With the SEC Basketball Tournament a Nashville this week, Saturday night's show is being advertised as "Grand Ole Opry Salutes the SEC" which will be sponsored by Belk. This special Opry show will feature free music, a fashion show and SEC action in the Opry Plaza as well as a hoops-themed evening Opry performance. I am sure a lot of fans will be at the Opry on Saturday night, but you have to wonder with the tournament at the Bridgestone Arena downtown, how many will make the trek out to the Opry House. From a personal standpoint from being in Nashville and the SEC Tournament two years ago, most of those who come for the basketball tend to stay downtown and in the downtown area. Hopefully a few make it out to the Opry area.
Regarding the Opry line-up for this weekend, there are a few Grand Ole Opry members who will be appearing both nights. That list includes John Conlee, Mike Snider, Connie Smith, Riders In The Sky, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites and Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry. They will be joined on Friday night by Jeannie Seely and Jesse McReynolds, while on Saturday night Bobby Osborne and Craig Morgan are scheduled. That comes out to 9 Opry members each night.
Guesting this weekend will be Dillon Carmichael, Craig Campbell, and making her Opry debut, Lauren Jenkins on Friday night, while on Saturday the guest list includes Maddie & Tae and Riley Green, while the Nashville Irish Step Dancers will be making their annual St. Patrick's Day appearance.
Friday March 15
7:00: John Conlee (host); Dillon Carmichael; Mike Snider
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Craig Campbell; Connie Smith
Intermission
8:15: Jeannie Seely (host); Jesse McReynolds; Lauren Jenkins
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry
Saturday March 16
7:00: Nashville Irish Step Dancers; John Conlee (host); Maddie & Tae; Mike Snider
7:30: Riders In The Sky (host); Riley Green; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press
Intermission
8:15: Craig Morgan (host); Connie Smith; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry
Just in case anyone has forgotten, Saturday night will be the 45th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry moving to the new Grand Ole Opry House from the Ryman Auditorium. I am sure that will be mentioned at some point during the show (I would hope).
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Each week it seems that another artist is making their Opry debut and this weekend it will be Lauren Jenkins making her debut on the Friday Night Opry.
Born in Texas and raised in Carolina, Lauren Jenkins, who records for Big Machine Records, has been a touring artist since she was 15 years old. Named an Artist to Watch by the New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pandora, and many more, Lauren was also chosen as a member of the "Class of 2019" by radio DJ Bobby Bones. She recently completed writing, co-producing, and starring in an original short film titled Running Out of Road that accompanies the release of her debut album, NO SAINT, which is out this month. The first single from the album is the recently released "Give Up the Ghost."
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And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the weekend of March 13 & 14, 2009:
Friday March 13
7:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jeannie Seely; John Conlee; Justin Moore
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Mel McDaniel; Tracy Lawrence
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jan Howard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Craig Morgan
8:30: Marty Stuart (host); Mike Snider; Connie Smith; Charlie Daniels Band
Saturday March 14
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; John Conlee; Radney Foster
7:30: Marty Stuart (host); Charlie Louvin; Connie Smith; Crystal Gayle
8:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jean Shepard; Riders In The Sky; The Whites; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jack Greene; Mike Snider; Tracy Lawrence
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); John Conlee; Jeannie Seely; Radney Foster
10:00: Marty Stuart (host); Connie Smith; Mike Snider; Crystal Gayle
10:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jean Shepard; The Whites; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Riders In The Sky; Tracy Lawrence
Nice to see that even ten years ago, the Opry was capable of putting on a very solid show. A full line-up with a great group of Opry members.
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday March 12, 1994:
1st show
6:30: Bill Anderson (host): Skeeter Davis
6:45: The Four Guys (host); Wilma Lee Cooper
7:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); Jean Shepard; Roy Drusky; Charlie Louvin; Osborne Brothers
7:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Jeannie Seely; Grandpa Jones; Joe Diffie
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host); Stonewall Jackson; Charlie Walker; Jeanne Pruett; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Bill Carlisle; Hank Locklin; The Whites; Jimmy C Newman
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Jan Howard; Brother Oswald and Charlie Collins; Joe Diffie
10:00: Grandpa Jones (host); Charlie Louvin and Bob Bates
10:15: Jim Ed Brown (host); Jeanne Pruett
10:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Osborne Brothers
10:45: Riders In The Sky (host); The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); The Four Guys; Jean Shepard; Roy Drusky; Ray Pillow
11:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jimmy C Newman; Charlie Walker; Stonewall Jackson
Finally, from 50 years ago, Saturday March 15, 1969:
7:30: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Grandpa Jones; Merle Travis; Kay Adams; Johnny Carver
8:00: Billy Grammer (host); Skeeter Davis; The Four Guys; Crook Brothers
8:30: Ray Pillow (host); Bill Carlisle; Martha Carson; Harden Trio
9:00: Stu Phillips (host); Del Wood; Cousin Jody; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Harold Weakley
9:30: Willis Brothers (host); Marion Worth; Lonzo and Oscar; Van Trevor
10:00: Bill Carlisle (host); The Four Guys; Kay Adams
10:15: Billy Grammer (host); Skeeter Davis; Johnny Carver
10:30: Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host); Van Trevor; Merle Travis
10:45: Willis Brothers (host); Martha Carson; Crook Brothers
11:00: Ray Pillow (host); Lonzo and Oscar; Harden Trio; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Stu Phillips (host); Marion Worth; Cousin Jody
Not a particularly strong line-up from 50 years ago, but there are a couple of names worth noting that many may have forgotten.
Van Trevor was the stage name of Robert Boulanger. He was born in 1949 and passed away in 2005. He was a singer/songwriter and among the songs he recorded a number of singles and albums throughout the 1960s. He was a solid performer, just never a big star.
Kay Adams, on the other hand, did have some success in country music. Kay was born in Knox City, Texas and grew up in Vernon, Texas. Among her recordings in the 1960s were "Six Days a Waiting," "Old Heart Get Ready," "Anymore," "Don't Talk Trouble to Me," "Trapped," "Roll Out The Red Carpet," "I Cried At Your Wedding," : Honky Tonk Heartache," and "She Didn't Color Daddy."
Part of the Bakersfield sound, Kay appeared on the Buck Owen' Ranch television show and in 1965 she won the award for Top New Female Vocalist at the inaugural Academy of Country Music Awards show. Her vocal style and recordings, which featured the Bakersfield sound twangy Telecaster guitar, has been compared to Wanda Jackson.
Her recording career ended in the late 1970s and at last report, she was still alive at the age of 77.
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I am sure most everyone is aware that 45 years ago, Saturday March 16, 1974, the Grand Ole Opry moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. It was a huge occasion with President Richard Nixon and other dignitaries attending, along with the majority of the Opry's members.
Friday March 15, the Friday Night Opry took place at the Ryman Auditorium. That was the final Opry performance at the old Ryman and like the previous Saturday night, which was the final Saturday Grand Ole Opry performance from the Ryman, the night was emotional.
I have posted the opening night line-up from Saturday March 16, 1974 numerous times (if anyone would like to see it again, I would be happy to post it), however it has been a few years since I listed the running order from the final Friday show, March 15. Before posting it, let me make a note: for many years, the Opry sold a souvenir program from that final night at the Ryman. However, the actual running order of the show was a little different:
7:00: Cracker Barrel
Roy Drusky (host): Alone With You
Del Reeves: Lay A Little Lovin' on Me
Jan Howard: The One You Slip Around With
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Roy Drusky: Satisfied Mind
Del Reeves: Girl on the Billboard
Jan Howard: Rock Me Back to Little Rock
Charlie Walker: Wanting My Woman Again
Roy Drusky: Second Hand Rose
7:30: Varallo
Bill Anderson (host): If You Can Live With It
Bob Luman: Lonely Women Make Good Lovers
Jim and Jesse: Diesel on My Tail
Mary Lou Turner: Poor Sweet Baby
Bill Anderson: A World of Make Believe
Bob Luman: When You Say Love
Jim and Jesse: Paradise
Bill Anderson: Po' Folks
8:00: Odom Sausage/U.S. Borax
Archie Campbell (host): Make Friends
Bobby Bare: Ride Me Down Easy
Dottie West: Country Sunshine
Justin Tubb: Rambling Man
Phil Campbell: Valley of the Never Do No Good
Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr: Daddy, What If
Dottie West: Here Comes My Baby
Justin Tubb: Traveling Singing Man
8:30: Kroger
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jean Shepard: Second Fiddle
Stonewall Jackson: Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Minnie Pearl: Careless Love
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: There's A Big Wheel
Roy Acuff: Back in the Country
Jean Shepard: At the Time
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Roy Acuff: Cabin in Gloryland
9:00: Baltz Bros./Schlitz
Wilburn Brothers (host): It's Another World
Osborne Brothers: Rocky Top
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain
Del Wood: There's a Big Wheel
Wilburn Brothers: I'm Gonna Tie One on Tonight
Osborne Brothers: Ruby
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Del Wood: Down Yonder
9:30: Acme Boots/Beech-Nut
Jim Ed Brown (host): Pop A Top
Hank Locklin: Goodbye, Dear Old Ryman
Grandpa Jones: Dooley
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Cates Sisters: Devil's Dream
Hank Locklin: Send Me The Pillow You Dream On
Grandpa Jones: Heading South with Nashville on My Mind
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Jim Ed Brown: Sometimes Sunshine
10:00: Cee Bee Food Stores/Schlitz
Billy Walker (host): Sing Me A Love Song to Baby
Charlie Louvin: You're My Wife; She's My Woman
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
Billy Walker: You Gave Me a Mountain
Charlie Louvin: Little Reasons/Will You Visit Me on Sundays/What Are Those Things
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Billy Walker: Charlie's Shoes
10:30 Shoney's
George Morgan (host): Red Rose From the Blue Side of Town
The Four Guys: Let Me Be There
Ray Pillow: Excuse Me
Lonzo and Oscar: A King Size Cola & A Moon Pie
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
The Four Guys: Hello Walls/Big Bad John/Wings of a Dove/
Ray Pillow: Countryfried
Ernie Ashworth: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
George Morgan: Candy Kisses
Now the posted line-up as printed in the program:
7:00: Roy Drusky (host); Del Reeves; Charlie Walker; Jan Howard
7:30: Bill Anderson (host); Bob Luman; Jim and Jesse
8:00: Archie Campbell (host); Bobby Bare; Dottie West; Justin Tubb
8:30: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard; Stonewall Jackson; Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper
9:00: Wilburn Brothers (host); Osborne Brothers; Jeanne Pruett; Del Wood
9:30: Jim Ed Brown (host); Hank Locklin; Grandpa Jones; The Carlisles
10:00: Billy Walker (host); Charlie Louvin; Stu Phillips; The Willis Brothers
10:30: George Morgan (host); The Four Guys; Ray Pillow; Lonzo and Oscar; Ernie Ashworth
As mentioned last week, Bobby Bare left the Opry rather then continue with the show when it moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. This particular Friday Night Opry was his final show until he rejoined the Opry last year.
After the Friday Night Opry ended, Grand Ole Gospel took place, hosted by Jimmie Snow. Guests on his show that night included Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Mother Maybelle Carter and The Carter Family. I always found it interesting that those artists did not appear on the Opry that night.
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To finish up this week, I wanted to take a moment and remember the late Don Gibson, who on March 16, 1996, made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
Born in Shelby, North Carolina, Don Gibson was the son of a railroad man. With three brothers and two sisters, Don knew early on that he would be responsible for financing his music career. So, he went to work in the textile mills to earn enough money. While he was only a kid, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee to be a regular on the WNOX Tennessee Barndance. He also played numerous clubs in the area. Wesley Rose, president of Acuff-Rose Publishing, saw Don perform and offered him a songwriting contract. But since Don wanted to sing, he told Wesley that it was a deal only if he got to perform. To accommodate his requests, he signed a writing contract with Acuff-Rose and a recording contract with RCA.
Among the songs written and recorded by Don Gibson were "Sweet Dreams," "Oh, Lonesome Me," and "I Can't Stop Loving You." The last two were written by Don on the same afternoon, and were recorded on the same day, with "Oh, Lonesome Me" going all the way to No. 1 on the country charts. Don only had two other No. 1 hits with "Blue Blue Day,"topping the charts in 1958 and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" reaching No. 1 in 1972. Don also he reached the Top 5 with "Give Yourself a Party," "Who Cares," "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles," "Just One Time," "Sweet Dreams," "Sea of Heartbreak," "Lonesome Number One," "Country Green," and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart." Don also recorded a series of duets with Dottie West.
Don originally joined the Grand Ole Opry in May 1958. He was among those fired in December 1964 for failing to meet the attendance requirements which the Opry had in place at the time. Don rejoined the Opry in 1975, however his Opry appearance would be few.
Don was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He passed away on November 17, 2003 from natural causes at the age of 75.
Here is the running order from 23 years ago, Saturday March 16, 1996, Don Gibson's final show at the Grand Ole Opry:
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Grandpa Jones (host): Fifteen Cents is All I Got
Bluegrass Boys: I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
Grandpa Jones: It's Raining Here This Morning
6:45: Joggin' In A Jug
Jan Howard: Rock Me Back to Little Rock
Bill Carlisle: Is Zat You Myrtle
Jan Howard: Evil on Your Mind
7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Freight Train Boogie
Brother Oswald: John Hardy
Jean Shepard: Head Over Heels in Love with You
Stonewall Jackson: Ol' Chunk of Coal
The Whites: It Should've Been Easy
Porter Wagoner: Forty Miles from Poplar Bluff
7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy Dickens (host): May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose
The Hemphills: Let's Have a Revival/Partners in Emotion
Don Gibson: Oh, Lonesome Me/I Can't Stop Loving You
Jimmy Dickens: When Your House is Not a Home/Mountain Dew
8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): Before I Met You
Billy Walker: Come A Little Bit Closer
Jeannie Seely: Another Bridge to Burn
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Durang's Hornpipe
Bill Anderson: The Touch of the Master's Hand/Still
8:30: Kraft
The Four Guys (host): It's All Right
Charlie Walker: Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
Connie Smith: I've Got My Baby on My Mind
Del Reeves: I Would Like to See You Again
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
The Four Guys: Forever Young
2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Jean Shepard: Gone, Gone, Gone
The Hemphills: Let's All Go to Church/Partners in Emotion
Christi Lynn: Don't Stop for Nothing
10:00: Massey Ferguson
Del Reeves (host): Good Time Charlie's
Wilma Lee Cooper: Walking My Lord Up Calvary's Hill
Del Reeves: Two Dollars in the Jukebox/A Dime at a Time/Looking at the World Through a Windshield
10:15: Zim's Crack Cream
Grandpa Jones (host): Nashville on My Mind
The Whites: Move it on Over
Grandpa Jones: Four Stone Walls & A Ceiling
10:30: Gruhn Guitars
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed
The Jordanaires: The Unclouded Day
Jimmy Dickens: We Could
10:45: Fairfield
Bill Anderson (host): Wild Weekend
Jeannie Seely: Another Bridge to Burn
Opry Square Dance Band/Melvin Sloan Dancers: Sugar in the Goard
Bill Anderson: Big Railroad Man
11:00: Coca Cola
The Four Guys (host): Cottonfields/Mariah
Jeanne Pruett: Back to Back
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Stu Phillips: Blue Canadian Rockies
Jan Howard: My Heart Skips a Beat
The Four Guys: Tennessee
11:30: Loreal
Billy Walker (host): Ashes of Love/Blue Moon of Kentucky/That's All Right
Connie Smith: Walk Me to the Door/Walkin' After Midnight
Ray Pillow: Please Don't Leave Me Anymore/The Kind of Love I Can't Forget
Roy Drusky: Waltz of the Angels
Billy Walker: Adam's Side/Charlie's Shoes
As mentioned, when Don Gibson rejoined the Opry, his appearances were very few. In fact, from 1983 until 1994 he made no Opry appearances. However in 1994, at the urging of Carol Lee Cooper, Don was persuaded to come back to the Opry. He made one appearance in 1994, then three in 1995, and then that final 1996 appearance.
And one final note from that Saturday night. You might have noticed that the Bluegrass Boys appeared on the opening segment while there was no host for the 2nd segment, with Jan Howard opening and closing. The host was supposed to have been Bill Monroe, however that morning Bill suffered a stroke, which would end his performing career. His final appearance had been on the Friday Night Opry, the night before.
There you have it for this week and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend. And don't forget, Monday is the Hall of Fame announcement. 10:00 central time.
Nationally recognized independent Grand Ole Opry historian Byron Fay offers news and comments regarding country music's premier show.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
Tuesday Night Opry 3/12 & Opry Country Classics 3/14
The big news, which the Grand Ole Opry has been heavily promoting, is that Trisha Yearwood will be celebrating her 20th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on this weeks Tuesday Night Opry.
Whether belting out one of he signature hits on the Grand Ole Opry stage or writing a best-selling cook book, Trisha Yearwood approaches everything she does with an abundance of passion, integrity, and talent.
The Georgia native knew she wanted to be a country singer by the time she was five years old. Winning a talent contest in Macon at 16 served to further fuel her creative desires. As a teen, she talked her parents into a family vacation in Nashville and after seeing her heroes on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, she knew there was nothing else she wanted to do.
She moved to Music City to attend Belmont University, took a job as a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and began pursuing her dream. She worked as a receptionist at MTM Records and begin singing demos. She met Garth Brooks when the two were hired to sing a duet demo for songwriter Kent Blazy. Garth introduced her to his producer, Allen Reynolds, who introduced her to Garth Fundis, who would become her friend and longtime producer. After five years in Nashville, Trisha signed with MCA Records and her first single, "She's in Love With the Boy," rocketed to the top of the country charts in 1991. Since then, Trisha has populated country radio with such memorable hits as "Wrong Side of Memphis," "The Woman Before Me," "XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl)," "Thinkin' About You," "The Song Remembers When," "Walkaway Joe," and "How Do I Live," as well as hit singles with Garth, now her husband. Trisha has won Grammy Awards and has been recognized as a top female vocalist by both the CMA and ACM.
Among all the accomplishments and accolades, being a member of the Grand Ole Opry holds special significance for Trisha. "My mother came here on her senior class trip from South Georgia," she says. "She wrote in her diary about seeing Hank Snow, Hawkshaw Hawkins and all those people. When I was inducted as a member of the Opry in 1999, she brought her diary and got Hank Snow to sign it. So it's not only about me, it's also about my whole family."
While I don't doubt Trisha's story about Hank Snow signing her mother's diary, I do have to believe she was mistaken as to the date (perhaps it took place on her Opry debut). In 1999, Hank was in declining health and had not appeared on the Opry for several years. Now it is possible that Trisha did get Hank to sign the book through a mutual acquaintance, but I know in 1999 Hank was nowhere near the Opry House.
In addition to Trisha Yearwood, the Tuesday Night Opry will also feature Opry members Terri Clark, Mark Wills, Trace Adkins and Ricky Skaggs.
Tuesday March 12
7:00: Mark Wills; Terri Clark
7:30: Rodney Atkins; Aaron Lewis
Intermission
8:15: Trace Adkins; Ricky Skaggs
8:45: Trisha Yearwood
Trisha was asked to join the Opry's cast on Saturday January 16, 1999, which was also the weekend in which the Opry returned to the Ryman Auditorium for the first time since moving to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. The invitation was not a total surprise as Trisha had been hinting around for several years that she would love to be an Opry member. Sadly, she has followed the lead of many of her contemporaries and once becoming a member, has made very few Opry appearances.
Here is the running order from Saturday March 13, 1999, the night Trisha Yearwood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Skeeter Davis: I'll Fly Away
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Bessyl Duhon: Cajun Stripper
6:45: National Corvette Museum
Jim Ed Brown (host): Looking Back to See/Morning/Pop a Top/The 3 Bells
7:00: Shoney's/Standard Candy
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Bill Carlisle: I've Waited Too Long
Janie Fricke: Bouncing Back/Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby
Porter Wagoner: Fireball Mail/Night Train to Memphis/Cabin in Gloryland
Rick Wayne: On the Line
Randy Scruggs: Black Mountain Rag
Steve Wariner: Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Trisha Yearwood: Living on the Wrong Side of Memphis/She's in Love With the Boy/Sweet Dreams
8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): No Fair Falling in Love
Marty Stuart: Southern Accent
John Prine: Paradise
Jean Shepard: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Rachel
Bill Anderson: Still
8:30: Physicians Mutual
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleepin' At the Foot of the Bed
Ricky Skaggs: Little Maggie
The Whites: I Hear the Wind A' Blowing
Vince Gill: Pretty Little Adriana/When I Call Your Name
2nd show
9:30: Blue Green Vacation Resort Development
Porter Wagoner (host): On a Highway Headed South
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Jimmy C Newman: Good Deal, Lucille
Trisha Yearwood: A Perfect Love/How Do I Live/She's in Love With the Boy
Porter Wagoner: I'll Fly Away
10:00: Lincoln Mercury
Vince Gill (host): Don't Come Crying to Me
Randy Scruggs: Soldier's Joy
Vince Gill: Whenever You Come Around
10:15: Ray Stevens Show
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Mike Snider and Marty Stuart: Rawhide
Jimmy Dickens: Life Turned Her that Way
10:30: Epiphone
Marty Stuart (host): Doin' My Time
John Prine: Grandpa Was a Carpenter
Marty Stuart and John Prine: Angel From Montgomery
10:45: Joggin' In A Jug
Ricky Skaggs (host): I'm Lost, I'll Never Find the Way
Jean Shepard: Tennessee Waltz
Opry Square Dance Band w/Ricky Skaggs and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Durang's Hornpipe
Ricky Skaggs: Connemara
11:00: Coca-Cola
Bill Anderson (host): Po' Folks
Holly Dunn: Daddy's Hands
John Conlee: Friday Night Blues
Jeannie Seely: Make the World Go Away
Billy Walker: Come a Little Bit Closer
Bill Anderson: The Paper
11:30: Opry Book
Johnny Russell (host): Folsom Prison Blues
Jack Greene; Statue of a Fool
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
Del Reeves: Splish; Splash/Answer the Phone/Hound Dog
Stonewall Jackson: A Wound Time Can't Erase
Johnny Russell: Wabash Cannonball
Wilma Lee Cooper was schedule along with Jim Ed Brown on the 6:45 segment but missed the show due to snow. Also, can't help but notice that the last two segments on the second show were all Opry members who only appeared on that 2nd dhow (exception being Bill Anderson). It was as if they just grouped a bunch of Opry members together.
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Opry Country Classics on Thursday night will feature Chris Janson as the spotlight artist:
Thursday March 14
Host: Bill Cody
Spotlight Artist: Chris Janson
Also Appearing: Elizabeth Cook; Wade Hayes; Jeannie Seely; Mike Snider
Whether belting out one of he signature hits on the Grand Ole Opry stage or writing a best-selling cook book, Trisha Yearwood approaches everything she does with an abundance of passion, integrity, and talent.
The Georgia native knew she wanted to be a country singer by the time she was five years old. Winning a talent contest in Macon at 16 served to further fuel her creative desires. As a teen, she talked her parents into a family vacation in Nashville and after seeing her heroes on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, she knew there was nothing else she wanted to do.
She moved to Music City to attend Belmont University, took a job as a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and began pursuing her dream. She worked as a receptionist at MTM Records and begin singing demos. She met Garth Brooks when the two were hired to sing a duet demo for songwriter Kent Blazy. Garth introduced her to his producer, Allen Reynolds, who introduced her to Garth Fundis, who would become her friend and longtime producer. After five years in Nashville, Trisha signed with MCA Records and her first single, "She's in Love With the Boy," rocketed to the top of the country charts in 1991. Since then, Trisha has populated country radio with such memorable hits as "Wrong Side of Memphis," "The Woman Before Me," "XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl)," "Thinkin' About You," "The Song Remembers When," "Walkaway Joe," and "How Do I Live," as well as hit singles with Garth, now her husband. Trisha has won Grammy Awards and has been recognized as a top female vocalist by both the CMA and ACM.
Among all the accomplishments and accolades, being a member of the Grand Ole Opry holds special significance for Trisha. "My mother came here on her senior class trip from South Georgia," she says. "She wrote in her diary about seeing Hank Snow, Hawkshaw Hawkins and all those people. When I was inducted as a member of the Opry in 1999, she brought her diary and got Hank Snow to sign it. So it's not only about me, it's also about my whole family."
While I don't doubt Trisha's story about Hank Snow signing her mother's diary, I do have to believe she was mistaken as to the date (perhaps it took place on her Opry debut). In 1999, Hank was in declining health and had not appeared on the Opry for several years. Now it is possible that Trisha did get Hank to sign the book through a mutual acquaintance, but I know in 1999 Hank was nowhere near the Opry House.
In addition to Trisha Yearwood, the Tuesday Night Opry will also feature Opry members Terri Clark, Mark Wills, Trace Adkins and Ricky Skaggs.
Tuesday March 12
7:00: Mark Wills; Terri Clark
7:30: Rodney Atkins; Aaron Lewis
Intermission
8:15: Trace Adkins; Ricky Skaggs
8:45: Trisha Yearwood
Trisha was asked to join the Opry's cast on Saturday January 16, 1999, which was also the weekend in which the Opry returned to the Ryman Auditorium for the first time since moving to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. The invitation was not a total surprise as Trisha had been hinting around for several years that she would love to be an Opry member. Sadly, she has followed the lead of many of her contemporaries and once becoming a member, has made very few Opry appearances.
Here is the running order from Saturday March 13, 1999, the night Trisha Yearwood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Skeeter Davis: I'll Fly Away
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya
Bessyl Duhon: Cajun Stripper
6:45: National Corvette Museum
Jim Ed Brown (host): Looking Back to See/Morning/Pop a Top/The 3 Bells
7:00: Shoney's/Standard Candy
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Bill Carlisle: I've Waited Too Long
Janie Fricke: Bouncing Back/Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby
Porter Wagoner: Fireball Mail/Night Train to Memphis/Cabin in Gloryland
Rick Wayne: On the Line
Randy Scruggs: Black Mountain Rag
Steve Wariner: Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Trisha Yearwood: Living on the Wrong Side of Memphis/She's in Love With the Boy/Sweet Dreams
8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): No Fair Falling in Love
Marty Stuart: Southern Accent
John Prine: Paradise
Jean Shepard: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Rachel
Bill Anderson: Still
8:30: Physicians Mutual
Jimmy Dickens (host): Sleepin' At the Foot of the Bed
Ricky Skaggs: Little Maggie
The Whites: I Hear the Wind A' Blowing
Vince Gill: Pretty Little Adriana/When I Call Your Name
2nd show
9:30: Blue Green Vacation Resort Development
Porter Wagoner (host): On a Highway Headed South
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Jimmy C Newman: Good Deal, Lucille
Trisha Yearwood: A Perfect Love/How Do I Live/She's in Love With the Boy
Porter Wagoner: I'll Fly Away
10:00: Lincoln Mercury
Vince Gill (host): Don't Come Crying to Me
Randy Scruggs: Soldier's Joy
Vince Gill: Whenever You Come Around
10:15: Ray Stevens Show
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Mike Snider and Marty Stuart: Rawhide
Jimmy Dickens: Life Turned Her that Way
10:30: Epiphone
Marty Stuart (host): Doin' My Time
John Prine: Grandpa Was a Carpenter
Marty Stuart and John Prine: Angel From Montgomery
10:45: Joggin' In A Jug
Ricky Skaggs (host): I'm Lost, I'll Never Find the Way
Jean Shepard: Tennessee Waltz
Opry Square Dance Band w/Ricky Skaggs and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Durang's Hornpipe
Ricky Skaggs: Connemara
11:00: Coca-Cola
Bill Anderson (host): Po' Folks
Holly Dunn: Daddy's Hands
John Conlee: Friday Night Blues
Jeannie Seely: Make the World Go Away
Billy Walker: Come a Little Bit Closer
Bill Anderson: The Paper
11:30: Opry Book
Johnny Russell (host): Folsom Prison Blues
Jack Greene; Statue of a Fool
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
Del Reeves: Splish; Splash/Answer the Phone/Hound Dog
Stonewall Jackson: A Wound Time Can't Erase
Johnny Russell: Wabash Cannonball
Wilma Lee Cooper was schedule along with Jim Ed Brown on the 6:45 segment but missed the show due to snow. Also, can't help but notice that the last two segments on the second show were all Opry members who only appeared on that 2nd dhow (exception being Bill Anderson). It was as if they just grouped a bunch of Opry members together.
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Opry Country Classics on Thursday night will feature Chris Janson as the spotlight artist:
Thursday March 14
Host: Bill Cody
Spotlight Artist: Chris Janson
Also Appearing: Elizabeth Cook; Wade Hayes; Jeannie Seely; Mike Snider
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Grand Ole Opry 3/8 & 3/9
So, any news from the Opry this past week?
Yes, they invited Kelsea Ballerini to become the Grand Ole Opry's newest member. As I noted, not a total surprise as she has been making numerous appearances on the Opry lately and she is very popular with the younger fans, those who will be buying tickets to future shows. As with any new member, I wish her well and hope that she supports the show. Her formal induction will be Tuesday April 16.
Now on to this week at the Opry. Two shows and while both have solid line-ups, the Friday Night Opry particularly looks strong. Heading the line-up will be Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker, who stops by for a visit before starting his summer tour with a reunited Hootie & The Blowfish. Joining Darius on the Friday Night Opry are members Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Diamond Rio, Jeannie Seely, Riders In The Sky, Bobby Osborne and Josh Turner, who will be visiting fans and signing in the Opry Shop.
Jeannie, Riders and Ricky are also on the schedule for Saturday night, where they will be joined by members Mike Snider, The Whites, Del McCoury, and coming off his 55th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jesse McReynolds.
Guesting on Friday night will be Elizabeth Cook, William Michael Morgan, Phil Vassar and making his Opry debut, Dee White. Saturday night, the list includes Carlton Anderson, Tegan Marie, Charles Esten and Doyle Dykes, who will also be signing in the Opry shop.
Friday March 8
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Elizabeth Cook; Dee White
7:30: Diamond Rio (host); William Michael Morgan; Phil Vassar
Intermission
8:15: Ricky Skaggs (host); Crystal Gayle; Josh Turner
8:45: Riders In The Sky (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Darius Rucker
Saturday March 9
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Carlton Anderson; Jesse McReynolds
7:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Tegan Marie; Del McCoury Band
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); Doyle Dykes; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Charles Esten
It seems as if each week there is another artist making his or her debut on the Grand Ole Opry and as mentioned, this weekend it will be Dee White appearing on the Friday Night Opry.
Dee White is from Alabama and is another of the young artists who made the Rolling Stone's list of 10 new country artists you need to know (August 2018). His debut album, Southern Gentleman, came out in August 2018 and while in Nashville has worked with producers Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, who did a lot of work with Johnny Cash.
_________________________________________________________________________
And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the weekend of March 6 & 7, 2009:
Friday March 6
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jean Shepard; Gloriana
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Del McCoury Band; Emerson Drive
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky; Rhonda Vincent
8:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Connie Smith; John Michael Montgomery
Saturday March 7
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jean Shepard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Josh Turner
8:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Connie Smith; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
10:00: Mike Snider (host); Jan Howard; Jean Shepard; Josh Turner
10:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday March 5, 1994:
1st show
6:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Jimmy Dickens
6:45: Grandpa Jones (host); Jean Shepard
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Bill Carlisle; Roy Drusky; Ricky Skaggs
7:30: Billy Walker (host); Greg Rowles; Rhonda Vincent; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; John Conlee; The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; Jimmy C Newman; The Four Guys
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Skeeter Davis; Brother Oswald; Greg Rowles
10:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jan Howard
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Charlie Louvin
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Billy Walker
10:45: Bill Anderson (host); Riders In The Sky; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; The Whites; Ray Pillow; Jimmy C Newman
11:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Charlie Walker; Connie Smith; Johnny Russell
For those who might not be familiar with Greg Rowles, he was a male vocalist of the year winner from Star Search. He has worked in television and radio and was a music minister for a period of time. He still does consulting work with churches, as well as performing at the Alabama Theater in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
_________________________________________________________________________
45 years ago, Saturday March 9, 1974 was the final night for the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. It was also the final Saturday night in which Bobby Bare would be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For whatever reason, Bobby declined to follow the cast to the new Grand Ole Opry House. While Bobby decided to no longer be an Opry member, within a few years he would be back occasionally to make a guest appearance or two, and then in 2018 he would be invited to have his Opry membership reinstated.
Here is the running order from that final Saturday night:
1st show
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Willis Brothers (host): Give Me 40 Acres
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
Willis Brothers: Cool Water
6:45: Rudy's
Bobby Bare (host): Detroit City
Connie Smith: How Great Thou Art
Ernie Ashworth: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
Bobby Bare: The Mermaids
7:00: Rudy's
Billy Grammer (host): Under the Double Eagle/Black Mountain Rag/Wildwood Flower
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nine Pound Hammer
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Billy Grammer, Jr.: Orange Blossom Special
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: To My Mansion in the Sky
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain
Lonzo and Oscar: Charming Betsy
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Ida Red
Roy Acuff: Back in the Country
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
8:00: Martha White
Wilburn Brothers (host): Roll Muddy River
Justin Tubb: Rambling Man
Jody Miller: Good News
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Wilburn Brothers: Knoxville Girl
Justin Tubb: Texas Dance Hall Girl
Jody Miller: Let's All Go Down to the River
8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Jan Howard: My Kind of People
The Four Guys: Let Me Be There
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Hank Snow: Brand on My Heart
Jan Howard: Sunshine on My Shoulders
The Four Guys: Top of the World
Hank Snow: Hello Love
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Bobby Bare (host): Come Sundown
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Wilma Lee Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
Bobby Bare: Blowing in the Wind/Worried Man Blues/Gotta Travel On
Skeeter Willis: Maiden's Prayer
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: I Shall Not Be Moved
Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr.: Daddy, What If
10:00: Fender
Stu Phillips (host): Pride
Jody Miller: Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home
Bill Carlisle: Little Liza Jane
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): When I Lay My Burdens Down
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Loving Heart
10:30: Trailblazer
Wilburn Brothers (host): It Looks Like the Sun's Gonna Shine
Lonzo and Oscar: Traces of Life
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
10:45: Beech-Nut
Billy Grammer (host): Gotta Travel On
Jerry Clower: The Coon Hunt
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Liberty
Billy Grammer: How Great Thou Art
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): In the Misty Moonlight
Jan Howard: Where No One Stands Alone
The Four Guys: Streaking with My Baby on a Bright and Sunny Sunday Afternoon
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Tanya Tucker: Delta Dawn
Sam McGee: Freight Train/Victor Rag/I Don't Love Nobody
Hank Snow: I Don't Hurt Anymore
11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): I Walk Alone
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain/Satin Sheets
Justin Tubb: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/I'm Wanting To/Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms/Love Me/Now is the Hour
In looking at the line-up from that night, one of the things that stands out is the lack of long-time Opry members appearing that night. Folks such as Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Grandpa Jones. Lester Flatt, Archie Campbell, Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson...all among the missing.
To finish it up, the announcement for the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will take place on Monday March 18 at 10:00 a.m. Nashville time. Reba McEntire will be hosting the event. I am sure between now and then there will be a lot of names floated about.
Anyways, that does it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
Yes, they invited Kelsea Ballerini to become the Grand Ole Opry's newest member. As I noted, not a total surprise as she has been making numerous appearances on the Opry lately and she is very popular with the younger fans, those who will be buying tickets to future shows. As with any new member, I wish her well and hope that she supports the show. Her formal induction will be Tuesday April 16.
Now on to this week at the Opry. Two shows and while both have solid line-ups, the Friday Night Opry particularly looks strong. Heading the line-up will be Grand Ole Opry member Darius Rucker, who stops by for a visit before starting his summer tour with a reunited Hootie & The Blowfish. Joining Darius on the Friday Night Opry are members Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Diamond Rio, Jeannie Seely, Riders In The Sky, Bobby Osborne and Josh Turner, who will be visiting fans and signing in the Opry Shop.
Jeannie, Riders and Ricky are also on the schedule for Saturday night, where they will be joined by members Mike Snider, The Whites, Del McCoury, and coming off his 55th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jesse McReynolds.
Guesting on Friday night will be Elizabeth Cook, William Michael Morgan, Phil Vassar and making his Opry debut, Dee White. Saturday night, the list includes Carlton Anderson, Tegan Marie, Charles Esten and Doyle Dykes, who will also be signing in the Opry shop.
Friday March 8
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Elizabeth Cook; Dee White
7:30: Diamond Rio (host); William Michael Morgan; Phil Vassar
Intermission
8:15: Ricky Skaggs (host); Crystal Gayle; Josh Turner
8:45: Riders In The Sky (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Darius Rucker
Saturday March 9
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Carlton Anderson; Jesse McReynolds
7:30: Jeannie Seely (host); Tegan Marie; Del McCoury Band
Intermission
8:15: Riders In The Sky (host); Doyle Dykes; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Charles Esten
It seems as if each week there is another artist making his or her debut on the Grand Ole Opry and as mentioned, this weekend it will be Dee White appearing on the Friday Night Opry.
Dee White is from Alabama and is another of the young artists who made the Rolling Stone's list of 10 new country artists you need to know (August 2018). His debut album, Southern Gentleman, came out in August 2018 and while in Nashville has worked with producers Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, who did a lot of work with Johnny Cash.
_________________________________________________________________________
And now, here is the posted Grand Ole Opry line-up from ten years ago, the weekend of March 6 & 7, 2009:
Friday March 6
7:00: Mike Snider (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jean Shepard; Gloriana
7:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Del McCoury Band; Emerson Drive
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; Riders In The Sky; Rhonda Vincent
8:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Connie Smith; John Michael Montgomery
Saturday March 7
1st show
7:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jimmy C Newman; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
7:30: Mike Snider (host); Jean Shepard; Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Josh Turner
8:00: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
8:30: Bill Anderson (host); Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys; Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
2nd show
9:30: Jimmy Dickens (host); Connie Smith; Jim Ed Brown; Del McCoury Band
10:00: Mike Snider (host); Jan Howard; Jean Shepard; Josh Turner
10:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); The Whites; Ray Price; Opry Square Dancers
11:00: Bill Anderson (host); Jack Greene; Carrie Underwood
Now from 25 years ago, Saturday March 5, 1994:
1st show
6:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Jimmy Dickens
6:45: Grandpa Jones (host); Jean Shepard
7:00: Bill Monroe (host); Bill Carlisle; Roy Drusky; Ricky Skaggs
7:30: Billy Walker (host); Greg Rowles; Rhonda Vincent; Riders In The Sky
8:00: Bill Anderson (host); Stonewall Jackson; John Conlee; The Whites; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; Jimmy C Newman; The Four Guys
2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Skeeter Davis; Brother Oswald; Greg Rowles
10:00: Jimmy Dickens (host); Jan Howard
10:15: Bill Monroe (host); Charlie Louvin
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host); Billy Walker
10:45: Bill Anderson (host); Riders In The Sky; Opry Square Dance Band; Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Jack Greene; The Whites; Ray Pillow; Jimmy C Newman
11:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Charlie Walker; Connie Smith; Johnny Russell
For those who might not be familiar with Greg Rowles, he was a male vocalist of the year winner from Star Search. He has worked in television and radio and was a music minister for a period of time. He still does consulting work with churches, as well as performing at the Alabama Theater in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
_________________________________________________________________________
45 years ago, Saturday March 9, 1974 was the final night for the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. It was also the final Saturday night in which Bobby Bare would be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For whatever reason, Bobby declined to follow the cast to the new Grand Ole Opry House. While Bobby decided to no longer be an Opry member, within a few years he would be back occasionally to make a guest appearance or two, and then in 2018 he would be invited to have his Opry membership reinstated.
Here is the running order from that final Saturday night:
1st show
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Willis Brothers (host): Give Me 40 Acres
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
Willis Brothers: Cool Water
6:45: Rudy's
Bobby Bare (host): Detroit City
Connie Smith: How Great Thou Art
Ernie Ashworth: Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
Bobby Bare: The Mermaids
7:00: Rudy's
Billy Grammer (host): Under the Double Eagle/Black Mountain Rag/Wildwood Flower
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Nine Pound Hammer
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Billy Grammer, Jr.: Orange Blossom Special
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: To My Mansion in the Sky
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain
Lonzo and Oscar: Charming Betsy
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Ida Red
Roy Acuff: Back in the Country
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
8:00: Martha White
Wilburn Brothers (host): Roll Muddy River
Justin Tubb: Rambling Man
Jody Miller: Good News
Jerry Clower: Comedy
Wilburn Brothers: Knoxville Girl
Justin Tubb: Texas Dance Hall Girl
Jody Miller: Let's All Go Down to the River
8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Jan Howard: My Kind of People
The Four Guys: Let Me Be There
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Hank Snow: Brand on My Heart
Jan Howard: Sunshine on My Shoulders
The Four Guys: Top of the World
Hank Snow: Hello Love
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Bobby Bare (host): Come Sundown
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Wilma Lee Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
Bobby Bare: Blowing in the Wind/Worried Man Blues/Gotta Travel On
Skeeter Willis: Maiden's Prayer
Wilma Lee, Stoney and Carol Lee Cooper: I Shall Not Be Moved
Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr.: Daddy, What If
10:00: Fender
Stu Phillips (host): Pride
Jody Miller: Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home
Bill Carlisle: Little Liza Jane
Stu Phillips: There Must Be Another Way to Say Goodbye
10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): When I Lay My Burdens Down
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Loving Heart
10:30: Trailblazer
Wilburn Brothers (host): It Looks Like the Sun's Gonna Shine
Lonzo and Oscar: Traces of Life
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
10:45: Beech-Nut
Billy Grammer (host): Gotta Travel On
Jerry Clower: The Coon Hunt
Crook Brothers and The Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Liberty
Billy Grammer: How Great Thou Art
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): In the Misty Moonlight
Jan Howard: Where No One Stands Alone
The Four Guys: Streaking with My Baby on a Bright and Sunny Sunday Afternoon
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbing Ridge
Tanya Tucker: Delta Dawn
Sam McGee: Freight Train/Victor Rag/I Don't Love Nobody
Hank Snow: I Don't Hurt Anymore
11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): I Walk Alone
Jeanne Pruett: You Don't Need to Move a Mountain/Satin Sheets
Justin Tubb: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/I'm Wanting To/Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms/Love Me/Now is the Hour
In looking at the line-up from that night, one of the things that stands out is the lack of long-time Opry members appearing that night. Folks such as Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Grandpa Jones. Lester Flatt, Archie Campbell, Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson...all among the missing.
To finish it up, the announcement for the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will take place on Monday March 18 at 10:00 a.m. Nashville time. Reba McEntire will be hosting the event. I am sure between now and then there will be a lot of names floated about.
Anyways, that does it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Tuesday Night Opry 3/5 & Opry Country Classics 3/7
Another strong Tuesday Night Opry this week featuring Grand Ole Opry members Little Big Town, Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry, Chris Janson and Bill Anderson.
Tuesday March 5
7:00: Bill Anderson; The SteelDrivers
7:30: Tenille Townes; Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry
Intermission
8:15: Scotty McCreery; Chris Janson
8:45: Kelsea Ballerini; Little Big Town
This week also marks the beginning of the spring run of Opry Country Classics. This week the spotlight artist will be Tracy Lawrence
Thursday March 7
Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Tracy Lawrence
Also Appearing: The Gatlin Brothers, Frankie Ballard, Mandy Barnett, Charlie Worsham
Tuesday March 5
7:00: Bill Anderson; The SteelDrivers
7:30: Tenille Townes; Eddie Montgomery with Montgomery Gentry
Intermission
8:15: Scotty McCreery; Chris Janson
8:45: Kelsea Ballerini; Little Big Town
This week also marks the beginning of the spring run of Opry Country Classics. This week the spotlight artist will be Tracy Lawrence
Thursday March 7
Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Tracy Lawrence
Also Appearing: The Gatlin Brothers, Frankie Ballard, Mandy Barnett, Charlie Worsham
Sunday, March 3, 2019
March Opry Highlights
Welcome to March and the month that brings us Spring and a return to Daylight Savings Time, which means it doesn't get dark so early. I hope wherever you live that winter is coming to an end. Up here in Ohio, winter wasn't too bad. Less snow then usual, but more rain. Either way, glad spring is around the corner. Getting back to the business of the Grand Ole Opry, here are the important and historical events that have taken place at the Grand Ole Opry during the month of March.
March 9, 1925: Ralph Sloan, the leader and founder of The Tennessee Travelers, was born. Ralph and his group joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1952 and continued under Ralph's leadership until his death in 1980. After Ralph passed away, his brother Melvin took over as the group's leader, changing the name to the Melvin Sloan Dancers. Melvin continued on until his retirement in 2002.
March 24, 1928: Kitty Cora Cline became the first female solo artist to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Kitty was at the Opry until March 31, 1934, when she decided to quit. The story goes that on that particular evening, she was on her way to the Opry and witnessed a serious car accident that bothered her so much that she refused to travel by car again. Thus, she quit performing.
March 31, 1934: Robert Lunn made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. After joining the Opry, he stayed until retiring in 1958.
March 16, 1946: Future Grand Ole Opry member Grandpa Jones made his first appearance on the Opry, appearing as a member of Pee Wee King's band.
March 1, 1952: Uncle Dave Macon, one of the Opry's earliest stars, made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Uncle Dave was one of the Opry's originals and was one of the first professional musicians to join the cast. Two weeks later, on March 22, Uncle Dave passed away at the age of 82.
March 21, 1953: Bill Carlisle and the Carlisles made their first guest appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
March 1, 1958: After criticizing the management of WSM radio, Marty Robbins was fired as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Opry management quickly realized their mistake and Marty was quickly hired back.
March 2, 1963: Opry members Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins made their final appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Several days later, the duo would pass away when the plane they were riding in crashed on the way back to Nashville. Copas, Hawkins, along with Opry member Patsy Cline and pilot Randy Hughes were returning after performing on a benefit show in Kansas City.
March 9, 1963: The Grand Ole Opry observed a moment of silence to honor Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes. Also honored was Jack Anglin of Johnny & Jack, who also passed away the previous week, in his case the result of injuries from an auto accident. In the tribute read by Opry manager Ott Devine, he said, "All of their friends standing with me tonight on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium know that it is impossible to put our thoughts, or feelings, our love for Patsy, Hank, Cope, Jack and Randy. And so we ask for a moment of silent prayer in tribute to them."
March 29, 1963: Texas Ruby Owens died in a fire at her home. Along with her husband Curly Fox, she came to the Opry in the 1940s. After Ruby's death, Curly remained at the Opry as a solo act.
March 2, 1964: Jim & Jesse McReynolds were invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry. Later that week, they made their first appearance as Opry members. Jim & Jesse were very popular members of the Opry and along with their group the Virginia Boys, continued as members of the Opry until the death of Jim in December 2002. After Jim's death, Jesse has continued on at the Opry. In September, he took ill and was hospitalized for a period of time. After a lengthy recovery, Jesse returned to the Opry last month. Jesse, who is the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, will be celebrating his 55th consecutive year as a member of the Opry's cast.
March 7, 1964: Ernie Ashworth, along with Jim & Jesse, made his first appearance as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Ernie, who was famous for his hit song, "Talk Back Trembling Lips" and for his colorful suit with flaming lips on it, remained an Opry member until his death on March 2, 2009.
March 28, 1964: Connie Smith made her first appearance as a guest on the Grand Ole Opry. Connie appeared at the invitation of Bill Anderson. Later that evening, Connie stopped by at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and the Midnight Jamboree. A year later, in 1965, Connie became an Opry member.
March 9, 1968: Irene Ryan, who played the part of Granny on the very popular show, "The Beverly Hillbillies," made a guest appearance on the Opry.
March 15, 1968: The Byrds, featuring Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, made an appearance on the Friday Night Opry. They sang "Sing Me Back Home" and "Hickory Wind." The Byrds always considered it an honor to perform on the Opry and this appearance ended up being their only one. It was later reported that a few of the Opry's members were not thrilled over their appearance and the audience response was much the same.
March 28, 1970: Grand Ole Opry member Marty Robbins returned to the Opry for the first time since suffering a heart attack in January. As usual, he returned as the host of the 11:30 segment. Reporter Jerry Thompson, who was there that evening, wrote, "The sound from the jam-packed crowd was deafening. They couldn't hear the words to the songs that familiar figure behind the Opry mic was crooning, but there was no mistake. Marty Robbins was back where he belonged. Midway through the show, Robbins sat at the piano and told the audience, 'I had so many things I was going to say tonight. I want to thank all of my friends for their concern and I want to thank God for letting me be there. Now, I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess I'll have to sing for you.' And sing he did until 12:27 a.m. when the curtain closed amidst repeated shouts of 'more, more, more.'" This was one night that Ernest Tubb did not complain about the Midnight Jamboree starting late.
March 27, 1971: Jan Howard became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jan will be celebrating her 48th year as an Opry member. Jan had been appearing on the Opry for several years before becoming an Opry member, and in fact, Opry member Bud Wendall had thought she was already a member. Jan is not basically retired from performing, although she has made a couple of visits backstage at the Opry over the past year. Finally, let's not forget that Jan's birthday is on March 13 and that Jan is the Opry's oldest female member.
March 9, 1974: The Grand Ole Opry had its final Saturday night show at the Ryman Auditorium. The Opry, which had been at the Ryman since 1943, was scheduled to move to the new Grand Ole Opry House the following weekend. Technically, this was Tom T Hall's final night as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, as he gave up his Opry membership when the Opry left the Ryman Auditorium.
March 15, 1974: The Grand Ole Opry conducted its final Friday Night Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. While the previous Saturday night was the final Grand Ole Opry show, this being the final show made for a very emotional night, so much so that both Bill Anderson and Charlie Walker forgot the words to their songs. The final segment this night was hosted by George Morgan, who concluded the show with his hit "Candy Kisses." This was also the final night that Bobby Bare was a member of the Grand Ole Opry as he left the Opry's cast when the show moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. It took many years, but Bobby would rejoin the Opry in 2018. After the Opry ended, Reverend Jimmie Snow hosted the final Grand Ole Gospel from the Ryman with guests Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, and the Carter Family, none of whom actually appeared on the Opry that night. The show concluded with the singing of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and as soon as they were finished, the signs were taken down and many of the items were immediately transferred to the new Opry House. After the Opry left, the Ryman stayed empty for many years, with the inside of the building looking exactly as the Opry left it when they moved in 1974.
March 16, 1974: With President Richard Nixon in attendance, the Grand Ole Opry had its first performance at the new Grand Ole Opry House. When President Nixon made his appearance, he became the first President to visit and perform on the Opry. As yes, he did perform, playing several songs on the piano. There was much discussion on who would be the first Opry member to perform on the show, and with the decision made to go in alphabetical order, Roy Acuff took the honors, followed by Bill Anderson. With pretty much every Opry member in attendance, both shows that night ran well past the allotted time. The Grand Ole Opry House was the first building built specifically for the Opry, and despite damage from the flood in 2010, the building has held up well and has now been the Opry's home for 45 years.
March 30, 1974: The Earl Scruggs Revue made their final appearance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. When Flatt & Scruggs broke up, both Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs maintained their Opry membership. While Lester enjoyed playing the Opry on a regular basis, Earl had a more progressive sound and enjoyed playing before different audiences. While he gave up his Opry membership, Earl would continue to come back and perform on the show.
March 14, 1975: One year after the Opry House opened, the Cumberland River overflowed its banks, causing a flood that forced the Opry to move the shows that weekend to the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville. It was also the weekend of the 1st anniversary of the Opry House, so the timing wasn't the best. At first, many thought the Opry would return to the Ryman for the weekend, but it was determined that the old building was in no shape to host a live show. Unlike the flood of 2010 which caused extensive damage to the Opry House, the 1975 flood just affected the parking lots and the surrounding area.
March 4, 1978: For the first time in the history of the Grand Ole Opry, an entire show was televised. PBS had approached Opry officials to see if there was any interest in televising the show as part of the annual fundraising drive that PBS conducts. The Opry agreed and it was considered such a great success that PBS would continue to televise an Opry show for the next three years. The Opry did agree to a few changes, including all references to their commercial sponsors, which included covering the sponsor's signs that appeared on the Opry stage and backdrop. (however, in looking at video from those nights, Martha White's sign appears to show through rather well and Roy Acuff did get in a few Martha White plugs). What made those nights so special, besides the quality of the line-ups, was the fact that the Opry did not change the show at all. The format remained the same, although several of the members dressed up a bit more than usual. These shows also gave people across the country who had never attended an Opry show, a chance to see the entire Opry as it happened.
March 10, 1979: James Brown appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. He appeared at the invitation of Porter Wagoner, who thought it would be a great idea. It was a tough night at the Opry as several of the Opry's members did not agree with Porter and decided not to appear that night. James was on stage for almost 20 minutes and would later say that he enjoyed performing on the show.
March 23, 1979: Lester Flatt returned to the Opry for the first time since the previous November. A brain hemorrhage kept Lester away.
March 12, 1980: Ralph Sloan passed away. Ralph and the Tennessee Travelers had been at the Opry since 1952. Upon his death, brother Melvin took over the square dance group.
March 22, 1980: Opry member Marion Worth made her final appearance on the Opry. Marion joined the Opry in 1965 and while she didn't have a spectacular career in country music, she was a fairly popular member of the show. After leaving the Opry, Marion did a few shows in Las Vegas, then eventually retiring. Marion passed away in December 1999.
March 22, 1980: On the same date as the final appearance of Opry member Marion Worth, Melvin Sloan officially took over as the leader of the Tennessee Travelers following the death several weeks earlier of his brother Ralph. With the change, the group became known as the Melvin Sloan Dancers.
March 28, 1980: Tom T Hall rejoined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Tom, along with Bobby Bare, quit in March 1974 when the Opry moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. It was reported that Ernest Tubb ran into Tom T in the parking lot after a show at the Opry House and told him he needed to get back to the Opry. He did and for most of the 1980s, was a regular performer on the show. Tom T has not been on the Opry in several decades and is now retired.
March 1, 1982: Roy Acuff was honored with a two-hours special that was televised on ABC. An all-star cast of performers and entertainers honored Roy, including President Ronald Reagan, Vice-President George Bush, Minnie Pearl, Tom T. Hall, Bill Anderson, Chet Atkins, Charlie Daniels and Gene Autry.
March 7, 1983: TNN, The Nashville Network, made its debut. This network would later become the television home of the Grand Ole Opry as a half hour of the show was televised live each Saturday night.
March 3, 1984: The Whites, consisting of Buck, Sharon and Cheryl, became members of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be their 35th year as Opry members.
March 7, 1986: Randy Travis made his first guest appearance on the Opry. He was introduced by Jimmy Dickens and sang, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Later that year, in December, Randy would become an Opry member.
March 4, 1996: Grand Ole Opry legend Minnie Pearl passed away from complications after suffering a series of strokes. Minnie had been a Grand Ole Opry member for over 50 years and was perhaps the most loved member of the Opry.
March 9, 1996: Minnie Pearl was remembered at the Opry on the first Saturday night following her death. Wilma Lee Cooper, Jean Shepard, Jeanne Pruett, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith and Jeannie Seely sang, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" which was Minnie's favorite song.
March 15, 1996: Grand Ole Opry member Bill Monroe, an Opry member since 1939, made his final appearance on the Friday Night Opry. The following morning, Bill was admitted to Baptist Hospital after suffering a stroke.
March 16, 1996: Grand Ole Opry member Don Gibson made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Don had originally joined the Opry's cast in the late 1950s, and was fired in December 1964 for failing to meet the Opry's attendance requirements. He rejoined the cast years later, yet upon his return, he rarely appeared on the show. In fact, Don rarely performed anywhere. Don, who was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, passed away in November 2003.
March 14, 1998: Diamond Rio was invited to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The accepted and officially became Opry members the following month.
March 13, 1999: Trisha Yearwood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Trisha had been invited in January by Ricky Skaggs to join the cast. This will be her 20th year as an Opry member. Even though she rarely appears on the Opry, there is a special show scheduled this month to celebrate her 20th.
March 22, 2001: Opry member Johnny Russell was honored at a special benefit show at the Opry House. The show was held to raise funds for Johnny to help cover his mounting medical bills. Among those attending were Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Emery.
March 7, 2003: Long time Grand Ole Opry member Bill Carlisle made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. A few days after this show, Bill suffered a stroke. Bill joined the Opry in November 1953 and 49 years later, Bill was appearing on the Opry most every weekend. The stroke ended Bill's performing career and he passed away on March 17.
March 15, 2008: Randy Travis surprised Carrie Underwood during a guest appearance on the Opry and invited Carrie to become the Opry's newest member. Several months later in May, Carrie was officially inducted into the Opry's cast.
March 21, 2008: Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Walker made his final appearance at the Opry. Charlie had joined the cast in 1967. Charlie would pass away later that year from cancer. In addition to being a member of the Opry's cast, Charlie was also a member of the Country Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.
March 2, 2009: Opry legend Ernie Ashworth passed away. Ernie had been an Opry member for 45 years.
March 8, 2009: Grand Ole Opry member Hank Locklin passed away at the age of 91. Hank joined the Opry in 1960 and at the time of his death, was the Opry's oldest member. "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On" was one of Hank's classic numbers, as was his rendition of "Danny Boy" which he did every St. Patrick's Day.
March 1, 2011: It was announced that Grand Ole Opry members Reba McEntire and Jean Shepard had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. For Jean, it was the culmination of a long career in country music.
March 2, 2012: Future Grand Ole Opry member Dustin Lynch made his first guest appearance on at the Grand Ole Opry. Dustin would join the Opry's cast in 2018.
March 6, 2012: Opry members Connie Smith and Garth Brooks were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
March 24, 2012: Carol Lee Cooper. the leader of the Carol Lee Singers, announced her retirement. Carol Lee originally came to the Opry with her parents, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper in 1957. Her retirement was the result of some voice and vocal issues that she had been experiencing.
March 5, 2013: The Grand Ole Opry honored Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins on the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that took their lives, along with pilot Randy Hughes. Among those taking part in the tribute were Jean Shepard, Terri Clark, Mandy Barnett, John Conlee and Chuck Mead.
March 14, 2013: Opry member Jack Greene passed away after a long illness. Jack, who was formally a member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours, joined the Opry in December 1967. Jack always did a great job singing "There Goes My Everything" and "Statue of a Fool." Even in his later years, Jack never lost his great voice.
March 15, 2014: The Grand Ole Opry marked the 40th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House with two special shows that featured Blake Shelton, Old Crow Medicine Show, Josh Turner, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Jimmy Dickens and Miranda Lambert.
March 6, 2017: It was announced that Sally Williams was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Programming & Artists Relations for Opry Entertainment and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry. She previously had been the General Manager of the Ryman Auditorium.
March 11, 2017: Dailey & Vincent became the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The bluegrass duo had been extended an invitation by Marty Stuart in December, upon their 100th guest appearance on the show.
March 20, 2018: Chris Janson became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Chris had made over 100 guest appearances on the show and had always said that his dream was to some day become a member of the Opry's cast.
March 1, 2019: The Whites were honored upon their 35th anniversary as members of the Grand Ole Opry. Ricky Skaggs and Opry general manager Sally Williams joined in the salute.
March 2, 2019: Grand Ole Opry member Jesse McReynolds was recognized upon his 55th anniversary as an Opry member. Jesse, along with his brother Jim, joined the Opry's cast on March 2, 1964. While his brother passed away in 2002, Jesse has continued as an Opry member. Old Crow Medicine Show joined in the salute to Jesse.
There you have it for this month. I hope a lot of those dates bring back some memories.
March 9, 1925: Ralph Sloan, the leader and founder of The Tennessee Travelers, was born. Ralph and his group joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1952 and continued under Ralph's leadership until his death in 1980. After Ralph passed away, his brother Melvin took over as the group's leader, changing the name to the Melvin Sloan Dancers. Melvin continued on until his retirement in 2002.
March 24, 1928: Kitty Cora Cline became the first female solo artist to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Kitty was at the Opry until March 31, 1934, when she decided to quit. The story goes that on that particular evening, she was on her way to the Opry and witnessed a serious car accident that bothered her so much that she refused to travel by car again. Thus, she quit performing.
March 31, 1934: Robert Lunn made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. After joining the Opry, he stayed until retiring in 1958.
March 16, 1946: Future Grand Ole Opry member Grandpa Jones made his first appearance on the Opry, appearing as a member of Pee Wee King's band.
March 1, 1952: Uncle Dave Macon, one of the Opry's earliest stars, made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Uncle Dave was one of the Opry's originals and was one of the first professional musicians to join the cast. Two weeks later, on March 22, Uncle Dave passed away at the age of 82.
March 21, 1953: Bill Carlisle and the Carlisles made their first guest appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
March 1, 1958: After criticizing the management of WSM radio, Marty Robbins was fired as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Opry management quickly realized their mistake and Marty was quickly hired back.
March 2, 1963: Opry members Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins made their final appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Several days later, the duo would pass away when the plane they were riding in crashed on the way back to Nashville. Copas, Hawkins, along with Opry member Patsy Cline and pilot Randy Hughes were returning after performing on a benefit show in Kansas City.
March 9, 1963: The Grand Ole Opry observed a moment of silence to honor Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes. Also honored was Jack Anglin of Johnny & Jack, who also passed away the previous week, in his case the result of injuries from an auto accident. In the tribute read by Opry manager Ott Devine, he said, "All of their friends standing with me tonight on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium know that it is impossible to put our thoughts, or feelings, our love for Patsy, Hank, Cope, Jack and Randy. And so we ask for a moment of silent prayer in tribute to them."
March 29, 1963: Texas Ruby Owens died in a fire at her home. Along with her husband Curly Fox, she came to the Opry in the 1940s. After Ruby's death, Curly remained at the Opry as a solo act.
March 2, 1964: Jim & Jesse McReynolds were invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry. Later that week, they made their first appearance as Opry members. Jim & Jesse were very popular members of the Opry and along with their group the Virginia Boys, continued as members of the Opry until the death of Jim in December 2002. After Jim's death, Jesse has continued on at the Opry. In September, he took ill and was hospitalized for a period of time. After a lengthy recovery, Jesse returned to the Opry last month. Jesse, who is the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, will be celebrating his 55th consecutive year as a member of the Opry's cast.
March 7, 1964: Ernie Ashworth, along with Jim & Jesse, made his first appearance as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Ernie, who was famous for his hit song, "Talk Back Trembling Lips" and for his colorful suit with flaming lips on it, remained an Opry member until his death on March 2, 2009.
March 28, 1964: Connie Smith made her first appearance as a guest on the Grand Ole Opry. Connie appeared at the invitation of Bill Anderson. Later that evening, Connie stopped by at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and the Midnight Jamboree. A year later, in 1965, Connie became an Opry member.
March 9, 1968: Irene Ryan, who played the part of Granny on the very popular show, "The Beverly Hillbillies," made a guest appearance on the Opry.
March 15, 1968: The Byrds, featuring Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, made an appearance on the Friday Night Opry. They sang "Sing Me Back Home" and "Hickory Wind." The Byrds always considered it an honor to perform on the Opry and this appearance ended up being their only one. It was later reported that a few of the Opry's members were not thrilled over their appearance and the audience response was much the same.
March 28, 1970: Grand Ole Opry member Marty Robbins returned to the Opry for the first time since suffering a heart attack in January. As usual, he returned as the host of the 11:30 segment. Reporter Jerry Thompson, who was there that evening, wrote, "The sound from the jam-packed crowd was deafening. They couldn't hear the words to the songs that familiar figure behind the Opry mic was crooning, but there was no mistake. Marty Robbins was back where he belonged. Midway through the show, Robbins sat at the piano and told the audience, 'I had so many things I was going to say tonight. I want to thank all of my friends for their concern and I want to thank God for letting me be there. Now, I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess I'll have to sing for you.' And sing he did until 12:27 a.m. when the curtain closed amidst repeated shouts of 'more, more, more.'" This was one night that Ernest Tubb did not complain about the Midnight Jamboree starting late.
March 27, 1971: Jan Howard became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jan will be celebrating her 48th year as an Opry member. Jan had been appearing on the Opry for several years before becoming an Opry member, and in fact, Opry member Bud Wendall had thought she was already a member. Jan is not basically retired from performing, although she has made a couple of visits backstage at the Opry over the past year. Finally, let's not forget that Jan's birthday is on March 13 and that Jan is the Opry's oldest female member.
March 9, 1974: The Grand Ole Opry had its final Saturday night show at the Ryman Auditorium. The Opry, which had been at the Ryman since 1943, was scheduled to move to the new Grand Ole Opry House the following weekend. Technically, this was Tom T Hall's final night as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, as he gave up his Opry membership when the Opry left the Ryman Auditorium.
March 15, 1974: The Grand Ole Opry conducted its final Friday Night Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. While the previous Saturday night was the final Grand Ole Opry show, this being the final show made for a very emotional night, so much so that both Bill Anderson and Charlie Walker forgot the words to their songs. The final segment this night was hosted by George Morgan, who concluded the show with his hit "Candy Kisses." This was also the final night that Bobby Bare was a member of the Grand Ole Opry as he left the Opry's cast when the show moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. It took many years, but Bobby would rejoin the Opry in 2018. After the Opry ended, Reverend Jimmie Snow hosted the final Grand Ole Gospel from the Ryman with guests Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, and the Carter Family, none of whom actually appeared on the Opry that night. The show concluded with the singing of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and as soon as they were finished, the signs were taken down and many of the items were immediately transferred to the new Opry House. After the Opry left, the Ryman stayed empty for many years, with the inside of the building looking exactly as the Opry left it when they moved in 1974.
March 16, 1974: With President Richard Nixon in attendance, the Grand Ole Opry had its first performance at the new Grand Ole Opry House. When President Nixon made his appearance, he became the first President to visit and perform on the Opry. As yes, he did perform, playing several songs on the piano. There was much discussion on who would be the first Opry member to perform on the show, and with the decision made to go in alphabetical order, Roy Acuff took the honors, followed by Bill Anderson. With pretty much every Opry member in attendance, both shows that night ran well past the allotted time. The Grand Ole Opry House was the first building built specifically for the Opry, and despite damage from the flood in 2010, the building has held up well and has now been the Opry's home for 45 years.
March 30, 1974: The Earl Scruggs Revue made their final appearance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. When Flatt & Scruggs broke up, both Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs maintained their Opry membership. While Lester enjoyed playing the Opry on a regular basis, Earl had a more progressive sound and enjoyed playing before different audiences. While he gave up his Opry membership, Earl would continue to come back and perform on the show.
March 14, 1975: One year after the Opry House opened, the Cumberland River overflowed its banks, causing a flood that forced the Opry to move the shows that weekend to the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville. It was also the weekend of the 1st anniversary of the Opry House, so the timing wasn't the best. At first, many thought the Opry would return to the Ryman for the weekend, but it was determined that the old building was in no shape to host a live show. Unlike the flood of 2010 which caused extensive damage to the Opry House, the 1975 flood just affected the parking lots and the surrounding area.
March 4, 1978: For the first time in the history of the Grand Ole Opry, an entire show was televised. PBS had approached Opry officials to see if there was any interest in televising the show as part of the annual fundraising drive that PBS conducts. The Opry agreed and it was considered such a great success that PBS would continue to televise an Opry show for the next three years. The Opry did agree to a few changes, including all references to their commercial sponsors, which included covering the sponsor's signs that appeared on the Opry stage and backdrop. (however, in looking at video from those nights, Martha White's sign appears to show through rather well and Roy Acuff did get in a few Martha White plugs). What made those nights so special, besides the quality of the line-ups, was the fact that the Opry did not change the show at all. The format remained the same, although several of the members dressed up a bit more than usual. These shows also gave people across the country who had never attended an Opry show, a chance to see the entire Opry as it happened.
March 10, 1979: James Brown appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. He appeared at the invitation of Porter Wagoner, who thought it would be a great idea. It was a tough night at the Opry as several of the Opry's members did not agree with Porter and decided not to appear that night. James was on stage for almost 20 minutes and would later say that he enjoyed performing on the show.
March 23, 1979: Lester Flatt returned to the Opry for the first time since the previous November. A brain hemorrhage kept Lester away.
March 12, 1980: Ralph Sloan passed away. Ralph and the Tennessee Travelers had been at the Opry since 1952. Upon his death, brother Melvin took over the square dance group.
March 22, 1980: Opry member Marion Worth made her final appearance on the Opry. Marion joined the Opry in 1965 and while she didn't have a spectacular career in country music, she was a fairly popular member of the show. After leaving the Opry, Marion did a few shows in Las Vegas, then eventually retiring. Marion passed away in December 1999.
March 22, 1980: On the same date as the final appearance of Opry member Marion Worth, Melvin Sloan officially took over as the leader of the Tennessee Travelers following the death several weeks earlier of his brother Ralph. With the change, the group became known as the Melvin Sloan Dancers.
March 28, 1980: Tom T Hall rejoined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Tom, along with Bobby Bare, quit in March 1974 when the Opry moved to the new Grand Ole Opry House. It was reported that Ernest Tubb ran into Tom T in the parking lot after a show at the Opry House and told him he needed to get back to the Opry. He did and for most of the 1980s, was a regular performer on the show. Tom T has not been on the Opry in several decades and is now retired.
March 1, 1982: Roy Acuff was honored with a two-hours special that was televised on ABC. An all-star cast of performers and entertainers honored Roy, including President Ronald Reagan, Vice-President George Bush, Minnie Pearl, Tom T. Hall, Bill Anderson, Chet Atkins, Charlie Daniels and Gene Autry.
March 7, 1983: TNN, The Nashville Network, made its debut. This network would later become the television home of the Grand Ole Opry as a half hour of the show was televised live each Saturday night.
March 3, 1984: The Whites, consisting of Buck, Sharon and Cheryl, became members of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be their 35th year as Opry members.
March 7, 1986: Randy Travis made his first guest appearance on the Opry. He was introduced by Jimmy Dickens and sang, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Later that year, in December, Randy would become an Opry member.
March 4, 1996: Grand Ole Opry legend Minnie Pearl passed away from complications after suffering a series of strokes. Minnie had been a Grand Ole Opry member for over 50 years and was perhaps the most loved member of the Opry.
March 9, 1996: Minnie Pearl was remembered at the Opry on the first Saturday night following her death. Wilma Lee Cooper, Jean Shepard, Jeanne Pruett, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith and Jeannie Seely sang, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" which was Minnie's favorite song.
March 15, 1996: Grand Ole Opry member Bill Monroe, an Opry member since 1939, made his final appearance on the Friday Night Opry. The following morning, Bill was admitted to Baptist Hospital after suffering a stroke.
March 16, 1996: Grand Ole Opry member Don Gibson made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Don had originally joined the Opry's cast in the late 1950s, and was fired in December 1964 for failing to meet the Opry's attendance requirements. He rejoined the cast years later, yet upon his return, he rarely appeared on the show. In fact, Don rarely performed anywhere. Don, who was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, passed away in November 2003.
March 14, 1998: Diamond Rio was invited to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The accepted and officially became Opry members the following month.
March 13, 1999: Trisha Yearwood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Trisha had been invited in January by Ricky Skaggs to join the cast. This will be her 20th year as an Opry member. Even though she rarely appears on the Opry, there is a special show scheduled this month to celebrate her 20th.
March 22, 2001: Opry member Johnny Russell was honored at a special benefit show at the Opry House. The show was held to raise funds for Johnny to help cover his mounting medical bills. Among those attending were Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Emery.
March 7, 2003: Long time Grand Ole Opry member Bill Carlisle made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. A few days after this show, Bill suffered a stroke. Bill joined the Opry in November 1953 and 49 years later, Bill was appearing on the Opry most every weekend. The stroke ended Bill's performing career and he passed away on March 17.
March 15, 2008: Randy Travis surprised Carrie Underwood during a guest appearance on the Opry and invited Carrie to become the Opry's newest member. Several months later in May, Carrie was officially inducted into the Opry's cast.
March 21, 2008: Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Walker made his final appearance at the Opry. Charlie had joined the cast in 1967. Charlie would pass away later that year from cancer. In addition to being a member of the Opry's cast, Charlie was also a member of the Country Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.
March 2, 2009: Opry legend Ernie Ashworth passed away. Ernie had been an Opry member for 45 years.
March 8, 2009: Grand Ole Opry member Hank Locklin passed away at the age of 91. Hank joined the Opry in 1960 and at the time of his death, was the Opry's oldest member. "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On" was one of Hank's classic numbers, as was his rendition of "Danny Boy" which he did every St. Patrick's Day.
March 1, 2011: It was announced that Grand Ole Opry members Reba McEntire and Jean Shepard had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. For Jean, it was the culmination of a long career in country music.
March 2, 2012: Future Grand Ole Opry member Dustin Lynch made his first guest appearance on at the Grand Ole Opry. Dustin would join the Opry's cast in 2018.
March 6, 2012: Opry members Connie Smith and Garth Brooks were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
March 24, 2012: Carol Lee Cooper. the leader of the Carol Lee Singers, announced her retirement. Carol Lee originally came to the Opry with her parents, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper in 1957. Her retirement was the result of some voice and vocal issues that she had been experiencing.
March 5, 2013: The Grand Ole Opry honored Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins on the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that took their lives, along with pilot Randy Hughes. Among those taking part in the tribute were Jean Shepard, Terri Clark, Mandy Barnett, John Conlee and Chuck Mead.
March 14, 2013: Opry member Jack Greene passed away after a long illness. Jack, who was formally a member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours, joined the Opry in December 1967. Jack always did a great job singing "There Goes My Everything" and "Statue of a Fool." Even in his later years, Jack never lost his great voice.
March 15, 2014: The Grand Ole Opry marked the 40th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House with two special shows that featured Blake Shelton, Old Crow Medicine Show, Josh Turner, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Jimmy Dickens and Miranda Lambert.
March 6, 2017: It was announced that Sally Williams was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Programming & Artists Relations for Opry Entertainment and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry. She previously had been the General Manager of the Ryman Auditorium.
March 11, 2017: Dailey & Vincent became the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The bluegrass duo had been extended an invitation by Marty Stuart in December, upon their 100th guest appearance on the show.
March 20, 2018: Chris Janson became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Chris had made over 100 guest appearances on the show and had always said that his dream was to some day become a member of the Opry's cast.
March 1, 2019: The Whites were honored upon their 35th anniversary as members of the Grand Ole Opry. Ricky Skaggs and Opry general manager Sally Williams joined in the salute.
March 2, 2019: Grand Ole Opry member Jesse McReynolds was recognized upon his 55th anniversary as an Opry member. Jesse, along with his brother Jim, joined the Opry's cast on March 2, 1964. While his brother passed away in 2002, Jesse has continued as an Opry member. Old Crow Medicine Show joined in the salute to Jesse.
There you have it for this month. I hope a lot of those dates bring back some memories.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Grand Ole Opry 3/1 & 3/2
Some weekends have better Grand Ole Opry line-ups then others, and this weekend is one of those, as both the Friday Night Opry and Saturday's Grand Ole Opry will each feature an Opry member who makes very infrequent appearances on the show, with Brad Paisley appearing on Friday night and Alison Krauss on Saturday.
Brad has been an Opry member since 2001, while Alison goes back even further, joining the cast in 1993. They both have had Hall of Fame careers and it is just too bad that they haven't both found time to appear on the Opry more often.
Joining Brad on the Friday Night Opry will be Grand Ole Opry members John Conlee, Mike Snider (both of whom are also appearing on Saturday night), Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Bobby Osborne, Connie Smith, and another long lost Opry member, Marty Stuart.
Along with Alison, John and Mike, Saturday night's line-up also includes members Jeannie Seely, Jesse McReynolds, Riders In The Sky, and another appearance by Old Crow Medicine Show.
Guesting both nights will be comedian Gary Mule Deer, who I have to admit, is a very funny guy. He always brings it on each of his Opry appearances. Joining him on Friday night will be Shenandoah and making their Opry debut, King Calaway. Guesting on Saturday night, in addition to Gary, will be Brandon Lay, Smithfield, and making his Opry debut, Billy Strings.
Friday March 1
7:00; John Conlee (host); Mike Snider; Shenandoah
7:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Gary Mule Deer; The Whites
Intermission
8:15: Marty Stuart (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Connie Smith
8:45: Brad Paisley (host); King Calaway
Saturday March 2
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Brandon Lay; Mike Snider
7:30: Old Crow Medicine Show (host); Billy Strings; Jesse McReynolds
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Smithfield; Gary Mule Deer; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Riders In The Sky (host); Alison Krauss
As mentioned, there are two acts who will be making their Opry debuts this weekend, King Calaway on the Friday Night Opry and Billy Strings on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry.
A multi-national super-group of harmony-singing, instrument-playing musicians, King Calaway makes country music for the modern world. (at least according to their bio on their website). The group was formed in 2018 and consists of Caleb Miller, Chris Deaton, Simon Dumas, Jordan Harvey, Chad Michael Jervis and Austin Luther. Among the groups influences are the Eagles, Keith Urban and Ed Sheeran. Like the Eagles, each member of King Calaway is also an adept, well-rounded musician.
There is no lead singer of the group, with each member sharing in the vocals. Their current music producer is Robert Deaton, who has won several Emmy Awards for his work on multiple award shows and hundreds of music videos.
The group bills themselves as "country stars for a new generation, singing songs that erase the boundaries between genres and countries." They claim that they aren't looking to repeat the sounds of their youth, and not looking to fit into a crowd, but to stand out.
----------------------
William Apostol, known professionally as Billy Strings, was born in Lansing, Michigan. It was his stepfather, Terry Barber, who influenced his son, introducing Billy to bluegrass at an early age. He got his nickname, Billy Strings, from his aunt. While still young, his dad introduced him to bluegrass artists such as Doc Watson, Del McCoury, Bill Monroe, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs and Larry Sparks, among others. He was also a rock fan, and enjoyed artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Black Sabbath.
In 2016, the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded Billy with the Momentum Award for Instrumentalist of the Year and in 2017 Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the Top Ten New Country Artists to Know. Also in 2017, he was named one of the six new rising stars of bluegrass by Acoustic Guitar and in March 2018, PBS announced that Billy was to be the inaugural performer at the new cave for the renowned series Bluegrass Underground in the caverns of Pelham, Tennessee.
___________________________________________________________________________
Looking back in Grand Ole Opry history, it was Saturday March 1, 1980 that the Grand Ole Opry was televised on PBS. This was the 3rd of 4 years that the Opry was televised on PBS as part of their annual fundraising.
Here is the running order from that night 39 years ago:
1st show
6:00: Vietti
Del Reeves (host): Crazy Arms/My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You
Jean Shepard: Then He Touched Me
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
David Houston: There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
Del Wood: 12th Street Rag
Del Reeves: Take Me to Your Heart & Let Me Live There
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Charlie Louvin (host): I Don't Love You Anymore/Think I'll Go Somewhere and Cry Myself to Sleep/See the Big Man Cry
Connie Smith: Satisfied
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Charlie Louvin: Love Don't Care
6:45: Rudy's
Charlie Walker (host): Don't Play Me No Songs About Texas
Skeeter Davis: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Ernie Ashworth: There's No Place I'd Rather Be Tonight
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Tennessee Saturday Night
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter/We've Come a Long Way Baby
Justin Tubb: What's Wrong With the Way That We're Doing it Now
Jim and Jesse: Freight Train
Porter Wagoner: Everything I've Always Wanted
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Down in Union County
Minnie Pearl: Careless Love
Jimmy Dickens: Another Hell of a Night in Dixie
Crook Brothers and Tennessee Travelers: Durang's Hornpipe
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away
8:00: Martha White
Grandpa Jones (host): Stop That Ticklin' Me
Wilma Lee Cooper: A Daisy A Day
Ronnie Milsap: Back on My Mind Again/Why Don't You Spend the Night
The Four Guys: Let There Be Peace
Grandpa and Ramona Jones: Fallen Leaves
8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): I Don't Hurt Anymore
Osborne Brothers: Take Me Home, Country Roads
Marion Worth: Someone Is Looking for Someone Like You
Roy Drusky: Welcome Home
Hank Snow and Kelly Foxton: Hasn't It Been Good Together
Fruit Jar Drinkers: (?)
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Jean Shepard: Seven Lonely Days
Ronnie Milsap: I'm A Stand By My Woman Man/What Goes on When the Sun Goes Down/Day Dreams About Night Things
Charlie Louvin and Jim and Jesse: Show Boat Gambler
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Ray Pillow: Super Lady
Porter Wagoner: Cold Hard Facts of Life/Carroll County Accident/Green, Green Grass of Home
10:00: Little Debbie
Jack Greene (host): Yours for the Taking
Jeannie Seely: Since I Met 'Cha Boy
Vic Willis Trio: Last Cheater's Waltz
Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely: Fox on the Run
10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Once More
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Hearted Me
Connie Smith: He was There All the Time
Roy Acuff: Lord, Don't Give Up on Me
10:30: Trailblazer
Grandpa Jones (host) w/Ramona Jones and Alisa Jones: Who Will Sing for Me
Skeeter Davis: The Old Rugged Cross; The King is Coming
Billy Grammer: When They Ring the Golden Bells/Kentucky
Jan Howard: I Will Survive
10:45: Beech-Nut
George Hamilton IV (host): Forever Young
Loretta Lynn and Sissy Spacek: You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Rachel
George Hamilton IV: Close Your Eyes; I'll Be There in the Morning
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Stu Phillips: There's More to Love
Osborne Brothers: Country Boys and Georgia Mules are Fading Fast Away
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
The Four Guys: Fire
Hank Snow and Kelly Foxton: My First Night Alone
11:30: Budweiser
Marty Robbins (host): Tonight Carmen
Wilma Lee Cooper: I Couldn't Believe it Was True
Jimmy Dickens: Out Behind the Barn
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Cool Water/Muddy Water/Among My Souvenirs/The Great Speckled Bird/Love Me/El Paso City/You Gave a Mountain/Touch Me With Magic/She's Made of Faith/A White Sports Coat/What Are Friends for Anyways/El Paso
For those counting at home, Marty Robbins sang 13 songs and was on for almost 50 minutes. It is safe to say he took some liberties that night.
Besides those scheduled, Archie Campbell, Ernest Tubb and Don Gibson cancelled.
__________________________________________________________________________
Finally, it was Saturday March 2, 1963 that Grand Ole Opry members Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas performed on the Opry for the final time.
Honky-tonk singer Hawkshaw Hawkins was billed as "eleven and a half yards of personality." As a youth, Harold Franklin Hawkins traded five trapped rabbits for his first guitar, and a short time later, at age fifteen, he entered and won a talent show on radio station WSAZ in Huntington, West Virginia. In addition to the fifteen-dollar prize, Hawkshaw got his first job working at the station. He later moved to WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia, and occasionally teamed as a duo with Clarence "Sherlock" Jack. In 1941, he briefly worked in a traveling show for a Lawrence, Massachusetts radio station and in a Baltimore shipyard before entering the military, where he spent the war years in the Pacific. While in the Philippines, he performed on Manila radio station WJUM.
Upon returning to civilian life, he joined the WWVA Jamboree and remained there until 1954; during this time he also had a CBS radio program. He developed a large following due not only to recordings featuring his rich, smooth, honky-tonk vocals, but also to his showmanship.
Hawkshaw first recorded successes were "Pan American" and "Doghouse Boogie" in 1948. The following year, 1949, he scored with "I Wasted a Nickel." In 1951 he had two Top Ten hits, "I Love You a Thousand Ways" and "I'm Waiting Just for You." His version of "Slow Poke" in 1952 reached both the country and pop charts.
On the strength of his record successes, Hawkshaw joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955. It was not until four years later, though, that he made another hit, his 1959 "Soldier's Joy" which reached #15 on the Billboard charts. The following year, on November 26, 1960, he married country singer Jean Shepard; the ceremony was conducted on an auditorium stage in Wichita, Kansas. Late in 1962 he recorded a Justin Tubb song, "Lonesome 7-7203" that turned out to be his biggest hit. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it reach #1.
__________________________________________________________________________
Loyd Estel "Cowboy" Copas possessed a strong tenor voice, distinctive phrasing, and flat-top guitar picking that gave his recordings a unique sound in an era dominated by instantly identifiable performers. One of six children, he began performing at fairs and talent contests with his brother, Marion, when both were teenagers. He was still a teenager when he teamed with local fiddler Lester Vernon Storer, known professionally as Natchee the Indian, and acquired the alliterative stage name Cowboy. His brother later recalled that Cowboy was advised by a college professor to say he was born on a ranch in Oklahoma, a locale deemed more colorful than the family farm in Blue Creek, Ohio. Cowboy Copas never professed to be a cowboy singer, however, and recorded virtually nothing with a western motif. His overall style might be described as occupying a middle ground
between honky-tonk and the crossover approach of smooth vocalists such as Eddy Arnold and George Morgan.
In the early 1940s, he worked at WLW in Cincinnati and became affiliated there with King Records. He made his first record for the label, "Filipino Baby," during his first sessions with the label in 1944. When it was finally released two years later, in the summer of 1946, it became a #4 hit that helped but King on the map and propelled Copas to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1946 he joined Pee Wee King's Golden West Cowboys, with whom he worked briefly as a guitarist and featured vocalist. "Tragic Romance," "Signed, Sealed and Delivered," "Tennessee Waltz," "Kentucky Waltz," "Breeze," "The Strange Little Girl," and "Copy Cat" (a duet with his sixteen-year-old daughter Kathy) were among his hits. His tenor voice seemed best suited to lilting and melodious love songs, resulting in announcer Grant Turner's dubbing him Waltz King of the Grand Ole Opry.
Like many country artists, his career was temporarily muffled by the rock revolution, but he enjoyed a renaissance after signing with Starday in 1959. The album "Unforgettable" was made, with one cut serving to showcase his Martin guitar, which he played with a thumb pick. Consisting of verses found in several lyrical folksongs, "Alabam" was the highlight of the LP and, when released as a single in 1960, became a #1 hit. Thereafter, Cowboy Copas was consistently on the charts and recorded prolifically until his death.
With that, here is the running order from 56 years ago, Saturday March 2, 1963:
7:30: Kellogg's
George Morgan (host): Little Dutch Girl
Carter Family: 14 Caret Nothing
Jimmy Newman: Bayou Talk
Willis Brothers: Eat a Little More
George Morgan: Untie the Knot
Harold Morrison: Pretty Little Pink
June Carter: Comedy
Jimmy Newman: A Fallen Star
George Morgan: Down Memory Lane
8:00: Martha White
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host): Come Walk With Me
Billy Walker: I've Got A New Heartache
Wilburn Brothers: Roll Muddy River
Stringbean: Pretty Little Widow
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: There's A Higher Power
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Margie Bowes: Think it Over
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Wilburn Brothers: Trouble's Back in Town
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
8:30: Stephens
Hawkshaw Hawkins (host): Darkness on the Face of the Earth
Lonzo and Oscar: There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
Bobby Lord: Out Behind the Barn
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Hawkshaw Hawkins: I Don't Apologize
Glaser Brothers: Lover's Farewell
Curly Fox: Instrumental
Hawkshaw Hawkins: Silver Threads and Golden Needles
9:00: Jefferson Island Salt
Cowboy Copas (host): You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry
Bill Monroe: (?)
Roy Drusky: Second Hand Rose
Minnie Pearl: Comedy
Cowboy Copas: Alabam'
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
Bill Carlisle: Shutter & Boards
Bill Monroe: (?)
Cowboy Copas: The Man Upstairs
9:30: Pet Milk
Roy Acuff (host): Plastic Heart
Jordanaires: (?)
Marion Worth: Shake Me; I Rattle
Cousin Jody: Lady Cop
Roy Acuff: The Wreck on the Highway
Brother Oswald: Roll on Buddy, Roll on
Justin Tubb: (?)
Jimmy Riddle: Fox Chase
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away
10:00: Gates Rubber
George Morgan (host): Roly Poly
Curly Fox: (?)
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Satisfied
Del Wood: Bill Bailey
George Morgan: Who's Jealous Now
10:15: Luzianne
Wilburn Brothers (host): Day After Day
Bill Carlisle: Leave that Liar Alone
Margie Bowes: Within Your Crowd
Harold Morrison: The Cat Came Back
Wilburn Brothers: Not That I Care
10:30: Harvey's
Jimmy Newman (host): (?)
Carter Family: (?)
Billy Walker: Thank You for Calling
Jimmy Newman: (?)
10:45: Ford
Hawkshaw Hawkins (host): Big Old Heartache
Willis Brothers: I Still Do
Stringbean: There'll Be Moonshine in Them Old Kentucky Hills
Crook Brothers: Sally Goodin
Hawkshaw Hawkins: Lonesome 7-7203
11:00: Coca Cola
Roy Acuff (host): Little Pal
Jordanaires: (?)
Marion Worth: Tennessee Teardrops
Lonzo and Oscar: I'm My Own Grandpa
Roy Acuff and Brother Oswald: Stuck Up Blues
Sam and Kirk McGee: While I'm Away
Justin Tubb: (?)
Brother Oswald: John Hardy
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbin Ridge
Roy Acuff: Shake My Mother's Hand for Me
11:30: SSS Tonic
Cowboy Copas (host): Down in Nashville, Tennessee
Bill Monroe: (?)
Roy Drusky: It Worries Me
Cousin Jody: Mockingbird
Archie Campbell: A Fool's Side of Town
Glaser Brothers: Odds & Ends
Bobby Lord: So Doggone Lonesome
Bill Monroe: (?)
Cowboy Copas: Flat Top
I did want to mention that the hosts for the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree this week will be the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. If you haven't seen this talented group, who play the music on which the Grand Ole Opry was founded on, you are missing it. They are great and I am sure they will do an awesome job hosting this week.
There you have it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
Brad has been an Opry member since 2001, while Alison goes back even further, joining the cast in 1993. They both have had Hall of Fame careers and it is just too bad that they haven't both found time to appear on the Opry more often.
Joining Brad on the Friday Night Opry will be Grand Ole Opry members John Conlee, Mike Snider (both of whom are also appearing on Saturday night), Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Bobby Osborne, Connie Smith, and another long lost Opry member, Marty Stuart.
Along with Alison, John and Mike, Saturday night's line-up also includes members Jeannie Seely, Jesse McReynolds, Riders In The Sky, and another appearance by Old Crow Medicine Show.
Guesting both nights will be comedian Gary Mule Deer, who I have to admit, is a very funny guy. He always brings it on each of his Opry appearances. Joining him on Friday night will be Shenandoah and making their Opry debut, King Calaway. Guesting on Saturday night, in addition to Gary, will be Brandon Lay, Smithfield, and making his Opry debut, Billy Strings.
Friday March 1
7:00; John Conlee (host); Mike Snider; Shenandoah
7:30: Ricky Skaggs (host); Gary Mule Deer; The Whites
Intermission
8:15: Marty Stuart (host); Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press; Connie Smith
8:45: Brad Paisley (host); King Calaway
Saturday March 2
7:00: Jeannie Seely (host); Brandon Lay; Mike Snider
7:30: Old Crow Medicine Show (host); Billy Strings; Jesse McReynolds
Intermission
8:15: John Conlee (host); Smithfield; Gary Mule Deer; Opry Square Dancers
8:45: Riders In The Sky (host); Alison Krauss
As mentioned, there are two acts who will be making their Opry debuts this weekend, King Calaway on the Friday Night Opry and Billy Strings on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry.
A multi-national super-group of harmony-singing, instrument-playing musicians, King Calaway makes country music for the modern world. (at least according to their bio on their website). The group was formed in 2018 and consists of Caleb Miller, Chris Deaton, Simon Dumas, Jordan Harvey, Chad Michael Jervis and Austin Luther. Among the groups influences are the Eagles, Keith Urban and Ed Sheeran. Like the Eagles, each member of King Calaway is also an adept, well-rounded musician.
There is no lead singer of the group, with each member sharing in the vocals. Their current music producer is Robert Deaton, who has won several Emmy Awards for his work on multiple award shows and hundreds of music videos.
The group bills themselves as "country stars for a new generation, singing songs that erase the boundaries between genres and countries." They claim that they aren't looking to repeat the sounds of their youth, and not looking to fit into a crowd, but to stand out.
----------------------
William Apostol, known professionally as Billy Strings, was born in Lansing, Michigan. It was his stepfather, Terry Barber, who influenced his son, introducing Billy to bluegrass at an early age. He got his nickname, Billy Strings, from his aunt. While still young, his dad introduced him to bluegrass artists such as Doc Watson, Del McCoury, Bill Monroe, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs and Larry Sparks, among others. He was also a rock fan, and enjoyed artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Black Sabbath.
In 2016, the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded Billy with the Momentum Award for Instrumentalist of the Year and in 2017 Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the Top Ten New Country Artists to Know. Also in 2017, he was named one of the six new rising stars of bluegrass by Acoustic Guitar and in March 2018, PBS announced that Billy was to be the inaugural performer at the new cave for the renowned series Bluegrass Underground in the caverns of Pelham, Tennessee.
___________________________________________________________________________
Looking back in Grand Ole Opry history, it was Saturday March 1, 1980 that the Grand Ole Opry was televised on PBS. This was the 3rd of 4 years that the Opry was televised on PBS as part of their annual fundraising.
Here is the running order from that night 39 years ago:
1st show
6:00: Vietti
Del Reeves (host): Crazy Arms/My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You
Jean Shepard: Then He Touched Me
Wilburn Brothers: God Bless America Again
David Houston: There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
Del Wood: 12th Street Rag
Del Reeves: Take Me to Your Heart & Let Me Live There
6:30: Mrs Grissoms
Charlie Louvin (host): I Don't Love You Anymore/Think I'll Go Somewhere and Cry Myself to Sleep/See the Big Man Cry
Connie Smith: Satisfied
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Charlie Louvin: Love Don't Care
6:45: Rudy's
Charlie Walker (host): Don't Play Me No Songs About Texas
Skeeter Davis: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Ernie Ashworth: There's No Place I'd Rather Be Tonight
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Tennessee Saturday Night
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter/We've Come a Long Way Baby
Justin Tubb: What's Wrong With the Way That We're Doing it Now
Jim and Jesse: Freight Train
Porter Wagoner: Everything I've Always Wanted
7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Down in Union County
Minnie Pearl: Careless Love
Jimmy Dickens: Another Hell of a Night in Dixie
Crook Brothers and Tennessee Travelers: Durang's Hornpipe
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away
8:00: Martha White
Grandpa Jones (host): Stop That Ticklin' Me
Wilma Lee Cooper: A Daisy A Day
Ronnie Milsap: Back on My Mind Again/Why Don't You Spend the Night
The Four Guys: Let There Be Peace
Grandpa and Ramona Jones: Fallen Leaves
8:30: Acme
Hank Snow (host): I Don't Hurt Anymore
Osborne Brothers: Take Me Home, Country Roads
Marion Worth: Someone Is Looking for Someone Like You
Roy Drusky: Welcome Home
Hank Snow and Kelly Foxton: Hasn't It Been Good Together
Fruit Jar Drinkers: (?)
2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Jean Shepard: Seven Lonely Days
Ronnie Milsap: I'm A Stand By My Woman Man/What Goes on When the Sun Goes Down/Day Dreams About Night Things
Charlie Louvin and Jim and Jesse: Show Boat Gambler
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Ray Pillow: Super Lady
Porter Wagoner: Cold Hard Facts of Life/Carroll County Accident/Green, Green Grass of Home
10:00: Little Debbie
Jack Greene (host): Yours for the Taking
Jeannie Seely: Since I Met 'Cha Boy
Vic Willis Trio: Last Cheater's Waltz
Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely: Fox on the Run
10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Once More
Minnie Pearl: Jealous Hearted Me
Connie Smith: He was There All the Time
Roy Acuff: Lord, Don't Give Up on Me
10:30: Trailblazer
Grandpa Jones (host) w/Ramona Jones and Alisa Jones: Who Will Sing for Me
Skeeter Davis: The Old Rugged Cross; The King is Coming
Billy Grammer: When They Ring the Golden Bells/Kentucky
Jan Howard: I Will Survive
10:45: Beech-Nut
George Hamilton IV (host): Forever Young
Loretta Lynn and Sissy Spacek: You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man
Crook Brothers and The Tennessee Travelers: Rachel
George Hamilton IV: Close Your Eyes; I'll Be There in the Morning
11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): I'm Moving On
Stu Phillips: There's More to Love
Osborne Brothers: Country Boys and Georgia Mules are Fading Fast Away
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
The Four Guys: Fire
Hank Snow and Kelly Foxton: My First Night Alone
11:30: Budweiser
Marty Robbins (host): Tonight Carmen
Wilma Lee Cooper: I Couldn't Believe it Was True
Jimmy Dickens: Out Behind the Barn
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Cool Water/Muddy Water/Among My Souvenirs/The Great Speckled Bird/Love Me/El Paso City/You Gave a Mountain/Touch Me With Magic/She's Made of Faith/A White Sports Coat/What Are Friends for Anyways/El Paso
For those counting at home, Marty Robbins sang 13 songs and was on for almost 50 minutes. It is safe to say he took some liberties that night.
Besides those scheduled, Archie Campbell, Ernest Tubb and Don Gibson cancelled.
__________________________________________________________________________
Finally, it was Saturday March 2, 1963 that Grand Ole Opry members Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas performed on the Opry for the final time.
Honky-tonk singer Hawkshaw Hawkins was billed as "eleven and a half yards of personality." As a youth, Harold Franklin Hawkins traded five trapped rabbits for his first guitar, and a short time later, at age fifteen, he entered and won a talent show on radio station WSAZ in Huntington, West Virginia. In addition to the fifteen-dollar prize, Hawkshaw got his first job working at the station. He later moved to WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia, and occasionally teamed as a duo with Clarence "Sherlock" Jack. In 1941, he briefly worked in a traveling show for a Lawrence, Massachusetts radio station and in a Baltimore shipyard before entering the military, where he spent the war years in the Pacific. While in the Philippines, he performed on Manila radio station WJUM.
Upon returning to civilian life, he joined the WWVA Jamboree and remained there until 1954; during this time he also had a CBS radio program. He developed a large following due not only to recordings featuring his rich, smooth, honky-tonk vocals, but also to his showmanship.
Hawkshaw first recorded successes were "Pan American" and "Doghouse Boogie" in 1948. The following year, 1949, he scored with "I Wasted a Nickel." In 1951 he had two Top Ten hits, "I Love You a Thousand Ways" and "I'm Waiting Just for You." His version of "Slow Poke" in 1952 reached both the country and pop charts.
On the strength of his record successes, Hawkshaw joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955. It was not until four years later, though, that he made another hit, his 1959 "Soldier's Joy" which reached #15 on the Billboard charts. The following year, on November 26, 1960, he married country singer Jean Shepard; the ceremony was conducted on an auditorium stage in Wichita, Kansas. Late in 1962 he recorded a Justin Tubb song, "Lonesome 7-7203" that turned out to be his biggest hit. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it reach #1.
__________________________________________________________________________
Loyd Estel "Cowboy" Copas possessed a strong tenor voice, distinctive phrasing, and flat-top guitar picking that gave his recordings a unique sound in an era dominated by instantly identifiable performers. One of six children, he began performing at fairs and talent contests with his brother, Marion, when both were teenagers. He was still a teenager when he teamed with local fiddler Lester Vernon Storer, known professionally as Natchee the Indian, and acquired the alliterative stage name Cowboy. His brother later recalled that Cowboy was advised by a college professor to say he was born on a ranch in Oklahoma, a locale deemed more colorful than the family farm in Blue Creek, Ohio. Cowboy Copas never professed to be a cowboy singer, however, and recorded virtually nothing with a western motif. His overall style might be described as occupying a middle ground
between honky-tonk and the crossover approach of smooth vocalists such as Eddy Arnold and George Morgan.
In the early 1940s, he worked at WLW in Cincinnati and became affiliated there with King Records. He made his first record for the label, "Filipino Baby," during his first sessions with the label in 1944. When it was finally released two years later, in the summer of 1946, it became a #4 hit that helped but King on the map and propelled Copas to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1946 he joined Pee Wee King's Golden West Cowboys, with whom he worked briefly as a guitarist and featured vocalist. "Tragic Romance," "Signed, Sealed and Delivered," "Tennessee Waltz," "Kentucky Waltz," "Breeze," "The Strange Little Girl," and "Copy Cat" (a duet with his sixteen-year-old daughter Kathy) were among his hits. His tenor voice seemed best suited to lilting and melodious love songs, resulting in announcer Grant Turner's dubbing him Waltz King of the Grand Ole Opry.
Like many country artists, his career was temporarily muffled by the rock revolution, but he enjoyed a renaissance after signing with Starday in 1959. The album "Unforgettable" was made, with one cut serving to showcase his Martin guitar, which he played with a thumb pick. Consisting of verses found in several lyrical folksongs, "Alabam" was the highlight of the LP and, when released as a single in 1960, became a #1 hit. Thereafter, Cowboy Copas was consistently on the charts and recorded prolifically until his death.
With that, here is the running order from 56 years ago, Saturday March 2, 1963:
7:30: Kellogg's
George Morgan (host): Little Dutch Girl
Carter Family: 14 Caret Nothing
Jimmy Newman: Bayou Talk
Willis Brothers: Eat a Little More
George Morgan: Untie the Knot
Harold Morrison: Pretty Little Pink
June Carter: Comedy
Jimmy Newman: A Fallen Star
George Morgan: Down Memory Lane
8:00: Martha White
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host): Come Walk With Me
Billy Walker: I've Got A New Heartache
Wilburn Brothers: Roll Muddy River
Stringbean: Pretty Little Widow
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: There's A Higher Power
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie
Margie Bowes: Think it Over
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Wilburn Brothers: Trouble's Back in Town
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Philadelphia Lawyer
8:30: Stephens
Hawkshaw Hawkins (host): Darkness on the Face of the Earth
Lonzo and Oscar: There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
Bobby Lord: Out Behind the Barn
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Hawkshaw Hawkins: I Don't Apologize
Glaser Brothers: Lover's Farewell
Curly Fox: Instrumental
Hawkshaw Hawkins: Silver Threads and Golden Needles
9:00: Jefferson Island Salt
Cowboy Copas (host): You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry
Bill Monroe: (?)
Roy Drusky: Second Hand Rose
Minnie Pearl: Comedy
Cowboy Copas: Alabam'
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
Bill Carlisle: Shutter & Boards
Bill Monroe: (?)
Cowboy Copas: The Man Upstairs
9:30: Pet Milk
Roy Acuff (host): Plastic Heart
Jordanaires: (?)
Marion Worth: Shake Me; I Rattle
Cousin Jody: Lady Cop
Roy Acuff: The Wreck on the Highway
Brother Oswald: Roll on Buddy, Roll on
Justin Tubb: (?)
Jimmy Riddle: Fox Chase
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away
10:00: Gates Rubber
George Morgan (host): Roly Poly
Curly Fox: (?)
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Satisfied
Del Wood: Bill Bailey
George Morgan: Who's Jealous Now
10:15: Luzianne
Wilburn Brothers (host): Day After Day
Bill Carlisle: Leave that Liar Alone
Margie Bowes: Within Your Crowd
Harold Morrison: The Cat Came Back
Wilburn Brothers: Not That I Care
10:30: Harvey's
Jimmy Newman (host): (?)
Carter Family: (?)
Billy Walker: Thank You for Calling
Jimmy Newman: (?)
10:45: Ford
Hawkshaw Hawkins (host): Big Old Heartache
Willis Brothers: I Still Do
Stringbean: There'll Be Moonshine in Them Old Kentucky Hills
Crook Brothers: Sally Goodin
Hawkshaw Hawkins: Lonesome 7-7203
11:00: Coca Cola
Roy Acuff (host): Little Pal
Jordanaires: (?)
Marion Worth: Tennessee Teardrops
Lonzo and Oscar: I'm My Own Grandpa
Roy Acuff and Brother Oswald: Stuck Up Blues
Sam and Kirk McGee: While I'm Away
Justin Tubb: (?)
Brother Oswald: John Hardy
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Nubbin Ridge
Roy Acuff: Shake My Mother's Hand for Me
11:30: SSS Tonic
Cowboy Copas (host): Down in Nashville, Tennessee
Bill Monroe: (?)
Roy Drusky: It Worries Me
Cousin Jody: Mockingbird
Archie Campbell: A Fool's Side of Town
Glaser Brothers: Odds & Ends
Bobby Lord: So Doggone Lonesome
Bill Monroe: (?)
Cowboy Copas: Flat Top
I did want to mention that the hosts for the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree this week will be the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. If you haven't seen this talented group, who play the music on which the Grand Ole Opry was founded on, you are missing it. They are great and I am sure they will do an awesome job hosting this week.
There you have it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend!!
Monday, February 25, 2019
Tuesday Night Opry 2/26
Here is the posted line-up for this weeks Tuesday Night Opry:
7:00: Bill Anderson; Terri Clark
7:30: Bobby Bones; Kelsea Ballerini
Intermission
8:15: Tommy Emmanuel & John Knowles; Aaron Lewis
8:45: Trace Adkins; Brothers Osborne
And just to clarify, it is not the Osborne Brothers, but the Brothers Osborne. Two different duos.
7:00: Bill Anderson; Terri Clark
7:30: Bobby Bones; Kelsea Ballerini
Intermission
8:15: Tommy Emmanuel & John Knowles; Aaron Lewis
8:45: Trace Adkins; Brothers Osborne
And just to clarify, it is not the Osborne Brothers, but the Brothers Osborne. Two different duos.
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