Talk:Grand Ole Opry
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i would like to see donie neal get invited back t the grand ole opry-- In this case, WSM does not stand for World Socialist Movement.
Not sure when the above was posted, but I agree that the two WSM meanings are, to say the least, unconnected! :-) So I put a disambiguation page there and created WSM Radio for the station. The World Socialist Movement remains where it was, but with the radio paragraph removed. RivGuySC 04:30, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
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[edit] History
After Uncle Jimmy, two bands, The Possum Hunters and the Fruit Jar Drinkers, along with the Crook brothers and the Gulley Jumpers got the Barn Dance of to its start in 1925. Uncle Dave did not come on the scene until early 1928. Judge Hay was on tour with the Fruit Jar Drinker in Pennsylvania, late 1926 when they saw Uncle Dave during one of his vaudeville tours and the Judge asked him to join the BarnDance when he finished his tour. My father was one of the Fruit Jar Drinkers. The four bands always maintained their own time slot until their demise. All of this is in Judge Hay's book. - 65.7.67.178 20:28, 10 July 2005
Here is some history for you as I have studied it for twenty two years and have the only copies of everyone that appeared in the Nashville Tennesseean from 1925 to 1940 on each show listing for the Opry each Satruday night.
Uncle Dave Macon appeared for the first time on the Opry April 12, 1926 - the Crook Brothers came on the scene in June of 1926 and the Fruit Jar Drinkers existed before they were given the name in 1928 (starting as an unorganized group of people that changed band members alot beginning in 1926). Dr. Humphrey Bates (died June 12, 1936, the night before the Opry moved into the Hillsboro Theatre) and His Possum Hunters were a very large part of the Opry's beginnings, performing for the first time on a Wednesday night as a fill in for some space they had in October, 1925 (before the WSM Barn Dance got its start in November 28, 1925). Judge George D Hay started naming the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night December 10, 1927, and that fact is brought out in the Nashville Tennesseean radio listing for Sunday December 11, 1925, which lists the coming week's radio shows that were to be broadcasted for the next six days, clearly naming the WSM Barn Dance "Grand Ol' Opry" for the first time). The possum Huinters and The Gully Jumpers were no longer named on the Opry roster after 1964, when as lot of the band members were pared down from four to two. The Fruit Jar Drinkers lasted into 1982 (and were gone with the death of Hubert Gregory and Kirk McGee), the Crook Brothers lasted right up to the time of the loss of Herman Crook in 1989. They were with the Opry longer than any of the string bands from the beginning era.
Uncle Jimmy, the man on whom the WSM Barn dance started, died on February 17, 1931. He is buried out in LaGauirdo, TN (between Gallatin and Mt. Juliet, TN)where his home still stands to this day.
opryman65@yahoo.com Richard W May 14, 2007
[edit] Opry members
I'm planning on creating a category for Grand Ole Opry members. Thoughts? -- Dave C.talk | Esperanza 07:03, 13 September 2005 (UTC)
Well, it certainly sounds like a good idea to me. KevinJRussell 23:46, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Elvis paragraph
Nice compromise guys. I like it. Kaldari 15:58, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
--70'S-80's CONDITION OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY--
Your summation of Grand Ole Opry history is grossly in error: it was not in decline during the 1970's - 1980's.
During a 5 year period in the 1970's I performed regularly on the Opry in the bands of Tom T Hall, Tex Ritter and Marty Robbins.
The Opry's 3 weekly (except Dec/Jan) performances at the Rhyman Auditorium were constantly sold out, and it's summer schedule sold out months in advance. It is impossible to label a constantly sold out weekly event as 'in decline.'
The same held true--even with inflated ticket prices that continued to rise--after the Opry moved to the Briley Parkway theme park location, and it's popularity remained constant throughout the 80's and 90's.
However, many of my fellow music industry pro's and I believe the Opry is currently in decline (check out the weekly attendance) due to greed of the parent company plus a degradation of the show's artist roster--far too many questionable 'flavor-of-the-week' artists who have little or no connection to Country Music.
By the way, use of the letters 'W-S-M' came about because WSM Radio's owner in 1925 was a large insurance company with the slogan 'We Shield Millions.'
Tom Wilkerson, Pres., InMusiCo/AcoustiWorks, Nashville TN ... 7/7/06
[edit] MOTAB
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "Music and the Spoken Word" is often cited as the oldest continuously broadcast network program on the air. How is that different from the Grand Ole Opry? Does anyone know? Wuapinmon 19:13, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Opry TV?
How about a discussion of the television series that originated from the Grand Ole Opry, including the one broadcast on TNN and CMT? B.Wind 06:14, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] List of members
The list of members is huge. Since there is Category:Grand Ole Opry members, perhaps it would be better to make sure everyone listed in this article is actually in the category then replace the list with a link to the category? I'll probably start doing this in the next couple of days, but since there's so many I'd appreciate some help. Adam McMaster 20:58, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Doyle Dykes
If I'm right, Doyle Dykes is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I don't want to just add him, though, because I'm not positive and I have no idea where to verify something like that. Anyone know? KevinJRussell 23:46, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Bobbejaan (Bobby John) at the Opry 1953
Hi, my father Bobbejaan Schoepen (81 now) gave some performances at the Opry in 1953 (presented by Roy Acuff at the time). Is there any direct contact address to the archives (which ones?) so we can verify if there are some video or audio recordings left? I contacted Opry website but no answer so far. Peeper 15:01, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Advertisement much?
"In September 2004, it was announced that the Grand Ole Opry had contracted for the first time with a "presenting sponsor" and would henceforth be known as "the Grand Ole Opry presented by Cracker Barrel." Cracker Barrel, a long-time Opry sponsor headquartered in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee, is a chain of country-themed restaurants and gift shops whose market overlaps with that of the Opry to a great extent. Show Choir Nationals is held every year at the Grand Ole Opry Stage."
To me that sounds like blatant advertising. 86.135.252.102 (talk) 01:55, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
- I'm not so sure, but feel free to re-word it. Adam McMaster (talk) 09:29, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
