From a personal standpoint, I think the Grand Ole Opry is off to a great start for Opry100. The shows overall in January, have been very good with a number of Grand Ole Opry members on the schedule. This weekend is no exception as the calendar turns the page from January to February.
The Friday Night Opry will feature Grand Ole Opry members John Conlee, Dailey & Vincent, Gary Mule Deer, Riders In The Sky and the legendary Jeannie Seely.
Suzy Bogguss was on the schedule several weeks ago but had to cancel due to illness. She has rescheduled her appearance and will be appearing on Friday night. I know she is the favorite of many. Also on the schedule is Mae Estes and making their Opry debut, Penny and Sparrow.
Gary Mule Deer is back on the schedule for Saturday night, along with the Opry's newest member, Steven Curtis Chapman. The legendary Gene Watson is on the schedule, and he will be recognized upon his 5th anniversary as an Opry member. Also on the schedule are a trio of Country Music Hall of Fame members: Bill Anderson, Vince Gill and Don Schlitz.
Only two non-members are listed: Karley Scott Collins and Christian Hayes, who will be making his Opry debut.
Friday January 31
7:00: Dailey & Vincent, Jeannie Seely, Mae Estes, John Conlee
Intermission
8:20: Penny & Sparrow, Gary Mule Deer, Suzy Bogguss, Riders In The Sky
Saturday February 1
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Gene Watson, Karley Scott Collins, Bill Anderson, Steven Curtis Chapman
Intermission
8:20: Christian Hayes, Gary Mule Deer, Opry Square Dancers, Don Schlitz, Vince Gill
As mentioned, there are two Opry debuts this weekend, Penny & Sparrow on Friday night and Christian Hayes on Saturday.
Penny and Sparrow are an American band comprised of guitarist and vocalist Kyle Jahnke and vocalist Andy Baxter originating in 2011 from Austin, Texas. Meeting at the University of Texas Austin, Jahnke and Baxter became roommates, soon after friends and soon after music partners. Beginning with their 2013 album "Tenboom" the pair have gone on to release a total of 9 albums.
Baxter an erudite lyricist with a mesmerizing voice and crystalline falsetto, and the duo quickly found that their vocals blended together as if they’d been singing in harmony their whole lives. Beginning with 2013’s ‘Tenboom,’ the staunchly DIY pair released a series of critically lauded records that garnered comparisons to the hushed intimacy of Iron & Wine and the adventurous beauty of James Blake, building up a devoted fanbase along the way through relentless touring and word-of-mouth buzz. NPR praised the band’s songwriting as a “delicate dance between heartache and resolve,” while The World Café raved that they’ve “steadily built a sound as attentive to detail as Simon & Garfunkel and as open to the present day as Bon Iver,” and Rolling Stone hailed their catalog as “folk music for Sunday mornings, quiet evenings, and all the fragile moments in between.” In addition to the mountain of glowing reviews, the band also earned high profile fans—including The Civil Wars’ John Paul White, who produced 2015’s ‘Let A Lover Drown You’—and extensive tour dates with everyone from Josh Ritter and Johnnyswim to Drew Holcomb and Delta Rae.
Christian Hayes, who had released his debut single "Leaving" less than a year ago, received the incredible honor of being invited to make his Opry debut on Christmas Eve, surrounded by his entire family.
According to Christian, “My parents for a week leading up to it, were like…I had another party I had to go to before, and they’re like, ‘make sure you’re there at eight.’ I was like, ‘why are they so adamant that I’m there at eight?’ And my parents were like, ‘we have a surprise.’ They played it off so well. They’re like, ‘we’ve been saving up for a long time for it. We have this big surprise for you. I get there, and we’re all gathered around, we’re about to say a prayer before we eat dinner and then my mom and dad walk in the room and everyone’s gathered up in the kitchen,” he continued recalling the moments leading up to the grand reveal. “There’s probably 60 people there. My dad’s holding this cake from this cake company in Rome called Honeyman Bakery…and my mom’s holding these two huge sugar cookies but turned into her. So you could tell something was written on the frosting.”
Before uncovering the reason for the treats, Hayes said his uncle joked that they now have a professional in their circle, referencing Hayes who had just signed to Capitol Records a few months prior. This prompted his dad to reflect on the Georgia native’s musical journey that began when he was just eight years old, and how far he’s come just in this past year. Then, it was time for the big surprise to be unveiled. “[He] kind of walks down my path a little bit and then he was like, ‘well, what he doesn’t know yet is he’s going to have this Grand Ole Opry debut on February 1st.’ He opens it up and it’s this cake box that says, ‘Christian Hayes, Grand Ole Opry debut.’ And my mom flips the cookies and has the debut date. It was really sweet. They didn’t tell anybody. No one in the family knew. I didn’t know. It was just a complete huge shock.” He goes on to admit he was “speechless” in that moment and tried his best to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes but ultimately was too overjoyed to get to share that milestone with his family by his side.
Christian grew up in northern Georgia. A veteran of the US Navy Reserve, he began applying the discipline of his military training to his work as a songwriter, amassing more than 900 original songs by his mid-twenties. Five of those songs appear on Last I Love You, his debut for Capitol Records available now. Produced by Lukas Bracewell and steeped in Hayes' unique version of American roots music, Last, I Love You features the viral single "LILY" (which racked up more than 3 million streams before the EP's official release), the anthemic "Black Gold," and a mix of effortless melodies, cinematic folk and rowdy, barn-burning Americana.
I am sure all 60 of those family members who were there that Christmas Eve will be at the Opry on Saturday night.
Continuing our look back at past Grand Ole Opry members, this week the spotlight is on Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Price.
Ray Price was one of the stars of the Grand Ole Opry through the 1950s. Known as the Cherokee Cowboy, Ray released over 100 singles and 50 albums during the course of his Hall of Fame career. His first #1 was in 1956 with "Crazy Arms" followed by "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You," "City Lights," and "The Same Old Me" to close out the 50s. While the 1960s would bring more Top 10 hits, Ray would not hit #1 again until 1970 with "For The Good Times." His final #1 was in 1973 with "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To." While there would be no more #1's, Ray would continue to be on the country charts until 1989. Even as his hit making days ended, Ray continued to be a top touring act, appearing on numerous television shows.
As Ray's career took off, he found it more and more difficult to maintain the appearance requirements at the Grand Ole Opry, thus he was fired from the show in December 1964 as part of what has become known as the Purge of 64. That did not mean however, that his Opry days had ended. While he never rejoined the show as a member, Ray would continue to make guest appearances as his schedule allowed.
One of those appearances took place 28 years ago this weekend, on Saturday February 1, 1997. Here is the running order from that night:
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Grandpa Jones (host): Ol' Rattler
Bill Carlisle: Is Zat Your Myrtle
Grandpa Jones: Dark As A Dungeon
6:45: Joggin' In A Jug
Jimmy Dickens (host): Family Reunion
Jeannie Seely: I Can't Stop Loving You
Jimmy Dickens: We Could
7:00: Shoney's
Del Reeves (host): Good Time Charlie's
Skeeter Davis: The End Of The World
Stonewall Jackson: Waterloo
Jimmy C Newman: Cajun's Dream
Billy Walker: Adam's Side
Del Reeves: A Lover's Question
7:30: Standard Candy
Jack Greene (host): Walkin' On New Grass
Ken Mellons: Juke Box Junkie
The 4 Guys: Amazing Grace
Ray Price: San Antonio Rose/For The Good Times/Burning Memories
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything
8:00: Martha White
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Brother Oswald: When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells
Opry Square Dance Band & The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Liberty
Porter Wagoner: The Green, Green Grass of Home
Porter Wagoner & Christie Lynn: Forty Miles From Poplar Bluff
8:30: Opry Cruise
Mike Snider (host): Tennessee Rapsody/Cotton-Eyed Joe
Charlie Louvin: I Wanna Die Young
The Whites: Move It On Over
Jan Howard: Who Are You Gonna Blame It On This Time
Mel McDaniel: Stand Up
Mike Snider: Look What They've Done To The Dominica Hen/Banjolene
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Howdy Neighbor Howdy
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
George Hamilton IV; I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map/Cabin In Gloryland
Ray Price: Release Me/The Other Woman/For The Good Times
Porter Wagoner & Christie Lynn: If Teardrops Were Pennies
Porter Wagoner: The Cowboy's Hat
10:00: Massey Ferguson
Grandpa Jones (host): Going Down The Country
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya/Texa-Cajun
Grandpa Jones: My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans
10:15: Opry Cruise
Jimmy Dickens (host): Me & My Big Loud Mouth
Ken Mellons: Home Team/Ain't That Love
Jimmy Dickens: She Always Got What She Wanted
10:30: Purnell's
Jack Greene (host): Good Time Chariot
Ray Pillow: Please Don't Leave Me Anymore/The Kind Of Love I Can't Forget/Bubbles In My Beer
Jack Greene: Lord, I Need Somebody Bad Tonight
10:45: Fan Fare Cruise
Mike Snider (host): Foggy Mountain Chimes/Flint Hill Special
Opry Square Dance Band & The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Bill Cheatham
Mike Snider: Snuff Dipper
11:00: Coca Cola
Del Reeves (host): Wild Blood
Mel McDaniel: Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On/Stand Up
Stu Phillips: Dust In My Eyes
Billy Walker: A Million & One/Come A Little Bit Closer
Del Reeves: I Would Like To See You Again
11:30: Loreal
Johnny Russell (host): Folsom Prison Blues
Jeannie Seely: Burning That Old Memory
Charlie Walker: Right Or Wrong
The Whites: Pins & Needles/He Took Your Place
Johnny Russell: Wabash Cannonball
There you have it for this week as we remember Ray Price.
As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this weekend.
Yesterday, the tickets for the pre-sale went on sale for the Opry 100th anniversary TV special. I got my pre-sale code and after a 15-minute wait in the queue, I made it to the AXS ticket site. In sections 1, 2 and 6 on the main floor, the price, including service fees, were just over $1,400, and no, that was not a resale price. That was the actual price being charged. In the lower balcony, the seats averaged $800, while in the upper balcony, in the sections up in the corners, the price was $350. The tickets were all gone within minutes.
ReplyDeleteToday, when the tickets went on sale for those who did not have a pre-sale code, I was out of the queue and onto the site at 11:07 and everything was sold. The tickets that were available were all resale with some tickets on the main floor being priced at over $10,000. Balcony seats, resales, were going in some cases over $1,000. Yes, that is not a typo. Tickets were over $10,000.
It's a pretty sad day when the fans who have been supporting the Opry for decades, in my case since 1972, are priced out for a show. Yes, I know this is a TV special, but I also know that many of us were on the 100th birthday ticket list that was kept at the Opry office and were assured that when the Opry went to the AXS ticketing system, our requests would be honored, and the list was still intact. It was not the case.
What is even worst is that many who bought the tickets have no intention of going to the show, but whose only purpose is to resell them and make a profit.
While I was looking forward to this special 100th show, I will not be going but will be watching from the comfort of my living room. Luckily, I do have my tickets for the birthday weekend in October, in my case, the 1st weekend, and I also have my tickets for the 100th anniversary show on November 28. Those tickets were all reasonably priced. Hopefully some of these Opry members who only make it to the Opry when the TV cameras are on will make it to a few more shows this year.
Sadly, it has all come to this.
Sorry to hear you won’t be going, but at those ticket prices I would rather be home also. You can see more on television anyhow. Hope those scalpers can’t resell and have to eat every one of those tickets. That show isn’t the true Opry anyhow, looks completely different than the Opry with all the strangers on the lineup. Out of everyone they could have picked to host, they chose someone that has been pretty much all but missing in action since his induction. I understand ratings and profit, but it doesn’t have to be 100% about that. Like the Good Book says, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. That love of money will even make people sell their very own family out sometimes. I think the October and November shows will be a much better reflection of the Opry, and at a reasonable price,and those are the ones I’d rather attend.
DeleteIntegrity and respect is missing here. I wonder if any of that money might find it's way to the Opry Trust Fund or some preservation fund, something like the Hall of Fame. Probably not, what am I thinking.
ReplyDeleteI've said before that the Opry (management, sorry not striking at Dan, he may be all that is saving us) was prostituting itself to fill seats. This is taking it to the extreme. I can't help but think that NBC's role in this very prominent and not just because it is on TV and on their network. This to me is a mild case of their agenda of what they present to the public leaving its mark on an American icon.
We are frustrated but I just wonder what some of the loyal and long standing members of the Opry think about all this? I know they are in a position that they can't say too much and out of respect they wouldn't anyway. A few people have to maintain some integrity!
Byron, hate to think you can't go. However, I'd think the shows you will attend in the fall will be much more worth it.
Jim
Ticket prices get my blood pressure up, I would like to know who's able to afford those prices? I like Billy Strings and I was wanting to go to his Nashville concert and the prices were outrageous. I guess people are buying, but I just can't see paying thousands for a ticket.
ReplyDeleteByron, this is terrible not because of the ticket price although that is ridiculous. When I attended the one show that I have ever or will probably ever go to through the kindness of Mark Wills for Ronnie Milsap‘s birthday, the tickets he gave me were over $500 a piece, And I thought that was insane. However, it is a fact, that people will pay and do pay far more than what those tickets ran for the names that they know. Taylor Swift for example whether anyone likes her or not on this page, has sold out every major stadium in the world and people are paying Thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars for one ticket. This, whether we like it or whether we don’t, is the biggest lineup that the opry has had probably in the last 20 to 30 to 40 years as far as nationally known very well established mega stars and people will clearly pay whatever those prices are to get to see them all in one place. But it is really sad, that the people who attend all the time, and I believe the most deserving person of all, for everything that he does meaning yourself, will not be able to go. Ez
ReplyDeleteWhat's going on at the Opry tonight? Sounds like a thin crowd or they are just not impressed. Then maybe they have not heard what they expected yet.
ReplyDeleteJim
That does my heart good. Riders got one of the biggest if not the biggest applause of the night. Early on I wondered how many were in the crowd.
ReplyDeleteJim
Riders are always well received. They CONNECT with the audience and are entertainers. Fewer of those as we move forward.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you have to join Instagram to watch it, but this is good to see. Lots of 'Opry history shown in a short clip.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgQs3QRqyN/?igsh=MTRhZHRmbXYxZmpjbg==
I think I've said this before and maybe in the same situation but allow me one more time.
ReplyDeleteThe 1959 western movie Rio Bravo featured John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennen, Claude Akins and several other relatively well know actors. In the showdown at the end Wayne is swapping Captive Akins for the advisories captive Martin. Wayne leaves cripple Brennen(Stumpy) behind because of his disability and age. When the going gets rough, Brennen shows up and helps save the day and when Nelson yells "who showed up now?", Wayne says "Stumpy, the fellow I left behind".
Roy Acuff and Hank Snow are my all time favorites. I like so many, some might be considered minor stars, it's hard to start picking beyond them. But, most of you know I'm a big fan of Bill Anderson and as years have passed I'd have to make him #3 on my list. So I am obviously prejudice to a great degree. But listening to him tonight I can't help but think what a shame it will be to leave him behind, and others too, on this NBC broadcast because he is too old, is known by few in the mainstream today and might not have a 100% night. I'm trying to tell myself "it ain't so", that they will be included in some way even if they are not allowed to perform.
I've used these songs as examples before too, Trouble in the Amen Corner (Archie Campbell and Porter Wagoner) and Living in and Old Folks Home by the Wilburn Brothers.
It also reminds me of RCA dropping all those acts back around 1980 and especially Hank Snow, just short of 50 years with the label.
I haven't posted so much for a long time. Maybe I should pull a Rip Van Winkel and go back to sleep.
Thanks for tolerating my nostalgic view point.
Jim