"Too Old For The Grand Ole Opry"

James Heady · Post by **James Heady** » 27 Apr 2007 7:08 am

Has anybody see the artical in the April,2007 of the AARP newsletter on page 10?.. Stonewall Jackson is sueing the Opry for discrimination. He says that they won`t let him on the Opry because he`s to old. I quote what Peter Fisher told him.." I don`t want any grey hairs on that stage or in the audience". WHAT?? Is he out of his mind saying that? 90% of the opry audiece is made up of older people wanting the older 60-80s country music. Is this what our Opry and country music is going to end up like. I got some tickets on line last feb. for the show at the ryman. I was not asked if my hair was turning grey or not (which it is) I quess I`m lucky they did`t kick me out when I got there. I can`t beleive that the Opry is turning into a younger (20-40) year group only with the modern YAH-YAH-YAH one chord songs that drive you nuts. What is your comments on this change in country music and the way older players/ listeners are treated?......James Heady

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 27 Apr 2007 12:29 pm

It's Crazy I Think. SONNY.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 27 Apr 2007 3:01 pm

Who cares about the Grand Ole Opry? It's not the be all and end all of country music.

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 27 Apr 2007 3:38 pm

You know what would get those people that run the GOP real quick? For everyone who loves true Country Music to BOYCOTT THEM!!!!!!!! I think they would look at things in a whole different light, all it takes is a little attitude adjustment!

Gene[/b]

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 27 Apr 2007 5:35 pm

I saw a segment on the ABC evening news today about how baby boomers control and spend 70% of the cash in the U.S. It went on to say that companies are starting to aggressively target this age group because of the buying power they have. Hmmm, you would think the way "country" music is marketed, this segment of the population didn't even exist. Or maybe the folks in charge don't watch the evening news.

Ken

James Heady · Post by **James Heady** » 28 Apr 2007 4:12 am

Yes Ken, I think you hit the nail right on the head. Country music as we know and like is slowly being pushed aside for the more modern style country. It`s to bad that the Opry does`nt keep the traditional style with more jones and merril. Leslie Ehrlichs reply of "who cares about the Opry" shows where the country sound is headed. The good old sound of a steel guitar is being replaced with seeing how weird and distorted you can make it sound by going through pre-amps. The younger generation (70%) spends the money on that....jim

Larry Sewell · Post by **Larry Sewell** » 28 Apr 2007 5:03 pm

If you notice, the camera's pan-out and all you see are young couples and teenie-bobbers lip sinking. You probably can't get a ticket for the first 3 or 4 rows unless your under 20 years old. There are older folks their but the camera's only focus on the young.
It's not hard to see where there going.
Stonewall is not the only one put out to pasture.
I don't see Jimmy Capps, Hoot Hester, Leon McCullife and others.
Have you noticed? You can barely hear Tommy White.
The whole sound system stinks,(sometimes the music is over the singer, other times you can't harderly hear the steel rides).
Also, it bugs the h--l out of me when the cameraman
can't figure who doing the ride, he focusing on the
piano when the fiddle or steel is playing.
I'd rather watch Midwestern Country and reruns on RFD
Larry

John Coffman · Post by **John Coffman** » 28 Apr 2007 6:13 pm

I have been to the Opry many times and the last time was May 2005. Even then you could see many changes taking place. I enjoy the N Palace, Station Inn, Legends, Toostie and the ET Jam as well as any opry show these days. I do feel sad that the legends that have spent there heart and soul making the opry a huge success over the years see it go in the toilet. I wish Stonewall the best. AARP is a great organization and they could place a huge choke hold on the opry if they wanted to. Most 12-25 year olds do not have money to go to Nashville and fill all those seats. Its the 35-99 that buy the tickets and keep the doors open. GOO better wake up or they may be gone also. On a good note many local Opry's have given us some get shows to enjoy. I for one will not be back to the GOO until they have changed. Branson has become one of my farovite places to enjoy good music at fair prices.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 28 Apr 2007 8:04 pm

James Heady wrote:how weird and distorted you can make it sound

Jim, you hit the nail on the head. That's exactly how I like to play steel. I grew up listening to country music (old country with lots of steel, that is), but that's not the direction I want to go. This is not to say that steel guitar oriented country music is on the way out. It'll always be around, but we can't count on the Grand Ole Opry to deliver it to us.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 29 Apr 2007 5:06 am

As each year goes by the Opry gets older. The members have not found a way to get younger.By that I mean to be able to continue for 20 more years. The problem is to replace the ones who no longer can go on with others that have the same desire and music style, willing to fore-go mega bucks for Union scale and Opry promises. Country music won't die,although some have tried to bury it alive.("a song I wrote"). There is just too much past great music history out there that Legends have provided....Thanks to Steel shows we can usually get our fills ,reminise with musicians who made that history. We don't have to change but the music has too because the fan base is getting smaller for what we grew up with. As long as some of us can continue to be ourselves there is something for us out there we can go back to....But music changes and it always has to with the ever changing audiences. It would be nice to see the Grand Ole Opry last forever,Forevers a long time that none of us can hang on too. But the History that has been made will last forever. Good music last forever. It's just us that don't.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 29 Apr 2007 6:16 pm

Well the solution is right under Gaylord's nose and they don't get it. Make Eddie Stubbs Opry manager.
He already works for them, has excellent raport with the cast, knows the music inside out, and could bring
new acts on board who have knowledge and respect for what real country music means. It would also sweep aside the bad image Pete Fisher is giving them both inside and outside the Opry community.

Kevin Lange · Post by **Kevin Lange** » 30 Apr 2007 6:31 am

Clyde -

That is the best idea I've heard in a long time. It makes perfect sense. That's also why it probably won't happen.

Kevin

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 30 Apr 2007 10:25 am

The NOT SO GRAND OPRY is becoming a rock and roll show ,no doubt about it,Blazing,distorted Les Paul's,stacks of keyboards,artistsThat could not sing on key if their life depended on it,dressed in dirty tanks and ripped jeans,unshavened,looking more like outlaw biker gang members than entertainers,and this is supposed to be country music?NOPE DON'T THINK SO.

James Heady · Post by **James Heady** » 30 Apr 2007 3:21 pm

I am glad to see all the responce to my article. I think all of us know what direction country music is going. I`m like others who turn on the opry sat. nite then change it to RFD TV. We all have known for a long time that this was getting worse every year. I guess what really ticks me off is what Peter Fisher said about "no gray hair" at the opry. On stage or in the audience. That was totally uncalled for and he should be fired for such remarks. Just because him and the younger generation likes the style that country music is going gives him no right to degrade the older population that loves the JONES & HAG.....Thanks for your input.....Jim

John Coffman · Post by **John Coffman** » 30 Apr 2007 5:44 pm

I'll vote for Eddie. Super great guy and he does know his music and history.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 1 May 2007 12:58 pm

Just wondering dept. Do any of you actually listen to the Opry or do you just watch the 1 hour portion on TV? That was a problem with me until I started listening on the web. The Opry still features about 75% of the members. The TV portion brings in whats drawing today. We may not like it certainly but are the remaining members strong enough to hold a TV audience each week with what worked for them through the years?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 May 2007 5:16 pm

Stonewall is not the only one put out to pasture. I don't see Jimmy Capps, Hoot Hester, Leon McCullife and others.

Um... I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you don't hear Leon McAuliffe on the Opry anymore not because of his age, but because he passed away several years ago. (Of course, the two factors were probably related...)

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 1 May 2007 6:45 pm

I believe he meant Leon Rhodes, who was canned along
with Joe Edwards and some others. As far as I know, Jimmy Capps is still there. I heard George Hamilton
IV call his name on a solo a few weeks back. Agreed,
the radio portion is mainly traditional.

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 13 May 2007 11:55 am

So now Mel Tillis will be the next OPRY member.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 14 May 2007 5:33 pm

Nice to hear Mel is going to be a regular. Now they should talk to Gene Watson, Janie Frickie ect

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 23 May 2007 7:35 am

The last few times I watched the Opry, the best performer on it was Tommy White and not much of him. For my taste there is not near enough steel guitar. Tommy is the only reason I even try to watch the Opry when I can find it on TV. Waiting for him to play the few notes they allow him to.

Bowie Martin · Post by **Bowie Martin** » 23 May 2007 4:38 pm

Clyde has the solution...Clyde has a way with words.
Recently I was talking to him about a club owner that is getting into trouble - had a gold mine..catering to 40-up age group...Then decided he wanted a younger crowd.. so has succeeded in running the more Mature (older) crowd off, but still can not get a younger crowd. Clyde told me "There is no educational requirement for a club owners license, nor minimum IQ requirement." The same might be said of the GOO - but look at the difference in the dollars involved!!!!

J. Dean Mooney · Post by **J. Dean Mooney** » 1 Jun 2007 8:45 pm

In my opion they should put all the guys that made good country music down at the Ryman and these acts that are not country but calls themself country at the newest place and see which last the longest. It's like the one fellow said the younger people won't fill the seats.
Thanks

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 3 Jun 2007 7:06 am

There have ben several good comments about the Opry here. Larry Sewell and I see alike on this subject. I have murmered and complained about the Opry today and do not even watch it anymore. Tommy White would be the only reason I would watch it on a regular basis. Maybe putting the oldtimers at the Ryman would be a good idea, but it is all about money and the management will not do it. Today the music has changed as well as the way people dress. If Roy Acuff could see the Opry today he would be cleaning house. Those that have gone on would be so disappointed in the Opry today if they could see what it has become. Like Larry said, I would rather watch RFD and see the old television shows when they played some good music.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 3 Jun 2007 8:40 am

Op'ry aside for a moment....When was the last time you saw grey hairs within the audience of the OPRAH show or Dr. Phil ? I'm not talking about a guest, the GENERAL audience. When the cameras pan into the audience, the TV viewer sees ONLY the young and glamorous hooting and holloring as Oprah ( who will soon be a senior herself ), makes her appearance.

Oh well, tho' he's been dead for many years, we can still see grey hairs in the Lawrence Welk audience !

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