Grand Ole Opry Line-up 5/1 & 5/2

Breaking News:
Loretta Lynn has cancelled her appearance on the Grand Ole Opry for Saturday night and has been replaced by Martina McBride.



Here is the Grand Ole Opry line-up for this weekend:
Friday May 1
7:00: Jeannie Seely(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Heidi Newfield
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); The Whites; Del McCoury Band
8:00: Mike Snider(host); Jean Shepard; Lee Greenwood
8:30: Marty Stuart(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Connie Smith

Not a bad line-up for the 2 hour show. Heidi Newfield makes another appearance. She appeared when I attended a show in February and received a good response from the audience. She does have a lot of energy and a fine voice. Marty Stuart continues with his string of appearances and Lee Greenwood makes another appearance at the Opry.

Saturday May 2
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); The Whites; Mandy Barnett
7:30: Marty Stuart(host); George Hamilton IV; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Connie Smith
8:00: Jim Ed Brown(host); Jean Shepard; Trace Adkins; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Mike Snider(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Martina McBride

A very nice line-up for Saturday night as the Opry goes to just 1 show on Saturday for the next 4 weeks. Again, I know the move was made for financial reasons, and I somewhat understand 1 show on a Saturday in January and February, but I do not see a need for this in May, when crowds are generally good. My other opinion is that if they are doing just 1 show on a Saturday night, extend it by 30 minutes and give more artists a chance to appear. As far as Saturday night's show, I am suprised to see Jim Ed Brown hosting a segment over Trace Adkins. Usually Trace is a host when he appears. The highlight, of course, is Loretta Lynn making another Opry appearance. What fan would not have liked Loretta getting 30 minutes like Reba is getting. Again, just a very solid line-up and a good show to attend.

Finally, Mandy Barnett is the host of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree this Saturday night at midnight at the record shop. While she has never made it as a successful country music entertainer, she has an awesome voice and has made, in my opinion, a couple of nice albums. While her voice is fantastic, it just does not fit in with the style of country music that is being played today. It will be interesting to see what kind of a crowd they have for this show. The price is always right-free!!!

Reba McEntire Returning To The Opry

The Grand Ole Opry has announced that Reba McEntire will be performing on the Opry on May 9th. It has sure been a long time since she has been on the Opry stage. Glad to see her return and let's hope that it will be the start of some regular appearances. The Opry has said that she will be performing 4 songs.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry Members

As I am sure all of you know, 2 more Grand Ole Opry members have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009: Roy Clark and Barbara Mandrell. That brings to 13 the number of current Grand Ole Opry members who are members of the Hall of Fame. Besides Roy Clark and Barbara Mandrell, the others are Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens, Vince Gill, Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Charlie Louvin, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride and Mel Tillis. Out of 65 current Grand Ole Opry members, that is a pretty good number. The discussion for today is how many of the remaining 52 Grand Ole Opry members will eventually become members of the Hall of Fame. I want to go through the members of the Opry and give my opinion on the chances of who gets in and who does not:

These members will make the Hall of Fame, 100% lock:
Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap and Randy Travis.
All of these individuals are true superstars that dominated country music during their time. They all have had numerous #1 records and have appeared on either tv, movies or other media outlets. Their careers have been long and sustained and it is just a matter of time until all get in.

75% chance of making the Hall of Fame:
Jim Ed Brown, Wilma Lee Cooper, Larry Gatlin, Patty Loveless, Jean Shepard, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart.
I believe all of these will eventually make it, but it could take some time. Jim Ed Brown has had a 50 year career as a member of the Browns, a solo career and a duet career and has had #1 records in each format. He has been a finalist in the past. Wilma Lee Cooper receives more awards and recognition outside of Nashville then within. She had most of her success with her husband, Stoney, in duet singing. But, she is a national treasure and her career will get a more detailed analysis after she passes away, which happens in some cases. Larry Gatlin had a number of hit records and is a great songwriter. Patty Loveless sustained a 20 year career as a solo artist. Jean Shepard should eventually get in, but as in the case with Wilma Lee Cooper, it could happen after she passes on. Ricky Skaggs was at the start of the traditionalist movement in the 80s, and should get in. Connie Smith had a number of #1 hits and if she had continued in her career full time, there is no question she would be a lock. Marty Stuart has done lots of work behind the scenes in country music, and while he did have a nice solo career, he is well respected in the music community and that will get him in. On a side note, the new legends classification should help Jean Shepard, Jim Ed Brown and Wilma Lee Cooper get elected.

50% chance of being elected:
Trace Adkins, Allison Kraus,Brad Paisley, Travis Tritt, Trish Yearwood and Steve Wariner.
In the case of Trace Adkins , Allison Kraus and Brad Paisley, it is a case of continuing what they are doing. As for the other 3, they have had nice careers and should get in, but it will take some time as others from the same era are voted in.

25% chance of getting in:
John Conlee, Diamond Rio, Joe Diffie, George Hamilton IV, Hal Ketchum, Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Riders In The Sky, Ralph Stanley and Pam Tillis.
While the door is not closed on any of these individuals, it will take some time and a lot of consideration of their careers as a whole to make it in. All have been successful in country music and have had nice careers, but will it be enough to get them in. Lorrie Morgan probably has the best chance of this group.

No chance of getting elected:
Terri Clark, Billy Grammer, Jack Greene, Jan Howard, Stonewall Jackson, Mel McDaniel, Del McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Jimmy C. Newman, Bobby Osborne, Stu Phillips, Ray Pillow, Jeannie Pruett, Jeannie Seely, Ricky Van Shelton, Mike Snider and The Whites.
All of these entertainers have had fine careers in country music but either have not reached the star level needed to get consideration or did not sustain it long enough in their careers to receive consideration.

To early to tell:
Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Carrie Underwood.
These 3 have potential to make it if their careers continue as they have started. But, still a long ways to go.

A final note: At one time, the Country Music Hall of Fame considered all kinds of country related music. However, especially since it has moved to the new building and as the definition of country music has changed, it seems that many who would have been considered in the past, will no longer be considered now. For example, there are several bluegrass acts in the Hall, led by Bill Monroe. However, now that there is a Bluegrass Hall of Fame(or Hall of Honor), no bluegrass acts have been elected since their Hall opened. I believe that Ralph Stanley, or The Stanley Brothers, would have been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame if not for the Bluegrass Hall. Same with The Osborne Brothers. Also, western acts were among the early members of what was then called The Country and Western Music Hall of Fame. If that was still the case, Riders In The Sky would receive stronger consideration. They have won numerous Grammy awards, have had a strong radio show, movies and have had a long concert career.

We'll, that is my opinion. As always, I like to hear from others who might agree or disagree.

Tuesday Night Opry 4/28 & Opry Country Classics 4/30--Updated

Here is the line-up for this weeks Tuesday Night Opry: April 28
7:00: Jeannie Seely; Luke Bryan
7:30: Jimmy C. Newman; Del McCoury Band
8:00: Bill Anderson; Rodney Atkins
8:30: Jimmy Dickens; Craig Morgan

Not a bad line-up for the Tuesday night show. It features more Opry members than usual and has a nice mix of legends and new talent

Here is the line-up for the Opry Country Classics: April 30
Jeannie Seely(host)
Jack Greene
George Hamilton IV
Justin Moore
Opry Square Dancers
Ray Pillow
Gene Watson
Emily West
Billy Yates
Mel Tillis(Spotlight Artist)
This Week's Theme: A salute to the great state of Texas

I have listened to the Opry Country Classics for the past several weeks and I still have mixed feelings about this show. I am still concerned about some of the artists and the songs that they are singing. For example, 2 weeks ago, the show honored song writers, including Bill Anderson. Rebecca Lynn Howard(a fine talent in my opinion) was on and she came out and sang several Bill Anderson songs that Connie Smith had hit records on. In my opinion, they should had Connie Smith on to sing her songs herself. On that same show, Jeannie Seely sang several songs made famous by Hank Williams. Jeannie has a nice voice, but I question the song selection. I also know she has written several songs, so why not have her sing her own recordings that she had written, since this was a night to honor song writers? Let's hope they continue to work on the theme and line-ups for this show and that they come up with a nice format. Regarding this week's line-up besides Mel Tillis, it is nice to see Gene Watson back on, along with Opry members Ray Pillow, Jack Greene and George Hamilton IV. I am sure with the Texas theme, George will sing Abilene for sure.

Grand Ole Opry LIne-Up 4/24 & 4/25-Updated

Here is the Grand Ole Opry line-up for this weekend:
Friday April 24
7:00: Bill Anderson(host); The Whites; Emily West
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Cherryholmes
8:00: Lorrie Morgan(host); Jean Shepard; Jack Greene
8:30: Marty Stuart(host); Mike Snider; Connie Smith

A very solid line-up for the Friday show. Interesting to see Bill Anderson leading off the show. You usually do not see him in that spot, as he normally is the host for the last segment of the show. Always good to see Marty Stuart devoting much more time to the Opry and nice to see Lorrie Morgan appearing. She is another of the artists that has been making more appearances at the Opry over the last several years. Just too bad that the show is only 2 hours.

Saturday April 25:
First Show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jim Ed Brown; Sunny Sweeney
7:30: Mike Snider(host); Jean Shepard; Jimmy C. Newman; Jennifer Hanson
8:00: Marty Stuart(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Connie Smith; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson(host); Jeannie Seely; Raul Malo

Second Show:
9:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); The Whites; Sunny Sweeney
10:00: Mike Snider(host); Jean Shepard; Jim Ed Brown; Jennifer Hanson
10:30: Marty Stuart(host); Stonewall Jackson; Connie Smith; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson(host); Jeannie Seely;Raul Malo

Another good, solid line-up for the Saturday night Opry. Jamie O"Neal is a very talent female singer and Raul Malo has a new album out and does some very good work. I have noticed over the past several months that a couple of other veteran artists seem to be limited to 2 of the 3 shows over a weekend. Those would include Jim Ed Brown, The Whites, Jeannie Seely and Jimmy C. Newman. Connie Smith also seems to have fallen into that group on the weekends that Marty Stuart is not on. Then of course you have the artists that only do 1 show during the weekend. Those would include Stonewall Jackson, Jan Howard, Jack Greene(most times); Bobby Osborne and Jesse McReynolds. With the shows now only 2 hours, it is tough to get spots. Finally, Mike Snider continues to be in the regular rotation of hosting segments on most weekends. He seem to have moved ahead of Jim Ed Brown, Jimmy C. Newman and Jeannie Seely on the hosting list. Again, another mystery of the Opry is how Pete Fisher decides who hosts a segment. After Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens, and now, Marty Stuart, you never know. A couple of weeks ago, it was a loaded line-up, and he had Mel Tillis, who makes infrequent appearances, hosting a segment over Opry regulars Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill.

Finally, this weekend, Stonewall Jackson is the host of the midnight jamboree at the Ernest Tubb record show. Always free and always a great show. I will be in Nashville next weekend.

Grand Ole Opry Line-up-August 14,1954

As we continue our Tuesday tradition of posting Opry line-ups from the past, this week we go way back in time, to Saturday August 14, 1954. Hope you enjoy!!!

7:30: Ernest Tubb(host); Rod Brasfield; Marty Robbins; Moon Mullican; Minnie Pearl; Chet Atkins
8:00: Hank Snow(host); Bill Monroe; Webb Pierce; June Carter; Martha Carson; Possom Hunters; Dale Potter
8:30: Roy Acuff; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Ferlin Huskey; Jug Band; Ray Price; Lonzo and Oscar; Oswald; Jimmy Riddle; Howdy Forrester
9:00: Carl Smith(host); Jimmy Dickens; George Morgan; Crook Brothers; Anita Carter; Grandpa Jones; Jordanaires; Chet Atkins
9:30: Roy Acuff(host); Howdy Forrester; Lew Childre; Cowboy Copas
9:45: Roy Acuff(host); Goldie Hill; Oswald; Jimmy Riddle
10:00: George Morgan(host); Bill Monroe; Martha Carson; Blue Grass Boys
10:15: Hank Snow(host); Ray Price; Grandpa Jones; Chubby and Tommy
10:30: Ernest Tubb(host): Jimmy Dickens; Ferlin Huskey; Duke Of Paducah; Mother Maybelle; Moon Mullican; Chet Atkins
11:00: Webb Pierce(host); Carl Smith; Cowboy Copas; Rod and Minnie; Lonzo and Oscar; Gully Jumpers
11:30: Hank Snow(host); Lew Childre; Goldie Hill; Crook Brothers
11:45: Marty Robbins(host); Sam and Kirk; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Dot and Smokey

What a line-up from back when the Opry was in its prime. A couple of interesting notes:
>The 7:30 segment was the Prince Albert show that was broadcast on NBC radio.
>Counting the main artists, there are 30 listed on the program. Of those 30, 16 ended up being elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
>Marty Robbins did the 1st segment and the last segment of the show.
>The Opry was still running its 1 show format. The Opry tried to schedule each artist 2 times per show, once during the 1st half of the show and once during the 2nd half. Many people would leave the show after seeing each artist perform once, then, based on the number of people leaving, management would allow more people to come in, on a general admission basis. That is one reason for the long lines that you see in many of the historical pictures of the Opry at the Ryman, as people were waiting to get in. Another reason for the long lines early in the day was that most seats were general admission and the fans wanted to get the best seats possible.

Marty Stuart/Josh Turner/Ferlin Huskey

Just a couple of quick notes for a Monday morning:

Marty Stuart and Josh Turner were honored on Sunday in Nashville by receiving stars on the Walk of Fame, which is located in the park directly across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame. Marty has done many things in the Nashville community and deserves this honor. I also know that this is a great honor for Josh Turner to have received at a very young age, especially considering the few stars that have been honored with a star. Congratulations to both.

Finally, Ferlin Huskey is in our thoughts this morning as he is hospitalized with heart failure. He has been in a tough battle the past several years and our prayers are with him. In the opinion of this writer, he should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame.