Welcome to the final weekend of April. Here are a couple of pieces of news from the Grand Ole Opry from the past week:
The Grand Ole Opry was recognized last week by the Tennessee House of Representatives in a special session held at the Tennessee State Capital in honor of the Opry's 100th anniversary. Introduced by Representative Jeremy Faison, the resolution recognized the Opry's century-long impact on American music and Tennessee culture, calling it "the heartbeat of Nashville."
Following the resolution, Opry members Dailey & Vincent performed the fan-favorite tribute in their home state, "I'll Leave My Heart in Tennessee" live on the chamber floor. "I'll Leave My Heart in Tennessee," was written by Karen Staley and performed by Dailey & Vincent, was named as an official Tennessee State Song in 2022.
A wonderful honor for the Grand Ole Opry and I am sure there will be more of those as the year continues.
As part of the continuing celebration of the Grand Ole Opry's 100th year, the Opry is offering Tennessee residents the opportunity to celebrate the home of country music wherever they go with the purchase of the new Opry License Plate. The specialty plate celebrates the Opry's 100th year on the air and features its iconic barn backdrop, microphone stand, and wooden circle, considered by many to be the home of country music.
A portion of proceeds from each plate will go to the Opry Trust Fund, benefitting members of the country music industry in times of need.
Currently this plate is available for Tennessee residents only.
Taking a look at the Grand Ole Opry lineups for this week, once again we see Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill on the schedule for both nights, joined by Hall of Fame songwriter Don Schlitz. Joining the pair on Friday night are Hall of Fame and Opry members, Connie Smith and Charlie McCoy, along with Eddie Montgomery and Mark Wills.
Saturday night, in addition to Vince and Don, Riders In The Sky, John Conlee and The Isaacs are on the schedule.
Only two non-members are scheduled each night: The Shootouts, who are in the process of releasing their new album, and Valarie June on Friday night, and Megan Patrick along with someone who I have said before should be an Opry member, Steve Earle. When Steve appeared on the Opry at the end of March, he mentioned that he has been making monthly appearances on the Opry. If that is the case, it would be nice to go ahead and ask him to become a member.
Friday April 25
7:00: Mark Wills, Connie Smith, The Shootouts, Charlie McCoy
Intermission
8:20: Valerie June, Don Schlitz, Eddie Montgomery, Vince Gill
Saturday April 26
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Riders In The Sky, John Conlee, Megan Patrick, Don Schlitz
Intermission
8:20: The Isaacs, Opry Square Dancers, Steve Earle, Vince Gill
Vince, who seems to record with just about everybody, has completed a project with The Shootouts for their new album so I would expect to see and hear Vince out with them on Friday Night.
Continuing the look back at former Grand Ole Opry members during this, the Opry's 100th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, the spotlight this week is on Martha Carson, who joined the Opry on April 26, 1952.
Martha Carson was known as the "Rockin' Queen of Happy Spirituals." Her gospel sound influenced numerous artists including Elvis Presley and Connie Smith. At the time of her death, Connie was quoted as saying: "She was the first Grand Ole Opry star I ever saw in person. I remember the way she played that guitar the red hair, the curls coming down the front. She was so energetic and so powerful: If she'd walked out of the building and kept singing on down the street, I believe everyone in that theater would have followed her."
Born Irene Amburgey, she was inspired, along with older sister Berthy and younger sister Opal, by their dad, a miner and farmer who played gospel with his wife. As the Sunshine Sisters, they worked in rural Kentucky in 1936. At Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance, they briefly served as members of the legendary Coon Creek Girls before joining Atlanta’s WSB Barn Dance around 1939 as the Hoot Owl Holler Girls. Berthy was “Mattie,” Irene was dubbed “Martha,” and Opal became “Minnie.”
In 1939 Martha married WSB gospel singer-mandolinist James Roberts, son of old-time musician Fiddlin’ Doc Roberts. She sang at the show with her sisters and did gospel duets with James. They became James and Martha Carson after an announcer misidentified them on the air. Signed to Capitol in the late ’40s, the Carsons created unforgettable sacred performances such as “He Will Set Your Fields On Fire”.
The Carsons were at Knoxville’s WNOX when they divorced, a messy affair that left Martha distraught. During that period, she wrote the sacred song “Satisfied” while touring with singer Bill Carlisle. It became a gospel standard.
After RCA signed her in 1955, she embraced a radically different pop gospel style. A&R man Steve Sholes recorded her in Manhattan with boisterous choirs and slick, rococo accompaniment by first-rate studio musicians, all big-band era veterans.
After joining the Grand Ole Opry, Martha quickly became a favorite of Opry fans who loved her hand clapping, bouncy, spirited gospel singing. She was on the Opry steadily until her first child was born in 1957 and then she took a leave of absence, which also included a year of working in New York. "I got a leave of absence from the Opry. I didn't quit and I wasn't fired. When I came back to Nashville, Opry manager Ott Devine said they had no openings." She concluded by saying "I never did go back. I never even got to be a guest."
That wasn't quite correct, and while it took a while, Martha did come back and make a few guest appearances on the Opry. Not many. While she didn't appear on the Opry all that often, she did host the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree a few times. Those were always special nights.
Here is the lineup from the Grand Ole Opry, Saturday June 13, 1970, one of the nights that Martha Carson returned to the Opry:
1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Willis Brothers (host): Just Because
Jack Barlow: Child Bride
Louie Roberts: Melissa
Willis Brothers: A Bible On The Table
6:45: Rudy's
Stu Phillips (host): You Win Again/Release Me
Liz Anderson: Husband Hunting
Hager Twins: Going Home To Your Mother
7:00: Luzianne
Bill Monroe (host): Uncle Pen
Hank Locklin: Hello, Darling
Stringbean: Little Pink
Jeanne Pruett: King Sized Bed
Bill Monroe: Rawhide
Johnny Carver: Proud Mary
Hank Locklin: Country Hall Of Fame
Bill Monroe: Precious Memories
7:30: Standard Candy
Billy Grammer (host): Wabash Cannonball
Susan Raye: One Night Stand/Put A Little Love In Your Heart
Leroy Van Dyke: Jambalaya
Crook Brothers: Ida Red
Billy Grammer: God Will Take Care Of You
Leroy Van Dyke: An Old Love Affair Now Showing
Billy Grammer: Gotta Travel On
8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Little Pal
Martha Carson: Just A Little Closer Walk With Thee
Bill Carlisle: Dirty Old Man
Lorrie Mann: Is Anybody Going To San Antono
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
Martha Carson: Old Blind Barnabas
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Roy Acuff: Cabin In Gloryland
8:30: Stephens
Billy Walker (host): Charlie's Shoes/Thanking 'Bout You Babe
Marion Worth: Okie From Muskogee
Billy Troy: The Fighting Side Of Me
Fruit Jar Drinkers: (?)
Billy Walker: When A Man Loves A Woman
Marion Worth: I Fall To Pieces
Billy Walker: How Great Thou Art
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Willis Brothers (host): Give Me 40 Acres
Susan Raye: One Night Stand
Hager Twins: Going Home To Your Mother/Jesse James
Willis Brothers: Private Lee
Jack Barlow: Birmingham Blues
Susan Raye: Down In The Boondocks
Willis Brothers: If I Can Help Somebody
10:00: Fender
Stu Phillips (host): Crystal Chandeliers
Stringbean: Ruby, Are You Mad
Liz Anderson: He Taught Me To Yodel
Stu Phillips: Juanita Jones
10:15: Union 76
Hank Locklin (host0: Send Me The Pillow You Dream On
Jeanne Pruett: Today I Started Loving You Again
Louie Roberts: Baby, Baby/Tonight Carmen/Singing The Blues
Hank Locklin: Danny Boy
10:30: Trailblazer
Bill Monroe (host): A Used To Be
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Lorene Mann: Warm & Tender Love
James William Monroe: Bonnie
10:45: Beechnut
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Martha Carson: Amazing Grace
Crook Brothers: Mississippi Sawyer
Roy Acuff: No One Will Ever Know
11:00: Coca Cola
Billy Walker (host): Cross The Brazos At Waco
Billy Grammer: Detroit City
Leroy Van Dyke: Be A Good Girl 'Til I Get Back In Town
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Billy Walker: Darling Days
Billy Grammer: Beautiful Isle Of Somewhere
Leroy Van Dyke: Auctioneer
Sam McGee: Folsom Prison Blues
Billy Walker: Cattle Call
11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
Marion Worth: Okie From Muskogee
Johnny Carver: Your Lily-White Hands
Billy Troy: The Fighting Side Of Me
Ronnie Robbins: It Finally Happened/Love Of The Common People/That's How It Feels To Walk In My Shoes
Marty Robbins: I'm So Afraid Of Losing You Again/Wedding Bells/I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You/Big Boss Man/Don't Worry
And no, she did not sing "Satisfied" that night.
Martha Carson passed away on December 16, 2004 after an extended illness.
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.
Before you, Byron, I only knew who Martha Carson was because in her band at one point, was The perhaps even more legendary gospel singer Rusty Goodman, who went on with his family to form the Happy Goodman, family, arguably the most influential family group in the history of gospel music. It’s also interesting to me that she was at both Renfrow Valley and WSB for their barn dance shows. My cousin, a guy by the name of Marvin Taylor, was a regular performer on both shows as a member of a duo called the Pine Ridge boys. In fact, the only radio recording that I have of him was from Renfro Valley. I’m wondering if they knew each other and I’m willing to bet they probably did. It’s always a good night when Vince is on. Seems like he’s making more and more appearances. I was just listening to the Classics show and Louise Mandrell was on and it made me think of a story. When I was about four years old, I came to Nashville at the invitation of Opry Starr Larry Gatlin, who had befriended me and put me on stage for the very first time when I was 18 months old. He set up all kinds of VIP experiences, including going to see Louise in her then state of the art headlining show. We met after and she could not have been nicer to me. You knew it was going south when my first question was, how is Barbara? Please keep in mind. I was only four years old. She then asked if I liked the show and offered to give me a free video cassette copy. I said, no thank you. I just saw it. My mother could’ve killed me. Ez.
ReplyDeleteGreat story EZ. Keep 'em coming.
ReplyDeleteSomething interesting just happened on the 'Opry. At least I found it interesting.
ReplyDeleteDon Schlitz sang his baseball song "the greatest."
When he got to the part about "even I didn't know I could pitch like that," the crowd went crazy. I'm not sure, but I think a great number of the folks in the crowd had likely never heard the song before.
I think we may all overestimate how many folks at a typical 'Opry show know very much about country music.
Congratulations to Steve Earle, who was just invited by Vince Gill, to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!
ReplyDelete(Jeanene)
Jeanene, you beat me to it! Personally, a great choice and happy for Steve. It’s well deserved and I am looking forward to his induction.
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