Some weekends are better than others at the Grand Ole Opry and this weekend is one of the better ones as on Saturday night, Jamey Johnson will become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry and Ricky Skaggs will be celebrating his 40th anniversary as an Opry member.
Before getting to Saturday's Grand Ole Opry, let's take a look at the Friday Night Opry as the lineup for that show is also impressive. On the schedule are Grand Ole Opry members Riders In The Sky, Mark Wills, Connie Smith, and appearing for the second week in a row, Mike Snider. Could a trend be developing with Mike? We can only hope as it goes without saying that many were impressed with his performance last weekend on the Opry.
Guesting both nights this weekend is Charlie Worsham, who a lot of people have on their short list of possible future Opry members. Charlie has appeared on the Opry numerous times, with some impressive and memorable performances. Also appearing on Friday night is Jon Pardi, another of the ones mentioned in the past as a possible Opry member, along with Maggie Rose, The Malpass Brothers and comedian Gary Mule Deer, who also is scheduled for both nights.
In addition to Charlie Worsham and Gary Mule Deer, Deana Carter is back again for an Opry appearance, along with Opry members Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers, Bill Anderson and of course, Ricky Skaggs.
Friday May 13
7:00: Riders In The Sky, Mark Wills, Connie Smith, The Malpass Brothers, Charlie Worsham
Intermission
8:15: Mike Snider, Maggie Rose, Gary Mule Deer, Jon Pardi
Saturday May 14
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Bill Anderson, Deana Carter, Gary Mule Deer
8:00: Jamey Johnson, Charlie Worsham, Ricky Skaggs
Opry Live on Circle TV will actually be live this week, featuring the induction of Jamey as the Opry's newest member, and the recognition of Ricky's 40th year as an Opry member. I am not sure else, but I would guess that Bill Anderson for sure will be a part of Jamey's night.
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Jamey Johnson was born on July 14, 1975, in Enterprise, Alabama, and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. From an early age, he was influenced by country acts such as Alabama and Alan Jackson. After graduating high school, he attended Jacksonville State University. Jamey quit college after two years and served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for four years. While in the Marines, he began playing country music in various bars in the Montgomery area; one of his first gigs was opening for David Allan Coe. By 2000, he had moved to Nashville, to pursue a career in country music.
When Jamey first moved to Nashville, he worked several demo sessions and soon met producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon, who helped Jamey get his first songwriting contract. By 2005, Jamey had been signed to a recording contract with BNA Records. His first single, entitled "The Dollar", was released that year, followed by his Buddy Cannon-produced debut album (also entitled The Dollar) in March 2006. "The Dollar" went on to peak at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album's second single, "Rebelicious", failed to enter the charts and Johnson was dropped from BNA.
After the loss of his record deal, Jamey divorced his wife and took on a reclusive lifestyle, residing in a friend's house while working on his songwriting. He wrote several songs for other artists. In 2006, George Strait reached No. 1 on the Country chart with "Give It Away", a song which Johnson co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Cannon.
In 2007, Trace Adkins charted with two more songs that Johnson co-wrote: "Ladies Love Country Boys" and "I Got My Game On." Also in 2007, Joe Nichols reached Top 20 with "Another Side of You", another song co-written by Johnson.
In 2008, Jamey signed with Mercury Nashville Records. His first single for the label, "In Color", was released in March 2008. This song, which Johnson co-wrote with Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto, entered the Top 40 in June 2008, and That Lonesome Song was released on CD in August of that year. "In Color" peaked at No. 9 on the Country chart in January 2009 and was followed a month later by "High Cost of Living."
In 2010, he released a follow up to his 2008 album, That Lonesome Song. The album titled The Guitar Song was released on September 14, 2010. Upon its release, The Guitar Song was met with overwhelming praise and universal acclaim from music critics. The album debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number one on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums.
In addition to producing other acts and writing new material, Jamey released his fourth studio album titled Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran on October 6, 2012. The album is a tribute to songwriter Hank Cochran. The album garnered Johnson a nomination at the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Country album. The album paired him with acts such as Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Vince Gill, and Merle Haggard. Longtime collaborator and producer Buddy Cannon oversaw the project. The album was released on vinyl September 25, 2012. Since then, Jamey has been working on his songwriting and has continued to collaborate with other artists.
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I find it very hard to believe that Ricky Skaggs will turn 68 in July and has been an Opry member for 40 years. I think it is safe to say, that despite some ups and downs at the beginning of his time as an Opry member, Ricky has been very loyal to the Opry and has supported the show very well over the years.
Ricky Skaggs made his Opry debut in April 1981. Just over a year later, this traditional country singer was made an Opry member, with Ernest Tubb doing the honors on May 15. At the time, Roy Acuff told Ricky that he would be like the others who joined the Opry and never appeared. Roy said, "You'll get so big you'll do just like all the rest of them." Ricky replied, "You don't know me. You just watch me and see. I'm not made that way. I didn't join the Opry for that."
After the death of Bill Monroe, Ricky went back to his roots as a bluegrass artist and has carried on the legacy of Mr. Monroe over the past several decades. Oh yes, he does occasionally go back and visit his traditional country days, but now more than ever, he brings that classic bluegrass sound with him to the Opry.
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Now from 50 years ago, Saturday May 13, 1972:
1st show
6:30: Billy Walker (host); Bill Carlisle
6:45: Ray Pillow (host); Ernie Ashworth; Del Wood
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Wilma Lee Cooper; Louie Roberts
7:30: Roy Drusky (host); Willis Brothers; Stringbean; Crook Brothers
8:00: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard
8:30: Wilburn Brothers (host); Barbara Mandrell; The 4 Guys; Fruit Jar Drinkers
2nd show/
9:30: Billy Walker (host); Willis Brothers; Del Wood
10:00: Ray Pillow (host); Wilma Lee Cooper
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Louie Roberts
10:30: Roy Drusky (host); Stringbean; Harold Weakley
10:45: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard; Crook Brothers
11:00: Stu Phillips (host); The 4 Guys; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Wilburn Brothers (host); Bill Carlisle; Barbara Mandrell; Gene Watson
(Ernie Ashworth only appeared on the early show while Stu Phillips appeared only on the late show. Barbara Mandrell was not an Opry member at this time, as she would join the cast in July. Finally, it was nice to see a guest appearance by Gene Watson. While this was not Gene's actual Opry debut, this was his first scheduled appearance on the show).
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This week, I take a moment to remember Billy Walker, who made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance on Saturday May 13, 2006.
A native of west Texas, Billy Walker emerged from the talent-rich Dallas scene of the late '40s and early '50s. He learned to play the guitar from his father and decided he wanted to become a singer. He first appeared on radio in Clovis at the age of 15, then several years later he appeared as the "Traveling Texan" on the Big D Jamboree in Dallas. Billy recorded for Capital Records from 1949-1951, with no success. In 1951 he signed with Columbia Records and in 1954 he appeared on the charts with "Thank You For Calling." From there, he joined the Louisiana Hayride and the Ozark Jubilee, before heading to Nashville and joining the Opry.
Billy was the first to record Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away," and he passed another of Nelson's songs, "Crazy," to Patsy Cline. In 1962, Walker had his first country number one with "Charlie's Shoes." Subsequent successes included "Cross the Brazos at Waco," "A Million to One," "Sundown Mary," "She Goes Walking Through My Mind," and "Sing Me a Love Song to Baby," followed by a succession of minor chart successes for a variety of companies.
After leaving Columbia in 1965, Walker signed with producer Fred Foster's Monument Records and moved to MGM in 1970 and to RCA Records in 1974. He later recorded for several independent labels, including his own Tall Texan label. By the end of 1988, he had placed 65 records in the U.S. country charts, including duets with Barbara Fairchild on "The Answer Game" and "Let Me Be the One." His own songs included a tribute to Marty Robbins, "He Sang the Songs About El Paso."
In the late 1960s, he hosted a syndicated television show, Billy Walker’s Country Carnival. Billy also performed around the world, and several times during the 1980s sang at the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Arena in London. In April 2006, Walker recorded the duet "All I Ever Need Is You" with Danish singer Susanne Lana for Hillside House Records. The recording, at Signal Path Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, was produced by Charlie McCoy.
On May 21, 2006, Walker died in a road accident when the van he was driving back to Nashville after a performance in Foley, Alabama, veered off Interstate 65 in Fort Deposit and overturned. His wife Bettie; bassist Charles Lilly Jr., son of Everett Lilly of The Lilly Brothers; and guitarist Daniel Patton were also killed. The Walkers, Lilly, and Patton died instantly. Walker's grandson, Joshua Brooks, survived with serious injuries. Walker was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.
Here is the running order from Saturday May 13, 2006, the final Opry performance for Billy Walker:
1st show
6:30: Cracker Barrel
Jimmy Dickens (host): May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose
Connie Smith: Cincinnati, Ohio
Jimmy C Newman: Diggy Liggy Lo
Keni Thomas: Not Me/Shreveport to LA
Jimmy Dickens: I'm Just Blue Enough to Do Most Anything
7:00: Tootsie's
Jeannie Seely (host): It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels
The Whites: Blue Letters
Jesse McReynolds: I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
Pinmonkey: Barbed Wire & Roses/That Train Don't Run By Here No More
7:30: Martha White
Riders In The Sky (host): Ghost Herd in the Sky
Jan Howard: Smokey Mountain Jubilee
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells
The Wreckers: Leave the Roses When You Go/My, Oh My
Riders In The Sky: Whoop De Doo/Happy Trails to You
8:00: Opry. Com
Jean Shepard (host): Silver Threads & Golden Needles
Billy Walker: T for Texas
Buddy Jewel: Help Pour Out the Rain/If She Were Any Other Woman
Opry Square Dance Band: Snow Flake Reel
Jean Shepard: If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
8:30: Tennessee Pride
Bill Anderson (host): If You Can Live With It
Eddy Raven: Who Do You Know in California/I've Got Mexico
Ricky Skaggs: First Corinthians 118/Sally Jo
Bill Anderson: The Corner of My Life
2nd show
9:30: Crackel Barrel
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Connie Smith: Did We Have to Come This Far
Jimmy C Newman: Big Mamou
Keni Thomas: Not Me/Shreveport to LA
Jimmy Dickens: Shopping for Dresses
10:00: Opry.com
Jean Shepard (host): Head Over Heels in Love with You
The Whites: Swing Down Chariot
Eddy Raven: We Rob Trains/Joe Sure Knows How to Live
Pin Monkey: Barbed Wire & Roses/That Train Don't Run By Here No More
Jeans Shepard: Second Fiddle
10:30: Johnny Walker Tours
Jeannie Seely (host): Anytime
Bobby Osborne: West Virginia, My Home
The Wreckers: Leave the Roses When You Go/My, Oh My
Opry Square Dance Band: Here & There
11:00: Gaylord Attractions
Bill Anderson (host): Don't She Look Good
Jack Greene: Highway to the Sky/This One Belongs to Me
Ricky Skaggs: Mother's Only Sleeping/Uncle Pen
Bill Anderson: Uncle Pen
11:30: Night At The Opry
Riders In The Sky (host): Woody's Roundup
Charlie Louvin: Mama's Angels
Billy Walker: You Gave Me a Mountain
Buddy Jewell: Help Pour Out the Rain/If She Were Any Other Woman
Riders In The Sky: Mother, The Queen of My Heart/Happy Trails to You
(Porter Wagoner was scheduled to host the 8:00 and 10:00 segments but cancelled)
Billy Walker joined the Grand Ole Opry in January 1960. He was a loyal and faithful member of the cast the entire time he was a member. Sadly, at the end of his career, his Opry appearances were reduced, as were others, after Pete Fisher became the general manager of the Grand Ole Opry. There are some who have said that if Billy had been scheduled for the Opry the following Saturday night, he wouldn't have been on the road, driving back to Nashville in the middle of the night.
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, and congratulations to Jamey Johnson on becoming the Opry's newest member.
The 2022 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees will be announced this Tuesday, May 17 at 10AM CT and hosted by Brooks & Dunn.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?.
I am one of those who would say that about Billy Walker, and if I were in Pete Fisher's shoes, my conscience would bother me.
ReplyDeleteI remember Ricky saying in an interview that when he became a member, Mr. Acuff said something like, "You'll be like the rest of them who don't show up," and I think we know who he meant. Ricky said he took great pleasure in leaning into Dressing Room #1 each time and singing out, "I'm HERE!" And no doubt Mr. Acuff took pleasure in it, too.
With the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees being announced this Tuesday, May 17 with Brooks & Dunn hosting the announcement, Who do you guys see going into the Hall of Fame this year?.
ReplyDeleteI'll post what I had posted on my Facebook page (for what it is worth):
ReplyDeleteI think there is no clear-cut favorite as the same names seem to appear on "lists" each year. The non-performer is interesting. Jim Owens is certainly a name, as is Irving Waugh, who has been passed over many times. Mike Curb's name comes up as does record producer Bob Johson. I have even heard Steve Buchanan's name mentioned, but I think the jury is out on him. Charles Wolfe is another one. As to the Veterans category, I don't think Jerry Lee Lewis has many years left on this earth as his health is very iffy. He is probably the last of the Sun Records pioneers still out there, and he did have nice country career. In the Modern category, I could see them going into the 90s with Trisha or Martina McBride. If they go back a bit into the late 80s, that could point to Clint Black.
(Some have mentioned Keith Whitley, but I think the issue there is that his career was so short, while Rosanne Cash has also been mentioned).
So many interesting choices for sure.
Must be time for my annual Hall of Fame soapbox speech! In recent weeks and in past years I've posted some thoughts on the Veteran Era and Modern Era candidates. A lot of the names on my list have been checked off in recent years but I still advocate for the inclusion of the Wilburn Brothers and the Maddox Brothers and Rose above all else. The "waiting list" is so long that it's almost futile to get into any kind of speculation.
DeleteOn the other hand, the "Non-Performer" category is always interesting and I have three individuals that I really feel are way overdue for Hall of Fame honors. I posted these 3 years ago and so I'll just go back and cut and paste what I've written previously.
At the very top of my list is Irving Waugh. Probably the most influential man in country music who isn’t honored in the Hall of Fame. A veteran broadcaster who started his career at CBS in New York City before joining the staff of WSM in 1941, he became an NBC network correspondent in the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan during the final years of World War 2. Following the war, he returned to Nashville and became station manager and sales manager for both WSM Radio and WSM-TV. He became WSM’s vice president for television in 1958. In 1952, he started the Grand Ole Opry Birthday Celebration which was influential in the creation of the Country Music Association. In 1955, he sold the Ralston-Purina Company a series of one-hour Opry TV specials which aired on ABC and were the first to bring the Opry to a national television audience. In the late 60’s, along with Jack Stapp, he secured sponsorship for the NBC broadcast of the CMA Award. The show was the first music awards show of any kind to be nationally televised and Waugh served as the show’s executive producer until 1993. In 1968, he was promoted to president of WSM, Inc., and it was under his leadership that planning began for the design and construction of Opryland, the Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry House. In 1972, he helped lead plans by the CMA and Grand Ole Opry in establishing Fan Fair. After retiring from WSM in 1977, he served as commissioner of tourist development for the state of Tennessee and was a long-time board member of the CMA and the Country Music Foundation. The Country Music Association’s “Irving Waugh Award of Excellence” is awarded to “the originator and caretaker of demonstrated ideas and actions that have dramatically broadened and improved country music’s influence on a national or international level for the benefit of the industry as a whole”. Past recipients have included Steve Buchanan, Donna Hilley, Vince Gill, Johnny Cash, Jo Walker-Meador, Frances Preston and, naturally, Irving Waugh. He died in 2007 at the age of 94.
Buddy Killen. Given his long career and popularity in the country music community I’m surprised Buddy Killen wasn’t named to the Hall years ago. A key figure in the development of Nashville’s music industry he came to town in 1951 as the bass player for Jamup and Honey at the Opry. Shortly thereafter, Jack Stapp hired him to pitch songs for the newly founded Tree Publishing company and one of his early triumphs was getting Elvis Presley to cut “Heartbreak Hotel”, written by Tree songwriter Mae Axton. In 1957, he was at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and loaned $5 to a struggling songwriter and agreed to listen to some of his songs. The songwriter was Roger Miller and after he signed with Tree he scored hits with Ray Price (“Invitation to the Blues”) and Jim Reeves (“Billy Bayou”). In 1965, he formed Dial Records to release R and B records by Joe Tex. He was also a songwriter whose best-known songs are probably “Forever” and Conway Twitty’s “I May Never Get to Heaven”. He became president of Tree Publishing in 1974, eventually buying the company after Jack Stapp’s death and eventually sold the company to Sony Music in 1989. His Stockyard restaurant north of downtown Nashville was THE place to see and be seen in the late 70s and 80s. The Bullpen Lounge was the scene of numerous auctions for charity, including one where George Jones dropped by to donate a guitar and ended up having Killen auction off his boots and the shirt and jacket off of his back! He was a well-liked and highly respected member of the music community and it’s no accident that the roundabout at the end of Music Row is called “Buddy Killen Circle”. He died way too young of liver and pancreatic cancer in 2006 at the age of 73.
DeleteJim Halsey. The premier artist manager and booking agent through the 70s and 80s, Jim Halsey was primarily known for managing the careers of Hank Thompson, Roy Clark and the Oak Ridge Boys. His booking arm, the Tulsa-based Jim Halsey Company, boast a roster of artists including Mel Tillis, Minnie Pearl, Reba McEntire, The Judds, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Wanda Jackson, Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Tommy Overstreet, Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp, George Lindsey, Lee Greenwood, Freddy Fender and non-country acts including James Brown, The Righteous Brothers and Woody Herman. In total, 29 current members of the Hall of Fame and 10 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were either managed or booked at some point by Jim Halsey. He sold his agency to the William Morris Agency in 1990 but remained as a consultant for many years and has authored 2 books: “How to Make It in the Music Business” and “Starmaker”. He always worked out of Tulsa which made him a bit of a maverick and an “outsider” in Nashville which may be part of the reason he’s been overlooked by the voters. At the age of 92, he still lives in Tulsa.
Historically, the recipient has been a record producer, a label or association executive, a music publisher or a radio/ television personality. The Hall of Fame has honored every job that is directly involved in the making of records except one: recording engineers. They are the talented guys and girls who actually twiddle the knobs and push the faders and patch the cables and make sure the sounds being made in the studio are mixed and transferred to tape or, these days, a computer. Of all the recording engineers during the “golden era” of country music probably the most prolific was RCA’s Bill Porter. He was the man behind the console on “What A Wonderful World”, “The Three Bells”, “Last Date”, “End of the World”, “Java”, “Cathy’s Clown”, “Oh Pretty Woman”, “Please Help Me I’m Falling”, “Only the Lonely”, “He’ll Have to Go”, “Sheila”, “Poetry In Motion”, “Return to Sender”, “It’s Now or Never” and “Suspicious Minds” and many more including almost everything Elvis Presley recorded from 1960 on. He later worked for Columbia and Monument and left Nashville for Las Vegas in the mid-60s and worked as Elvis’ concert sound engineer until 1977. Had he produced or played on a fraction of the sessions he engineered, Bill Porter would have already been in the Hall long ago.
DeleteTom Collins. A three-time recipient of the CMA’s Producer of the Year award and nominated for seven Grammys, Tom Collins produced a steady stream of hit records over 30 years for Barbara Mandrell, Ronnie Milsap, Marie Osmond, Sylvia, Tom T. Hall, Jim Ed Brown and Steve Wariner. 1982 was probably his biggest year when “Nobody” (Sylvia), “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World” and “Any Day Now” (Ronnie Milsap) and “’Til You’re Gone” (Barbara Mandrell) all went to Number One on the Billboard chart. “Smoky Mountain Rain”, “Daydreams About Night Things”, “It Was Almost Like A Song”, “Sleeping Single in A Double Bed”, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”, and “Drifter” are just a handful of songs produced by Tom Collins. From 1970 until 1990 his catalog holdings made him one of Nashville’s most successful independent producers. He also served as Chairman of Board of the Country Music Association in 1979 and 1980.
Bob Ferguson. Longtime RCA producer who helped the development of the “Nashville Sound”. Produced “Wings of A Dove” with Ferlin Husky and “Carroll County Accident” with Porter Wagoner. Best known for his work with Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, including almost all of their duet albums from 1967 to 1975, he also produced albums for Floyd Cramer, The Browns, Connie Smith, Danny Davis, Charley Pride, Helen Cornelius and Homer and Jethro and was one of the leading players in the development of the CMA.
DeleteMike Curb. Prolific Grammy award winning producer, songwriter and philanthropist. Probably better known for his work in the pop field he has served on the boards of the CMA, ACM and Country Music Foundation. He has been involved with the restoration of Elvis Presley’s Graceland, RCA Studio B, Owen Bradley’s Quonset Hut and numerous historic buildings on Music Row. The entertainment and music business college at Belmont University is named in his honor.
Joe Talbot. Started as Hank Snow’s steel guitar player and later owned two record pressing plants in Nashville. He was board chairman for both the Country Music Foundation and the Country Music Association and was a lifetime director of the CMA. The CMA’s “Joe Talbot Award” is presented “in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of country music’s values and tradition”.
A couple of offbeat longshots that I would consider are Hoot Borden and Bob Mulloy. Hoot Borden was the “Granddaddy of the Rock and Roll Bus Drivers”. He drove busses for Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Jacksons, ZZ Top and Alice Cooper but for 24 years he drove for Ernest Tubb and the Texas Troubadours. During those years he logged millions of miles behind the wheel of the “Green Hornet”, was as famous as any of the Troubadours and was always featured in the groups’ publicity pictures over the years.
DeleteAnd there's "Bob Who?" Bob Mulloy. No one outside of Nashville has probably ever heard his name but without Bob Mulloy’s influence, Music Row might be a very different place today…for it was Bob Mulloy who founded Belmont University’s Music Business degree program and almost every publishing office, PR firm, recording studio, management and booking firm in Nashville has at least one person on staff who is a graduate of that program and sat in his classroom. He was a man who was loved and respected by everyone who knew him and who passed away long before his time.
Belmont has a scholarship fund and recording studio named in his honor and the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence is a prestigious honor given by Belmont’s Curb College of Music Business. Past recipients of the award include Vince Gill and Donna Hilley. (On a personal note, I was a student of Bob Mulloy’s in the early 1980s and still consider his classes some of the best experiences of my life. In his promotion and publicity course, the guy sitting behind me was a guy named Bill Gatzimos…who just happened to be the husband and manager of Crystal Gayle. Bob taught me to write a good press release and to build attention grabbing promotional packages and also gave me two of my favorite phrases: “Let’s run this rabbit” (meaning to take an idea and see where it leads) and “Under the Pink Sheets” which was the fictitious song title he always used when a song title was needed.)
There are a ton of other names farther down on the list:
DeleteNudie Cohn. The clothing designer whose imaginative and gaudy rhinestone encrusted designs established the “look” of country music in the 50s and 60s. Porter Wagoner, Hank Snow and Jimmy Dickens are just of few of the artists who made the “Nudie Suit” famous.
Donna Hilley. The longtime CEO of Sony/ ATV Music (previously Tree International), she began her career as executive assistant to Jack Stapp and eventually worked her way to the CEO position.
Patsy Bradley. The daughter of Owen Bradley and longtime vice-president at BMI.
Connie Bradley. The wife of Jerry Bradley and longtime Senior VP at Sony/ATV Music. She passed away in 2021 so, under current guidelines, isn’t eligible this year.
Hazel Smith. The colorful journalist and publicist who is credited with creating the term “outlaw country” in the 1970s.
Louise Scruggs. The wife of Earl Scruggs, she served as Flatt and Scruggs' manager and booking agent and was a trailblazer for the women in the business side of music business that followed her.
Maggie Cavender. Founder and longtime director of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association.
T. Tommy Cutrer. Radio and television announcer and Tennessee state senator who appeared on numerous records during his long career in Nashville.
Hairl Hensley. Longtime Opry announcer and WSM radio personality.
David Cobb. Radio announcer who coined the phrase “Music City USA”.
Ott Devine. Opry manager who was responsible for “modernizing” the show in the early 60s by adding drums on stage and using spotlights in the auditorium and brought stars like Loretta Lynn and Bill Anderson to the show.
Harry Stone. Early Opry manager who brought the first “professional” acts like the Vagabonds, the Delmore Brothers and Pee Wee King to the show.
Vito Pelletieri. Longtime stage manager of the Grand Ole Opry who came up with the idea of dividing the show into segments that were sold to sponsors, a format that lasted for nearly 70 years.
Eli Oberstein. Early RCA A&R man who worked with Ralph Peer and established the Bluebird record label in the 1930s.
Pappy Dailey. Founder of Starday Records.
DeleteDon Pierce. Longtime president and owner of Starday Records.
John Lair. Radio announcer who helped develop the WLS Barn Dance in Chicago and later founded the Renfro Valley Barn Dance in Berea, Kentucky.
Pioneering booking agents Hap Peebles, Colonel Dick Blake, Buddy Lee, and Tony Conway.
Record producers Jimmy Bowen, Harold Shedd, Larry Butler and Norro Wilson.
Authors Charles Wolfe and Bill Malone.
Television producers Sam Lovullo, Bob Boatman and Jim Owens.
And probably a dozen others that I can think of off the top of my head who have had significant influence behind the scenes. This has to be my favorite categories because the possibilities are so wide open but is also speaks to the problem the CMA has with the enormous growing backlog of deserving candidates, most of whom won't live to enjoy a place in the Hall if they aren't forgotten altogether with the passing of time.
A couple of additional names on the list are Rick Blackburn, Jim Ed Norman, Ken Kragen, Carlton Haney and Joe Galante. I've seen Tony Brown's name here and there but with his legal troubles some years back he still may be too much of a hot potato.
DeleteBarry, thanks so much for your in-depth listing of potential honorees, so many deserving folks and just based on this list, they won't ever all get in as there will be others that come along who will also be equally worthy.
DeleteIf there is another hall of fame anywhere that is more exclusive than the CMHoF, I'm not aware of it. Three inductees per year in such pigeon-holed categories makes it nearly impossible to honor everyone who is worthy, which to me makes those who do get honored subject to "politicism" on how they were selected over so many other deserving candidates. I won't mention names, but some recent inductees seem, imo, to not necessarily be the most worthy, so I wonder what dynamics were in play with the selections.
Barry, that's an incredible amount of background you have provided, and names I hadn't thought of who are incredibly deserving. Killen also worked closely with Bill Anderson, and I wonder if Ol' Whisper might be whispering in people's ears about the need to induct him. But it would be nice for Halsey, considering he's here to smell the roses.
DeleteI'll agree on your veteran artists and make my pitch for Archie Campbell as a key figure in country comedy and with Hee Haw, and more involved behind the scenes than I think a lot of people realize.
What a FABULOUS weekend lineup.
ReplyDeleteThere may be hope for my 'Opry yet! :)
Just now tuned in to the 'Opry. Close to 8:00 Nashville time.
ReplyDeleteWhat in the world was Charlie Worsham babbling about? I thought I was listening to an alternate reality of some sort.
we turned into the Opry late on sirius, who was the female announcer
ReplyDeleteThe announcer was Kelly Sutton. She is part of the WSM morning show, featuring Bill Cody, that is also aired on Circle TV. She has been announcing a few of the Friday Night Opry shows, along with the Tuesday/Wednesday Night Opry's over the past several months.
DeleteOn the Opry's Facebook and Twitter pages today, they have been showing videos of several Opry members congratulating Ricky upon his 40th anniversary as an Opry member. Specifically, I have seen Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban and Marty Stuart, so far. It would have been nice to have seen these Opry members on the show tonight to offer their congratulations in person. It could still happen, but I am not counting on it. Regardless, I am sure it will be a wonderful night for Ricky, as it will be for Jamey Johnson.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Stovall was so impressed with ovation Jamey Johnson received tonight after his Opry induction. Why ???? That's what you get when you put REAL COUNTRY artists who perform REAL COUNTRY music on the show that built REAL COUNTRY music !
ReplyDelete--- Flushing Michigan Dashmann
You see that at other times with other REAL COUNTRY artist. I think some of the other "stuff" is being forced on the audience and they think it's not cool to not act enthusiastic. Just look at Mike Terry tonight asking three times for the crowd to cheer louder at the beginning before the show even started. I know that is part of the role of the announcer but let em hear something first!
DeleteJim
As I often say, we are spectators and most of us really don't know what goes on behind the scenes at the Opry. Some of the events may unfold a certain way because the member has asked for it to be so.
ReplyDeleteThat said, can anyone explain to me how management decides how to honor anniversaries? We have people that show up once or twice a year and at their 5 or 10 year anniversary it's the show of the year and big fanfare. Then you have other members that reach 25, 35, 40 years and they almost have to announce their own anniversary and make their own celebration. I know that Ricky got to be on Circle, I guess that should be considered a blessing, they played soundbites from four other members including Mr. and Mrs. Opry and Natalie announced it. I guess I'm just never happy but it seems like there could have been some kind of official recognition and presentation. There have been silver plates, watches, posters, plaques and other items given to some. The lack of some consistency just seems odd to me.
Again, maybe Ricky ask that there not be. Just my observation.
Overall, a nice Saturday night and weekend.
Jim
For the most part, they have a big celebration backstage for the anniversaries. I was backstage when Jeanne Pruett was having a Opry anniversary ( either 25th or 30th) . There was a great celebration backstage, but they didn’t really do anything on the show.
DeleteThe Opry did post pictures of Ricky backstage, along with Dan and Gina, with the cake. I didn't see if there was a poster or not. I know they produced one for Jamey's induction.
DeleteIn the past, for a major Opry anniversary, they have had a backstage reception. I was lucky enough to have been backstage for Jim Ed Brown's 50th and they did a nice job with it. I think that is the standard. A point to remember is that they are still limiting the number of guests backstage, so things are still pretty low key.
Overall, I was very pleased with the show last night. Charlie Worsham was good, but the booking of him on the Circle portion seemed strange as he really didn't fit in with Jamey or Ricky. I thought a better move would have been having the Gatlins on the televised portion. Bill did a wonderful job with the induction, which pleased me, and happy that they included him.
On the negative side, Natalie needs to go. She wasted a lot of time with her introductions, and as someone noted, she seemed actually surprised that a "country" singer was being inducted as a member. Too much gibberish.
I'll second the motion that Natalie needs to go and agree on "too much gibberish. I can't help but think that to her she is as big a part of the show as the performers. If you are, you earn that stature quietly! Think Grant and Eddie!
DeleteJim
What are your predictions for the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees?.
ReplyDelete