Grand Ole Opry 9/29 & 9/30

Here are the lineups for the Friday Night Opry and Saturday's Grand Ole Opry: 

Friday September 29
7:00: Moe Bandy, Frank Ray, Mike Snider, Lorrie Morgan
Intermission
8:15: Carter Faith, Don Schlitz, Ricky Skaggs

Saturday September 30
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Mandy Barnett, Alex Hall, Connie Smith, Charlie McCoy
Intermission
8:15: Bill Anderson, Annie Bosko, Dusty & Stones, Opry Square Dancers, Lindsay Ell, T. Graham Brown

A total of 8 Grand Ole Opry members this weekend, with 4 on each show. Among those is Lorrie Morgan, as it is always nice to see Lorrie back at the Opry. I should note that Lorrie, since moving back to Nashville, seems to be increasing her Opry appearances. 

Among the non-members, T. Graham Brown will be closing out the Saturday show. I know it has been said many times, but there are those who think T. Graham would make a great Opry member and hopefully his time comes soon. I know that whenever the Opry calls him, he tries to make it. Also scheduled is Moe Bandy. Nice to see Moe back. 

Two acts will be making their Opry debuts on Saturday night: Annie Bosko and Dusty & Stones. 

Annie Bosko came to Nashville from California where Rolling Stone described her as the “California girl next door with the country-pop delivery of Sheryl Crow." A noted singer/songwriter, she has been influenced and inspired by artists such as Vince Gill, Raul Malo and Dwight Yoakam. Since her career has started, she has written a number of songs and has appeared on numerous television shows. She has also performed at sold out shows at the The Troubadour and Ryman Auditorium. Passionate about using her voice and music to uplift and support those who need it most, Bosko has collaborated with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Navy SEAL Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Kidney Foundation, Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, The Heroes Project, UCLA Operation Mend, and The Trevor Project, in addition to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

 Dusty & Stones are two rising stars of Africa's nascent country music scene. Cousins Gazi "Dusty" Simelane and Linda "Stones" Msibi grew up together in the remote Mooihoek Valley in the tiny African Kingdom Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), where they herded their family's cattle after school and went to church every Sunday to watch their grandfather preach. When the Swati national radio station began broadcasting a weekly program of classic American country music, the cousins heard the joys and hardships of their rural lives reflected in the songs of artists like Dolly Parton and Hank Williams. They became determined to develop a distinctly African take on this historically American genre of music.

Dusty and Stones have since become prolific country singer/songwriters with an international following. Their debut album, Mooihoek Country Fever, effortlessly fused classic American country sounds with traditional Swati storytelling sensibilities and became a nationwide hit across Eswatini. The duo's music soon attracted attention throughout Europe and the US. In 2017, the cousins were invited to Nashville, where they recorded their original songs with celebrated country producer Robert Ellis Orrall and Grammy-winning mixer Jamie Tate. In 2023, Dusty and Stones returned to the US, where they were a crowd favorite at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho.

Now from 45 years ago, Saturday September 30, 1978: 

1st show
6:30: Wilburn Brothers (host): Wilma Lee Cooper
6:45: Stonewall Jackson (host): Billy Grammer
7:00: Porter Wagoner (host): Stu Phillips, Mary K. Miller, Razzie Bailey
7:30: Roy Acuff (host): Minnie Pearl, Vic Willis, Crook Brothers, Stoney Mountain Cloggers
8:00: Lester Flatt (host): Grandpa and Ramona Jones, Skeeter Davis, Bill Carlisle
8:30: Hank Snow (host): The 4 Guys, Jeanne Pruett, Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host): Stonewall Jackson, Wilma Lee Cooper, Billy Grammer, Razzie Bailey
10:00: Wilburn Brothers (host): Mary K. Miller
10:15: Roy Acuff (host): Jimmy Riddle and Howdy Forrester, Harold Weakley
10:30: Lester Flatt (host): Stu Phillips, Vic Willis
10:45: Grandpa Jones (host): Ramona Jones, Skeeter Davis, Crook Brothers, Stoney Mountain Cloggers
11:00: Hank Snow (host): Bill Carlisle, Fruit Jar Drinkers
11:30: The 4 Guys (host): Jeanne Pruett, Ronnie Robbins

(Minnie Pearl was scheduled only for the first show. Del Reeves and Marion Worth were scheduled to appear on both shows but cancelled. Del was scheduled to host the 11:30 segment on the late show, however The 4 Guys were moved into that spot. They originally were scheduled to be on the 11:00 segment with Hank, which resulted in a short segment for the Singing Ranger). 

One of the non-members scheduled that night was Mary K. Miller. She recorded for Inergi Records. From 1977 to 1980 she had 10 singles that hit the country charts, the highest being "Next Best Feeling" which made it up to #17. 

She began singing in her hometown of Houston, Texas at an early age. At age 15, she was discovered by Frank Sinatra at a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. He signed her to Reprise Records. She recorded for both that label and Capitol Records in her teens but was unsuccessful.[2]

Record industry executive Vincent Kickerillo discovered her at a private party. Unable to secure her a contract with a major label, he founded the Inergi label in 1977. Her debut single was a cover of "I Fall to Pieces", which charted at number 89 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Here last recordings were in 1980 after which she faded from the scene. 

(Of note: This is not the same Mary Miller who was married to Roger Miller)

There were a few country music stars who were never members of the Grand Ole Opry but would appear on the Opry at various times during their career. Tennessee Ernie Ford was one, while another was Jimmy Dean. 

One of those appearances took place on Saturday September 30, 1995. Here is the running order from that night 28 years ago: 

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Bill Monroe (host): Mule Skinner Blues
Jan Howard: The One You Slip Around With
Bill Monroe: Wayfaring Stranger

6:45: Country Music Hall of Fame
Jeanne Pruett (host): Back To Back
Stonewall Jackson: Why, I'm Walking
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Tell Her Lies & Feed Her Candy
Wilma Lee Cooper: I Don't Care If Tomorrow Never Comes
Bill Carlisle: Knothole
Billy Walker: Come A Little Bit Closer
Jean Shepard: Slippin' Away
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home

7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleepin' At The Foot of The Bed
George Hamilton IV: Jesus, It's Me Again
Connie Smith: Then & Only Then
Forrester Sisters: Come As You Are/Come See About Me
Jimmy Dickens: September Memories/Out Behind The Barn

8:00: Martha White
Jimmy C Newman (host): Big Mamou
Charlie Louvin: Will You Visit Me On Sundays
Jeannie Seely: Burning That Old Memory
Mike Snider: Big Walker Mountain
Opry Square Dance Band The Opry Square Dancers: Durang's Hornpipe
Jimmy C Newman: Cry, Cry Darling/Colinda

8:30: Kraft
Riders In The Sky (host): Always Drink Upstream From The Herd
Charlie Walker: Odds & Ends; Bits & Pieces
Jim and Jesse: Dream of Me
The Whites: Makin' Believe/I Don't Care
Riders In The Sky: Botts & Saddles/How The Yodel Was Born

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Sugarfoot Rag
Brother Oswald: Mountain Dew
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Billy Walker: Ashes of Love/Blue Moon of Kentucky/That's All Right
Colleen Walters: Ain't 'Cha Ever Gonna Cry

10:00: Goody's
Jean Shepard (host): If Teardrops Were Pennies
Charlie Walker: Don't Squeeze My Sharmon
Jean Shepard: I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me

10:15: Tennessee Pride/Cooper's Mill
Jimmy Dickens (host): Me & My Big Loud Mouth
Jan Howard: Crazy Arms/Heartaches By The Numbers
Jimmy Dickens: Out Behind The Barn

10:30: Gruhn
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Stu Phillips: You Win Again/Release Me/Blue Canadian Rockies
Jimmy C Newman: (?)

10:45: Fairfield
Mike Snider (host): Shuckin' The Corn
Charlie Louvin: The Castle Isn't Mine
Opry Square Dance Band and The Opry Square Dancers: Rachel
Mike Snider and Bobby Clark: Rawhide

11:00: Coca Cola
The Whites (host): If It Ain't Love
Jimmy Dean: For The Good Times
Stonewall Jackson: Muddy Water
Connie Smith: Once A Day
Forrester Sisters: I Fell In Love Again Last Night/I Will Praise Your Holy Name
The Whites: Keep On The Sunny Side

11:30: Loreal
Bill Monroe (host): Stay Away From Me; You're Causing Me Trouble
Justin Tubb: As Long As There's A Sunday
Jeannie Seely: I'm Burning an Old Memory
Riders In The Sky: Here Comes The Santa Fe/Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Bill Monroe: Close By/Panhandle Country

Jimmy Dean was a surprise walk-on during the 2nd show that night. 

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting. As always, I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this weekend and is ready to celebrate the Opry's 98th birthday, which will be accruing next weekend.