Grand Ole Opry 9/9 & 9/10

I do believe that it was Jean Shepard that said you couldn't spell Blake Shelton without the letters BS. 
(Ok, I couldn't help it!)

With that said, one of the Opry's missing members of 2022, Blake Shelton, will be making an appearance this weekend at the Grand Ole Opry as he will be appearing on two shows on Saturday night. 

With Blake scheduled to appear on Saturday, and Brad Paisley on the list for next Friday night, that will take two more names off of the list of active Opry members who have not made an appearance on the show thus far this year. 

The rest of the missing include: 
Emmylou Harris
Alan Jackson
Alison Krauss
Little Big Town
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Ronnie Milsap
Old Crow Medicine Show
Marty Stuart
Travis Tritt

(And that is not even getting into the names of those who have only appeared once). 

A couple of the names that you don't normally associate with not appearing on the Opry, specifically Diamond Rio, Marty Stuart and Old Crow Medicine Show. Prior to 2020, those were acts that did appear on the Opry, while not on a regular basis, at least once every few months. As to the others, a few of those names listed have not appeared on the Opry in a few years. 

While I know each of those listed have been actively touring, you would think that they could make the time to make at least a couple of Opry appearances. And before anyone says anything, I know that the Opry's management team has been reaching out to all of the Opry's members, including those listed above, to try to book them on the show. It is up to the Opry's members as to whether they want to appear or not. 

There is still hope as 2022 still has four months left in the year. 

So, moving on and looking at the Grand Ole Opry shows for this weekend, there are only two Opry members appearing on the Friday Night Opry, Jeannie Seely and Mark Wills. Not only is there only two, but they are the first two artists that will be appearing on Friday. It is the same story on Saturday night, with only Opry members Connie Smith and Blake Shelton listed on the schedule. 

So, who else will be appearing this weekend? On Friday night, comedian Killer Beaz, gospel artist Jason Crabb, bluegrass artists The Gibson Brothers, Kat & Alex, and Jerrod Niemann are scheduled, along with Jon Wolfe, who will be making his Opry debut. 

There are two artists who will be making their Opry debuts on Saturday night, Kolby Cooper and, appearing on the Circle TV televised portion of the show, Todd Tilghman. Callista Clark and Natalie Grant are also scheduled, and the televised portion, in addition to Blake and Todd, will have Jake Hoot and Wendy Moten performing. Personally, I am pleased to see both Jake and Wendy receiving some extra exposure on the televised hour. 

Friday September 9
7:00: Mark Wills, Jeannie Seely, Jon Wolfe, The Gibson Brothers
Intermission
8:15: Jerrod Niemann, Kat & Alex, Killer Beaz, Jason Crabb

Saturday September 10
1st show
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Connie Smith, Callista Clark, Kolby Cooper, Natalie Grant
8:00: Jake Hoot, Wendy Moten, Todd Tilghman, Blake Shelton

2nd show
9:30: Opry Square Dancers, Connie Smith, Blake Shelton, Todd Tilghman, Callista Clark
10:30: Natalie Grant, Opry Square Dancers, Kolby Cooper, Wendy Moten, Jake Hoot

Much like Friday night, the second show on Saturday has the two Opry members on the schedule appearing on the first two slots. 

As to those making their Opry debuts this weekend, Jon Wolfe is a singer/songwriter originally from Oklahoma. He has been releasing music since 2010 and appears to be pretty popular in Texas and Oklahoma. Kolby Cooper has had a lot of success streaming his music and as amassed over 230 million streams of his music. He is also known for his songwriting abilities.

 Finally, Todd Tilghman is a pastor and a singer and was the winner of season 18 of The Voice. At 42, he was the oldest winner since the show began. On the show, he was a part of Team Blake, which is the connection to him appearing with Blake on the Opry this weekend. 

Now from 50 years ago, Saturday September 9, 1972: 

1st show
6:30: Billy Walker (host); Jeanne Pruett
6:45: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Leona Williams
7:00: Charlie Walker (host); Connie Smith; Justin Tubb; Louie Roberts
7:30: Billy Grammer (host); Willis Brothers; Stringbean; Crook Brothers; Judy Bright
8:00: Roy Acuff (host); Stu Phillips; Diana Trask
8:30: Tex Ritter (host); Marion Worth; The 4 Guys; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Joe & Rose Lee Maphis

2nd show
9:30: Billy Walker (host); Willis Brothers; Jeanne Pruett; Louie Roberts
10:00: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Justin Tubb; Leona Williams
10:15: Charlie Walker (host); Connie Smith
10:30: Billy Grammer (host); Stringbean; Diana Trask
10:45: Roy Acuff (host); Joe & Rose Lee Maphis; Crook Brothers
11:00: Stu Phillips (host); Bob and Pat Geary; Judy Bright; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Tex Ritter (host); Marion Worth; The 4 Guys

When looking back at past shows and performers at the Grand Ole Opry, there are certain artists who seemed to show up about once a year, as if they had a standing invitation to appear. One of those artists was Governor Jimmie Davis. 

James Houston Davis was born in Beech Springs, LA, on September 11, 1899. He earned a bachelor's degree from Louisiana College Pineville and in 1927 a master's degree from Louisiana State University. Jimmie began singing occasionally for a local radio station and first recorded in 1928. One year later, he signed with Victor and began recording; these initial releases reflect a style devoted to Jimmie Rodgers. Over five years he recorded almost 70 sides for the label, and though none of the singles sold well. He moved to Decca in 1934 and gained his first major hit, "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine." Another hit, "It Makes No Difference Now," was bought from Floyd Tillman, but Davis' biggest success came from his own copyright, "You Are My Sunshine." First recorded by Davis in 1940, the song quickly entered the first rank of popular and country music standards, covered many times over by artists from both genres.

By the late 1930s, he had given up his teaching career to enter state government in Louisiana, while at the same time appearing in three Western films. In 1944 he was elected Governor of Louisiana, while continuing to record. He scored five Top Five singles during his first term, including the double-sided hit "Is It Too Late Now"/"There's a Chill on the Hill Tonight" in 1944 and the number one "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" the following year.

Jimmie moved back to full-time recording in 1948, and after a stint with Capitol, he returned to Decca. Some of his country singles such as "Suppertime" began to please gospel listeners as well, and Davis gradually moved to a more sacred style. He returned to the governorship in 1960 on a segregationist platform, but to his credit, he prevented much of the unrest apparent in the South through his moderate position. Though he hadn't recorded a hit since his first term, Davis reached the Top 20 in 1962 with "Where the Old Red River Flows." By 1964, he was back to gospel music, and he recorded heavily throughout the late '60s and early '70s. Decca ended his contract in the 1975, but Davis continued to perform and record even into the 1990s. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1971 and lived for nearly 30 years after his election, dying at the age of 101 on November 5, 2000.

In his later years, Governor Jimmie Davis would generally appear on the Opry once a year, right around his birthday and usually was joined by his wife Anna Gordon, who was a founding member of The Chuck Wagon Gang. 

One of his later Opry appearances took place on Saturday September 10, 1994 and here is the running order from the Grand Ole Opry that night (at the time, Jimmie was 95). 

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Grandpa Jones (host): Pliney Jane
Wilma Lee Cooper: The Hills of Roane County
Grandpa Jones: It's Raining Here this Morning

6:45: Country Music Hall of Fame
Jeanne Pruett (host): Temporarily Yours
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Brother Oswald: Eunita
Justin Tubb: Thanks, Troubadour, Thanks
The 4 Guys: Amazing Grace
Ray Pillow: Too Many Memories

7:30: Standard Candy
Jack Greene (host): Oh, Lonesome Me
Governor Jimmie Davis: Nobody's Darling but Mine
Jean Shepard: Slippin' Away
Mark Collie: Hard Loving Woman/Where There's Smoke, You'll Find My Old Flame
Governor Jimmie Davis: You Are My Sunshine
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything

8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): Wild Weekend
The Whites: Pins & Needles
Charlie Walker: A Way to Free Myself
Nashville Bluegrass Band: There's No Hiding Place Down Here
Opry Square Dance Band: Rachel
Bill Anderson: Still

8:30: Kraft
Hank Snow (host): Lonely River, Roll Along
Jimmy C Newman: Big Mamou
Jeannie Seely: When He Leaves You
Billy Walker: From Adam's Side
Mike Snider: Chicken Necks & Wings
Hank Snow: Blue Roses

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Tell Her Lies & Feed Her Candy
Charlie Walker: Right or Wrong/Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Mark Collie: I Was Born to Love You/When the Sun Goes Down, I Go Crazy
Porter Wagoner: I Cried Again

10:00: Drs. Cream
Grandpa Jones (host): Apple Jack
Roy Drusky: Family Bible
Grandpa Jones: The Baby-O

10:15: Sunbeam/Tennessee Pride
Jimmy C Newman (host): Good Deal, Lucille
Ray Pillow: Please Don't Leave Me Anymore/The Kind of Love I Can't Forget/Bubbles In My Beer
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya

10:30: Gruhn Guitar
Bill Anderson (host): Po' Folks
Jeanne Pruett: Back-to-Back
Bill Anderson: 3 AM

10:45: Bob Evans
Jack Greene (host): Lasting First Impression
Jean Shepard: Farewell Party
Opry Square Dance Band: Sail Away Ladies

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Conscience, I'm Guilty
The 4 Guys: Swing Down Chariot
Charlie Louvin: When I Stop Dreaming
Nashville Bluegrass Band: The Train That Carries Jimmie Rodgers Home
Hank Snow: Let Me Go Lover
Kayton Roberts: Pearly Shells

11:30: Cates Pickles
Billy Walker (host): Come A Little Bit Closer
The Whites: Blue Letters/Keep on the Sunny Side
Mike Snider: Bending the Strings/Look What They've Done to the Dominica Hen
Billy Walker: You Gave Me a Mountain

Not only did Jimmie Davis sing on the Opry that night, but he was also a guest on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. 

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.