higher Power
10:45: Beech-nut
Roy Acuff (host): Night Train to Memphis
Stringbean: Cripple Creek
Crook Brothers: Old Joe Clark
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): I've Been Everywhere
Archie and Phil Campbell: Release Me
Fruit Jar Drinkers: (?)
Hank Snow: On the Sea Shores of Old Mexico
Sam McGee: Farewell Blues/Alabama Jubilee/Just Because
Phil Campbell: Mule Skinner Blues
Hank Snow: I'm Moving On
11:30 Elm Hill
Charlie Walker (host): Little Old Wine Drinker Me
Jeanne Pruett: Help Me Make It Through the Night
Johnny Carver: Joy to the World
Charlie Walker: Rancho Grande
Jeanne Pruett: Love Me
Johnny Carver: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
(Just a note that while Jerry Clower and Jeanne Pruett appeared that night, they were not Opry members at that time).
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.
Maddie & Tae are now off the schedule for the Friday Night Opry, replaced by Caroline Jones.
ReplyDeleteNASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Ernest Tubb Record Shop, a fixture on Nashville’s Lower Broadway, will close its doors this spring.
ReplyDeleteThe store was founded by Grand Ole Opry Star Ernest Tubb and originally opened in 1947 on Commerce Street in downtown Nashville. It has since served as a one-stop shop for country and bluegrass music and has been at its current location on Lower Broadway since 1951.
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop was also the site of the Midnight Jamboree, a show where country music artists would perform following the Grand Ole Opry.
“Due to changes in circumstances out of our control, it’s now clear the best way forward is to sell the business and the real estate,” the store announced on its Facebook page.
The full statement can be found below:
“It’s with great sadness that we share the news that the Ernest Tubb Record Shop — building and business — will be sold.
Our goal has always been to protect, promote and preserve the great history of the record shop and building. That desire remains as strong today as ever. However, due to changes in circumstances out of our control, it’s now clear the best way forward is to sell the business and the real estate.
We are heartbroken that the store, which has existed in its current location in the heart of lower Broadway since 1951, will close this Spring. Preserving the history and tradition of country music remains at the forefront of everything we do. We remain committed to preservation work and look forward to new projects that will allow us to continue to protect and nurture the invaluable history and tradition of country music.”
— Honky Tonk Circus, LLC, ETRS, LLC, David McCormick Company, Inc.
Sad commentary of the times. We have fond memories of the stores on Broadway, Music Valley Drive, and even Fort Worth. Meeting the artists at 2am in the store who had been on the Midnight Jamboree and getting photos and autographs, making many purchases over the years, a unique experience with Little Jimmy Dickens, and the helpful employees in TX making a connection for us to have a table at a dance hall where Bobby Flores was playing that night. Always great folks at every store. (from anonymous in PA)
ReplyDeleteI can't remember but is the Troubadour Theater separate from the shops now? Wondering if it is still going to be in use as it was last summer when the Heart of Texas folks had their show there.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see the shop leaving the Nashville scene. If you think about it, it came along just as Nashville was emerging as a recording center and it has kept the Ernest Tubb name at least in the spot light downtown. Maybe todays crowd didn't know who ET was but at least the name was up in lights and might have caused them to take a look on their phone and learn some history.
David McCormick and the shop helped some of our legends have their final big event of their career when the Opry either turned its back on them or did the minimal required as they celebrated a special milestone or birthday.
One of the events for the Midnight Jamboree that was special for 2-3 years around 2002 was the Cal Smith salute to ET where folks like Billy Walker, Charlie Walker, Billy Parker, Stan Hitchcock, Don Helms, Karen Wheeler, Jean Shepard, Steve Chapman and several others appeared.
Changing times and age starting to get to many of us.
Jim
Knightsville, IN
I was at all those shows with Cal Smith.
DeleteWell, Dr. Seely is opening the show instead of Connie Smith.
ReplyDeleteThe Texas Troubadour Theater has been reworked to a weekend place (music, dancing, etc), now called The Troubadour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info!
DeleteJim
There is a very good article about the closing on SavingCountryMusic.com. Seems that I am not the only one who thinks there is much that isn't being told about this. Hopefully this sacred country music landmark can somehow be saved but in this day of corporate greed almost anything can be sold for a price.
ReplyDeleteIn real life, I'm a history professor, and work in public history--including areas like historic preservation. This is a historic site, and if the owners want to sell it, the amount of money need not be all THAT much. For example, the Opry's parent company could afford to buy it and turn it into a museum?
DeleteI wonder how much of the Shop's revenue came from album sales. I bet streaming and digital have hurt them, I'm just not sure how much.
ReplyDeleteJ in OK
From my last visit to Nashville in October, there was some walk-in traffic at the shop, but I wouldn't call it busy by any means. The inventory was pretty good, but few were buying. I will be in Nashville the last weekend in March and will be stopping in (as always) and checking things out.
ReplyDeleteReal Estate prices in the Lower Broadway and surrounding area are incredibly high right now. A nearby building (411 Broadway) sold in late December for 47.9 Million after selling 4 years earlier for 27 Million. The $47.9 MM was $1,129 per Square Foot. It is unlikely this could be purchased and turned into a museum that will garner the type of return on investment that would be needed.
ReplyDeleteI hate to see this happen! But I do understand! I would never buy a cd today let alone a record when I can literally talk to my phone or speaker and it will play any song my heart desires for in some cases 5 bucks a month. That killed the shop I'm quite sure.
ReplyDelete