Grand Ole Opry 11/6 & 11/7

Welcome to the first weekend in November and what should be a good weekend at the Grand Ole Opry House as the Friday Night Opry returns. Also, on Saturday night, the Grand Ole Opry expands back to a two hour show, with the final hour televised on Circle TV and their various social media outlets. The shows both nights will start at 7:00, which means that the televised portion will be pushed back one hour. 

Sadly, at least looking at the schedule for this week, the Circle TV portion is going to be scripted much like GAC was, with a limited number of artists, bigger names, and slanted toward non-members. This week the televised hour will feature Opry member Craig Morgan and guest artists Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert. 

As to who else is listed on the schedule for this weekend, the Friday Night Opry, Grand Ole Opry members Bill Anderson, Connie Smith, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers and Dailey & Vincent are listed. Guest artists Jimmie Allen, Henry Cho and Jordan Davis are also scheduled. 

Saturday night, in addition to Craig Morgan, Opry members Jeannie Seely and John Conlee are scheduled to appear. Along with Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert, Henry Cho is back for a 2nd night, along with Suzy Bogguss. 

At this point, the Opry has not posted the actual schedule and I will update as it becomes available. 

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And now from 50 years ago, Saturday November 7, 1970:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms

Billy Grammer (host): Detroit City

Sammi Smith: He's Everywhere

The 4 Guys: Don't It Make You Want to Go Home

Billy Grammer: There's Power In the Blood

6:45: Rudy's

Roy Drusky (host): All My Hard Times

Ray Pillow: I'm Going Out & Burn Some Bridges

The 4 Guys: My Special Angel

Roy Drusky: Alone With You

7:00: Luzianne

Jim Ed Brown (host): Pop A Top

Earl Scruggs Revue: Flint Hill Special

Willis Brothers: San Antonio Rose

John Potter: Bright Lights & Country Music

Jim Ed Brown: Morning

Earl Scruggs Revue: Paul & Silas

Willis Brothers: Bob

Jim Ed Brown: Mexican Joe

7:30: Standard Candy

Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball

George Morgan: I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way

Ernie Ashworth: Lips, Start Talking

Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag

Roy Acuff: The Last Letter

George Morgan: For the Good Times

8:00: Martha White

Lester Flatt (host): John Henry

Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On

Stringbean: Mountain Dew

Stu Phillips: Juanita Jones

Lester Flatt: Nine Pound Hammer

Hank Locklin: Before the Next Teardrop Falls

Stringbean: Battle of New Orleans

Stu Phillips: Green, Green Grass of Home

8:30: Stephens

Tex Ritter (host): Take Him Fishin'

Glaser Brothers: Tennessee Girl & The Tennessee Square

Bill Carlisle: Worried Man Blues

Fruit Jar Drinkers: Old Joe Clark

Tex Ritter: The Streets of Laredo

Bill Carlisle: Is Zat You Myrtle

Glaser Brothers: All That Keeps You Going

Tex Ritter: Have I Stayed Away Too Long

2nd show

9:30: Kellogg's

Billy Grammer (host): Gotta Travel On

Willis Brothers: Pretty Diamonds

Jim Ed Brown: Morning

Ray Pillow: Free Born Man

Billy Grammer: Jesus Is a Soul Man

Jim Ed Brown: Baby, I Tried

Ray Pillow: I'm Going Out & Burn Some Bridges

10:00: Fender

Roy Drusky (host): Long, Long Texas Road

Earl Scruggs Revue: Blue Ridge Mountains

Roy Drusky: Second Hand Rose

Earl Scruggs Revue: Instrumental

10:15: Union 76

Roy Acuff (host): Little Pal

Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips

The 4 Guys: Get Together/Let the Sun Shine In

Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:30: Trailblazer

Lester Flatt (host): I've Been Walking

Stringbean: Lonesome Road Blues

Sammi Smith: He's Everywhere

Lester Flatt: The Sunny Side of the Mountain

10:45: Beechnut

Tex Ritter (host): Wayward Wind

George Morgan: I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way

Crook Brothers: Ida Red

Tex Ritter: High Noon

11:00: Coca Cola

Glaser Brothers (host): The Last Thing on My Mind

Stu Phillips: For the Good Times

Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cacklin' Hen

Stu Phillips: You Win Again/Release Me

Sam McGee: Victory Rag

Stu Phillips: Me & Bobby McGee

11:30: Lava

Marty Robbins (host): Singing the Blues

Bill Carlisle: Little Liza Jane/Rainbow at Midnight

Don Winters: Chime Bells

Marty Robbins: Bouquet of Roses/I Could Never Be Ashamed of You/Lovesick Blues/Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/What Is Life Without Love/El Paso

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Looking back at a couple of different dates, it was on Saturday November 6, 1993 that Grand Ole Opry member David Houston made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

Born and raised in Bossier City, Louisiana, David Houston, whose lineage included Sam Houston and General Robert E. Lee, became a regular on The Louisiana Hayride as a teenager.

David was one of the earliest artists with National Recording Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1963, he rose to national stardom with "Mountain of Love"; the song, which was different from the tune made famous by composer Harold Dorman, Johnny Rivers, and Charley Pride, rose to number two on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. Another song, "Livin' in a House Full of Love" (1965), did just as well.

In 1966, Houston recorded his breakthrough secular smash, "Almost Persuaded." This song, which is unrelated to the Philip Paul Bliss hymn of the same title, is the tale of a married man managing to resist a temptress he meets in a tavern. Houston's recording of it quickly rocketed to number one that August, eventually spending nine weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. For 46 years, no song equaled or bettered Houston's feat until Taylor Swift matched the nine-week record of "Almost Persuaded" on December 15, 2012, with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

David was awarded 2 Grammy Awards for Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Performance, Male in 1967 for "Almost Persuaded".

"Almost Persuaded" began a string of top five Houston singles through 1973, including six more number ones: "With One Exception" and "You Mean the World to Me" (1967); "Have a Little Faith" and "Already It's Heaven" (1968); "Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)" (1970); and 1967's "My Elusive Dreams" duet with Tammy Wynette. In later years, Houston dueted with Barbara Mandrell on several of her early hits, most notably 1970's "After Closing Time" and 1972's "I Love You, I Love You". His last Top 10 country hit came in 1974 with "Can't You Feel It", though he continued making records until 1989.

As mentioned, David made his last appearance on the Grand Ole Opry on November 6, 1993; later in the month he suffered a ruptured brain aneurism and remained in a coma for five days until his death on November 30, at the age of 57.

Here is the running order from Saturday November 6, 1993:

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Del Reeves (host); Bells of Southern Bell
The Whites: Pins & Needles
Del Reeves: A Dozen Pair of Boots

6:45: Country Music Hall of Fame
Grandpa Jones (host): What'll I Do with the Baby-O
The 4 Guys: How Married Are You Mary Ann
Bill Carlisle: Knothole
Grandpa Jones: Little Old Log Cabin By the Stream

7:00: Shoney's
Jimmy C Newman (host): Diggy Liggy Lo
Jeannie Seely: Don't Touch Me
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Jean Shepard: Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me/Second Fiddle
David Houston: My Elusive Dreams
Jimmy C Newman; Cajun's Dream/Alligator Man

7:30: Standard Candy
Billy Monroe (host): Why Did You Wander
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Hank Locklin: Please Help Me I'm Falling
Brother Phelps: Let Go, Baby/Playing House
Bill Monroe: Walk Softly on My Hear/Bluegrass Breakdown

8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host); Southern Fried
Brother Oswald: Mountain Dew
Jack Greene: Statue of a Fool
Connie Smith: Once a Day
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Golden Slippers
Bill Anderson: Still

8:30: Kraft
Jim Ed Brown (host); Looking Back to See
Charlie Louvin: Think I'll Go Somewhere and Cry Myself to Sleep
Jan Howard: Oh, Lonesome Me
Mike Snider: Soldier's Joy/Angeline the Baker/Old Molly Hare
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells

2nd show
Dollar General
Grandpa Jones (host): Apple Jack
Stonewall Jackson: Old Chunk of Coal
Wilma Lee Cooper: Wreck on the Highway
Billy Walker: A Million and One
The Whites: Doing It By the Book
Ray Pillow: Someone Had to Teach You
Grandpa Jones: My Little Old Home Down in New Orleans

10:00: Little Debbie
Bill Monroe (host): Love, Come Home
Roy Drusky: Homesick
Bill Monroe: Just a Little Talk with Jesus/Old Dangerfield

10:15: Tennessee Pride/Sunbeam
Bill Anderson (host): Family Reunion
Mike Snider: Snuff Dipper
Bill Anderson: Deck of Cards

10:30: Piccadilly
Jim Ed Brown (host): Morning Comes Too Early
Jean Shepard: Bouquet of Roses
Jim Ed Brown: A Child is Born

10:45: Opry Book
The 4 Guys (host): In the Middle of the Night
Jimmy C Newman: Thibodeaux & His Cajun Band
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Liberty
The 4 Guys: May You Find Yourself in Heaven

11:00: Coca Cola
Charlie  Walker (host): A Way to Free Myself
Connie Smith: The Deepening Snow
David Houston: Living In a House Full of Love
Nashville Bluegrass Band: On Again; Off Again/I've Got a Newborn Soul
Charlie Walker: Smoke; Smoke; Smoke

11:30: General Jackson
Jack Greene (host): You Love Takes Good Care of Me
Jan Howard: Rock Me Back to Little Rock/Evil on Your Mind
Charlie Louvin: I Don't Love You Anymore
Johnny Russell: Got No Reason Now for Going Home
Martha Carson and Jack Greene: Satisfied

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The final line-up is from Saturday November 7, 1998, which was the night that Jimmy Dickens was recognized upon his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. While it was celebrated as his 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry, Jimmy actually left for 17 years, so he was actually shy of that mark. Regardless, it was a great night of celebration for Jimmy.

Here is the running order from that night:

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Jimmy C Newman (host): Cajun's Dream
Skeeter Davis: Silver Threads & Golden Needles
Jimmy C Newman: Jambalaya

6:45: Kodak
Jack Greene (host): Highway to the Sky
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): Company's Comin'
Porter Wagoner and Brother Oswald: Mansion on the Hill
The Whites: If It Ain't Love
Billy Grammer: Legend in My Time
Leroy Van Dyke: Walk on By
Christie Lynn: Chains/The Last Thing on My Mind

7:30: Standard Candy
Jimmy Dickens (host): Out Behind the Barn
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Bobby Bare: Detroit City
Jimmy Dean: Drinking From My Saucer

8:00: Martha White
Bill Anderson (host): No Fair Falling in Love
Charlie Louvin: In the Cross
Del Reeves: The Bells of Southern Bell
Sweet Adelines: Who Will Buy
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Singers: Cherokee Shuffle
Bill Anderson: Po Folks

8:30: Physician's Mutual
Johnny Russell (host): Truck Driving Man
Charlie Walker: There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
The 4 Guys: In My Tennessee Mountain Home
Lari White: You Can't Go Home Again
Stu Phillips: Only God
Johnny Russell: Act Naturally

2nd show
9:30: Opry Book
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Billy Walker: Funny How Time Slips Away
Jan Howard: Oh, Lonesome Me
Billy Grammer: Unknown Soldier
Leroy Van Dyke: Auctioneer
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home
Porter Wagoner and Christie Lynn: Milwaukee, Here I Come

10:00: Lincoln Mercury
Jimmy C Newman (host): La Cajun Band
Skeeter Davis: I Can Call Jesus Anytime
Jimmy C Newman: Cochon De Lait/Texa-Cajun

10:15: Banquet
Jimmy Dickens (host): Take an Old Cold Tater
Bobby Bare: Marie Laveau
Jimmy Dickens: Another Bridge to Burn

10:30: Epiphone Guitar
Bill Anderson (host): Did She Mention My Name
Sweet Adelines: Who Will Buy
Bill Anderson: The Paper

10:45: Joggin' In A Jug
Charlie Walker (host): San Antonio Rose
Jeanne Pruett: Temporarily Yours
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Durang's Hornpipe
Charlie Walker: There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere

11:00: Coca Cola
The 4 Guys (host): Walking With My Baby by the San Francisco Bay
Lari White: Take Me/You Can't Go Home Again
Jack Greene: Over There
Stu Phillips: The Great El Tigre
The 4 Guys: Amazing Grace

11:30: Opry Book
Johnny Russell (host): Folsom Prison Blues
Del Reeves: You Comb Her Hair/Hound Dog
The Whites: Doing It By the Book

It was a big night for Jimmy as he was featured on the televised portion that night. Bobby Bare appeared on both shows, at Jimmy's invitation, while his good friend Jimmy Dean appeared on the first show. Backstage that night were Waylon Jennings, Carl Smith and Garth Brooks.

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Opry this weekend. It will be good to have two nights of shows back. 

November Opry Highlights

 Hard to believe but November is upon us. Many consider the months of November, December, January and February the "winter" months, as the cold wind from the North starts blowing. In past years, November was the start of the Opry's winter run at the Ryman Auditorium, however this year that will not take place. The Opry plans to stay at the Grand Ole Opry House for the remainder of the year and will spend just the month of January at the Ryman. 

Here are the historical and important moments that took place during the month of November in relation to the Grand Ole Opry, or with its members.

November 9, 1895: The man who started it all, George D. Hay was born on this date in Attica, Indiana. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, he came to Nashville and WSM in 1925 and in November of that year started the WSM Barn Dance, later to be named the Grand Ole Opry. As his influence at WSM and the Opry declined as the years went on, he would eventually leave Nashville and move to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he passed away in 1968.

November 11, 1899: Kirk McGee, one of the Opry's original performers, was born in Franklin, Tennessee. Kirk, along with his brother Sam, would perform on the Opry with a variety of performers and often backed up the square dancers. Kirk would remain with the Opry until his death in 1983.

November 28, 1912: Early Grand Ole Opry member Robert Lunn was born in Franklin, Tennessee. He was nicknamed the "Original Talking Blues Man." Robert first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry on March 31, 1934, and he stayed with the Opry until he retired in 1958. What is interesting is that he was known for his "Talking Blues" yes he never recorded the song until 1947. He was very popular and did many early Opry tent shows, often appearing with Roy Acuff.

November 6, 1925: Uncle Dave Macon, Sid Harkreader and Dr. Humphrey Bate performed a show at the Ryman Auditorium that was broadcast on WSM radio. This is considered the first country music concert to have been broadcast on WSM.

November 9, 1925: George D. Hay began working at WSM radio in Nashville, with the title of "Radio Director." Later in the month, he would put Uncle Jimmy Thompson in front of a WSM microphone on a Saturday night, which was the beginning of the WSM Barn Dance, later renamed the Grand Ole Opry.

November 28, 1925: At 8:00 p.m., and originating from the fifth-floor studio at the National Life and Accident Insurance Company's headquarters in downtown Nashville, George D. Hay stepped up to a microphone and introduced Uncle Jimmy Thompson on WSM radio. This is considered as the birth of the Grand Ole Opry. The first tune played by Uncle Jimmy was "Tennessee Wagoner."

November 2, 1926: Former Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Walker was born in Texas. This former disc jockey joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1967 and would remain a member of the Opry until his death in 2008. Each of the occasions that I had the opportunity to speak to Charlie, I always found him friendly and interesting.

November 30, 1931: Teddy Wilburn was born. Teddy, along with his brother Doyle, were longtime members of the Grand Ole Opry. After Doyle's death, Teddy remained as a solo artist on the Opry, until his death in 2003.

November 1, 1937: Grand Ole Opry member Bill Anderson was born. Bill became an Opry member in 1961 and is still an active member today. Not only has the Country Music Hall of Fame member have numerous hit records to his credit, but he is also considered one of the great songwriters in the history of country music and this past year he was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Hard to believe that Bill will be 83 this year and next year will be celebrating his 60th year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

November 30, 1940: Minnie Pearl made her Grand Ole Opry debut. Minnie would become one of the most beloved members in the history of the Grand Ole Opry and would be an Opry member for over 50 years.

November 2, 1948: Roy Acuff was defeated in his campaign to become the Governor of Tennessee. While Roy would remain a big supporter of Republican candidates, Roy himself would never run for public office again. Roy's campaign mixed country music and politics. He would usually start off his appearances with music, then get into the political speeches. By then, most of the crowd would begin to filter out. 

November 6, 1948: While official records are many times hard to come by, it would appear that this was the date that Jimmy Dickens first became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jimmy was an Opry member until leaving in 1957, however he returned to the cast in 1975. Jimmy then stayed with the Opry until his death in January 2015.

November 13, 1949: The Grand Ole Opry sponsored its first overseas tour, as a group of Opry performers traveled to England, Germany and the Azores as part of a USO sponsored tour. Among the Opry stars making the trip were Roy Acuff, Rod Brasfield, Jimmy Dickens, Red Foley, Minnie Pearl and Hank Williams.

November 22, 1952: The first Country Music Disc Jockey convention took place in Nashville. Among the activities that took place was the Grand Ole Opry birthday celebration, the first time a formal event was held to recognize the Opry's anniversary. The DJ convention would continue to grow, eventually growing into such events as Country Music Month and Fan Fair. While the DJ meetings would move to February, the Opry still celebrates his birthday/anniversary each fall, now usually taking place the first or second weekend in October.

November 13, 1953: Del Wood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Del was known for her ragtime piano playing, and her #1 record, "Down Yonder." Del would remain as a member until her death in October 1989.

November 14, 1953: Bill Carlisle joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Bill was an Opry member for just over 49 years, until passing away on March 17, 2003, the same year that he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. At times, Bill, along with his daughter Sheila and son Bill, Jr., would be listed on the Opry program as The Carlisles. 

November 28, 1953: Future Grand Ole Opry member Hank Locklin made his first guest appearance on the show. 

November 20, 1954: Western singer and television star Gene Autry made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Gene, who was one of the early members elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, was based out west and didn't venture to Nashville very often. 

November 21, 1955: Jean Shepard became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jean, who passed away in 2016, was an Opry member for over 60 years, the only female to achieve that number. Not only was November 21 the date that Jean joined the Opry, but it was also her birthday and wedding anniversary. It should be noted that after Jean joined the Opry in 1955, she never left.

November 3, 1956: The great Stonewall Jackson originally joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. This year will mark his 64th anniversary from when he first joined the show. While it is now over 60 years since Stonewall originally joined, it should be noted that Stonewall was fired from the Opry in 1964 for failing to make the required number of annual appearances. He rejoined the cast in 1969. Stonewall's last appearance on the Opry was several years ago when he was recognized upon his 60th anniversary of joining the Opry. Sadly, Stonewall is battling some serious health issues and we have probably seen the last of him on the Opry. 

November 10, 1956: The Wilburn Brothers, Teddy and Doyle, became official members of the Grand Ole Opry. Teddy and Doyle, along with other family members, originally came to the Opry in the 1940s, however due to child labor laws, they were sent packing. Thankfully, with the help of Roy Acuff and Webb Pierce, the brothers returned and became one of the most successful brother acts in the history of country music.

November 9, 1960; Hank Locklin accepted an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Hank had made his first Opry guest appearance on November 28, 1953. Over the years, he would continue to guest until finally becoming an Opry member. Hank would remain an Opry member until his death in March 2009, 6 month short of 50 years as an Opry member.

November 3, 1961: The Country Music Association announced the first class of inductees to the new Country Music Hall of Fame. In that first class were Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams. Roy Acuff would join that group the following year to become the first living inductee into the Hall.

November 25, 1961: Former Grand Ole Opry announcer, and WSM air personality, Eddie Stubbs was born in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Before joining WSM, Eddie was a fiddle player with the Johnson Mountain Boys, and then later he was a part of Kitty Wells' band. Eddie retired from WSM earlier this year, thus ending his tenure as an Opry announcer. 

November 29, 1961: A group of Opry members, which included Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Bill Monroe, Patsy Cline and Grandpa Jones, performed before a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall in New York.

November 7, 1964: Minnie Pearl performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the final time before taking a leave of absence from the show. If not for taking the leave, Minnie would have been dismissed from the Opry the following month as part of the Purge of 1964. Minnie was just so busy traveling and doing television shows that she wasn't around Nashville all that often. Minnie would return to the Opry on February 12, 1966.

November 28, 1964: Willie Nelson became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Willie was an Opry member for just several years, as Nashville was tough on him and he eventually left Music City, returning to his native Texas and reinventing his career. While at the Opry, Willie would constantly complain about the low pay and having to give up every Saturday night to be there.

November 25, 1965: Leroy Van Dyke was fired/suspended as a member of the Grand Ole Opry for failing to meet the Opry's attendance requirements. Leroy had joined the Opry's cast a few years earlier. While Leroy never returned as an Opry member, he has made many guest appearances on the show.

November 25, 1967: Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. Dolly's first Opry appearance since 1959 was the previous month, however on that show, Porter and Dolly did not do a duet. The song they performed that night was "The Last Thing on My Mind." While not an Opry member at the time, Dolly would join the cast in January 1969.

November 20, 1968: While not specific to the Grand Ole Opry, the first televised Country Music Association Awards show was televised on NBC. While the awards started in 1966, it took several years to find a network interested in airing it. The show was televised from the Ryman Auditorium with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans as the hosts.

November 12, 1971: Construction officially started on the new Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland USA. It was a massive project, taking until March 1974 to complete. While there were initial worries about the Opry leaving downtown and the Ryman Auditorium, the Opry has done just fine in its new home.

November 10, 1973: David Akeman, known professionally as Stringbean, made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Later that night, when he and his wife Estelle returned home, they were ambushed and murdered by two men who were waiting in their home to rob them. The bodies were found the following morning by their neighbor and good friend, Grandpa Jones, who had come to pick up Stringbean for a fishing trip. Nashville, and the Opry, was shaken by the murders, with many Opry members, led by Roy Acuff, calling for the death penalty. Grandpa Jones left Nashville for a number of years, moving to Arkansas and opening his own dinner theater. The killers were quickly caught and convicted. One died in prison and the other is out on parole.

November 24, 1975: One of the Opry's early members, Asher Sizemore, passed away at the age of 69. Asher appeared on the Opry with his son, known as "Little Jimmie." While there is some confusion as to when they started on the Opry, the date appears to be September 24, 1932. They were on the Opry for most of the 1930s, leaving the Opry in 1942. Years after they left the Opry, the pair would continue to perform on various radio stations, primarily in the Midwest.

November 18, 1978: Grand Ole Opry member Del Wood was recognized upon her 25th anniversary as a member of the Opry's cast. Del, known as the "Queen of the 88's" was one of the few instrumentalists to have recorded a No. 1 record. 

November 5, 1983: Glen Campbell made his first guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He performed a melody of his hits.

November 21, 1985: Reba McEntire made her first appearance as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Reba had actually joined the show earlier when she was asked to join during a taping of the Opry's 60th anniversary show. Since the show was taped for later broadcast, news of her Opry membership was kept under wraps. Reba, whose Opry appearances have become few and far between, has been an Opry member for 35 years.

November 3, 1990: Minnie Pearl was honored as an Opry member for 50 years. She joined the cast in 1940. As a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, this comedian is considered one of the great stars in the history of the Grand Ole Opry.

November 15, 1992: The Grand Ole Opry radio program was inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communication's Hall of Fame.

November 23, 1992: Grand Ole Opry member Roy Acuff passed away in Nashville, just one month after his final appearance on the Opry. His influence at the Opry, and with country music in general, cannot be overstated. Thanks in large part to Acuff-Rose Publishing, Nashville became the home of country music. Roy was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for over 50 years, and for many years he was the Opry's most popular member. There are many who feel that his death was the first nail in the coffin that had led to the many changes that have taken place at the Opry over the past several decades.

November 28, 1992: Marty Stuart became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Marty's 28th year as an Opry member. Marty joined the Opry's cast the week after Roy Acuff passed away and I thought Marty would be great addition to the Opry. Sadly, Marty seems to have gone in a different direction and he seldom appears on the show. On a happier note, it was announced earlier this year that Marty has been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

November 27, 1993: Joe Diffie became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Sadly, Joe passed away earlier this year from Covid. 

November 6, 1993: Grand Ole Opry member David Houston made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. 

November 30, 1993: Just weeks after his final Opry appearance, David Houston passed away at the age of 57. David, who came to Nashville and the Opry from the Louisiana Hayride, had one of the biggest hits in the history of country music with "Almost Persuaded." David had joined the Opry in 1972.

November 30, 1995: Martina McBride became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Martina joined during a CBS television special that celebrated the Opry's 70th anniversary. This will be her 25th year as an Opry member. Loretta Lynn, who Martina said was a big influence to her while she was learning the business, did the formal induction. Regarding Martina, I love this story that I have repeated several times: She actually appeared on the Opry as part of the 70th anniversary birthday bash that was televised by TNN. She was the last performer on the televised segment before the cake was to be brought out, along with the cast singing "Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry" which always concluded the televised segment. During her portion, she sang two ballads that ran long, causing the cake and singing to be delayed until the next segment, which was not televised. There were many unhappy viewers at home who missed this Opry tradition, and many unhappy Opry members, who missed the chance to be onstage during the televised segment. Martina was very upset afterwards, believing that her mistake on the timing of her songs, cost her a chance of becoming an Opry member, something she always dreamed of. She apologized to everyone she could fine that night, and dreams do come true as the following month, she became an Opry member.

November 23, 1996: Trace Adkins made his first appearance as a guest on the Opry. 7 years later, in August 2003, he would become an Opry member. Trace has told the story several times that on the night of his first appearance, Grandpa Jones, who was hosting the segment, forgot his name. Not unusual for Grandpa.

November 8, 1997: Johnny Paycheck became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For Johnny, this came pretty late in his life, and after several years of trying to rebuild his image and career after some series legal issues that included prison. Johnny Russell did a lot of work behind the scenes to help Johnny become a member, convincing Opry management that Johnny had cleaned up his act. Sadly, Johnny became ill a few years after joining the show.

November 7, 1998: Jimmy Dickens was honored for 50 years of Opry membership. Jimmy, who originally joined the Opry in 1948, was joined that night by Waylon Jennings, Bill Anderson, Carl Smith and Bobby Bare.

November 5, 1999: In a stunning move, Opry General Manager Pete Fisher announced a reorganization of the Opry Staff Band, which resulted a several of the band members being dismissed. Included in that list were Buddy Harman, Leon Rhodes, Joe Edwards, Ralph Davis and Ray Johnston. According to Pete Fisher, "After several months of observing what was going on with the staff band I made a decision to restructure it, not only to achieve efficiency, but also to upgrade the quality so that we're providing the best service we can." Personally, I did not think there was any issue with the quality of the staff band and neither did Vince Gill, who was quoted as saying, "Leon Rhodes can play circles around most guitar players, and Buddy Harman can play circles around most drummers. The sad thing is, younger ain't better." It sure didn't take Pete Fisher long to begin making changes at the Opry. 

November 23, 2000: Dolly Parton and Vince Gill hosted a CBS televised special celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry.

November 24, 2000: Grand Ole Opry member Johnny Russell made his final appearance on the Friday Night Opry, thus ending his performing career as ill health forced his retirement. Johnny's final Saturday night appearance had taken place the previous week, on Saturday November 18. Johnny passed away several years later after a period of declining health.

November 8, 2002: The Grand Ole Opry was broadcast for the first time on Sirius satellite radio. For many, it was the first time that they were able to listen to an entire Opry show, while for others, it was the first time to enjoy the show without static.

November 23, 2002: Jim & Jesse McReynolds performed on the Opry for the final time. Jim McReynolds, who was in the final stages of an illness that would lead to his death on December 31, sang and played his guitar while sitting. The brothers had been Opry members since 1964, with Jesse still actively performing on the Opry.

November 30, 2002: Tim McGraw made his first guest appearance on the Opry. While never becoming an Opry member, Tim would appear on the Opry stage a few more times.

November 1, 2003: Grand Ole Opry member Holly Dunn made her final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Holly made the decision to give up her musical career and moved to New Mexico to pursue her passion as an artist. Sadly, and unlike a few other Opry members who retired from performing, Holly was fired as an Opry member several years later. 

November 17, 2003: Grand Ole Opry member Don Gibson passed away in Nashville. Don was one of the greatest songwriters in the history of country music and in 2001 he had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Don joined the Opry on May 20, 1958, but was fired in December 1964 for failing to meet the required number of Opry appearances. He rejoined the show several years later, but even after coming back, his appearances were few. His last Opry show was on March 16, 1996.

November 24, 2003: Grand Ole Opry member Teddy Wilburn passed away. Teddy had been in declining health and had not performed on the Opry in several years. He, along with his brother Doyle, joined the Opry's cast in the 1950s and were instrumental in the early career of Loretta Lynn. 

November 15, 2005: The Grand Ole Opry returned to Carnegie Hall in New York for just the 3rd time in its history, this time to promote the Opry's 80th anniversary. The show included performances by Trace Adkins, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs and Trisha Yearwood.

November 26, 2005: Grand Ole Opry member Jean Shepard was honored upon her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jean had joined the Opry's cast in November 1955. Sadly, Jean's recognition did not take place during the televised segment that evening.

November 19, 2007: During Charlie Daniel's 11th annual Christmas For Kids benefit at the Ryman Auditorium, Opry member Martina McBride surprised Charlie on stage with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Charlie, who passed away earlier this year, always said that being an Opry member was one of the highest honors he had achieved in his life. 

November 8, 2008: Actor Kevin Costner and his country and western band, Modern West, performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.

November 14, 2009: The Grand Ole Opry streamed part of its show on MySpace. The segment featured Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Jake Owen and Rodney Atkins. This was the first time that the Opry attempted a broadcast like this and despite numerous technical issues, the Opry considered it a success.

November 9, 2010: Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin made his final Opry appearance, in a show that took place at the Ryman Auditorium. Charlie was an Opry member for over 50 years. 

November 21, 2015: Jean Shepard celebrated her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She appeared in a segment hosted by Bill Anderson, her first Opry appearance in a year. During the show, she announced her retirement and this was Jean's final appearance on the Opry.

November 5, 2016: Grand Ole Opry member Stonewall Jackson was recognized and honored upon his 60th anniversary of when he first joined the Grand Ole Opry. This was also Stonewall's last appearance on the show.

November 15, 2016: During a guest appearance on the Tuesday Night Opry, Carrie Underwood surprised Crystal Gayle during a guest appearance, with an invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Crystal's official induction took place the following January.

November 24, 2016: Former Grand Ole Opry member Holly Dunn passed away in New Mexico from ovarian cancer. Holly joined the Opry's cast in October 1989 and was a member of the Opry until she was fired in the 2000's, after leaving Nashville and moving to New Mexico. In addition to her Opry duties, Holly also was a regular host of the Opry Backstage show.

November 19, 2017: Grand Ole Opry member, and Country Music Hall of Fame member, Mel Tillis passed away in Florida after an extended illness. Mel had joined the Opry in June 2007 after a very successful career as a singer, songwriter and actor.

November 15, 2018: Grand Ole Opry member Roy Clark passed away. The Country Music Hall of Fame member had joined the Opry's cast in 1987.

There you have it for this month. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. 

Grand Ole Opry Saturday October 31

The Grand Ole Opry finishes up the month of October with what is scheduled to be the final one hour  Opry show. Beginning next weekend, the Opry will be returning to a two hour show on Friday and Saturday night, with the final hour on Saturday televised on Circle TV. 

As I look at the upcoming Opry schedule, they seem to be keeping it pretty close to the vest, as there are only two upcoming dates in November that have artists listed. November 7 has Opry member Craig Morgan on the schedule along with Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert, while Lady A and Chris Tomlin are listed for November 21. As the Opry moves to the two hour shows, it will be interesting to see what the format will be and how many artists will be performing each week. Hopefully, it will be a well-rounded lineup and we will once again see some of our Opry favorites. And let's not forget, we are still awaiting the formal Opry induction of Rhonda Vincent. 

For the final October show only two acts are currently listed, Steve Wariner and Clint Black. This is a banner year for Clint at the Opry as this will be his 2nd appearance of 2020, which is the most he has appeared on the Opry since 2014. 

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And now from 50 years ago, Saturday October 31, 1970:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Billy Walker (host): Curtains on the Windows
Jim and Jesse: I'm Hoping That You're Hoping
Del Wood: Cattle Call
Billy Walker: She Goes Walking Through My Mind

6:45: Rudy's
Hank Locklin (host): Flying South
George Morgan: I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way
Willis Brothers: Sioux City Sue
Hank Locklin: Bless Her Heart; I Love Her

7:00: Luzianne
Bill Monroe (host)
James William Monroe: Sweet Mary
Earl Scruggs Revue: Nashville Skyline Rag
Justin Tubb: Lonesome 7-7203
Bill Carlisle: Knothole
Bill Monroe: Live and Let Live
Earl Scruggs Revue: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Justin Tubb: Love is No Excuse
Bill Carlisle: I've Waited too Long

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Tex Ritter: Wayward Wind
The Stonemans: Doin' My Time
Crook Brothers: Old Hen Cackle
Roy Acuff: Each Season Changes You
Tex Ritter: Boll Weevil

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): My Sara Jane
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
Ray Pillow: Heart Over Mind
Victor Jordan and Roland White: Mocking Banjo
Lester Flatt: Before I Met You
Loretta Lynn: You Wanna Give Me a Lift
Ray Pillow: Do It to Someone You Love
Lester Flatt: Folsom Prison Blues

8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Vanishing Breed
Marion Worth: Okie from Muskogee
Stu Phillips: For the Good Times
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Greenback Dollar
Hank Snow: With This Ring I Thee Wed
Marion Worth: Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed
Stu Phillips: A Castle; A Cabin
Hank Snow: Zeb Turney's Gal

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Tex Ritter (host): Jealous Heart
Willis Brothers: Buying Popcorn
Hank Locklin: Country Hall of Fame
George Morgan: I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way
Tex Ritter: Just Beyond the Moon
Willis Brothers: A 6 Ft 2 By 4
Hank Locklin: Danny Boy
George Morgan: For the Good Times

10:00: Fender
Billy Walker (host): When A Man Loves A Woman
Jim and Jesse: I've Got a Freight Train on My Mind
Billy Walker: She Goes Walking Through My Mind
Jim and Jesse: When I Stop Dreaming

10:15: Union 76
Bill Monroe (host): John Henry
Earl Scruggs Revue: Loradero Josp III Breakdown
Justin Tubb: Looking at My Back Door
Bill Monroe: In Despair

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Del Wood: Raggin' the Keys
Lester Flatt: Sunny Side of the Mountain

10:45: Beechnut
Roy Acuff (host): Little Pal
The Stonemans: Orange Blossom Special
Crook Brothers: Old Joe Clark
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Rumba Boogie
Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter
Stu Phillips: Crystal Chandeliers
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Katy Hill
Hank Snow: I've Cried a Mile
Loretta Lynn: You Ain't Woman Enough
Sam McGee: Wheels
Hank Snow: These Tears Are Not for You

11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Singing the Blues
Marion Worth: Okie from Muskogee
Ray Pillow: Working Man Blues/Grazin' in Greener Pastures
Don Winters: Jambalaya
Marty Robbins: I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again/Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/Begging to You/Devil Woman

A wonderful show to close out the month of October 1970.

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. 

Grand Ole Opry Saturday October 24

One of the marvelous events that takes place at the Grand Ole Opry each October is the night that the "Opry Goes Pink" to help raise awareness in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The annual event for 2020, which will be the 12th consecutive year that the switch will be thrown at the start of the show and the Opry backdrop will turn pink, will take place this Saturday night. 

This year's event will be headlined by Grand Ole Opry members Little Big Town, who will be making their first Opry appearance of 2020. Joining Little Big Town will be Lauren Alaina, Rita Wilson and Victoria Shaw. It promises to be another memorable Opry show. 

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And now, from 50 years ago, Saturday October 24, 1970:

1st show
6:30: Willis Brothers (host); Jay Lee Webb; Sammi Smith
6:45: Stu Phillips (host); David Rogers; Lorene Mann
7:00: Bill Anderson (host); Ernie Ashworth; Justin Tubb; Jan Howard
7:30: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard; Norro Wilson; Brook Brothers
8:00: Bill Monroe (host); Stan Hitchcock; Johnny Carver; Bobby Harden
8:30: Tex Ritter (host); Bill Carlisle; Karen Wheeler; Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Willis Brothers (host); Ernie Ashworth; Lorene Mann; Jay Lee Webb
10:00: Stu Phillips (host); Sammi Smith; Johnny Carver
10:15: Justin Tubb (host); Norro Wilson; Bill and Betty Price
10:30: Roy Acuff (host); Jean Shepard
10:45: Bill Monroe (host); James William Monroe; Bobby Harden; Crook Brothers
11:00: Tex Ritter (host); Stan Hitchcock; Karen Wheeler; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); Bill Carlisle; Louie Roberts

Another thin night as to Opry members appearing. Saw a lot of that from these 1970 shows.

Bill Price, along with his wife Betty, performed on the Opry's 2nd show that night.

Bill Price was a guitarist, who after graduating from high school, played with Jimmy Martin and later as a member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. He later formed his own group, The Country Pardners, based out of Cincinnati.

In its initial reincarnation, the Country Pardners were seen as having so much potential that the group was signed to a contract with RCA records and set to produce with Chet Atkins. A publishing deal was offered by Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff. "Why Baby Why," by the then-totally unknown songwriter George Jones, was one of the first tunes pitched at the group as it prepared for its big Nashville sessions; and Price would later recall in an interview that had the group acted a bit faster, it might have scored the hit with the song that Webb Pierce and Red Sovine cashed in on. Unfortunately, the scent of this song was about the closest the Country Pardners got to a hit, although the four songs that were recorded by the group are superb examples of early bluegrass, and indeed have a rare amount of charm.

After a short hiatus, Price recovered from the sucker punch of rock & roll, enlisting new management and winding up with some Opry guest spots. Along with his wife Betty, Bill  began a booking agency in the late '60s, and got a large boost from Bill Monroe when he became a client. Brother Charlie Monroe was also a cash cow muzzling at the bluegrass green for the Price agency in the '70s, by which time the couple was organizing several large-scale bluegrass festivals each year. Bill and Betty  also played music together as well, cutting several albums for Rural Rhythm. Price began appearing under the billing of Bill Price & the Country Pardners, reviving the name of his old group.

Both Bill and Betty Price passed away from liver cancer, as did several of their children.
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Looking back, it was on October 23, 1965 that Roy Acuff, Jr. made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

Roy Neill Acuff, was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1943. The son of Roy Acuff, at times during his childhood, Roy Jr. saw little of his father has Roy was constantly touring. Initially showing little interest in music, he began to work in the offices at Acuff-Rose Music but in 1963, unbeknown to his father, he learned to sing and play the guitar.

In 1965, he was given the opportunity to record for Columbia Records by Wesley Rose and a month later his father introduced him on the Grand Ole Opry. He played various venues in the USA and even toured US military bases in Germany. Occasionally he appeared with his father and in the early 70s, he sang backing vocals on some of his recordings. However, audiences made him nervous and he never enjoyed performing. He was much happier working behind the scenes and by the mid-70s, he had retired as a performer to become an executive of Acuff-Rose. During his brief recording career, he wrote and recorded several of his own songs including ‘Back Down To Atlanta’ and ‘Street Singer’.

After leaving the music business, Roy enjoyed spending his time painting and sculpting.

Roy Neill Acuff, Jr. passed away on November 5, 2015.

Here is the running order from 55 years ago, Saturday October 23, 1965, the night Roy Acuff Jr. made his Grand Ole Opry debut:

6:00: Vietti
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper (host): Big Midnight Special
Ernie Ashworth: A Week in the Country
Jim and Jesse: Memphis
Bob Luman: Love Worked a Miracle
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: I Couldn't Care Less
Cousin Jody: Mockingbird
Stoney Cooper: Instrumental

6:30: Sealtest
Jimmy C Newman (host): Artificial Rose
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Connie Smith: If I Talk to Him
Stringbean: Big Ball in Nashville
Osborne Brothers: I'll Be all Right Tomorrow
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Jimmy C Newman: Cry, Cry Darling

7:00: Rudy's
Roy Drusky (host): Strangers
Margie Bowes: Lost
Billy Walker: Cross the Brazos at Waco
The Browns: I Heard the Bluebird Sing
George Hamilton IV: Write Me a Picture
Bobby Bare: Four Strong Winds
Margie Bowes: Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me
The Browns: The Three Bells
Roy Drusky: Peel Me a Nanner
Jimmy Wilson and Pete Wade: Alabama Jubilee

7:30: Luzianne
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Bill Monroe: There's an Old, Old House
Leroy Van Dyke: Walk on By
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Willie Nelson: I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye
Buck Trent and Mac Magaha: Turkey in the Straw
Norma Jean: Let's Go All the Way
Bill Monroe: Panhandle Country
Porter Wagoner: Green, Green Grass of Home

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (host): The Ballad of Jed Clampett
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Dottie West: Here Comes My Baby
Bobby Lord: Life Can Have Meaning
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Bill Anderson: City Lights/I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand/That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome/I Don't Love You Anymore/Once a Day/Bright Lights and Country Music

8:30: Stephens
Roy Acuff (host): Night Train to Memphis
Roy Acuff, Jr: Baby Just Said Goodbye/Wabash Cannonball
Wilburn Brothers: Making Plans
Archie Campbell: Comedy
Loretta Lynn: The Home You're Tearin' Down
Lonzo and Oscar: There's A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea

9:00: Pet Milk
Ernest Tubb (host): Walking the Floor Over You
Sonny James: You're the Only World I Know/I'll Keep Holding On/Behind the Tear
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Gray Eagle
Tex Ritter: Take Him Fishing
Glaser Brothers: Teardrops "Til Dawn
Jean Shepard: Ain't You Ashamed
Stringbean: String's a' Pickin

9:30: Kellogg's
Hank Snow (host): I'm Movin' On
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Carter Family: Cottonfields
Charlie Louvin: Think I'll Go Somewhere and Cry Myself to Sleep
Anita and Helen Carter: Twelve O'Clock Hour
Jim and Jesse: Memphis
Marion Worth: I Will Not Blow out the Light
Hank Snow: There's a Fool Such as I

10:00: Schick
Porter Wagoner (host): I'm Gonna Feed You Now
Norma Jean: I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car from Him
Leroy Van Dyke: Auctioneer
Ernie Ashworth: Talk Back Trembling Lips
Speck Rhodes: Hound Dog

10:15: Mary Carter Paints
Roy Acuff (host): Freight Train Blues
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Satisfied
Jimmy C Newman: Artificial Rose
Wilburn Brothers: It's Another World

10:30: Harvey's
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (host): The Wreck of the Old 97
Billy Walker: Forever
Skeeter Davis: Silver Threads and Golden Needles
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs: Father's Table Grace

10:45: Newport
Ernest Tubb (host): For God & Country & You
Loretta Lynn: Blue Kentucky Girl
Bill Carlisle: What Kind of Deal is This
Crook Brothers: Old Joe Clark
Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn: We're Not Kids Anymore

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): I Don't Hurt Anymore
Bill Monroe: I'll Live in the Past
Glaser Brothers: Molly Darling
Lonzo and Oscar: Country Music Time
Margie Bowes: I Can't Love that Way
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Cacklin' Hen
Bill Anderson: Bright Lights & Country Music/Still
Sam and Kirk McGee: Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
Hank Snow: From a Beggar Into a King

11:30: Lava
Marty Robbins (host): Ribbon of Darkness
Willis Brothers: Pinball Anonymous
Dottie West: All the World is Lonely Now
Charlie Louvin: See the Big Man Cry
Curly Fox: The Old Gray Mule
Marion Worth: Mansion on the Hill
Marty Robbins: Don't Worry/Bouquet of Roses/I Could Never Be Ashamed of You/Lovesick Blues

Well, that was certainly a great night at the Opry!!

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday night. 

Grand Ole Opry Saturday October 17

Let's start off with this bit of news: 

"The Grand Ole Opry will return to Friday evening performances, and will expand both its Friday and Saturday evening shows to two hours, starting Nov. 6. The two-hour Saturday evening shows will include a one-hour, 8 p.m. CT Circle and Gray TV station broadcast, which can also be viewed on DISH Studio Channel 102, Sling TV, and other TV affiliates in addition to a companion livestream on Circle All Access Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The Opry can also be heard on 650 WSM-AM, wsmonline.com, and SiriusXM.

The Opry paused performances that included a live audience on March 14, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Opry House will continue to have limited-capacity in-venue audiences, in compliance with operating plans developed in collaboration with the Nashville Public Health Department that include socially distanced seating, mandatory masks for all guests and staff, as well as enhanced cleaning practices."

Nice to see the Opry continue to work its way back to normal. It will be interesting to see what type of format and the number of artists that will be scheduled each week and will the focus be on the one hour televised portion on Saturday night? 

But definitely a move in the right direction. 

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Continuing on to this week, the Grand Ole Opry continues to celebrate its 95th anniversary through out the month of October, with a different theme each week. 

The theme for this Saturday night is a celebration of chart-topping songs and those that wrote them. It promises to be a great show with two of the best songwriters in the history of country music on the schedule. Grand Ole Opry member, and Country Music Hall of Fame member, Bill Anderson will be making his first Opry appearance since March. He will be joined by another Hall of Fame member, and frequent Opry guest, Don Schlitz. 

One of the newest Opry members Chris Janson is also scheduled, as are two of the best female voices in the business, Mandy Barnett and Brandy Clark. 

Nice to see five artists on the schedule as the Opry continues to offer the one-hour social distancing shows that are televised on Circle TV, and on Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

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Now 50 years ago, Saturday October 17, 1970. On that particular night, the Opry celebrated its 45th birthday:

1st show
6:00: Vietti
Bill Anderson (host); Charlie Walker; Wilma Lee Cooper; Skeeter Davis; Jimmy C Newman; Willis Brothers
6:30: Bill Monroe (host); Charlie Louvin; George Morgan; Del Wood
6:45: Tex Ritter (host); Jack Greene; Jeannie Seely; The Four Guys
7:00: Roy Acuff (host); Hank Locklin; Margie Bowes; Glaser Brothers; Billy Walker; Jim Ed Brown; Jim and Jesse
7:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Mel Tillis; Crook Brothers; Jean Shepard; Justin Tubb
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); Del Reeves; Dottie West; Osborne Brothers; Billy Grammer; Ernie Ashworth
8:30: Ernest Tubb (host); Loretta Lynn; Bobby Lord; Earl Scruggs Revue; Stu Phillips; Wilburn Brothers; Fruit Jar Drinkers

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host): Dolly Parton; Jimmy C Newman; Jean Shepard; Willis Brothers; Justin Tubb; Del Wood
10:00: Bill Anderson (host); George Morgan; Wilma Lee Cooper; Charlie Louvin; Skeeter Davis; Charlie Walker
10:15: Roy Acuff (host); Tex Ritter; Jack Greene; Jeannie Seely; Billy Grammer
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Margie Bowes; Jim and Jesse
10:45: Ernest Tubb (host); Loretta Lynn; Jim Ed Brown; Wilburn Brothers; Crook Brothers
11:00: Bill Monroe (host); Dottie West; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Mel Tillis; Osborne Brothers; Sam McGee
11:30: Marty Robbins (host); Del Reeves; The Four Guys; Bobby Lord; Stu Phillips; Ernie Ashworth

I would say that was a pretty solid night!!
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The following year, Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 46th birthday on Saturday October 16, 1971. It was also the night that country music star Freddie Hart made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

Here is the running order from that that:

1st show
6:00: Vietti
Tex Ritter (host): Just Beyond the Moon
Dolly Parton: Coat of Many Colors
Jim Ed Brown: Morning
Stonewall Jackson: Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
Roy Drusky: Long, Long Texas Road
Willis Brothers: Women's Liberation
Tex Ritter: Fall Away

6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Bill Anderson (host) and Jan Howard: Dissatisfied
Jan Howard: Hurt All Over
Ray Pillow: Haven't You Heard
Ernie Ashworth: A Bottle of the Blues
Bill Anderson: Quits

6:45: Rudy's
Bill Monroe (host): I Heard a Sweet Voice Calling
Stu Phillips: I'd Rather Be Sorry
Bill Carlisle: Too Old to Cut the Mustard
Bill Monroe: Katy Hill

7:00: Luzianne
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: Coming Down from God
Tom T Hall: I Remember the Year that Clayton Delaney Died
Del Wood: Gloryland March
Howdy Forrester: Sally Goodin
George Morgan: Gentle Rains of Home
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away

7:30: Standard Candy
Ernest Tubb (host): Answer the Phone
Loretta Lynn: Put Your Hand in the Hand
Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery: Something to Brag About
Crook Brothers: Black Mountain Rag
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything
Jeannie Seely: All Right, I'll Sign the Papers
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Ernest Tubb: Shenandoah Waltz

8:00: Martha White
Lester Flatt (host): Will You Be Loving Another Man
Grandpa Jones: Are You From Dixie
Dottie West: Country Girl
Billy Walker: You Gave Me a Mountain
Del Reeves: Philadelphia Fillies
Justin Tubb: Big Fool of the Year
Lester Flatt: Foggy Mountain Breakdown

8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): Sea Shores of Mexico
Wilburn Brothers: That She's Leaving Feeling
Connie Smith: How Great Thou Art
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Devil's Dream
Bob Luman: Today I Started Loving You Again/Honky-Tonk Man
The Four Guys: Shenandoah
Hank Snow: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Tex Ritter (host): Fall Away
Willis Brothers: Give Me 40 Acres
Dolly Parton: Coat of Many Colors
Jim Ed Brown: She's Leaving
Roy Drusky: I Love the Way That You've Been Loving Me
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Jimmy C Newman: Louisiana Dirty Rice
Del Wood: Are You From Dixie

10:00: Fender
Bill Anderson (host): Quits
Bill Anderson and Jan Howard: Dissatisfied
Grandpa Jones: Mountain Dew
Ray Pillow: The Waitress

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Stu Phillips: I'd Rather Be Sorry
George Morgan: Gentle Rains of Home
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird

10:30: Trailblazer
Lester Flatt (host): The Bluebirds Singing for Me
Tom T Hall: I Remember the Year that Clayton Delaney Died
Dottie West: Here Comes My Baby
Justin Tubb: Lonesome 7-7203
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
Lester Flatt: Orange Blossoms Special

10:45: Beechnut
Ernest Tubb (host): Letters Have No Arms
Loretta Lynn: Lead Me On
Billy Walker: How Great Thou Art
Crook Brothers: Eighth of January

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Snowbird
Earl Scruggs Revue: T For Texas
Jack Greene: There's a Whole Lot About a Woman a Man Don't Know
Jeannie Seely: Don't Touch Me
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Hickory Leaf
Del Reeves: Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On/Hound Dog
Freddie Hart: Easy Lovin'/My Hang Up is You
Sam McGee: San Antonio Rose

11:30: Elm Hill
Marty Robbins (host): Devil Woman
Wilburn Brothers: That She's Leaving Feeling
Connie Smith: Just One Time
The Four Guys: Let the Sun Keep Shining
Bob Luman: Getting Back to Norma
Marty Robbins: I Walk Alone/Begging to You/Don't Worry/Big Boss Man/They'll Never Take Her Love From Me/Singing the Blues/El Paso

The Opry members who were not scheduled that night were Bobby Bare, Margie Bowes, Archie Campbell, Skeeter Davis, Billy Grammer, George Hamilton IV, Hank Locklin, Lonzo and Oscar, Bobby Lord, Osborne Brothers, Minnie Pearl, Jean Shepard, Stringbean and Marion Worth.

Those who were scheduled but failed to appear were Porter Wagoner, Glaser Brothers, Jim and Jesse and Cousin Jody, while Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper cancelled on the second show.

While the first show that night ran relatively on time, the second show did not end until 1:00 a.m. I think it is safe to say that everyone got their money's worth that night.
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Finally, can you believe that it has been 28 years since Roy Acuff made his final appearance on Saturday's Grand Ole Opry? It was the night of the Opry's 67th birthday celebration. I know many of us know about that final night, and the unplanned duet he did with Bill Anderson. I was there that night and it was an emotional scene.

Here is the running order from Saturday October 17, 1992:

1st show
6:30: GHS Strings
Bill Monroe (host): Mule Skinner Blues
Jim Ed Brown: Pop A Top
Bill Monroe: Ozark Rag

6:45: Hall of Fame
Grandpa Jones (host): Cindy
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Roy Drusky: Peel Me a Nanner
Grandpa Jones: Gone Home

7:00: Shoney's
George Hamilton IV (host): Abilene
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Mike Snider: Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Hank Locklin: Please Help Me, I'm Falling
Jean Shepard: Let's All Go Down to the River/I Saw the Light/Will the Circle Be Unbroken/I'll Fly Away/Somebody Touched Me
George Hamilton IV: Break Me Mind

7:30: Standard Candy
Porter Wagoner (host): Ol' Slewfoot
Shelly West: Standing In Sorrow's Way/You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma
John Conlee: Hit the Ground Running/Miss Emily's Picture
Porter Wagoner and the Grand Ole Opry Cast: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry

8:00: Martha White
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Connie Smith: Then & Only Then/Sing, Sing, Sing
Bill Anderson and Roy Acuff: I Wonder If God Likes Country Music
Bill Anderson: Still
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Sally Goodin
Dan Kelly: Turkey Buzzard

8:30: Kraft
Hank Snow (host): Ancient History
The Four Guys: Big River
Jan Howard: You Don't Know Me
Bill Carlisle: No Help Wanted
The Whites: San Antonio Rose
Hank Snow: It Kinda Reminds Me of Me

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Porter Wagoner (host): Dooley
Wilma Lee Cooper: Singing Waterfall
Stonewall Jackson: Don't Be Angry
Jeannie Seely: Don't Touch Me
Mike Snider: Green Sleeves
Porter Wagoner and the Grand Ole Opry Cast: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry
Porter Wagoner: Big Wind

10:00: Life's Highway
Bill Monroe (host): Life's Highway
Roy Drusky: All for the Love of a Girl
Jimmy Campbell: The Old Tennessee River

10:15: Sunbeam/Tennessee Pride
Roy Acuff (host): Once More
Hank Locklin: Danny Boy/Send Me the Pillow You Dream On

10:30: Pet Milk
Grandpa Jones (host): Don't 'Cha Cry Melinda
Jean Shepard: Someone's Gotta Cry
Charlie Walker: Pick Me Up on Your Way Down
Grandpa Jones: My Little Old Home Down in New Orleans

10:45: B.C. Powder
George Hamilton IV (host): Life's Railway to Heaven
Shelly West: Jose Cuervo
Opry Square Dance Band and The Melvin Sloan Dancers: Black Mountain Rag
George Hamilton IV: Forever Young

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): There's a Fool Such as I
The Four Guys: How Married are You Mary Ann
Connie Smith: Once a Day
John Conlee: Before My Time/Rose Colored Glasses
Hank Snow: On That Old Hawaii Shore with You

11:30: Creamette
Jim Ed Brown (host): Morning Comes Too Early
Jan Howard: Together When We Tried
Bill Carlisle: Elvira
The Whites: Swing Down Chariot
Johnny Russell: Why Me Lord
Jim Ed Brown; The 3 Bells

Roy would make one more Opry appearance on the following Friday night, where he performed sitting in a directors chair, being too frail to stand. Saturday October 24 would be the last time Roy's name would be printed in an Opry program, however he did not appear that night as his family did not wake him from his nap.

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. 

October Opry Highlights

Better late then never...

October has traditionally been one of the more active months in the history of the Grand Ole Opry. It is the month in which the Opry traditionally celebrates its anniversary with the Opry's birthday weekend, usually held the 1st weekend of the month. Lots of important and historical events have taken place during October involving the Opry or its members, and here are a few of them:

October 7, 1870: One of the early stars of the Grand Ole Opry, Uncle Dave Macon was born. Uncle Dave usually appeared on the Opry with his son Doris and was known as "The Dixie Dewdrop." After coming to the WSM Barn Dance, Uncle Dave would remain with the Opry until his death in 1952. He was also one of the early inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

October 25, 1912: Sarah Ophelia Colley was born. Known to the world as Minnie Pearl, she first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in November 1940 and was an Opry member for over 50 years. Comedy has become a lost art at the Opry, but during her time Minnie was one of the best. Minnie passed away in March 1996 from complications of an earlier stroke.

October 20, 1913: Louis Marshall Jones was born in Henderson County, Kentucky. Like Minnie Pearl, Louis was an Opry member for over 50 years, and was known for his humor along with his banjo playing. He was also nationally known for his work on Hee Haw. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, you might know him better by his stage name: Grandpa Jones.

October 5, 1925: WSM radio went on the air. Edwin Craig was given the honor of starting off that first broadcast, and he did it with a few simple words: "This is WSM. We Shield Millions. The National Life and Accident Company." National Life President C.A Craig dedicated the station to public service. Among the guests that night was George D. Hay, who would later be hired as the program director at WSM, after which he started the WSM Barn Dance.

October 11, 1932: Dottie West was born in Smithville, Tennessee. Dottie joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and would remain an Opry member until her tragic death in 1991. I find it hard to believe that if Dottie was still alive that she would be 87 years old. Time certainly does fly.

October 27, 1934: The Grand Ole Opry moved from Studio C at the National Life Building, home of WSM, to the Hillsboro Theater. The move was made because of the large number of people who were coming down to the National Life building to watch the show. The Hillsboro Theater was an upgrade for the Opry, as it sat 2,400 and also had dressing rooms for the performers. Because the Opry was now being performed before a live audience, the artists were told to dress for their performances, meaning rural clothes that would reflect the proper image for a country show. That night also was the beginning of Vito Pellettiere as the Opry's stage manager. Vito would hold that position until 1977 and he was responsible for bringing order and organization to the show, including breaking the show into segments with sponsors, and establishing a schedule, with specific times for each act to appear.

October 9, 1937: Roy Acuff made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. He was invited to appear on the program in what was basically an audition. While his initial performance was nothing to write home about, he was invited back and would join the Opry cast the following year.

October 9, 1939: Bill Monroe came to Nashville and auditioned for George D. Hay and the Grand Ole Opry. He sang "Mule Skinner Blues," which was the same song that he sang several weeks later when he was welcomed as a new cast member.

October 14, 1939: The NBC Radio Network began to carry a half hour segment of the Opry, sponsored by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to promote its Prince Albert brand. Roy Acuff was the featured star, with David Stone as the announcer and George D. Hay as the Master of Ceremonies. On that first night, Roy and his group were introduced and played the theme song, "Have A Big Time Tonight." Along with George D. Hay, that first show included Uncle Dave Macon, George Wilkerson and his Fruit Jar Drinkers, DeFord Bailey, Brother Oswald, and the rest of Roy's group. Over time, the Prince Albert segment would become the Opry's most famous segment. Beginning initially on 26 network stations, primarily in the south, the segment would soon expand nationwide across the entire NBC Radio Network.

October 28, 1939: Bill Monroe became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, performing "Muleskinner Blues." Opry founder George D. Hay was so impressed with Bill and his new bluegrass sound that he told Bill that if he ever wanted to leave the Opry, he would have to fire himself. Thankfully, that never happened and Bill would remain an Opry member for over 50 years, until his death in September 1996.

October 17, 1953: Carl Butler made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Later, along with his wife Pearl, the Butlers would be Opry members.

October 2, 1954: Elvis Presley made his first and only appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He sang Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Reports had said that Elvis received only modest applause from the Opry audience, which was not that unusual. Legend has it that when he was finished and walking off the stage, Opry manager Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck. While Elvis's truck driving days were over, he never came back to the Opry. Over the years, there has been some doubt if Jim Denny actually made those comments to Elvis. Either way, Elvis never was invited back. One person who was impressed that night was Bill Monroe, especially after seeing the size of the royalty checks he began to receive after Elvis recorded Bill's song.

October 22, 1955: Jim Reeves became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over time, Jim would become one of the Opry's biggest stars, but like so many others, he came to realize the limitations of being an Opry member and would move on. His last Opry appearance was in June 1963.

October 29, 1955: For what would be a very short run, Slim Whitman became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He came and went pretty quickly.

October 19, 1956: Stonewall Jackson was given an audition at the Opry. He passed with flying colors and was invited back to perform on the show, eventually becoming a member on November 3, 1956. Stonewall came to town in his pick-up truck, without a hit record, and stuck it big.

October 8, 1960: Buck Owens made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. While never becoming an Opry member, and being based in California, Buck would continue to make occasional Opry appearances throughout his life.

October 15, 1960; While a few different dates have been given over the years, it would appear that Loretta Lynn made her first Opry guest appearance on this date. The Wilburn Brothers were instrumental in getting her that guest spot and she appeared that night on a segment hosted by Ernest Tubb. At the time, Loretta did not have a band so Leslie Wilburn played base and Lester Wilburn played rhythm guitar. Just like in the move, she sang "I'm A Honky-Tonk Girl." The Opry was impressed, and after numerous guest appearances promoted by the Wilburns, Loretta was asked to become an Opry member, which took place in 1962.

October 20, 1962: Leroy Van Dyke became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Like many others, Leroy would only remain with the Opry for a couple of years before being suspended from the show for failing to meet the required number of annual appearances. However, after he left, Leroy would occasionally come back for guest appearances, including one this past year.

October 27, 1962: One week after Leroy became an Opry member, Sonny James joined the Opry's cast. Like Leroy, Sonny would leave a few years later as he developed a more sophisticated country sound.

October 17, 1964: Willie Nelson made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Willie would join the cast later on but like others of that time period, found that the Opry was really not for him and moved on, in Willie's case, back to Texas.

October 23, 1965: Roy Acuff, Jr. made his first guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. With his father closely watching, Roy Jr. sang "Baby Just Said Goodbye." His recording and performing work showed the promise of a career in country music, however he preferred to work behind the scenes and his public performing soon ended.

October 14, 1966: Del Reeves became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Introduced by Opry member Porter Wagoner, it was a very emotional night for Del as his parents were in the audience to witness the event. Del was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to make it though his song, breaking down in tears. Del was a popular member of the Opry's cast, and would remain so until his death in January 2007.

October 7, 1967: Dolly Parton made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry while appearing with Porter Wagoner. Dolly and Porter did not do a duet that night, that would happen a month later. Dolly sang "Dumb Blonde" that night. It was Dolly's first Opry appearance since her debut on the Opry in 1959.

October 14, 1967: Dizzy Dean, Perry Como and Phil Harris all made surprise guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry that night.

October 21, 1967: The Browns: Jim Ed, Maxine and Bonnie, gave their final performance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. While Bonnie and Maxine would retire to raise families, Jim Ed continued on as a solo member of the Opry's cast, until his death in 2015. Even though they retired, the sisters would come back many times to appear with Jim Ed at the Opry, and other venues. The Browns had a big impact on country music, and a string of hits. In 2015, the year Jim Ed passed away, Jim Ed Brown and The Browns were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

October 6, 1968: Former WSM executive Harry Stone passed away at the age of 70. The influence that Harry Stone had on WSM and the Grand Ole Opry was great, perhaps even more so than the Opry's founder George D. Hay. While the founder wanted to keep the Opry simple and down to earth, featuring local and regional musicians, Harry saw the value on the Opry to WSM and National Life. He began to add professional musicians and singers to the Opry cast, including Pee Wee King, Roy Acuff and Eddy Arnold. There was a lot of conflict between George D. Hay and Harry Stone, and in 1932 it reached its high point as Harry became the general manager at WSM, putting him ahead of Hay in the pecking order at the station. Many should thank Harry for his leadership at the Opry, as many of the decisions he made allowed the show to survive while other barn dance shows failed.

October 19, 1968: In an interview published in the Nashville Tennessean, WSM President Irving Waugh said that the Opry's days at the Ryman Auditorium were numbered. The article stated, "The initiation of plans for the relocation of the Opry, possibly as the center of a multi-million dollar hotel and amusement complex, was announced at a breakfast at Municipal Auditorium sponsored by WSM." Irving Waugh said, "Our feeling is that the Grand Ole Opry needs a new, modern facility. It is estimated the center, which would be called Opryland USA, would require between one hundred fifty and two hundred acres of land. The location would not be in the Music Row area." Over time, details would be announced and the Opry would leave downtown and the Ryman for a rural location that became Opryland USA.

October 16, 1971: Freddie Hart made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. This was also the night of the Opry's 46th birthday celebration.

October 27, 1973: Comedian and story teller Jerry Clower became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was the last member to join the Opry while the show was still located at the Ryman Auditorium. When Jerry joined the cast, comedy was still a big part of the show, as Jerry joined fellow comedians Minnie Pearl, Archie Campbell, Grandpa Jones and Lonzo & Oscar as active Opry members.

October 18, 1975: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star studded weekend at the Grand Ole Opry House. Looking back, the 50th is considered one of the biggest shows in the history of the Opry. This was also the final night that Tammy Wynettte performed on the Opry as a member.

October 6, 1977: The Grand Ole Opry put on a special Grand Ole Opry show at the Boston Gardens. The show featured a full Opry cast and was broadcast on WSM.

October 9, 1982: George Strait made his Grand Ole Opry debut. There are many who believe that George never appeared on the Opry, but he did. Over the years there have been rumors and stories regarding George and the Opry's management, especially in regards to the lack of future appearances or Opry membership. However, with George based in Texas and really having no Nashville connections, there was no reason to believe that George would ever become an Opry member.

October 16, 1982: Grand Ole Opry member Doyle Wilburn passed away in Nashville at the age of 52. The Wilburn Brothers, Teddy and Doyle, first appeared on the Opry with the rest of their siblings in the 1940s, however child labor laws sent them away from Nashville and the Opry. They came back, and in 1953 became Opry members. After Doyle's death, Teddy continued on as a solo member of the cast.

October 17, 1982: Alcyone Bate Beasley died. While the name might not mean a lot to some people, Alcyone was there when it all started in 1925 as a member of Dr. Humphrey Bate's Possum Hunters. Dr. Bate was Alcyone's father. After he died, Alcyone worked to keep the Possum Hunters going, but years later,when the square dance bands were merged, the Possum Hunters name disappeared from the Opry's programs. Even in her final years, Alcyone would always appear on the Opry's annual reunion shows.

October 19, 1982: Alabama traveled up to Nashville and made their first appearance on the Opry. While it was their first appearance, it would not be their last.

October 22, 1983: The Fruit Jar Drinkers made their final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. With the death of Kirk McGee several days later, the group disbanded, however most of the members of the group continued playing on the Opry in other capacities.

October 24, 1983: Grand Ole Opry member, and one of the originals, Kirk McGee passed away. Along with his brother Sam, Kirk made his first Opry appearance in 1926, back when the show was called the WSM Barn Dance. Over the years, he would be a part of the Dixieliners and the Fruit Jar Drinkers, in addition to performing with his brother. His last Opry show had been the previous Saturday night.

October 19, 1985: Lonzo & Oscar made their final appearance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. Rollin Sullivan, who was Oscar, originally came to the Opry in 1942. Over the years there were three different Lonzos, starting with Ken Marvin, followed by Rollin's brother Johnny, and finally David Hooten.

October 3, 1989: Grand Ole Opry member Del Wood passed away in Nashville after suffering a stroke several weeks later. Del, whose real name was Adelaide Hazelwood, came to the Opry in 1953 and was famous for her ragtime piano playing and her No. 1 hit 'Down Yonder." Much like others, with Del's passing the ragtime piano playing has disappeared from the Opry stage.

October 14, 1989: Holly Dunn became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Holly would remain an Opry member until she left the music business and moved to New Mexico to concentrate on her art work. Holly, who was not happy with her firing from the Opry, passed away from cancer in November 2016. And yes, she was fired.

October 28, 1989: Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music, celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Among those appearing on the televised portion that night to honor Bill, which was hosted by Grant Turner, were Emmylou Harris and Larry Cordle.

October 9, 1990: Garth Brooks became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Garth's 30th year as an Opry member, an honor that he considers one of the most important in his professional career. While Garth's Opry appearances have been few over the past several decades, he always brings excitement each time he appears on the Opry stage. As an additional note, Garth did not appear on the Opry to celebrate his 25th anniversary as a member, so perhaps this year he will be honored.

October 4, 1991: Diamond Rio made their first guest appearance on the Opry. 7 years later, in 1998, they would become Opry members.

October 19, 1991: Legendary Grand Ole Opry announcer Grant Turner passed away, just hours after announcing the Friday Night Opry. Grant was the dean of Opry announcers and started at WSM on D-Day in 1944. Over the years, he also hosted the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree and the Opry's warm-up show. Grant is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

October 24, 1991: Gaylord Entertainment Company, owners of WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, listed its stock on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time. Many have said that this is the event that started the downfall of the Opry as the company went public after years of private ownership, and the focus changed. From that point forward, decisions were made based on the effect on the bottom line of the company.

October 23, 1992: Roy Acuff made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. It was a Friday night show and Roy, in declining health, hosted his segment while sitting in a director's chair. He was scheduled for the following Saturday night, however he took a nap that afternoon and his family decided not to wake him. Days later he entered the hospital for what would be the final time.

October 14, 1996: Bob Whittaker, Vice President and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry was named President of the Grand Ole Opry Group of Gaylord Entertainment Company. He replaced Hal Durham, who was retiring.

October 15, 2000: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 75th birthday with four shows that weekend, including two on Saturday night that featured a majority of the Opry's members including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss. On a personal note, we attended the shows that weekend and they were probably the best, and had the strongest line-ups of any Opry show that I have attended.

October 17, 2002: Grand Ole Opry member Brother Oswald passed away. Beecher Ray Kirby first came to the Opry with Roy Acuff on January 1, 1939. After Roy's death in 1992, Brother Oswald was asked to become an Opry member, a well deserved honor in recognition of over 50 years already appearing on the Opry. Usually during his segment Oswald would perform his dobro with Charlie Collins on guitar.

October 4, 2003: The Grand Ole Opry is televised on Great American Country (GAC) for the first time, moving over after spending several years on Country Music Television (CMT).

October 25, 2003: Del McCoury became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Del's 17th year as an Opry member. Del, who usually appears on the weeknight shows, was formally inducted by Patty Loveless.

October 1, 2005: Dierks Bentley became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For Dierks, this will be year number 15 of Opry membership. Dierks, who is a former employee of The Nashville Network, made his Opry debut in April 2003. On the night of his induction, it was Porter Wagoner doing the honors.

October 15, 2005: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 80th birthday. Garth Brooks marked the occasion by coming out of retirement and joining Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner and Bill Anderson on stage. For Garth, it was his first Opry appearance in five years. Also on board that night was Garth's friend Steve Wariner.

October 9, 2007: Grand Ole Opry member Porter Wagoner made his final appearance during that night's Tuesday Night Opry. Porter was in declining health and would pass away several months later.

October 27, 2007: Josh Turner became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Josh's 13th year as a member of the Opry's cast. Josh had made numerous guest appearances on the Opry, performing his hit "Long Black Train." It was during one of those appearances that Roy Clark surprised Josh with an invitation to join the cast.

October 28, 2007: Grand Ole Opry legend Porter Wagoner passed away in Nashville at the age of 80. One of the most popular members in the history of the Opry, Porter had just celebrated his 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry several months before. Not only was he a great solo artist, but he made some great duets with Dolly Parton. Porter died as a result of lung cancer.

October 10, 2008: Longtime Grand Ole Opry member Ernie Ashworth made his final appearance on that evenings Friday Night Opry. Ernie, who passed away in March 2009, was an Opry member for over 40 years, joining the cast in March 1964.

October 11, 2008: Marshall Barnes passed away. To some of the more recent readers, the name may not mean much, but Marshall was a part of the Opry for many years, first with Cowboy Copas, and later with Grandpa Jones, Roy Acuff and Bill Carlisle. Marshall was a great bass singer who also played the fiddle and guitar.

October 25, 2008: Craig Morgan became a member of the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. Inducted by John Conlee, Craig will be celebrating 12 years as a member.

October 22, 2010: Blake Shelton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Blake's 10th year as an Opry member. Sadly, Blake has been very busy and seldom makes his way to the Opry.

October 8, 2011: During the Opry's 86th birthday celebration, Rascal Flatts were inducted as the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Among those on hand that night to welcome the group to the cast was Opry member Vince Gill. Earlier this year, Rascal Flatts announced that they would no longer be performing together after a final farewell tour, leading to questions regarding the future of their Opry membership.

October 16, 2012: Darius Rucker became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was surprised during a guest appearance by an audience member, who happened to be Brad Paisley, to come and join the cast. This will be his 8th year as an Opry member.

October 23, 2012: On what would have been the 100th birthday of Minnie Pearl, the Grand Ole Opry honored her memory with a special tribute show. Among those appearing that night were Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Pam Tillis and her dad, Mel.

October 3, 2014: During a guest appearance on the Friday Night Opry, Little Big Town was surprised when Reba McEntire walked out on stage during their performance to ask the group if they wished to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Of course, they said yes, and on October 17th, they were formally inducted. This will be their 6th year as Opry members.

October 17, 2015: Country music Hall of Fame member Merle Haggard made a surprise appearance on that night's Grand Ole Opry. Introduced by Connie Smith, it would be Merle's final appearance on the Opry.

October 24, 2015: Grand Ole Opry member Jan Howard made her last singing appearance on the Opry. Jan joined the Opry in March 1971 and continued as a member until her death earlier this year.

October 29, 2016: Luke Combs made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. While Luke did not make many future guest appearances, in 2019 he was invited to become an Opry member.

October 17, 2017: Chris Young became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Chris' 3rd year as an Opry member.

October 11, 2019: Garth Brooks introduced former President Jimmy Carter to the sold out audience at the Friday Night Opry. Jimmy, along with his wife Roslyn, was in Nashville as part of Habitat for Humanity.

October 12, 2019: Dolly Parton was honored upon her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. While the actual induction date was in January, it took until the October date for everything to be planed out. Dolly made her Opry debut in 1959, and then returned in 1967 as a part of Porter Wagoner's outfit.

October 3, 2020: For the 1st time since March, live audiences returned to the Grand Ole Opry House as the Opry celebrated its 95th birthday before an audience of 500. Opry members Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley were featured. 

Wow. There you have the highlights for this month.

Grand Ole Opry October 10th/95th Birthday Recap

I debated whether or not to go. I went and I am glad that I did. 

On Saturday night, the Grand Ole Opry once again, and for the first time since March, performed the show before a live audience. Granted, it was only for 500 fans in the 4,400 seat Grand Ole Opry House, and granted, it was just a one hour show that featured four of the Opry's members, and granted it was $125 for a ticket, but in the end, it was well worth it. 

Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley offered an entertaining hour of music, with Circle TV personality Natalie Stovall handling the introduction and announcing duties. While it was not like a normal Opry birthday show, the show did salute several Opry members who either have passed on (Roy Acuff, Skeeter Davis and Faron Young) or in the case of Barbara Mandrell, a retired Opry member. 

Inside the Opry House, all 500 were seated on the main floor and well spaced out. From my vantage point up front, it would appear that pretty much everyone stayed in their seats, as instructed, and kept their masks on. There were several health department representatives standing along the side walls and observing. In the lobby, all of the refreshment stands and bars were closed, and the seats in the lobby were taped off. The restrooms and Opry Shop were the only two locations open. 

When entering the Opry House, the entrance door was based on the seat location, with the normal front doors and side doors being used. Interesting observation was the removal of the door handles on the Opry House doors. The Circle Room was not open.

There was no evidence of any WSM announcers and there were no sponsors or commercials. When there were the TV breaks, Natalie, who was placed about two-thirds up in the audience, did promotions for Circle TV and the Opry. She also did the introduction prior to the show, going over the rules and regulations and pumping up the crowd. 

All of the Opry House employees, and there were enough of them, were happy, smiling and going out of their way to thank people for coming. There were many new faces that I hadn't seen before.

Everyone attending received a free commemorative poster and they did actually print a program for the night. 

I have not watched the TV replay of the show as of yet, but when the cast was doing the finale, the big video screen on stage offered a montage of all of the Opry's members, which I thought was a very nice touch. After the show ended, Terri Clark and Natalie Stovall did a 30 minute segment for Circle TV. Natalie interviewed Terri and she sang two songs. It would appear that most of those who attended the Opry show stayed for the extra segment. When the show ended, they dismissed the audience row by row, and directed you toward a specific aisle and exit door. Nicely done again to help with social distancing.

The only concern was outside and getting into the building, Even with multiple entrances, there was a backlog as only two security points were open at the main doors, and there were two tour groups that arrived at once. The doors did not open until 6:30, 30 minutes before show time. I think going forward they might want to look at getting people in sooner.

Will I attend again? Probably not until the Opry gets back to a normal show. $125 and $75 is a pretty stiff price for a one hour show with three-to-five acts that can be watched for free on TV, or on the various Circle internet sites. While I am sure this format will work for the month of October, I cannot see it sustaining itself, especially if the Opry is unable to book the bigger names that the casual Opry fans expect to see. 

So in the end, why did a go? Several reasons. First, I missed the Opry and live music. Secondly, I am not sure how long the Opry will be able to continue these abbreviated shows, much less get back to a normal, 2+hour show. I know they are hoping to expand in November, but who really knows when it could all be shut down again. Third, I felt it was one of those "can't miss" events that has helped to define the Opry over the years. Finally, I felt that the Opry would do everything possible to make it a safe event, which I felt that they did. 

My hats off to Dan Rogers and everyone at the Opry for their continued work and commitment on keeping the show going. And congratulations to the Grand Ole Opry upon its 95th birthday. The Opry continues to show that the circle cannot be broken. 

Here is the recap as printed in the Tennessean: 

On his song, "Night Train to Memphis," Roy Acuff sang about a man speeding down the tracks, impatiently waiting to reunite with his love.

It was an inspired choice for Vince Gill to sing that song as he opened up Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show. There was another long-awaited reunion taking place that night — between the Opry and a live, in-person audience. 

After nearly seven months, country music fans once again sat in the stands of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House.

Since the coronavirus first transformed Nashville gatherings back in March, the Opry has broadcast and streamed a weekly show from an an empty venue. On Saturday, the Opry House brought in a limited audience of 500 — all masked and socially distanced in groups. 

"What's that noise?" Gill joked, as the crowd cheered for his opening number.

Gill told them he had just done an interview backstage, and someone asked him, "What's it going to be like tonight?"

"I said it's gonna be like having a conversation again. That's what happens when you stand up here and sing a song, and somebody listens and responds. It's like having a great conversation. It's just beautiful to hear that kind of conversation coming back. Thank you for that."

On Saturday's show, Gill and the Opry's masked house band were joined by three other country stars: Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark and Lorrie Morgan. 

Returning to the Opry with a audience was "another dream come true" for Morgan, who sang "Something In Red" and Skeeter Davis' "End Of The World." Every performer picked at least one classic country song to sing, as Saturday's show was also the kickoff of the Opry's monthlong 95th birthday celebration.

Clark's selection was Barbara Mandrell's "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," alongside her own "Better Things To Do." She flashed back to playing one of the first no-audience shows at the Opry House in April, which was "haunting." But Saturday's audience, she said, was "kind of a part of history."

"These types of things are just so heartwarming, and I love seeing you all out there being safe, and wearing your masks, and being here with us tonight."

Dierks Bentley looked up to the mezzanine and smiled as he and his band launched into "Burning Man." For his Opry member tribute, he chose Faron Young's "Going Steady," which he said he used to sing on Nashville's Lower Broadway.

Against all conventional wisdom, he joked, Gill ended up playing three songs at Saturday's show that he'd never sung before. That included a touching, solo acoustic rendition of "In The Ghetto," the Elvis Presley hit written by Mac Davis, who died Tuesday at age 78. 

The one-hour broadcast concluded with a song nearly as old at the Opry itself: The Carter Family's reworked version of the hymn "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," which has become country music (and the Opry's) eternal theme song.

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Looking at the line-up for the show this Saturday night, which will be televised by Circle TV, Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely returns to the Opry stage. Jeannie, who recently turned 80 and marked her 53rd year as an Opry member, also has released a new album of wonderful music with several guest artists. 

Also appearing will be Opry member Josh Turner, frequent guest (and possible future Opry member) Carly Pearce, and making his Grand Ole Opry debut, Niko Moon. 

Each show in October has a theme that relates to the 95th anniversary of the Opry, and the theme for this show is Opry duets and Opry firsts. 

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Niko Moon, who was originally scheduled to make his Opry debut on April 14, is from Tyler, Texas, where he was born the son of a truck driver and a waitress at a Chinese restaurant. His father gave up an opportunity to tour as a drummer when he found out Niko was on the way, but music remained a significant part of the family’s personality.

“Both of my parents are songwriters,” he says. “They’re not professional, but they love to do it. Some of my first memories in life were crawling into the living room and watching them write a song together on guitar, sitting Indian-style on the floor.”

When Niko was 10, his mom picked up a job with a temporary staffing company in Douglasville, and it was in the new location that Niko took up music on his own. When Dad was away, Niko routinely snuck a guitar out of the closet and learned to play left-handed on the standard, right-handed instrument.

He immediately started writing songs, unwittingly establishing his future path. His first experience as a band member came playing rudimentary bass for a local punk group. And when his prowess in cross country brought a full-ride athletic scholarship at Samford University in Alabama, he used the opportunity to focus his studies on music, a pursuit he felt gave him the best chance to make a difference.

He skipped classes routinely to write songs, drove back frequently to Douglasville and left school after a year. He needed money, so he jumped into construction work, a whole series of jobs that concluded with Moon successfully running his own real estate appraisal company. But the music bug continued to bite, and he started playing in bars. When an Atlanta booking agent offered him $200 a night, and allowed him to mix his original music in with covers songs, it was a no-brainer. Moon took the gig – loved it – and fortuitously bumped into another Atlanta musician, Zac Brown, who hadn’t yet taken his band to the national level.

The two began co-writing, and Moon became a regular collaborator, credited on five #1 Zac Brown Band hits: “Loving You Easy,” “Homegrown,” “Beautiful Drug” and “Keep Me In Mind” – plus “Heavy Is The Head,” which topped the rock charts with Chris Cornell singing lead.

That project coincided with a move to Nashville, where Moon’s creative sphere widened further. His wife, Anna Moon, snagged a pop deal with Monument, and Niko expanded his co-writing work, landing a Rascal Flatts single, “Back To Life,” and supporting reggae/hip-hop artist Michael Franti as a co-writer and producer. During the work on Franti’s Stay Human, Vol. II, Moon’s personal journey reached a tipping point, inspiring him to make his own artistic statement. He enlisted Anna and a longtime friend, guitarist/producer Josh Murty (Luis Fonsi, Brandon Heath), to co-write what became 

Some of country’s prominent movers and shakers bought into Moon’s artistic story right away. Already signed to Warner/Chappell, he landed a booking deal with the Creative Artists Agency, and secured Luke Combs’ partners, Lynn Oliver-Cline and Chris Kappy, as his managers. Sony Music Nashville – his first choice for a label – signed Moon within a week of an audition in chairman/CEO Randy Goodman’s office.

With some of Nashville’s strongest business players are on board with an artful singer/songwriter breaking down barriers between two musical worlds that once seemed so separate. Moon’s Good Time is a reflection of country’s new order in the 21st century, a culture of fluid genres and wider tastes.

“We were listening to country and hip-hop all at the same time and we were constantly flipping back and forth,” Moon says of his own good-timin’ musical heritage. “I really wanted to figure out how to mix those two worlds together in a way that felt really authentic and genuine to who I am. And to everyone else who grew up the same way.”

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And now, from 50 years ago, Saturday October 10, 1970:

1st show
6:30: Roy Drusky (host); Skeeter Willis; Harold Weakley
6:45: Bobby Lord (host); Mel Tillis; Stu Phillips
7:00: Roy Acuff (host); Earl Scruggs Revue; Archie Campbell; The Four Guys
7:30: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Bob Luman; Crook Brothers
8:00: Lester Flatt (host); Skeeter Davis; Charlie Walker
8:30: Hank Snow (host); Tex Ritter; Minnie Pearl; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Marion Worth

2nd show
9:30: Roy Drusky (host); Skeeter Willis; Stu Phillips
10:00: Bobby Lord (host); Earl Scruggs Revue
10:15: Roy Acuff (host); Tex Ritter; Archie Campbell; Lorene Mann
10:30: Lester Flatt (host); Charlie Walker; The Four Guys
10:45: Porter Wagoner (host); Dolly Parton; Crook Brothers
11:00: Hank Snow (host); Skeeter Davis; Fruit Jar Drinkers; Sam McGee
11:30: Wilburn Brothers (host); Marion Worth; Skeeter Davis
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On October 10, 1987, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 62nd birthday. The first show that night was highlighted by an appearance by Glen Campbell. Here is the running order from that night:

1st show
6:30: Bonanza
Del Reeves (host): Two Dollars in the Jukebox/A Dime at a Time/Looking at the World Thru a Windshield
The Four Guys: Once More
Del Reeves: I Wish I had Loved Her That Way

6:45: Rudy's
Jimmy C Newman (host): Cajun's Dream
Lorrie Morgan: There's No Love in Tennessee
Jimmy C Newman: Pistol Packin' Mama

7:00: Shoney's
Jim Ed Brown (host): Fools
Jean Shepard: Second Fiddle
Charlie Louvin and Jennifer O'Brien: Everytime You Leave
George Hamilton IV: Someday My Ship Will Sail
Jan Howard: Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye
Jim Ed Brown: I Don't Want to Have to Marry You

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Stonewall Jackson: Closer to the Vine
Del Wood: Down Yonder
Glen Campbell: The Hand that Rocked the Cradle/I Remember You
Roy Acuff and The Opry Cast: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry
Roy Acuff, Glen Campbell and the Opry Cast: I Saw the Light

8:00: Martha White
Bill Monroe (host): My Rose of Old Kentucky/Blue Moon of Kentucky
Connie Smith: The Keys in the Mailbox
Riders In The Sky: Faded Love
The Whites: If It Ain't Love
Crook Brothers and the Melvin Sloan Dancers: Lafayette
Bill Monroe: Lord, Let the Gates Swing Wide for Me

8:30: Music Valley Drive
Hank Snow (host): Between Fire & Water
Skeeter Davis: My Last Date with You/Silver Threads and Golden Needles/The End of the World
Roy Drusky: The Moon is still Over Her Shoulders
Jack Greene: Statue of a Fool
Bill Carlisle: Worried Man Blues
Hank Snow: I'm Glad I Got to See You Once Again

2nd show
9:30: Dollar General
Bill Monroe (host): Uncle Pen
Jeannie Seely: That May Be All I Need to Know
Del Reeves: The Chair That Rocked Us All
The Whites: Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Jimmy C Newman: Big Mamou
Bill Monroe: The Home Above

10:00: Little Debbie
Jim Ed Brown (host): Pop A Top
The Four Guys: Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes
Jim Ed Brown: The 3 Bells

10:15: Sunbeam
Roy Acuff (host): Meeting in the Air
Wilma Lee Cooper: I Dreamed About Mama Last Night
Roy Acuff and The Opry Cast: Happy Birthday Grand Ole Opry
Roy Acuff: I'll Fly Away

10:30: Pet Milk
George Hamilton IV (host): Break My Mind
Jean Shepard: I'll Sail My Ship Alone
George Hamilton IV: Forever Young

10:45: Heil Quaker
Jack Greene (host): Walking on New Grass
Charlie Walker: Deep Water
Crook Brothers and the Melvin Sloan Dancers: Sally Goodin
Jack Greene: There Goes My Everything

11:00: Coca Cola
Hank Snow (host): Why Do You Punish Me
Connie Smith: Once A Day
Charlie Louvin: True Love
Jan Howard: Release Me
Justin Tubb: Thanks Troubadour, Thanks
Hank Snow: I Care No More

11:30: B.C. Powder
Roy Drusky (host): Too Old to Die Young
Skeeter Davis: The End of the World
Bill Carlisle: Elvira
Riders In The Sky: Back on Those Texas Plains
Roy Drusky and Riders In The Sky: Cool Water
Roy Drusky: Just A Closer Walk with Thee

One final note: Still no word as to Rhonda Vincent's induction date. I am guessing they are probably waiting for a full audience show so that they can do it properly, and of course, with social distancing, it would be hard for other artists to interact with Rhonda. 

There you have it for this week. As always, thanks for reading and commenting and I hope everyone enjoys the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night. 

Final thought: Prayers for Stonewall Jackson