Grand Ole Opry 8/8 & 8/9

Anytime you lose a Grand Ole Opry member, you know it will be a very emotional weekend at the Grand Ole Opry. We saw that last weekend with a very emotional and heartfelt dedication by Dan Rogers, and numerous references to Jeannie Seely throughout both shows. Sometimes you forget what an impact someone has until they are no longer there. Jeannie was one of those and she did have an enormous impact not only on the Opry, but with an entire generation of female singers. Her influence and guidance were enormous. It will be interesting to see, among the female members of the Opry, who will pick up the mantle and follow in Jeannie's footsteps. 

Moving on to this weekend at the Grand Ole Opry, the Friday Night Opry has five members on the schedule: Mark Wills, Riders In The Sky, T. Graham Brown, Gary Mule Deer and The Isaacs. Gary Mule Deer is also on Saturday's schedule, along with Mandy Barnett, John Conlee and Charlie McCoy. In other words, the Opry members that we have come to count on to fill the lineups each weekend. 

Ashley Monroe, who has not appeared on the Opry in quite a while, will be making a guest appearance on Friday night, as will Jamie O'Neal and Blessing Offor. 

Kathy Mattea is on the Saturday schedule, and in the case of Kathy, I will keep pushing for her to become an Opry member someday. Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will bring the sound of bluegrass to the stage, while Madeline Edwards and Hayes Carll fill out the lineup. 

Friday August 8
7:00: Mark Wills, Riders In The Sky, Ashley Monroe, Blessing Offor
Intermission
8:20: T. Graham Brown, Gary Mule Deer, Jamie O'Neal, The Isaacs

Saturday August 9
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Mandy Barnett, John Conlee, Hayes Carll, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Intermission
8:20: Madeline Edwards, Opry Square Dancers, Gary Mule Deer, Kathy Mattea, Charlie McCoy

This week the Opry 100 Spotlight shines on former Grand Ole Opry member Norma Jean, who on Saturday August 9, 1969, made her final Grand Ole Opry appearance while still a member of the Opry' cast. 

Norma Jean Beasler was born in Oklahoma and began performing at an early age. By the age of 12 she was singing on local radio and shortly after began touring with various bands. In 1955, she got a regular spot on the ABC-TV show Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri, where she stayed for two years and first received national exposure. Host Red Foley suggested calling her simply Norma Jean, and she made it official in 1958; she also became known on the program as Pretty Miss Norma Jean. 

She met Porter Wagoner on the show, and in 1959 and in 1961, she became a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show, a weekly syndicated program. She became a popular addition to Porter's show and joined Porter's road show. The success from her appearances on Porter's show led to Chet Atkins signing her to a recording contract with RCA. Among her hits were "Let's Go All the Way," "Heaven Help the Working Girl," "Go Cat Go," and "I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him." Her biggest hit came in 1966. It was an unusual recording with Bobby Bare and Liz Anderson, "The Game of Triangles", a wife-husband-other woman drama that hit number five on the Billboard chart and earned the trio a Grammy nomination. All in all, she had 13 singles that reached the Billboard Top 40 and 20 albums. 

Thanks to her recording success, along with support from Porter Wagoner, Norma Jean became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 9, 1965. 

Norma Jean left Wagoner's show in 1967 after marrying Jody Taylor (whom she later divorced), and was replaced by newcomer Dolly Parton, who went on to become one of country music's leading female stars. Parton said later she had a hard time replacing Norma Jean, because she was so loved by country fans. While Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton became one of country music's greatest duos, Porter and Norma Jean never recorded together. 

After she left Porter's show, Norma Jean continued for a short time on the Opry and on the nights Porter and Dolly were scheduled, she would appear on a different segment. Eventually, she moved away from Nashville and gave up her Opry membership. Later she would return and record more music, but she would not duplicate her prior success. Her return included several guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. 

 
Here is the running order from Saturday August 9, 1969, the final night that Norma Jean performed as a member of the Grand Ole Opry: 

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Willis Brothers (host)
Del Wood

6:45: Wilburn Brothers (host)
Bob Luman

7:00: Luzianne
Hank Locklin (host): Country Hall of Fame
Stringbean: Mountain Dew
Carol Northcutt: (?)
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Hank Locklin: Cuban Girl
Stringbean: Hot Corn; Cold Corn
Jimmy C Newman: Cry, Cry Darling

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Sunshine Special
Stonewall Jackson: Angry Words
The 4 Guys: Games People Play
Crook Brothers: Cacklin' Hen
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird
Stonewall Jackson: Never More Quote The Raven
The 4 Guys: Over On The Other Side

8:00: Martha White
George Hamilton IV (host): Early Morning Rain
Norma Jean: Lonesome Number One
Bill Carlisle: Is Zat You Myrtle
The Homesteaders: Love Of The Common People
George Hamilton IV: Break My Mind
Norma Jean: Jackson Ain't A Very Big Town
Bill Carlisle: Rusty Old Halo
The Homesteaders: Johnny B. Goode

8:30: Stephens
Billy Walker (host): Smokey Places
Skeeter Davis: Both Sides Now
Ernie Ashworth: Love: I Finally Found It
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Soldier's Joy
Billy Walker: Better Homes & Gardens
Skeeter Davis: Lonesome Road Blues
Ernie Ashworth: Heartbreak Avenue
Billy Walker: Cattle Call

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Wilburn Brothers (host): We Need A Lot More Happiness
Willis Brothers: Buying Popcorn
Del Wood: (?)
Lorene Mann: Tell It All
Wilburn Brothers: Hurt Her Once For Me
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Wilburn Brothers: Orange Blossom Special/Medals For Mothers

10:00: Fender
Bob Luman (host): Johnny B. Goode
The 4 Guys: My Special Angel
Carol Northcutt: San Antonio Rose
Bob Luman: Guitar Man

10:15: Pure
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Bill Carlisle: Too Old To Cut The Mustard
Roy Acuff: You Win Again
Oswald: Tennessee Waltz

10:30: Buckley's
Billy Walker (host): From The Bottle To The Bottom
Norma Jean: Dusty Road
Stringbean: Ruby
Billy Walker: Better Homes & Gardens

10:45: Kent
Hank Locklin (host): Send Me The Pillow You Dream On
Merle Kilgore: Honky Tonk Man
Crook Brothers: Sally Goodin
Hank Locklin: Release Me/You've Still Got A Place In My Heart

11:00: Coca Cola
George Hamilton IV (host): Canadian Pacific
Skeeter Davis: Silver Threads & Golden Needles
Jimmy C Newman: Boo Dan
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Walking In My Sleep
George Hamilton IV: Truck Driving Man
Jimmy C Newman: Louisiana Saturday Night
Sam McGee: Under The Double Eagle
George Hamilton IV: Early Morning Rain

11:30: Lava
Ernie Ashworth (host): Love; I Finally Found It
The Homesteaders: The Race Is On
Charlie Louvin: Little Reasons
Ernie Ashworth: Where Do You Go
The Homesteaders: Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line
Charlie Louvin: The Kind Of Man I Am
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips

At the age of 87, Norma Jean is still alive and doing well. 

(One note from that final night: This was the final night that Buckley's sponsored the 10:30 segment on the Opry's 2nd show. Trailblazer Dog Food/Martha White would replace Buckley's the following week). 

Finally, I want to share a lineup from 73 years ago, Saturday August 9, 1952. What makes this date so significant? It was the last time that the name Hank Williams appeared on a Grand Ole Opry lineup. 

At this point, Hank's relationship with the Opry was not good. During the previous week, Opry Manager Jim Denny and Carl Smith visited with Hank told him that WSM management was demanding that Hank be fired. Hank had been missing shows and showing up at the Opry drunk and was becoming too unreliable. Jim Denny did not want to let Hank go, so he pleaded with Hank to be at the Opry for his appearance on August 9. Well, August 9 came, and Hank was a no-show. In addition, on the following day, Hank was supposed to appear at an Opry sponsored show. He did show up for that show, but he was drunk. Leaving him with no choice, on August 11, Hank was fired by Jim Denny as a member of the Opry. 

Here is the running order from Saturday August 9, 1952, the final time that Hank Williams was scheduled to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. (as a reminder, he was a no-show)

7:30: Prince Albert
Red Foley (host): Salty Dog Rag
Jimmy Dickens: Waitress, Waitress
Square Dancers: Whistlin' Rufus
Red Foley: The Last Mile of the Way
The Jordanaires: My Rock
Little Jimmy Dickens: Hot Diggity Dog
String Bean: Stay a Little Longer
Red Foley: Are You Trying to Tell Me Goodbye
Square Dancers: Ragtime Annie
The Jordanaires: Lead Me to That Rock

8:00: Martha White
Ernest Tubb (host): I Need Attention Bad
Bill Monroe; (?)
Martha Carson: (?)
Moon Mullican: Cherokee Boogie
The Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
June Carter: Fiddlin' Around
Martha Carson: (?)
Chet Atkins: Centipede Boogie
Ernest Tubb: I'm With a Crowd But So Alone
Fiddle: Arkansas Traveler

8:30: Royal Crown Cola
Roy Acuff (host): Ten Little Numbers
The Fruit Jar Drinkers: Pretty Little Widow
George Morgan: Be Sure You Know
Duke of Paducah: Comedy
Hank Williams: Jambalaya
Roy Acuff: The Heart That Was Broken for Me
Lonzo and Oscar: Honky Tonk Sweetheart
Oswald: Good Ole Mountain Dew
The Lecroix Sisters: I Miss Oklahoma
Howdy Forrester: Fire in the Mountain

9:00: Fortune Feed
Carl Smith (host): It's A Lovely, Lovely World
Jimmy Dickens: Hot Diggity Dog
Anita Carter: (?)
Faron Young: Foolish Pride
Possum Hunters: (?)
Tommy Sosebee: I Thought I'd Die
The Jordanaires: Read That Book
Carl Smith: Are You Teasing Me
Jimmy Dickens: Cold Tater
Hal Smith: (?)

9:30: Warren Paint
Roy Acuff (host): South Bound Train
Lew Childre: Hang Out the Front Door Key
Martha Carson: (?)
Howdy Forrester: (?)
The Lecroix Sisters: When God Dips His Love in My Heart

9:45: American Ace
Roy and Pete: Cheatin'
Johnny and Jack: (?)
Oswald: Jesse James
Roy Acuff: Wait for the Light to Shine

10:00: Wallrite
George Morgan (host): Candy Kisses
Bill Monroe: (?)
Hank Williams: Jambalaya
Red Foley: Mike Bucket Boogie

10:15: Dr. Le Gear
George Morgan (host): (?)
Bill Monroe: (?)
Red Foley: God's Little Candles
Hank Williams: (?)

10:30: Jefferson Island Salt
Ernest Tubb (host): Somebody's Stolen My Heart
Jimmy Dickens: I'm Little But I'm Loud
The Gully Jumpers: (?)
Rod and Minnie: Comedy
Faron Young: Tattle Tale Tears
The Jordanaires: Wonderful
June Carter: Foggy Mountain Top
Chet Atkins: Spaghetti Rag
Ernest Tubb: You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry
Little Jimmy Dickens: Waitress, Waitress

11:00: Soltice
Roy Acuff (host): My Tears Don't Show
Lonzo and Oscar: Old Mother Nature No. 2
Howdy Forrester: Katy Hill
Roy Acuff: Drifting Too Far From the Shore

11:15: O-Cello-O
Carl Smith (host): Don't Just Stand There
Johnny and Jack: (?)
The Old Hickory Singers: I Don't Walk the Path No More
Carl Smith: Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way
Hal Smith: (?)

11:30: Darimix
Hank Williams (host): Ladies Man
Lew Childre: Golden River
Moon Mullican: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
The Crook Brothers: Billy in the Low Ground
Hank Williams: Honky Tonkin'
The Crook Brothers: Buff Creek Gal

11:45: Cowboy Copas (host): (?)
Sam and Kirk: (?)
The Fruit Jar Drinkers: Rock Mountain
String Bean: (?)
Cowboy Copas: (?)

A couple of observations from that night: Knowing that Hank Williams was unreliable at that point, it is surprising to see him as the star of one of the segments. Bill Monroe, Johnny and Jack, and Martha Carson apparently had no song titles picked out when the program went to press. There were a couple of others, but those were the ones that stood out. 

Finally, Red Foley rarely appeared on any other Opry show segments except for the Prince Albert segment. That was the deal he had signed with the sponsor and the Opry when he joined. So it was surprising to see Red appearing later that night. 

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.