Some weekends the Grand Ole Opry is better than others and this is one of those weekends. The line-ups for this weekend's Opry shows are excellent, with a great group of veterans and hall of famers being featured. In fact, of the 4 segment hosts on Friday night, 3 are members of the Hall of Fame, and all 4 segment hosts on Saturday night are members of the Hall. I guess my only complaint is that there is only 1 show on Saturday night, but there is the usual Opry matinee that is always featured during the CMA music fest. I know that there are several of my readers attending Opry shows this weekend, and it should be great.
Here is the line-up for the Friday Night Opry, June 11:
7:00: John Conlee(host); George Hamilton IV; Jean Shepard; Rhonda Vincent
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jan Howard; Mark Wills
INTERMISSION
8:15: Roy Clark(host); Charlie Louvin; Mike Snider; The Whites
8:45: Charley Pride(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Connie Smith
Here is the line-up for Opry matinee on Saturday June 12:
3:00: The Whites; Mandy Barnett
3:30: Riders In The Sky; Joey + Rory
4:00: Jimmy C. Newman; Pam Tillis
4:30: Jimmy Dickens; Mark Chesnutt
(Interesting that there is no intermission during this show)
Here is the line-up for the Grand Ole Opry, Saturday June 12:
7:00: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Riders In The Sky
7:30: Roy Clark(host); Jean Shepard; Jack Greene; John Conlee
INTERMISSION
8:15: Mel Tillis(host); Stonewall Jackson; Connie Smith; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Charley Pride(host); Mike Snider; Terri Clark
All the shows this weekend are at the Ryman Auditorium. I also will be interested in how Roy Clark sounds as I have heard that he has had a few issues of late. Hopefully, all is fine.
Finally, Rhonda Vincent will be hosting the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, which will take place at Robert's, directly across from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Broadway. Interesting that it is not taking place in the record shop itself. Of course, it is small and cramp and attending the midnight jamboree before, it can be tough to see and hear.
Nationally recognized independent Grand Ole Opry historian Byron Fay offers news and comments regarding country music's premier show.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Who Should Appear On The First Show At The Re-Opening Of The Opry House
There was a CMT blog posted today that I read, and also one of my loyal readers pointed out to me, that was headlined, "When Opry Reopens, Who Should Perform First?" In the blog, the author states that the Opry hopes to reopen the Opry House on October 1. And then she goes on and asks the question, "who will have the honor of being the very first country artist to take stage when they are back in business?"
She goes on to list a few names including Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and Trace Adkins. She also goes on to list others that she would like to see on that opening night including Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Josh Turner adn Dierks Bentley.
Now, I am not going to jump on the author of that blog, but she apparently has no concept of Opry history or tradition. Of all the artists that she named Randy Travis, Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson have been missing in action from the Opry. In fact, Reba has appeared only once in the last decade. Alan is good for once a year and Randy once every five years. Just ridiculous to even think of any of those entertainers being the first to reopen the Opry House.
But it did get me to thinking, who should be on that opening night? I have a couple of thoughts. If you remember when the Grand Ole Opry House opened, every Opry member was invited to perform on that first show and just about every Opry member was present. They appeared that night alphabetically, with Roy Acuff as the first performer. Each artist, whether an older veteran or a newer star, was treated equally and sang one song each. That first show lasted over 3 hours and everyone was happy. In fact, I don't recall anyone complaining how long the show was or any negative comments about any of the performers.
And, I think that the grand reopening of the Opry House should be handled the exact same way. Every Opry member should be invited to be on the show and they should follow that opening night tradition, and should perform alphabetically and one song each. But, I would also make one exception. I would allow Jimmy Dickens, as the oldest Opry member, the honor of being the first out on the new stage. He deserves that. Certainly more than Randy Travis or Reba McEntire.
Now, we know that what I have proposed will not happen. In today's modern Opry, it will probably be only a 2 hour show, with very few Opry veterans, but plenty of hot superstars, like Alan Jackson and others.
If it is to be a regular 2 hour Opry show, so be it. But, I would limit the performers to only those who have supported the show over the past number of years, while many of the superstar performers have vanished. I would include Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, Carrie Underwood, who has made regular appearances since she became a member, and the others who have supported the show. And, I would include plenty of Opry legends, those who built the Opry and upheld the Opry's tradition.
One other thing: I would only allow Opry members to be on that first show. There is no reason for special guests to clutter things up and soak in the publicity and glory that will come with the reopening.
Yes, it will be televised and there will be television specials involved (count on it!). And that will influence who is on. But, I hope that Pete Fisher and the Opry make the right decisions on who will appear on that opening night of the Opry House.
Those are my thoughts. I am interested to hear yours.
She goes on to list a few names including Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and Trace Adkins. She also goes on to list others that she would like to see on that opening night including Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Josh Turner adn Dierks Bentley.
Now, I am not going to jump on the author of that blog, but she apparently has no concept of Opry history or tradition. Of all the artists that she named Randy Travis, Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson have been missing in action from the Opry. In fact, Reba has appeared only once in the last decade. Alan is good for once a year and Randy once every five years. Just ridiculous to even think of any of those entertainers being the first to reopen the Opry House.
But it did get me to thinking, who should be on that opening night? I have a couple of thoughts. If you remember when the Grand Ole Opry House opened, every Opry member was invited to perform on that first show and just about every Opry member was present. They appeared that night alphabetically, with Roy Acuff as the first performer. Each artist, whether an older veteran or a newer star, was treated equally and sang one song each. That first show lasted over 3 hours and everyone was happy. In fact, I don't recall anyone complaining how long the show was or any negative comments about any of the performers.
And, I think that the grand reopening of the Opry House should be handled the exact same way. Every Opry member should be invited to be on the show and they should follow that opening night tradition, and should perform alphabetically and one song each. But, I would also make one exception. I would allow Jimmy Dickens, as the oldest Opry member, the honor of being the first out on the new stage. He deserves that. Certainly more than Randy Travis or Reba McEntire.
Now, we know that what I have proposed will not happen. In today's modern Opry, it will probably be only a 2 hour show, with very few Opry veterans, but plenty of hot superstars, like Alan Jackson and others.
If it is to be a regular 2 hour Opry show, so be it. But, I would limit the performers to only those who have supported the show over the past number of years, while many of the superstar performers have vanished. I would include Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, Carrie Underwood, who has made regular appearances since she became a member, and the others who have supported the show. And, I would include plenty of Opry legends, those who built the Opry and upheld the Opry's tradition.
One other thing: I would only allow Opry members to be on that first show. There is no reason for special guests to clutter things up and soak in the publicity and glory that will come with the reopening.
Yes, it will be televised and there will be television specials involved (count on it!). And that will influence who is on. But, I hope that Pete Fisher and the Opry make the right decisions on who will appear on that opening night of the Opry House.
Those are my thoughts. I am interested to hear yours.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday Night Opry 6/8 & Opry Country Classics 6/10
This week is the CMA Music Fest in Nashville, which is the event formally known as fan fair. Traditionally, this week has produced some of the Grand Ole Opry's strongest line-ups of the year as many of the stars are in town for the festival. In fact, in past years quite a few artists became Opry members during this week including Alan Jackson, Lorrie Morgan and Mel Tillis, to name a few.
This week, the Tuesday Night Opry will take place at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. This is an older arena that is better known for hosting the circus and wrestling shows, although the Opry has been here before. When they first announced that they were going to do the Tuesday Night Opry from the arena, I thought that it would be a pretty big show with lots of big names. While the big names are here, I am disappointed in the fact that there are only 7 artists scheduled. Even being a Tuesday night show, I just thought there would be more. Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry:
7:00: Bill Anderson; The Band Perry
7:30: Mandy Barnett; Josh Turner
INTERMISSION
8:15: Trisha Yearwood; Jimmy Dickens
8:45: Carrie Underwood
Yep, Carrie gets the whole half hour. I think that they have pretty well taken care of all the ticket problems and everyone should be happy with this show.
Opry Country Classics on Thursday night will take place from the Ryman Auditorium. Like the Tuesday Night Opry, it is a very good line-up of country music legends My only complaint is that there is only one Opry member on the line-up for this night. Here is the line-up:
Host: Larry Gatlin
Also Appearing: Lynn Anderson; The Gatlin Brothers; Neal McCoy; The Oak Ridge Boys; Opry Square Dancers; Gene Watson.
This week, the Tuesday Night Opry will take place at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. This is an older arena that is better known for hosting the circus and wrestling shows, although the Opry has been here before. When they first announced that they were going to do the Tuesday Night Opry from the arena, I thought that it would be a pretty big show with lots of big names. While the big names are here, I am disappointed in the fact that there are only 7 artists scheduled. Even being a Tuesday night show, I just thought there would be more. Here is the line-up for the Tuesday Night Opry:
7:00: Bill Anderson; The Band Perry
7:30: Mandy Barnett; Josh Turner
INTERMISSION
8:15: Trisha Yearwood; Jimmy Dickens
8:45: Carrie Underwood
Yep, Carrie gets the whole half hour. I think that they have pretty well taken care of all the ticket problems and everyone should be happy with this show.
Opry Country Classics on Thursday night will take place from the Ryman Auditorium. Like the Tuesday Night Opry, it is a very good line-up of country music legends My only complaint is that there is only one Opry member on the line-up for this night. Here is the line-up:
Host: Larry Gatlin
Also Appearing: Lynn Anderson; The Gatlin Brothers; Neal McCoy; The Oak Ridge Boys; Opry Square Dancers; Gene Watson.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
June Opry Highlights
I did not forget!!
The month of June is upon us and as I always do, I want to take a look at the important events that have taken place in Grand Ole Opry history during this month.
June as always been one of the more active months and there are a number of artists who joined the Opry during June. They include:
Stu Phillips--- June 1, 1967 (43 years)
Mike Snider---June 2, 1990 (20 years)
Alan Jackson---June 7, 1991 (19 years)
Lorrie Morgan---June 9, 1984 (26 years)
Mel Tillis---June 9, 2007 (3 years)
Ricky Van Shelton---June 10, 1988 (22 years)
Patty Loveless---June 11, 1988 (22 years)
Terri Clark---June 12, 2004 (6 years)
Connie Smith---June 13, 1965 (45 years)
Riders In The Sky---June 19, 1982---(28 years)
Montgomery Gentry---June 23, 2009 (1 year)
I remember when those celebrating Opry anniversaries always appeared on the Opry on that weekend and it was always acknowledged on stage. In the tv days, that artist was always on the televised portion. Those appearances on their induction dates just don't seem to happen much anymore. Also, a little historical note her. On the night that Connie Smith became an Opry member, another person also joined the Opry that night. The late Bob Luman.
The following Opry members are celebrating birthdays in June:
Too Slim(born Fred LaBour)---June 3, 1948 (62 years old)
Lorrie Morgan(born Loretta Lynn Morgan)---June 27, 1959 (51 years old)
The following historical events took place in June:
>June 19, 1926: DeFord Bailey, the Opry's first African American member, made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He remained a member until 1941, when he was fired by George D. Hay. The circumstances of his firing are still in dispute, even today.
>June 12, 1936: Dr. Humphrey Bate, one of the original stars of the Opry, dies. He was just 61 years old, and was a real medical doctor.
>June 13, 1936: The Opry moves to the Dixie Tabernacle, which was located on Fatherland Street in East Nashville. Although this facility sat 3,500, it was a very basic building, with sides that opened, sawdust floors, wooden benches and no dressing rooms.
>June 5, 1937: Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys join the Opry. He would remain a member until moving to Louisville, Kentucky to take advantage of television opportunities after WSM expressed no interest in television. George D. Hay was constantly on Pee Wee for being too progressive in his sound, but a mutual trust would develop between the two. Pee Wee was one of the first professional musicians to join the Opry and he helped to professionalize the show. He was the first artist on the Opry to introduce entrance music when each act came on. Previously, they would just walk on stage and wait to start. Pee Wee left the Opry in the late 1940s, but would continue to make appearances, especially on the homecoming shows that the Opry held for many years.
>June 28, 1940: The movie, "Grand Ole Opry", premiers in Nashville. The movie stared Roy Acuff and Uncle Dave Macon. The movie is long out of print and I don't think you can even get it on DVD today.
>June 5, 1943: The Opry moves again, this time to the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Here the Opry would remain until 1974. While the Ryman is now a great facility, during the time that the Opry was there, the building had limited dressing rooms and no air conditioning. Also as time went on, that area of Nashville became very run down and unsafe. But, the acoustics at the Ryman are just about perfect and it is still a great place to watch the Opry.
>June 6, 1944: Grant Turner begins work at WSM radio. He would eventually become the best known announcer in Opry history, and had the nickname, "The Voice of the Opry". He would remain an Opry announcer until his death in October 1991, just after announcing the Friday Night Opry.
>June 11, 1949: Hank Williams makes his first appearance at the Opry. As most Opry fans know about that famous night, he was called back on stage six times to perform his song, "Lovesick Blues."
>June 1, 1957: The Everly Brothers joined the Opry. They were added as an appeal to the younger fans of country music as the Opry tried to keep up with the changing times. As everyone knows, they did not last long at the Opry.
>June 13, 1958: Roy Drusky becomes a member of the Opry. He would remain an Opry member until his death on September 23, 2004.
>June 12, 1965: Cowboy legend Tex Ritter becomes a member of the Opry. Although his time at the Opry was relatively short, he became one of the Opry's most loyal and beloved members.
>June 30, 1970: Grand breaking takes place for Opryland. This park would eventually become home to the Grand Ole Opry upon completion of the Grand Ole Opry House.
>June 28, 1974: Paul McCartney visited the Friday Night Opry and was introduced on stage by Roy Acuff. He did not perform, but he and his family were in town recording and visiting.
>June 17, 1978: In one of the more unusual Opry moments, Marty Robbins drove his new Panther DeVille onto the Opry stage. To add some humor to the moment, Roy Acuff had an Opry security guard write a parking ticket to Marty. (I had read somewhere that one of the complaints about today's Opry is that some of the fun and spontaneous moments have disappeared).
>June 9, 1984: As I listed above, Lorrie Morgan became an official Opry member. But, she was no stranger to the Opry. She is the daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer and long time Opry member George Morgan, and made her Opry debut with her father at the age of 13.
>June 28, 1985: Country artist Gary Morris became the first person to sing opera on the Opry. (And we complain about some of the music being played today!!). He performed Rudolfo's first aria from Puccini's La Boheme. (I wonder how many fans attending that night even recognized the song).
>June 3, 1994: The Ryman Auditorium reopens after an extensive renovation. The first show is a broadcast by of the radio show, "Praire Home Companion", hosted by Garrison Keillor. He would also do the show the following evening, June 4. At the time of the reopening of the Ryman, there were no plans to have the Opry perform any shows there.
>June 10, 2000: The Opry unveiled their new set that is still being used today. It was the first new backdrop in 25 years. While the barn-shape of the backdrop is still there, the basic red barn that many of us have come to know and love, is no longer a part of the stage. The Opry did add the large video projection screens to the Opry House, which has made a difference in the show.
>June 17, 2000: The Grand Ole Opry begins streaming on the internet. Ricky Skaggs started the evening by playing "Tennessee Waggoner", which was the song Uncle Jimmy Thompson reportedly played during the first broadcoast of the Opry in 1925.
>June 14, 2003: Jimmy Dickens invites Trace Adkins to become a member of the Opry. Of course he accepted.
That should do it for June. Like I said, it was a busy month in Opry history.
The month of June is upon us and as I always do, I want to take a look at the important events that have taken place in Grand Ole Opry history during this month.
June as always been one of the more active months and there are a number of artists who joined the Opry during June. They include:
Stu Phillips--- June 1, 1967 (43 years)
Mike Snider---June 2, 1990 (20 years)
Alan Jackson---June 7, 1991 (19 years)
Lorrie Morgan---June 9, 1984 (26 years)
Mel Tillis---June 9, 2007 (3 years)
Ricky Van Shelton---June 10, 1988 (22 years)
Patty Loveless---June 11, 1988 (22 years)
Terri Clark---June 12, 2004 (6 years)
Connie Smith---June 13, 1965 (45 years)
Riders In The Sky---June 19, 1982---(28 years)
Montgomery Gentry---June 23, 2009 (1 year)
I remember when those celebrating Opry anniversaries always appeared on the Opry on that weekend and it was always acknowledged on stage. In the tv days, that artist was always on the televised portion. Those appearances on their induction dates just don't seem to happen much anymore. Also, a little historical note her. On the night that Connie Smith became an Opry member, another person also joined the Opry that night. The late Bob Luman.
The following Opry members are celebrating birthdays in June:
Too Slim(born Fred LaBour)---June 3, 1948 (62 years old)
Lorrie Morgan(born Loretta Lynn Morgan)---June 27, 1959 (51 years old)
The following historical events took place in June:
>June 19, 1926: DeFord Bailey, the Opry's first African American member, made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He remained a member until 1941, when he was fired by George D. Hay. The circumstances of his firing are still in dispute, even today.
>June 12, 1936: Dr. Humphrey Bate, one of the original stars of the Opry, dies. He was just 61 years old, and was a real medical doctor.
>June 13, 1936: The Opry moves to the Dixie Tabernacle, which was located on Fatherland Street in East Nashville. Although this facility sat 3,500, it was a very basic building, with sides that opened, sawdust floors, wooden benches and no dressing rooms.
>June 5, 1937: Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys join the Opry. He would remain a member until moving to Louisville, Kentucky to take advantage of television opportunities after WSM expressed no interest in television. George D. Hay was constantly on Pee Wee for being too progressive in his sound, but a mutual trust would develop between the two. Pee Wee was one of the first professional musicians to join the Opry and he helped to professionalize the show. He was the first artist on the Opry to introduce entrance music when each act came on. Previously, they would just walk on stage and wait to start. Pee Wee left the Opry in the late 1940s, but would continue to make appearances, especially on the homecoming shows that the Opry held for many years.
>June 28, 1940: The movie, "Grand Ole Opry", premiers in Nashville. The movie stared Roy Acuff and Uncle Dave Macon. The movie is long out of print and I don't think you can even get it on DVD today.
>June 5, 1943: The Opry moves again, this time to the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Here the Opry would remain until 1974. While the Ryman is now a great facility, during the time that the Opry was there, the building had limited dressing rooms and no air conditioning. Also as time went on, that area of Nashville became very run down and unsafe. But, the acoustics at the Ryman are just about perfect and it is still a great place to watch the Opry.
>June 6, 1944: Grant Turner begins work at WSM radio. He would eventually become the best known announcer in Opry history, and had the nickname, "The Voice of the Opry". He would remain an Opry announcer until his death in October 1991, just after announcing the Friday Night Opry.
>June 11, 1949: Hank Williams makes his first appearance at the Opry. As most Opry fans know about that famous night, he was called back on stage six times to perform his song, "Lovesick Blues."
>June 1, 1957: The Everly Brothers joined the Opry. They were added as an appeal to the younger fans of country music as the Opry tried to keep up with the changing times. As everyone knows, they did not last long at the Opry.
>June 13, 1958: Roy Drusky becomes a member of the Opry. He would remain an Opry member until his death on September 23, 2004.
>June 12, 1965: Cowboy legend Tex Ritter becomes a member of the Opry. Although his time at the Opry was relatively short, he became one of the Opry's most loyal and beloved members.
>June 30, 1970: Grand breaking takes place for Opryland. This park would eventually become home to the Grand Ole Opry upon completion of the Grand Ole Opry House.
>June 28, 1974: Paul McCartney visited the Friday Night Opry and was introduced on stage by Roy Acuff. He did not perform, but he and his family were in town recording and visiting.
>June 17, 1978: In one of the more unusual Opry moments, Marty Robbins drove his new Panther DeVille onto the Opry stage. To add some humor to the moment, Roy Acuff had an Opry security guard write a parking ticket to Marty. (I had read somewhere that one of the complaints about today's Opry is that some of the fun and spontaneous moments have disappeared).
>June 9, 1984: As I listed above, Lorrie Morgan became an official Opry member. But, she was no stranger to the Opry. She is the daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer and long time Opry member George Morgan, and made her Opry debut with her father at the age of 13.
>June 28, 1985: Country artist Gary Morris became the first person to sing opera on the Opry. (And we complain about some of the music being played today!!). He performed Rudolfo's first aria from Puccini's La Boheme. (I wonder how many fans attending that night even recognized the song).
>June 3, 1994: The Ryman Auditorium reopens after an extensive renovation. The first show is a broadcast by of the radio show, "Praire Home Companion", hosted by Garrison Keillor. He would also do the show the following evening, June 4. At the time of the reopening of the Ryman, there were no plans to have the Opry perform any shows there.
>June 10, 2000: The Opry unveiled their new set that is still being used today. It was the first new backdrop in 25 years. While the barn-shape of the backdrop is still there, the basic red barn that many of us have come to know and love, is no longer a part of the stage. The Opry did add the large video projection screens to the Opry House, which has made a difference in the show.
>June 17, 2000: The Grand Ole Opry begins streaming on the internet. Ricky Skaggs started the evening by playing "Tennessee Waggoner", which was the song Uncle Jimmy Thompson reportedly played during the first broadcoast of the Opry in 1925.
>June 14, 2003: Jimmy Dickens invites Trace Adkins to become a member of the Opry. Of course he accepted.
That should do it for June. Like I said, it was a busy month in Opry history.
Grand Ole Opry Line-ups 6/4 & 6/5--Updated
A couple of additions with Terri Clark, T.G. Sheppard and Wade Hayes added.
The Grand Ole Opry has announced their line-ups for this weekend's shows. There will be one show on Friday night at the Ryman Auditorium, and on Saturday night, the Opry road show continues with one show at the Allen Arena at Lipscomb University. Here are the line-ups:
Friday June 4
7:00: Mike Snider(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Terri Clark
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; T.G. Sheppard
INTERMISSION
8:15: Jim Ed Brown(host); Connie Smith; Jason Crabb
8:45: Riders In The Sky(host); Jean Shepard; Gene Watson
Saturday June 5
7:oo: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Sunny Sweeney
7:30: Jeannie Seely(host); George Hamilton IV; Charlie Nagatani; Wade Hayes
INTERMISSION
8:15: Mike Snider(host); Jim Ed Brown; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Bill Anderson(host); The Whites; T. G. Sheppard
Obviously not one of the stronger line-ups of the year and there are still a couple of spots to fill. With their first trip to Lipscomb, I thought that they would try to present a better line-up.
Jett Williams is the host of this weekend's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. The show is always free and is a great bargain.
The Grand Ole Opry has announced their line-ups for this weekend's shows. There will be one show on Friday night at the Ryman Auditorium, and on Saturday night, the Opry road show continues with one show at the Allen Arena at Lipscomb University. Here are the line-ups:
Friday June 4
7:00: Mike Snider(host); Jimmy C. Newman; Terri Clark
7:30: Jimmy Dickens(host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; T.G. Sheppard
INTERMISSION
8:15: Jim Ed Brown(host); Connie Smith; Jason Crabb
8:45: Riders In The Sky(host); Jean Shepard; Gene Watson
Saturday June 5
7:oo: Jimmy Dickens(host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Sunny Sweeney
7:30: Jeannie Seely(host); George Hamilton IV; Charlie Nagatani; Wade Hayes
INTERMISSION
8:15: Mike Snider(host); Jim Ed Brown; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Bill Anderson(host); The Whites; T. G. Sheppard
Obviously not one of the stronger line-ups of the year and there are still a couple of spots to fill. With their first trip to Lipscomb, I thought that they would try to present a better line-up.
Jett Williams is the host of this weekend's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. The show is always free and is a great bargain.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Opry Country Classics-Thursday June 3
Here is the line-up for this week's Opry Country Classics, Thursday June 3. The show will be at the Ryman Auditorium.
Host: Bill Cody (From WSM radio)
With performances by Elizabeth Cook, The Time Jumpers, Ronnie Robbins, Bobby Bare, Riders In The Sky, Jeannie Seely.
Since Vince Gill is a member of The Time Jumpers now, I wonder if he will be part of the group at this week's Opry show? For those who are not familiar with the group, it's members tend to rotate sometimes so you do not always get the complete line-up. Doug Green from Riders In The Sky is also part of the group.
The highlight, at least for me, is Bobby Bare on the show. I find it interesting that there is no spotlight artist listed for this week's show, when Bobby would have been a natural for that honor. He rarely plays the Opry anymore and he was one of the finalists for the Country Music Hall of Fame this year. Also, no square dancers on the show.
Host: Bill Cody (From WSM radio)
With performances by Elizabeth Cook, The Time Jumpers, Ronnie Robbins, Bobby Bare, Riders In The Sky, Jeannie Seely.
Since Vince Gill is a member of The Time Jumpers now, I wonder if he will be part of the group at this week's Opry show? For those who are not familiar with the group, it's members tend to rotate sometimes so you do not always get the complete line-up. Doug Green from Riders In The Sky is also part of the group.
The highlight, at least for me, is Bobby Bare on the show. I find it interesting that there is no spotlight artist listed for this week's show, when Bobby would have been a natural for that honor. He rarely plays the Opry anymore and he was one of the finalists for the Country Music Hall of Fame this year. Also, no square dancers on the show.
October 1st ?
Gaylord today issued a press release on their plans for the Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry House. The press release mentioned that they expect the Opry to return to the Opry House on October 1. Good news and I hope that the date holds.
The Opry birthday celebration is the following weekend, October 8 and 9 and that is always one of their biggest weekends.
The Opry birthday celebration is the following weekend, October 8 and 9 and that is always one of their biggest weekends.
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