Sometimes a name will pop up on an upcoming Grand Ole Opry schedule, and you just shake your head wondering. One of those names will be making their Opry debut on Friday night as former Happy Days star Donny Most is on the schedule.
Donny Most is best known as “Ralph Malph", in the long-running hit television show, Happy Days. Besides Happy Days, Donny has also appeared on the hit TV show Glee, along with appearances on “Men Of A Certain Age”, “Century City”, ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, ‘Yes, Dear’, ‘The Crow, ‘Sabrina’, ‘Sliders’, ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘The Family Guy’. Besides appearing in films, he has also directed three feature films. “His first, “The Last Best Sunday”, had its World Premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, and was a feature film winner at the Telluride IndieFest. “Moola”, premiered at The Newport Beach Film Festival, where it earned Most The Outstanding Achievement In Directing Award. Don also directed “Harley’s Hill”, his first family film, which was recently seen on Showtime, Starz and Encore.
While most associate acting with Donny Most, it is his musical career that is bringing him to the Opry. He has always loved the standards/swing/big band style of music and has mounted his show: Donny Most - Mostly Swinging. Donny has performed at such notable venues as “54 Below”, “The Cutting Room”, and "The Iridium Jazz Club", in NYC, as well as “Catalina’s Jazz Club” in Hollywood, CA to great acclaim. His live act includes a unique blend of hits from the swing era, complete with a 17-piece big band that features the music of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Dean Martin.
Appearing with Donny on the Friday Night Opry are members John Conlee, Connie Smith and Charlie McCoy. Guesting are Dillon Carmichael, Sierra Hull, Erin Kinsey and making her Opry debut, Haley Mae Campbell, who was invited by Alexandra Kay.
Haley Mae Campbell has opened for country stars like Billy Currington, Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Maddie & Tae, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Carly Pearce, and many more. By the end of 2023, she completed her first national tour supporting trailblazer Alexandra Kay’s “All I’ve Ever Known: The Tour,” and achieved her first gold-certified cut as a songwriter after penning BRELAND’s single “Cowboy Don’t” featured on his debut deluxe album “Cross Country: The Extra Mile. Her single “Never Been in Love” notched a milestone in her career so far; after uploading a clip of the song to social media that has amassed over 70M views, the track followed through by debuting at #1 on the All Genre and Country iTunes Charts.
Saturday night features three more Opry members: Mandy Barnett, T. Graham Brown and The Whites. Sierra Hull is back to make it a two-show weekend for her and joining that group will be Randall King, Brittney Spencer, Jordan McCullough, and Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen.
Friday August 7
7:00: John Conlee, Sierra Hull, Haley Mae Campbell, Connie Smith
Intermission
8:20: Erin Kinsey, Donny Most, Dillon Carmichael, Charlie McCoy
Saturday August 8
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Mandy Barnett, The Whites, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Jordan McCullough
Intermission
8:20: Randall King, Brittney Spencer, Opry Square Dancers, Sierra Hull, T. Graham Brown
Saturday August 8, 1964, was a big night at the Grand Ole Opry as the Osborne Brothers and Dottie West became new Opry members.
You would think with two new members joining the Opry on the same night, it would get some attention in the Tennessean. But it took until September 6 for the news to appear, and it was a very brief announcement:
Newest members of the Grand Ole Opry cast of stars are Dottie West and the Osborne Brothers. A native of McMinnville, Miss West attended Tennessee Tech where she was a music major in the college choir. The Osborne Brothers, Bob and Sonny, are from Hayden, Ky. They began their careers in 1953 on a Knoxville radio station and later moved to Detroit and then to Wheeling, W. Va.
Here is the lineup from Saturday August 8, 1964.
7:30: Jimmy C Newman (host): Jean Shepard; Charlie Louvin; Del Wood; Ernie Ashworth
8:00: Bill Anderson (host): Osborne Brothers; Dottie West; Cousin Jody
8:30: Porter Wagoner (host): Bill Carlisle; Billy Walker; Archie Campbell; Connie Smith
9:00: Roy Acuff (host): Marion Worth
9:30: Hank Snow (host): Leroy Van Dyke; June Carter; Carter Family; The Browns
10:00: Porter Wagoner (host): Osborne Brothers; Jean Shepard
10:15: Jimmy C Newman: (host): Dottie West; Del Wood
10:30: Roy Acuff (host): Bill Anderson; Ernie Ashworth
10:45: Leroy Van Dyke: (host); Charlie Louvin
11:00: Hank Snow (host): Marion Worth; Billy Walker; Bill Carlisle
11:30: Marty Robbins (host): Carter Family; Cousin Jody; The Browns; Archie Campbell
August 8, 1975, was another important date at the Grand Ole Opry as Lester Flatt returned to the Opry just one month after having open heart surgery.
From the Tennessean, Saturday August 9:
Lester Flatt returned to the Grand Ole Opry last night one month after undergoing open-heart surgery for three blocked arteries. "You are seeing a miracle here tonight," said Opry announcer Grant Turner as he brought Flatt out to host the 10:30 segment on the Friday Night Opry.
The introduction brought a loud, sustained applause from the capacity Opry House crowd. Flatt said he had received letters from all over the United States and Canada during his recuperation from surgery. "I never knew I had so many friends before I got sick," he said.
Flatt also said his doctors have encouraged him to work but to maintain a moderate pace. He is also watching his diet and maintaining a daily record of his heath. Flatt was released from St. Thomas Hospital only 11 days after his July 10 surgery. Six days after that, he was readmitted when fluid began to collect in his chest cavity and legs. That lasted less than a week.
Looking back, there were a few members of the Opry cast that had heart issues that required surgery. The most famous of those was probably Marty Robbins. Others on the list would include Grandpa Jones, Bill Carlisle, Jim Ed Brown, Bill Monroe, George Jones, Johnny Russell and George Morgan. Roy Acuff also had heart issues as did George Hamilton IV. And while they were not Opry members, Amy Grant, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings come to mind. There were others but those are at the top of my mind.
Life was not easy being a country singer in those days.
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