The Steel Guitar Forum

In regards the NBC Grand Ole Opry 95 years celebration special, I did play/tape/record 3 songs with Lady A. They were most respectful, kind and showed high reverence to me and the Grand Ole Opry. They certainly deserved the spot and induction to the Grand Ole Opry.
In regards to who the steel players were in 1995 at the Grand Ole Opry, I wasn't there so , I wouldn't know.
I became the Grand Ole Opry staff steel guitarist in April 1998. It was an amazing time for me. Long time staff steel guitarist of 26 years and hero Weldon Myrick decided to retire from the Grand Ole Opry and gave me his blessing as his replacement.
Weldon and I had been friends since I was 11 years old in 1971. He was always encouraging and nurturing. I’m very grateful for my friendship with Weldon Myrick, may he be remembered as one of the greats and innovators of the instrument.

So since this thread has taken a couple of turns let me go slightly off topic in a related direction. Maybe Tommy White or others can answer my question.

When did the GOO first come to have an official “staff band”. My understanding was that the tradition in the 1960’s, maybe before and maybe sometime later, the situation was pretty lose and informal. Lots of guys showed up and played spots with whatever artist wanted them. Then somewhere along the way, an official staff band was formed to back the artists without bands.

Maybe the first official staff band was the group that included, Harmon, Linneman, the Davis’s, Spider, Leon, Capps, Sonny, Hal, Weldon, Joe, etc. I don’t know. When?

Who has the facts?

It's the Opry--and always has been. Please don't call it GOO.

Go get a Goo Goo they're good!

Apologies to Paul Awalt and everybody for going off-topic. Also, I corrected errors in my previous reply to this post. Re: Bill Cunningham's question when was the Opry Staff Band formed? I will try to answer his question in a new post. Needless to say, all the staff steel players over the years have been as good as it gets. There is something special about hearing them on a car radio, Hal, Weldon, and Sonny back in the day and Tommy White today.

No Apologies needed. This mutation was a healthy one for my lack knowledge of the Grand Old Opry in general. I even got a inside emailed about Weldon's history from his closest source.

This is to follow up on Bill Cunningham and Paul Awalt's info on the Opry Staff band's formation and repeats a lot of what they wrote. The Opry Staff Band was formed in 1974 by Opry manager Bud Wendell and was probably in place when the Opry moved from the Ryman to the Grand Ole Opry House Saturday, March 14, 1974.

The lineup was: Spider Wilson, Leon Rhodes, and Jimmy Capps; guitar (Leon also on tic tac), Ralph Davis: rhythm guitar, Weldon Myrick, Hal Rugg, and Sonny Burnette: steel guitar, Joe Edwards: fiddle (plus guitar with Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Bill Carlisle and Grandpa Jones), Jerry Whitehurst: piano, Billy Linneman: bass, Harold Weakley & Glen Davis drums.

Roy Husky, Jr. would sub for Linneman. Later on, Tim Atwood would help Whitehurst out and eventually take over the piano chair when Whitehurst left to become leader on several country music show TV shows. Buddy Harmon came on after Harold Weakley died, July 25, 1990. Harold's wife, Willie Ann, was Hattie "Tootsie" Bess's daughter. Spider Wilson became a fixture on just about every country music television show produced out of Nashville 50s-80s. After Bud Issacs played steel on Webb Pierce's "Slowly," Sonny Burnette played on the rest of Pierce's 50's classic hits starting in April. Webb’s “I'm Tired" is worth revisiting. Sonny is a fixture on the "Stars of The Grand Ole Opry," color films from the '50s playing a Bigsby.

The sight and sound of Spider, Capps, and Leon playing triple guitars behind Charlie Walker singing a Texas shuffle is unforgettable. When rock stars would visit backstage at the Opry, their first stop would not be Acuff. It would be Leon. The backstage practical jokes from this crew are legendary and have been retold and retold many times down through the years.

March 16, 1974, is well documented because it was the night Nixon visited the Opry. The Nashville Tennessean published these photos from that night, and several staff band members are visible. The 1975 movie "Nashville" also has a brief clip of the Opry, likely shot in 1974, with Sonny, Hal, and Weldon playing triple steels.

https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gall ... 4/5296303/

Billy Linneman (over piano) / Jerry Whitehurst (over Nixon's head), Harold Weakley (snare) / Leon Rhodes" tic tac, Joe Edwards: fiddle. Can anyone ID the other two musicians in Opry jackets behind Leon and Joe. The musician to the left of Leon is playing a Stratocaster.



Here are two stills from the movie: "Nashville"

Ryman Auditorium, 1974, probably pre-staff band: far (left yellow) jacket: Hairl Hensley: announcer / Jerry Whitehurst: piano / Ralph Davis: acoustic / Steve Chapman: tic tac / Harold Weakley: drums / Jimmy Capps: guitar / Weldon Myrick: steel / Sonny Burnette: steel



Weldon and Capps, 1974, Grand Ole Opry house, setting a time to meet at the Waffle House on McGavock.

That looks like Haven Hamilton at the microphone.

Just a 'Thanks' for this wealth of information on the Grand Ole Opry. Awesome stuff!

Thanks Robert!