Grand Ole Opry 8/21 & 8/22

There was a time not long ago when Carrie Underwood would be announced on the Grand Ole Opry schedule and the shows would sell-out very quickly. Well, it would appear that those days have passed. Carrie is scheduled for two shows on Friday and Saturday this weekend, and tickets are still available. If that is not enough, the Opry was offering a Free Limited Edition Carrie Underwood poster if you purchase a ticket for the 9:30 show on either night. 

This doesn't take anything away from Carrie. At some point, every artist's career hits a peak and then flattens out, replaced by the next new thing, In Carrie's case, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and now, Ella Langley have moved to the forefront. That doesn't mean that Carrie can't sell tickets. She still does, but it just takes a little more work. And, not to forget, she is still one of the Opry's most popular members who continues to make appearances on this show. But yes, times have definitely changed. 

Besides Carrie Underwood, the other item of note is the scheduled appearance of Connie Smith on the Friday Night Opry. Connie first joined the Opry on August 21, 1965, thus making this her 61st anniversary as an Opry member. I do find it strangely quiet that there seems to be no mention being made about her Opry anniversary. 

In addition to Carrie and Connie, Opry members Marty Stuart, The Isaacs and Rhonda Vincent are on the schedule for both shows on Friday. Big Daddy Weave is scheduled, and what would an Opry show be without an Opry debut and in this case, it will be The Creekers making their first appearance on the show. 

Saturday night promises to be another big night as in addition to Carrie, Opry member Randy Travis is on the schedule, appearing with James Dupre. Charles Esten is scheduled, and I am sure he will mention, and probably dedicate a song to his "Nashville" co-star, Hayden Panettiere, show tragedy passed away earlier this week. 

Opry members T. Graham Brown and John Conlee are scheduled, while Wyatt McCubbin is listed, as is Jenna Davis, who will be making her Grand Ole Opry debut.  

Friday August 21
1st show
7:00: Rhonda Vincent, Big Daddy Weave, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart
8:00: The Creekers, The Isaacs, Carrie Underwood

2nd show
9:30: Rhonda Vincent, Big Daddy Weave, Carrie Underwood, Connie Smith
10:30: Marty Stuart, The Creekers, The Isaacs

Saturday August 22
1st show
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, T. Graham Brown, Wyatt McCubbin, Jenna Davis, John Conlee
8:00: Charles Esten, James Dupre with Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood

2nd show
9:30: Opry Square Dancers, T. Graham Brown, Wyatt McCubbin, Carrie Underwood, John Conlee
10:30: James Dupre with Randy Travis, Jenna Davis, Charles Esten

The Creekers are a six-piece, band that blends authentic bluegrass music with country and pop influences. The band is from Eastern Kentucky and released their first album, Pour Me In The Creek, in 2024. The Creekers consists of Tanner Horton (vocals, lead guitar), Allen Hacker (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jagger Bowling (bass, vocals), Ashton Bowling (cajon), Scott Sutton (banjo, vocals), and Anna Blanton (fiddle), 

Jenna Davis is considered a rising star. Her debut album, Where Did That Girl Go?, released last year, showcases her undeniable vocals paired with relatable storytelling. The project followed the impressive releases of her SIKE EP and her debut single "DiCaprio"(co-written by Walker Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini and Ross Copperman), which has garnered 26.5 million streams across platforms. Her prior releases have charted impressively on both Spotify and Apple Music, with streams reaching well into the millions, highlighting her rapidly growing fan base and the far-reaching appeal of her music. Now, her latest singles “Hey Girly” and “Entertainment Tonight”, which consistently garners over 2.8 million views per week on TikTok alone and has achieved over 1 million music video views in less than a month, mark the start of her next chapter.

Now taking a look back to Saturday August 22, 1987, the night that Roy Clark became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

From The Tennessean (Friday August 21): 

All around entertainer and country star Roy Clark will become the 63rd member of the Grand Ole Opry during ceremonies slated for tomorrow night, Opry officials announced yesterday. Clark, 54, joins the Opry's illustrious and historic cast while in the midst of a busy career that has already spanned parts of five decades.

 A native of Virginia, Clark became a banjo champion while still in his teens and made his first Opry appearance in the late 1940s. "This is a lifetime dream come true for me," Clark said yesterday in a statement released by his publicist Carol Anderson. "I am deeply honored to be officially invited into a musical family I've loved for so long. Saturday night I'll feel like a little kid on Christmas morning." 

In becoming the Opry's newest member, Clark joins such veteran stalwarts as Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and Minnie Pearl, as well as more recent inductees Randy Travis (1986), Reba McEntire (1985) and Mel McDaniel (1986). 

"I think the Opry has always been entertainment and when you talk about Roy Clark, you're talking about one of the premier entertainers in the world," said Opry House manager Jerry Strobel. "He combines great musicianship and comedy and singing ability with personal warmth and communication with the audience." 

Clark, who was between tour dates in Oregon and Wisconsin yesterday, will be formally into Opry membership on tomorrow's 7:30 p.m. segment of the Opry. The choice of that time slot means his induction will appear on Nashville Network's Grand Ole Opry Live show. 

An internationally known representative of American country music, Clark has won many music-industry awards during his long career. Just a few include the Country Music Association's Comedian of the Year award in 1970, its Entertainer of the Year award in 1973 and its Instrumentalist of the Year honor in 1977 and 1978. He's also the long-time host of the popular syndicated music-comedy show Hee Haw and the recording artists for such hits as The Tips of My Fingers, Yesterday When I Was Young and Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow. 

Roy had been invited a few times to become an Opry member but turned down the invitation each time as he really wasn't based in Nashville and felt that he could not commit to the show. In fact, the only time he really spent in Nashville was for the twice a year taping of Hee Haw. However, the Opry wanted Roy as a member and felt he would be a great fit for the show. As it turned out, they were fine with Roy as a member with limited appearances and yes, he was a good fit for the Opry.

It was a big weekend at the Grand Ole Opry and here is the posted lineup from all of the shows that weekend, August 21 & 22, 1987: 

Friday August 21
1st show
6:30: The 4 Guys (host): Roy Drusky, Jeannie Seely, Teddy Wilburn, Wilma Lee Cooper
7:00: Jimmy C Newman (host): Lorrie Morgan, Ray Pillow, Tom T. Hall
7:30: Roy Acuff (host): Jean Shepard, Stonewall Jackson
8:00: Del Reeves (host): The Whites, Skeeter Davis
8:30: Hank Snow (host): Reba McEntire, Billy Walker

2nd show
9:30: Charlie Walker (host): Vic Willis Trio, Carlisles, Reba McEntire
10:00: Roy Acuff (host): The 4 Guys, Teddy Wilburn, Jan Howard
10:30: Jimmy C Newman (host): Ray Pillow, Wilma Lee Cooper, Tom T. Hall
11:00: Hank Snow (host): Jean Shepard, Stonewall Jackson, The Whites
11:30: Del Reeves (host): Billy Walker, Skeeter Davis

Saturday August 22
1st show
6:30: The 4 Guys (host): Lorrie Morgan
6:45: Charlie Louvin (host): Del Wood
7:00: Jimmy C Newman (host): Skeeter Davis, Ray Pillow, Jeannie Seely, Ernie Ashworth
7:30: Roy Acuff (host): Jan Howard, Roy Clark
8:00: Jimmy Dickens (host): Tom T. Hall, Wilma Lee Cooper, Crook Brothers, Stoney Mountain Cloggers
8:30: Hank Snow (host): Jean Shepard, Roy Drusky, Stonewall Jackson, Carlisles

2nd show
9:30: Jimmy C Newman (host): Jeannie Seely, The 4 Guys, Tom T. Hall
10:00: Charlie Louvin (host): Skeeter Davis
10:15: Roy Acuff (host): Roy Clark
10:30: Ray Pillow (host): Lorrie Morgan
10:45: Jimmy Dickens (host): Jan Howard, Crook Brothers, Stoney Mountain Cloggers
11:00: Hank Snow (host): Jean Shepard, Wilma Lee Cooper, Ernie Ashworth, Carlisles
11:30: Stonewall Jackson (host): Roy Drusky, Johnny Russell

And now, here is the running order from that night 39 years ago, Saturday August 22, 1987:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
The Four Guys (host): Mama Rocked Us to Sleep with Country Music
Lorrie Morgan: Lone Star State of Mind
The Four Guys: God Bless the U.S.A.

6:45: Rudy's
Charlie Louvin (host): Let Her Go; Let Her Go; God Bless Her
Del Wood: 12th Street Rag
Charlie Louvin and Jennifer O'Brien: Every Time You Leave

7:00: Shoney's
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Ray Pillow: I'll Break out Again Tonight
Jeannie Seely: It's My Fault
Ernie Ashworth: Memphis Memory/Talk Back Trembling Lips
Jimmy C Newman: Colinda
Wade B. Landry: Orange Blossom Special

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jan Howard: Wayfaring Stranger/Heartaches by the Number
Roy Clark: Thank God & Greyhound You're Gone/I Remember When Country was Country/Under the Double Eagle

8:00: Martha White
Jimmy Dickens (host): Me & My Big Loud Mouth
Tom T Hall: Ravishing Ruby
Tom T Hall and Lamb Chop: Old McDonald Had a Farm
Tom T Hall: I Love
Wilma Lee Cooper: Coming Down from God
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Gray Eagle
Jimmy Dickens: Another Bridge to Burn

8:30: Music Valley
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Jean Shepard: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
Roy Drusky: Dear Heart
Stonewall Jackson: Smoke Along the Tracks
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Hank Snow: The Prisoner's Song

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Jimmy C Newman (host): Cajun's Dream
Jeannie Seely: It's My Fault
The Four Guys: Fox on the Run
Tom T Hall: Faster Horses/Old Dogs, Children & Watermelon Wine
Jimmy C Newman: Diggy Liggy Lo

10:00: Little Debbie
Charlie Louvin (host): Kiss Me Again if You're Going Away
Skeeter Davis: My Last Date with You/Silver Threads and Golden Needles/The End of the World
Charlie Louvin: (?)

10:15: Sunbeam
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Roy Clark: Come Live with Me/Instrumental/If I Had to Do it All Over Again

10:30: Pet Milk
Ray Pillow (host): You're One Memory That I'd Like to Make Again
Lorrie Morgan: Silver Wings & Golden Rings
Ray Pillow: The Kind of Love I Can't Forget

10:45: Heil-Quaker
Jimmy Dickens (host): Out Behind the Barn
Jan Howard: Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me Go)
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers
Jimmy Dickens: Life Turned Her that Way

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Forever +1; Forever +2
Jean Shepard: The Old Rugged Cross
Ernie Ashworth: The D.J. Cried
Wilma Lee Cooper: I Dreamed About Mama Last Night
Bill Carlisle: Elvira
Hank Snow: The Rainbow's End

11:30: B.C. Powder
Stonewall Jackson (host): Don't Be Angry
Roy Drusky: As Long As I Live/It's No Secret
Johnny Russell: No One Will Every Know
Stonewall Jackson: Ol' Chunk of Coal

While Hee Haw was still being taped in Nashville several times each year, Roy would generally schedule his Opry appearances while in town for those tapings. He had made it clear to Opry management when he was asked to join that due to his heavy touring schedule, his Opry appearances would be limited and management was fine with that. 

Roy would remain an Opry member until he passed away on November 15, 2018.