September Opry Highlights

Welcome to September and the beginning of fall. September brings football and cooler weather. And for us baseball fans, pennant races to talk about. Taking a look at this month, here are the historical and important events that have taken place regarding the Grand Ole Opry and its members: 

September 15, 1903: The "King of Country Music" Roy Acuff was born in Maynardsville, Tennessee. Roy came to the Opry in 1938, and except for a brief period of time, would remain a part of the Opry until his death in 1992. I think it is safe to say that Roy has been the most influential member in the history of the Opry and even though he passed away 30 years ago, his presence is still felt at the Opry. 

September 13, 1911: Bill Monroe, "The Father of Bluegrass Music" was born in Rosine, Kentucky. Bill came to the Opry in October 1939 and never left.

September 17, 1923: Hank Williams was born. Really nothing else needs to be said. While his time at the Opry was relatively short, it was very eventful and historical in many ways.

September 26, 1925: One of the most popular members in the history of the Grand Ole Opry, Marty Robbins was born near Glendale, Arizona. Marty came to the Opry in 1953, and shortly after that first appearance, he became an Opry member. Marty, who made the 11:30 segment into his own personal concert, stayed with the Opry until his death in December 1982.

September 26, 1926: Jerry Clower was born near Liberty, Mississippi. This former fertilizer salesman joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1973 and was the last member to join the cast before the Opry moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House in March 1974. Jerry, who was a great comedian and storyteller, passed away in 1998 following heart surgery.

September 22, 1928: The Grand Ole Opry is cancelled as WSM aired a speech by Republican senator William Borah and a rebuttal by Democratic governor Alfred Smith. In the early days of the Opry, there were times when the show did miss a Saturday night. 

September 1, 1931: Lecil Travis Martin, better known as "Boxcar Willie," was born in Sterratt, Texas. Boxcar made his debut on the Opry in 1980 at the age of 49. Roy Acuff loved him, and Boxcar became an Opry member the following year. One of the early performers who operated his own theater in Branson, Boxcar passed away in 1999.

September 5, 1931: The Vagabonds made their Grand Ole Opry debut, becoming one of the show's most popular acts during the decade. Like many of the early acts on the show, they would only stay for a relatively short period of time and have been largely forgotten over time. 

September 12, 1931: The "Possum" George Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas. George originally came to the Opry in 1956, and throughout his career, he would come and go. He was still an Opry member when he passed away in 2013. Although his Opry appearances were few and far between, George was always proud of his Opry membership and it was noted in one of the displays at the George Jones Museum in downtown Nashville, which has since closed. 

September 8, 1932: Probably the greatest female singer in the history of country music, Patsy Cline was born in Winchester, Virginia. Patsy joined the Opry in January 1960, simply by asking, as being an Opry member was one of her earliest dreams. Patsy, who influenced so many other females, passed away in March 1963 at the age of 30. She would later be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

September 24, 1932: It was a big night at the Grand Ole Opry as Zeke Clements, Curly Fox and Asher Sizemore, along with his son Jimmy all made their first appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. 

September 11, 1938: Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Delmore Brothers, made their final appearance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. One of the early members, this duo influenced many other brother acts that followed. While popular at the Opry, the duo left due to a disagreement with Opry founder George D. Hay.

September 4, 1943: Curley Williams and his Georgia Peach Pickers made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry. 

September 15, 1945: Wally Fowler became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Wally was the founder of the Oak Ridge Quartet, who eventually became known as the Oak Ridge Boys. After Wally joined the Opry, he was frequently featured on the Prince Albert portion, where he would traditionally sing a gospel song. Later in life, Wally ran into some financial problems that led to him selling the rights to the Oak Ridge Quartet name. Wally passed away in 1994.

September 18, 1947: The Grand Ole Opry brought a country music show for the first time to Carnegie Hall in New York city. Opry members featured on that first show included the headliners, Ernest Tubb and Minnie Pearl. The show as scheduled for a two-night run and both nights were sold out. Here is how Ernest Tubb remembered those nights, "The radio and newspaper people ignored us the first night we were there, but we turned away six thousand people and the next night, every reporter was there." Billboard magazine reported that "such screaming and wild applause after each number hasn't been heard in town since Frank Sinatra brought out the bobbysoxers at the Paramount." The shows were so successful that country music, and the Opry, would make a return visit.

September 11, 1948: It would appear that this was the last night that Eddy Arnold appeared as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. At the time, Eddy was the Opry's biggest star, and he left the Opry to headline his own CBS network radio show. Eddy would later do an interview with Ralph Emery in which he talked about leaving the Opry. "I thought I had done as much as I could do there. I had two network radio programs outside the Opry." On his final night as a member, Eddy finished his set and stood on the stage looking out over the Ryman Auditorium. He thanked Harry Stone, WSM, and the Opry fans, and then turned to walk away from the microphone. Harold Bradley, who backed Eddy on guitar that night, would say, "We went around the curtain and he and Minnie Pearl hugged and both of them cried like babies because he was leaving." Eddy also created some controversy because he was the first "star" to leave the Opry and not return. Irving Waugh of WSM said, "We hated to see Eddy leave. But, as I recall, it didn't make that much difference to the Opry. At that stage, people were lined up all the way around the block to get in. New people, including Hank Williams were coming all the time." By the way, after Eddy left the Opry, he never came back.

September 24, 1948: WSM began the Friday Night Frolics, later to be known as the Friday Night Opry. The show took place from Studio C at WSM, where it would remain until moving to the Ryman Auditorium in 1964. The show was created originally as a way to keep Eddy Arnold on WSM radio.

September 25, 1948: George Morgan became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was brought to the show specifically to replace the recently departed Eddy Arnold. George came to the Opry from the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. There is a wonderful story that George told regarding his first visit to Nashville. He didn't know where the Ryman Auditorium was, and he asked a stranger on the street for directions. That stranger ended up being Eddy Arnold and the Ryman was literally across the street. 

September 13, 1952: Webb Pierce made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Webb would become an Opry member a year later to help fill the void after Hank Williams was fired. Webb was an Opry member until February 1957, when he left after a dispute with management over booking fees and commissions that were being charged for road shows. Webb would return for guest appearances throughout his career. 

September 26, 1953: Skeeter Davis made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Skeeter would later become an Opry member, joining in 1959. There are many of us who have great memories of Skeeter and miss her a lot. She was always colorful and fun. 

September 3, 1955: According to some records, this is the date in which Jim Reeves made his move from the Louisiana Hayride to the Grand Ole Opry. The following month, Jim would become a member of the cast.

September 10, 1955: Justin Tubb became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This popular singer and songwriter, Justin, at the time, was the youngest member of the cast when he joined. The son of Opry legend Ernest Tubb, Justin would remain an Opry member until his death in 1998 at the age of 62.

September 24, 1956: WSM radio fired Grand Ole Opry manager Jim Denny. Jim had started with WSM and the Opry back in the early days of the show and was involved behind the scenes in various capacities including being in charge of the Opry's concession business, where he saw for the first time how much money the Opry was making and how much more potential there was. Over time, he became not only the Opry's manager, but a powerful force at WSM and the Opry. In fact, too powerful for some. He was fired from the Opry because he refused to give up his ownership of Cedarwood Publishing Company, which the Opry viewed as a conflict of interest. Shortly after his death, Jim Denny would become one of the early members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

August 11, 1956; Dates come and go, and in the case of George Jones, there have been a lot of dates. According to the Opry's history, this was the date in which George Jones originally became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. George, of course, came and went several times from the Opry. 

September 25, 1956: Following the firing of Jim Denny, Dee Kilpatrick was named the Grand Ole Opry's "general director," a new title. He was also named the manager of the WSM Artists' Service Bureau, which was the Opry's in-house booking agency. Dee, a former record company executive, said at the time, "They asked me what I thought was wrong. We'll, back when I was working with Mercury Records, I was at the Opry almost every Saturday night I was in town, and I could look at the audience and see what was wrong. The Opry didn't appeal to the younger audiences that you have to have if you're going to keep growing. All I could see were older people and little, teeny kids. There weren't any teenagers." Kilpatrick would begin to add younger acts to the Opry's cast, including the Everly Brothers and Porter Wagoner. If nothing else, Dee recognized one of the Opry's biggest problems, which would continue on for many, many years.

September 29, 1956: Rose Maddox joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Rose did not stay at the Opry for very long, as several of the Opry's members, including Roy Acuff, did not care for her style or stage appearance. In an interesting sidenote, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Roy would buy Rose's Cadillac. 

September 6, 1958: Grand Ole Opry member Rod Brasfield made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Rod was remembered for his appearances on the Prince Albert portion of the Opry, along with fellow comedian Minnie Pearl. Sadly, Rod had a lot of personal issues that would eventually lead to his death. 

September 13, 1958: Ben Smathers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers became members of the Grand Ole Opry. For most of their years, the Stoney Mountain Cloggers would rotate every other weekend as the featured square dancers, backing up groups such as the Crook Brothers and the Fruit Jar Drinkers. Ben Smathers passed away in 1990, and the Cloggers would remain a part of the Opry until 1993.

September 30, 1958: Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Before beginning his solo career, Marty was a part of Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass and Johnny Cash's touring band. Marty joined the Opry in November 1992.

September 17, 1960: Loretta Lynn made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Loretta, who would go on to have one of the most amazing careers of any female in the history of country music, would become an Opry member several years later, in 1962. While health issues have impacted her Opry appearances in recent years, this year will mark Loretta's 60th year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

September 16, 1961: Leroy Van Dyke made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Leroy would become an Opry member in October of 1962. He stayed as an Opry member for just a couple of years as he was let go from the show for failing to appear the required number of times. Since then, he has been back to guest on the Opry. Now over 90 years old, Leroy is still touring and sounding good.

September 25, 1962: Country Music Hall of Fame member, and legend, Loretta Lynn became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Loretta's 60th year as a member. Loretta has not made an appearance on the Opry since January 2017, the night she helped to induct her sister Crystal Gayle as an Opry member. Loretta continues her recovery from a stroke.

September 27, 1963: The National Life and Accident Insurance Company purchased the Ryman Auditorium from the city of Nashville for a reported $200,000. WSM, which operated the building, immediately changed the name of the building to the Grand Ole Opry House, even though everyone still called it the Ryman. By becoming the owners of the building. National Life was able to make some much needed repairs to the place to bring it up to code.

September 11, 1964: The Friday Night Frolics moved from WSM Studio C to the Ryman Auditorium and renamed the Friday Night Opry.

September 18, 1965: While the Opry recognizes an August date as to when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, this is the date that Connie first appeared on the Opry as a member. Also joining the cast of the Grand Ole Opry, the same day was Bob Luman. Regardless of the actual date, it has been 57 years since Connie originally became an Opry member. 

September 2, 1967: Standard Candy Company, the makers of the famous Goo Goo Clusters, became an Opry sponsor. Standard Candy would remain with the Opry until January 2006, when the company elected not to renew the sponsorship. At the time, the Opry was changing how they viewed the sponsorship of the show, deciding to go with presenting sponsors at an additional cost for advertisers. 

September 16, 1967: Jeannie Seely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jeannie was one of the first female artists to host a segment at the Opry on a regular basis. Now entering her 55th year as an Opry member, Jeannie has become one of the most reliable regulars on the show and it should be pointed out, that unlike a few of her fellow Opry members, once Jeannie joined the Opry, she has never left. 

September 19, 1968: Former Grand Ole Opry member Red Foley passed away in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Red came to the Opry in 1946 and stayed for a decade before moving on to Springfield, Missouri. While at the Opry, he was the host of the Prince Albert portion of the show. He passed away while on a tour.

September 13, 1969: Earl Scruggs made his first appearance as a solo member of the Grand Ole Opry. Earlier in the year, he and Lester Flatt ended their partnership, with each pursuing solo careers. On the Opry that night, Earl performed "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with his sons Gary and Randy.

September 20, 1969: Bobby Bare rejoined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Bobby would stay as a member until he left the Opry in March 1974 when the Opry moved from the Ryman Auditorium to the new Grand Ole Opry House. In April 2018, the Opry surprised Bobby by restoring his Opry membership. 

September 13, 1975: Don Gibson, who was fired from the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1964, rejoined the Opry. While never appearing often on the Opry, it was nice to have Don back as a member and whenever he appeared, it was a special night.

September 17, 1977: Reba McEntire made her first guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. On that first night, Reba sang "Sweet Dreams" and "Invitation To The Blues." Several years later, Reba would become an Opry member.

September 1, 1978: Grand Ole Opry member Hank Snow hosted his first annual concert for abused children at the Grand Ole Opry House. Among Hank's guests that night were Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb. The shows would continue for several years before Hank ended the annual events. 

September 15, 1979: Stevie Wonder made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He sang "Behind Closed Doors" in a duet with Skeeter Davis. That is a recording I would love to hear. 

September 6, 1984: Ernest Tubb passed away in a Nashville hospital after a long illness. Ernest had been in declining health for a number of years and had last appeared on the Opry in August 1982. He joined the Opry in 1943 and in 1965 Ernest was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It can certainly be said, that in addition to Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and Hank Snow, Ernest was one of the pillars of the Opry. 

September 13, 1984: President Ronald Reagan appeared for a tribute to Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry House. Among those appearing that night were Minnie Pearl, Porter Wagoner, Lee Greenwood, Chet Atkins and Ray Stevens. The appearance was part of President Reagan's re-election campaign.

September 9, 1989: Del Wood made her final appearance as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Del, who had joined the Opry in the early 1950s on the strength of her hit, "Down Yonder" passed away a month later at the age of 69 after suffering a stroke.

September 16, 1989: Chely Wright made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry. At one time, there was talk of Chely becoming a member of the Opry however her career took her in a different direction that did not include the Opry. 

September 4, 1991: Grand Ole Opry member Dottie West passed away in a Nashville hospital as a result of injuries suffered in an earlier car accident. Dottie had been a part of the Opry's cast since 1964. She had a great career and influenced a number of female artists.

September 4, 1992: Former Grand Ole Opry member Carl Butler died in Franklin, Tennessee. Carl first appeared on the Opry in 1948 and along with his wife Pearl, joined the cast in 1962. Not only was Carl a great singer, but he was also known as a fine songwriter. Carl and Pearl did not stay as Opry members for very long, and after leaving the Opry the couple continued to tour. After Pearl's death, Carl would occasionally appear on the Opry.

September 11, 1993: The Stoney Mountain Cloggers made their final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Margaret Smathers, the widow of Ben Smathers, made the decision that it was time to retire the group. On the final night, they were featured on the televised segment and Opry member Vince Gill made a special request to be on the Opry on that final night, and on their specific segments. 

September 29, 1993: Bob Whittaker became the general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, replacing Hal Durham who was promoted within the company. Bob would remain with the Opry until retiring in 1998. Some may be asking and yes, Bob is still alive today and in fact, was recently backstage at the Opry when The Isaacs were inducted as Opry members. 

September 6, 1996: Grand Ole Opry legend Hank Snow made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Hank was in declining health and made a low-key decision to retire. Hank passed away in 1999, just two weeks short of his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

September 9, 1996: Grand Ole Opry, and bluegrass legend, Bill Monroe passed away, Bill had been in declining heath since suffering a stroke earlier in the year. Bill had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1939 and he brought the sound of bluegrass to the Opry stage.

September 13, 1996: LeAnn Rimes made her debut on the Friday Night Opry. She performed three songs that night including her hit single "Blue," which was written by the legendary Bill Mack.

September 20, 1996: Grand Ole Opry member Jimmy Dickens returned to the Opry after a two-month absence due to vocal issues. Those of us who remember Jimmy in his final years at the Opry know that those vocal issues would never completely go away. 

September 20, 1997: During a guest appearance on the Opry, Johnny Paycheck was asked by Opry general manager Bob Whittaker if he would like to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Of course, Johnny said yes and was inducted later in the year.

September 1, 1998: Martina McBride sings "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Fellow Grand Ole Opry members Bill Anderson, Stu Phillips, Jimmy Dickens, Jeanne Pruett, Ray Pillow, Jan Howard, Jeannie Seely, Johnny Russell, Buck White and Jimmy C. Newman perform the national anthem.

September 12, 1998: President of the Grand Ole Opry Group Bob Whittaker announced his retirement. Bob had replaced Hal Durham as the Opry's general manager and later as Opry group president. Bob would eventually be replaced as the Opry's general manager by Pete Fisher, who took over the following June.

September 18, 1998: Paying tribute to her father, Hank Williams, Jett Williams performed "Your Cheatin' Heart" on the Grand Ole Opry. During her appearance, she told those attending that Hank never sang the song during any of his concert appearances. 

September 28, 2000: In preparation of the Grand Ole Opry's 75th anniversary, Governor Don Sundquist declared October as Grand Ole Opry month in the state of Tennessee. He was joined at the announcement ceremony by Opry members Martina McBride and Little Jimmy Dickens.

September 29, 2000: Future Grand Ole Opry member Keith Urban made his first solo guest appearance on the Opry. 

September 28, 2002: After an absence of 10 years, Tanya Tucker made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. She was joined on stage by the Jordanaires as she performed her debut hit "Delta Dawn."

September 13, 2003: The United States Postal Service unveiled a stamp featuring Roy Acuff. The ceremony took place at the Grand Ole Opry House. The portrait on the stamp was based on a photo that appeared in a 1949 edition of "Collier's" magazine. On that same night, Vince Gill and members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performed a tribute to Roy on at the Grand Ole Opry.

September 20, 2004: Grand Ole Opry member Skeeter Davis passed away in Nashville at the age of 72. Skeeter had battled cancer and other health related issues for a number of years. Skeeter was always known for her bright outfits and her big smile that brought a lot of joy to those watching her perform.

September 23, 2004: Just days after the death of Skeeter Davis, another long time Grand Ole Opry member passed away as Roy Drusky died after a battle with lung cancer. Roy joined the Opry in the late 1950s and was known for his smooth voice and great ballad songs.

September 8, 2007: Grand Ole Opry member Hank Locklin made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

September 29, 2007: During a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, Josh Turner was asked by Roy Clark if he would like to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Of course, Josh said yes and would join the cast a month later. Also, on the same night, Porter Wagoner made his final Saturday night appearance on the Opry.

September 18, 2008:  As Craig Morgan sang "Rose Colored Glasses," Grand Ole Opry member John Conlee walked on stage during a free show for soldiers at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to invite Craig to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

September 27, 2008: Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart celebrated his 50th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry. Appearing with Marty that night was Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Connie Smith and The Carolina Chocolate Drops, along with The Fabulous Superlatives.

September 28, 2010: The Grand Ole Opry House reopened after being renovated following the flood that stuck Nashville the previous May. Since the flood, the Opry had moved around to several different venues, with the majority of time spent at the Ryman Auditorium. On the reopening night, the final hour was televised by GAC and the segment opened with the cast coming out and singing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken." Brad Paisley and Jimmy Dickens led the way. Also, during that night's show, Blake Shelton was asked by Trace Adkins to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

September 13, 2011: Grand Ole Opry legend Wilma Lee Cooper passed away. Wilma and her husband Stoney joined the Opry in 1957, coming to Nashville from the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. After Stoney's death, Wilma Lee continued on as a solo member of the Opry. In February 2001, she suffered a stroke while performing on the show, which ended her performing career. She did return to the Opry stage in 2007 upon her 50th anniversary as an Opry member, and again in September 2010 upon the reopening of the Grand Ole Opry House.

September 13, 2011: George Jones made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. It was a show that celebrated George's 80th birthday and included Alan Jackson, Joe Diffie, Lee Ann Womack and the Oak Ridge Boys.

September 27, 2011: Rascal Flatts were invited to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. They were officially inducted in October during the Opry's 86th birthday weekend. This will be their 11th year as Opry members. With the recent announcement that Rascal Flatts would no longer be touring or performing together it will be interesting to see how this affects their Opry membership going forward.

September 27, 2011: Johnny Wright passed away in Nashville. He was the husband of Kitty Wells and a former member of the Grand Ole Opry, performing as part of Johnny & Jack.

September 25, 2012: Loretta Lynn celebrated her 50th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member. Joining Loretta that night were Miranda Lambert, Crystal Gayle, Trace Adkins, Lee Ann Womack and Pistol Annies, making their Opry debut singing "Fist City."

September 6, 2014: Long time Grand Ole Opry member George Hamilton IV appeared on the Opry for the final time. During his performance, he sang his big hit "Abilene." After a short illness, George passed away several weeks later, on September 17.

September 29, 2015: "Grand Ole Opry 90th Anniversary Family Album" was published. The book featured all of the current and former Grand Ole Opry members, as well as a history of the Opry. The book was updated a few years ago, calling it a 94th edition. 

September 25, 2016: Grand Ole Opry legend, and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jean Shepard passed away. Jean last appeared on the Opry in November 2015, when she was honored on her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, becoming the only female to have been an Opry member for that period of time.

September 8, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member Troy Gentry passed died as a result of a helicopter crash. Troy, who was half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, was 40. Along with Eddie Montgomery, the group joined the Opry on June 23, 2009. On the same day, former Grand Ole Opry member Don Williams passed away. Don had been a member in the 1970s, however he left the cast a few years after joining.

September 16, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member Jeannie Seely celebrated her 50th year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Even after 50 years of membership, Jeannie can be found most Friday and Saturday nights hosting a segment of the Opry, as she remains a popular member of the Opry.

September 22, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member Reba McEntire celebrated the 40th anniversary of her debut on the Opry. Joining Reba that night were Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, and a surprise appearance by Dolly Parton.

September 18, 2018: Dustin Lynch became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. While his membership was a surprise to many, in his first four years as a member, Dustin has supported the show pretty well.

September 25, 2018: Comedian Bill Murry made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Along with the SteelDrivers, he performed the classic song "Paradise."

September 3, 2019: A special exhibit honoring Dolly Parton and her 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, opened in Studio A at the Grand Ole Opry House. 

September 14, 2021: The Isaacs were formally inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry. Ricky Skaggs and The Whites did the honors. The Isaacs had been longtime supporters of the Opry. 

September 28, 2021: Mandy Barnett was invited by Connie Smith to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. At the time, Mandy had made over 500 guest appearances and was well deserving of being invited. 

There you have it for September. Another busy month at the Opry.