The Steel Guitar Forum

Keith Bilbrey, one of the great WSM/AM announcers and Grand Ole Opry announcer,after serving 34 yrs with WSM, was relieved of his duties yesterday afternoon from the radio station that he has loved his entire life. This also includes being the announcer on The Grand Ole Opry. The station assured him that he had done nothing to provoke this, it was that they are doing away with the midday show..it will be strictly voice tracked.

WTH is going on???

Wow that's really sad. He's one of the great one's.

I hate to hear this news. Wonder if Eddie Stubbs will be cut next?

I would venture to say that it has something to do with the youth movement. Jody.

Sorry to hear about Keith. I have listened to him many times on the Grand ole Opry. But these day's you never know, which brings up the point what happened to Eddie Kilroy on Willie's station? (XM)
haven't heard him lately.

They'll probably replace Keith with somebody like Kid Rock. Keith was one of the good ones.

Keith is a great guy! This is the stupidest move that has been made around that place for quite a long time! Why the h––– didn't they just reassign him to something else? He deserves much better than this! They are a bunch of worms!

This is one more reason the dial old Willies Place in on XM, home of real country music. Ch 13. Fred

Is there no end to the stupidity at Opry management/mismanagement?
Fred

Gaylord wanted to dump the "country" format at WSM several years ago, and even at one point was considering selling it. If that would have happened the DJ staff would have been gone then.

It's sad to see the core staff being dismantled at any station but sadly it happens all the time.

Bernie Waldon went through that when the station in Indianapolis he was working at changed from country to a pop format. Bernie said he lasted two weeks only because he wife knew the pop format and would pull his records and then he was gone as he didn't know anything about the new format.

I saw this coming a few years back with GOO
this new counrty thing.....calling it country
when it is clearly not....
its a sad thing when good hard working caring folks
are just thrown to the dogs im sorry to hear this about Keith...
it seems the world is going nuts over youth
and looks over talent....look at the steel players who have lost there jobs because they were A LITTLE OLD.....May the good Lord take care of all the folks who have lost there jobs not only in nashville but around the world Mike

As Eddie Stubbs pointed out, Keith Bilbrey was the only deejay live on the air when the killer tornados hit Nashville last year, and he got calls from people saying his warnings led them to take cover and may have saved their lives. As far as Stubbs knows, no other stations were running live weather reports.

Oh man this is such a depressing story and I feel so sad for Keith (what a great talent) but I'm hoping with his talent he will land on his feet with another big country station possibly some place with Gaylord or just being a DJ which is his true love at a nice big station around the country there are still more of them than most of us realize although it would likely mean an uprooting and a big move.

I don't know exactly what Keith's age is or naturally his financial status but possibly he could turn these sour lemons into lemon-aid and retire and play golf and fish at least I hoping

Now I'm going to try to make a point that may not be to popular with a lot of us History has repeated itself over and over throughout the life of our world. This kind of movement is nothing new and has happened at least 2 times in my lifetime. I consider myself on the brink of being an "old Fart" and in my mind I've already made the switch to "Old fartness" like thinking LOL.

Although when I hear news like this it makes me want to get completely upset and throw a fit but when I calm down I know it's a natural process sometimes called "the passing of the torch"

What bothers me in this particular story which I don't profess to know any of the particulars but if he was just let go with no nice severance package and a nice send off with lots of warning then I think the person in charge of his being "let go" is a very cold hearted as well as mean spirited also having a black heart and just generally not a nice person. Maybe later I'll get the nerve to tell how I really feel hehehe!

With all of that being said I think we can look very unhappily to see much more of these kind of happenings in the next 5 to 10 years or at least as long as it takes them to thin the herd of older cows and bulls from the herd and bring in younger and more (what the company refers to as) more age appropriate and energetic employess! I think the real reason is for the company to cut lose the older employees that have been there long enough to accrue some very healthy salaries along with some very nice and costly health and other benefit packages if you get my drift!

Bob

As many of you already know, the same thing happened to me December 1st at WZTV in Nashville. This was after almost 13 years of service with the station. Mine was part of a mass layoff with 12 other employees. Like in Keith's case, I was also told that I had done nothing wrong. It was simply that the company had to make job cuts to survive economically, and I was one of the people they had to let go. My pride was hurt badly at the time because I busted my ass for that station. When I would think about all the holidays and weekends I worked and all the crap I put up with, it really used to make me angry. But I've put that all behind me now, I'm seeing how many others in this country have been put in the same situation as I have. It doesn't matter to me anymore because I feel better than I have in years due to the reduced stress level. I just pray that another door will open for me soon, I'd sure like to get back to work somewhere.

Nick

I learned of this through "Bobbe's Tips" e-mail that I receive....and as I replied to Bobbe, so I post a reply here on this great forum. This news made my blood boil. Keith has been such a mainstay and great voice for the GOO for many years....and to do this to him is almost criminal....the management of Gaylord should be "tarred, feathered and run out of Nashville on a rail". I'm appalled at this kind of treatment given to such a loyal man. I guess it just goes to show the lack of loyalty that Gaylord has for the people who've served them. May it be a warning to others. I hope that Keith does find something soon......thanks for listening to my sputterings..........HAL

What a sad day for country music, Keith was a great man, loved by many,and will be missed. When and if the Opry is gone, I wonder how long country music will survive. These types of acts by country radio stations is uncalled for and that includes not playing traditional country music along with the new country. There is a place for both types and the stations should coonsider that in their programming, Shorty

I'm really afraid Eddie Stubbs might be next!

Just replied to Bobbe's email. Then I noticed this thread and thought I'd post this here.


I only met Keith Bilbrey once, when I was privileged to play live on his radio show. I found him a gracious, wonderful gentleman. I am not sure why he was "relieved of his duties", but I would not be surprised if it's because he is part of the old guard who loved the Opry for what it was, not what the new management wants it to be.

When I was driving to work today, I happened to notice the huge lighted sign at Opry Mills advertising who would be there. Taylor Swift was at the top of the list. Not one of the acts listed was over 30. Not one of them was what I would call "classic country".

I also read in today's Tennesseean that the CMA Music Fest (that's Fan Fair to you and me) would feature several stages with variety acts such as pop-rock group The Gabe Dixon Band.

I have to agree with Smiley's cap.

CMA = Country My Ass

Keith doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. Pete Fisher and his henchmen have their noses so far into Gaylord's behind that it's pathetic. I hope Tennessee declares a day of celebration when St. Peter the Fisher and all of his kind are led to the tar pits and told to jump in. Pete Fisher, et. al. think they are in tall cotton now, but things are gonna change and they are going to wind up hustling sandwiches at Subway..........no wait a minute. Even Subway won't stoop that low to hire people like them. They are the vermin of the earth.

I am very disappointed in the news about Mr. Bilbrey. Like all of us, I have enjoyed listening to him through the years. He is knowledgeable about true country music and seems to be sincere in his appreciation for all of us who listened to him.

Maybe Keith should talk to Stonewall.

Michael Breid wrote:Pete Fisher and his henchmen have their noses so far into Gaylord's behind

If you knew Fisher better, you'd know it's not his nose...

Mikey,
Bobbe told me of this and I couldnt believe it! One of the great voices of WSM, Keith always has a smile and a kind word for every steel player that his path crosses, and I feel sure that he'll land on his feet.
Im with Mike Archer here; the GOO is on its way down and I for one wouldnt want to be involved in it when it finally tanks. Keith might be better off at this point......imagine the next job interview if he'd stayed: "well....my last gig was at umm...WSM..when the Opry crashed and burned"..not alot there to inspire a prospective employer.
Keith, you have alot of friends all over the world, and I know you'll be back on the air in some fashion before too long.
As for the "Henchman of the Apocalypse" over at Gaylord, Inc.; I wouldnt "water" yer teeth if yer gums were on fire..I say "water" for the more sensitive of us here
Nick, I had noticed a decrease in Fox's local broadcast quality and I guess that 'splains it. You cant expect any loyalty from the Fascists though... maybe if Rupert Murdoch was a US citizen...or maybe not. Good Luck at any rate. Keith, gonna miss yer voice, pal.

See what you can do when you become a RICH Cab Driver. The American dream. I've been talking about this all alone before this change came. That's why " I'm A No Body ". Waited til my " HANNITY " hits. You all haven't seen nothing yet. The FCC in it's field day of love. I think the Tijunana Brass is coming back.Sad news for sure,but,who is doing anything about it? Good Luck! Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

I just heard a voice on WSM Radio that I did not appreciate hearing! It was none other than Keith Bilbrey doing a pre-recorded Commercial with a certain sponsor that I'm pretty sure Keith must have had a lot of influence in obtaining for the station, during his employment there! I would think that when he was relieved of his assignments with WSM, he would no longer be heard on that station's programing! I sure hope WSM will have the decency to replace that commercial with a current employee, at least when the current contract with that sponsor expires. However, the station's lawers/advisors would probably contend that any proceedure done by Keith, while in the station's employ becomes the sole property of the station and they are entitled, for that reason; to do with and use it at their own discretion! I hope the station and Keith have some sort of understanding about this, but; I wouldn't want my voice heard again, under these circumstances! I'll sure miss Keith and being heard daily won't let this sickening happenstance go away for anyone especially Keith! _ _ _ Armchair~Lawyers, what say ye?