35 Artists More Deserving of an Opry Invitation Before Little Big Town
Tonight (10-3) on the Friday night presentation of the Grand Ole Opry, Capitol Records recording group Little Big Town was surprised by Reba McEntire on stage and invited to become the newest members of country music’s most storied institution. Of course they accepted, and will be officially inducted on October 17th. Little Big Town for all intents and purposes is filling the membership spot vacated by Opry legend George Hamilton IV who passed away September 17th.
Now Little Big Town, like so many of the Opry’s newest members, can take the accolades and attention the distinction bestows, but not fulfill their performance obligations. Of course, nobody can guarantee this will happen, but we all know it will. Only appropriate that Reba would be the one to formally invite Little Big Town to the institution, since she is one of the Opry members that is most in arrears with meeting the solemn obligation to the institution of giving them at least 10 appearances a year, way down for the 26 appearances Opry members were asked for in 1963. According to Opry historian Byron Fay, Reba was recently quoted as saying she did not want to appear at the Opry because it “no longer fits her image.”
READ: Grand Ole Opry’s Newest Members Not Fulfilling Their Obligations
Though Little Big Town in no way represents the worst that country music has to offer in 2014 and have been singing and performing together since 1998, songs like their most recent single “Day Drinking,” or the unfortunate “Pontoon” in no way help either country music or the Grand Ole Opry put their best foot forward or preserve the roots and spirit of the genre or the institution. In fact when Reba came out on stage to offer Little Big Town the invitation, they were playing “Pontoon,” and Reba joined them in singing the word “Motorbotin’,” alluding to the activity of taking ones face, firmly ensconcing it into the bosom of a well-endowed woman, and blowing back and forth, immortalized by Vince Vaughan in the movie Wedding Crashers.
“I didn’t want to stop singing,” Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town said. “Who misses an opportunity to sing ‘motorbotin” with Reba? It was incredible.”
Though there certainly would be worse choices for the latest members of the Grand Ole Opry, here’s a list of 35 artists who would have been better picks in Saving Country Music’s humble estimation.
- Hank Williams
- Willie Nelson
- Merle Haggard
- Dwight Yoakam
- George Strait
- Kris Kristofferson
- Billy Joe Shaver
- Miranda Lambert
- Jamey Johnson
- Lee Ann Womack
- Hank Williams Jr.
- Zac Brown
- Kellie Pickler
- Rosanne Cash
- Dale Watson
- Mark Chesnutt
- Jo Dee Messina
- Sam Bush
- Kacey Musgraves
- Elizabeth Cook
- Easton Corbin
- Asleep At The Wheel
- Aaron Watson
- Gene Watson
- Gary Stewart
- “Cousin” Kenny Vaughan
- Lyle Lovett
- Sturgill Simpson
- Aaron Tippin
- Rhonda Vincent
- Radney Foster
- Chris Scruggs
- James Hand
- Brandy Clark
- Wayne “The Train” Hancock
And for the record, Little Big Town, according to Saving Country Music’s official Opry member endorsement aggregator, would have come in at #228 as a new member pick, right behind Earl Dibbles Jr.
Jim Lauderdale. He should be a member too.
October 3, 2014 @ 8:55 pm
And I don’t want to hear about their “album cuts.” Good artists release good music. If their older stuff was better, then they should have been inducted before they began releasing schlock.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:27 pm
How did Jo Dee make your list?
October 4, 2014 @ 3:24 pm
To be fair though, “Sober” was a great song, and it was released as a single. It should’ve been released right after “Pontoon”, but at least it was released. I can’t deny that they’ve been releasing shlock (and their new album consists largely of shlock), but this is just another case of Little Big Town getting something they deserved years after they actually deserved it.
You definitely have a point, Trigger, and even I (an LBT fan 4 life) can see that.
October 3, 2014 @ 9:31 pm
Wait a second…Willie, Merle, and George Strait aren’t Opry members!? For some reason I wasn’t aware of this and I’m appalled.
At the same time, I’m not surprised they invited these pop singers. The only invitation that’s made sense in a long time was Old Crow.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:01 am
I thought that I had once read George Strait would have trouble meeting the appearance obligation. That would especially be true now that he’s retired from touring.
October 4, 2014 @ 8:58 am
Actually a relationship with the Opry might be perfect for George Strait. He’s stated that even though he won’t be going on huge tours, he’s still going to be releasing albums and playing shows here and there. Flying into Nashville 3 times a year for weekend appearances around the release of albums or singles would be the perfect type of gig George Strait is looking for—something that doesn’t involve intense planning or logistics. Just show up and play. That’s why a lot of retired artists don’t play the Opry less later in their career, they play it more.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:17 am
I hadn’t really thought of it in those terms, but that does make sense.
October 7, 2014 @ 3:56 am
It’s my understanding that George Strait has never even PLAYED The Opry (other than at George Jones’ funeral). I remember him being asked how, after such a long and successful career, he had never played the Opry, his response was “well, they never asked me.”
October 19, 2014 @ 9:00 pm
LOL. That sounds like no-nonsense George Strait. I remember watching an interview he did several years back in which the question came up of how he had so many great songs and hits. His response was “Well, I listen to a lot of songs. If I hear a song I like, I record it.”
October 4, 2014 @ 7:03 am
I was also unaware of that. The grand ole opry sucks. Until they reinstate Hank I don’t care what they do. I guess the grand ole opry really ain’t so grand anymore.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:31 pm
Unless you can resurrect Hank from the grave, I don’t think he can meet his appearance requirements JimBob!
October 5, 2014 @ 9:19 am
So, he’d be exactly like every other member of the grand ole opry??
October 5, 2014 @ 2:01 pm
It’s clear to me that the lapse in requirements for Opry membership is creating confusion. The show under its current management has drifted away from its classic “membership” model to the point where most of the artists who perform on any given night aren’t actually members, and most artists that are members don’t meet the performance expectations. So it’s difficult to say what Opry membership even means at this point, or whether the concept is even still relevant. As for guys like George Strait and Merle Haggard, my standard comment would be to say that the Opry is a live show, not a Hall of Fame, so it isn’t necessary that every prominent country entertainer is part of the show’s roster if membership doesn’t suit them, nor is it necessarily a dishonor to them if they are not to members. And for most of the show’s history, that’s how it was. But now since there are basically no membership requirements, like Trigger says, I’m not sure if that explanation holds water.
October 3, 2014 @ 9:37 pm
I don’t even know where to start. I never took LBT seriously. I once said in a meeting about them back in 05, “I don’t need that many people singing to me all at once … sounds like shouting.” Although, personally, I find “harmonization” in country music over-rated, they don’t even do that!
Your “others deserving” list is awesome, but it has one WTF moment smack dab in the middle … Jo Dee Messina?!?!
October 3, 2014 @ 10:13 pm
It’s a list, which implies that everyone’s would be different. It’s not a list of my favorite artists who are not Opry members, but a list compiled by trying to take an objective perspective on who probably deserves it, while also considering the commercial impact and name recognition of the artists.
If you ask me, the artist who should have filled the spot, who would have made a big splash, who is both a commercial and critical success, and someone who really deserves it, is Kacey Musgraves. She lives in Nashville, she’s was highly decorated this year with numerous awards, and she is a major label artist that would draw for the institution and fulfill her obligations.
Little Big Town feels very much like a label payoff of some kind. Why them? Why now?
October 4, 2014 @ 12:39 am
I know you love your girl Musgraves! It would be a modern, game-changing pick. But, I think they are taking the wait and see approach with her… wait and see if she sticks around country music. She might have found greener pastures out on the road with Katy Perry.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
Kacey Musgraves ain’t gonna abandon the country genre.
She genuinely seems to love and respect traditional country music.
October 24, 2021 @ 8:00 am
Applejack,
This comment didn’t age well. She ran off like a carpetbagger.
October 18, 2014 @ 2:45 pm
They went on tour together because they were friends and because Katy likes her brand of country music. Katy does Dolly Parton at all her shows so there is more of a chance Katy does a country album eventually.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:01 pm
You must not be a big fan of traditional bluegrass then if you’re not fond of harmonization’s. I personally love it. But then again, I grew up on bluegrass. I very often find that if you didn’t grow up on bluegrass that it can be abrasive to your ears.
October 4, 2014 @ 12:32 am
I’m not a expert on bluegrass. I like Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe. The most ‘Bluegrass’ album I listen to is Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs’ “Second Generation” album.
I found most traditional bluegrass to be single part harmonies. Is there a lot group harmonies in bluegrass?
October 3, 2014 @ 9:37 pm
Darryl Worley’s another one that should be on your list. He plays the Opry quite often and embodies what they used to be about …
October 5, 2014 @ 8:04 pm
Excuse my french, but fuck Darryl Worley. Anyone who’s only number one song was due to cashing in on 9/11 can stay on the county fair douche circuit with Lee Greenwood and Tracy Lawrence.
October 5, 2014 @ 8:23 pm
Guess you forgot about “I Miss My Friend” and “Awful Beautiful Life”, which were also #1 songs for him.
While Darryl does perform at fairs, he also has gone overseas many times to entertain our troops, including to Iraq and Afghanistan. You just never hear about it because he just does it, without all the fanfare. In fact, he wrote that song after he visited troops in Afghanistan in 2002. And when he sang that #1 song you mentioned on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to the families of the passengers on Flight 93, they sure seemed to appreciate it.
I know there are people who try to cash in on tragic events just to cash in, but Darryl’s patriotism is real, as is his respect for the country music artists who paved the way and for what the Opry used to be about.
January 3, 2017 @ 7:15 pm
I know this thread is two years old – but I’m with Trevor Curtis – fuck that guy.
I do like Tracy Lawrence though.
October 3, 2014 @ 9:40 pm
There really is no act I hate more than these guys. Their songs are just plain annoying. I can do the pop country thing every once in a while, because at least some of the music gives you an instant “sugar rush” of empty calories. But seriously, I will go out of my way to turn the dial whenever I hear that awful march beat of daydrinking. Just frickin’ annoying.
This is the kind of music meant for suburban women who want to live in some idealized countyside place that doesn’t really exist anywhere. I mean, just look at them, if you had no context, would you even think they were a country act.
And that “country is evolving” stuff is BS. Country music is country music, and Pop is pop, let me have my own genre. I don’t care if Little Big Town exists, but stay the hell in Pop music where you belong. You too Sam Hunt.
This is my genre, and even as an 18 year old kid, I don’t want to identify with that crowd. I want to identify with my own, no matter how uncool the rest of the world thinks it is.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:00 pm
Cale . I can’t add much to your comments . You nailed it in your summation of LBT . Perhaps the reason many of those other acts aren’t yet members is that they ARE country acts and don’t want to be associated with acts like LBT .
This band is like a lazy ABBA , a Starland Vocal Band ( Afternoon Delight ) for the millenium . Safety in numbers and marketable looks … and not a fresh-sounding stand-out solo vocalists in the lot . I shake my head every time their name comes up in conversations about country music . This is a POP outfit throwing a mandolin or a jaw harp in the mix or whatever the hell else they can throw in to convince themselves they’re a country band . Pontoon? Motorboatin ? WTF ????
BTW…Thanks for the education on who is still not an OPRY member , Trigger . I had no idea .
October 3, 2014 @ 10:02 pm
They are better than bro-country, for sure.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:40 pm
Yes, they’re better than most of the Bro-Country acts. But let’s all sit back and appreciate that Little Big Town’s big Opry moment and the only Opry invite in the last 1 1/2 years will always be remembered because it happened right when the term “motorboatin'” was being sung on the sainted and supposedly family-friendly Grand Ole Opry stage. There’s probably some Bro-Country acts that would have more respect for the Opry institution than what was shown in that moment. Little Big Town may not be Bro-Country, but that was about as Bro-Country of a moment as you could get, and a testament to where country music and its view of women are at in 2014.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:06 am
Is that really how the word ‘motorbotin’ is used in their song? I’ve never listened to it but I assumed they just meant a pontoon boat.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:01 am
Yes, without question that reference is calling on the urban dictionary definition of “motorboating” and everyone knows it, and that’s the only reason anyone every paid attention to that saccharine time waste. And then to see it nominated for Song of the Year and such just proves that Little Big Town is benefiting from a big push from their label, of which I believe this Opry induction is a big part of.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:20 am
It means what it means in the same way that “stick the pink umbrella in your drink” means what it means in FGL’s new song.
October 18, 2014 @ 12:22 pm
Sunny Ledfurd wrote and performed ‘Pontoon Boat’ in 2006. LBT blatantly ripped off the song idea. The song talks of hitting golf balls off the back and LBT copied that in their video. I’m not sure what genre Sunny is but it seems he’s constantly hacked in Nashville…
October 4, 2014 @ 2:04 am
Excellent comment Cale.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:48 am
“This is the kind of music meant for suburban women who want to live in some idealized countyside place that doesn”™t really exist anywhere. I mean, just look at them, if you had no context, would you even think they were a country act. ”
Boom! Right on the money! I looked at the picture and didn’t even know it was a band, period. I thought it was just drunk spring breakers. And yes, I definitely think the intended audience is the suburban woman who has never seen a live cow and wouldn’t be caught dead at a honky-tonk.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:02 pm
Sad to see artists like that get in and Willie, George Strait and Merle left out. Another good artist to pick to get in would be Jason Boland.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:03 pm
I actually like LBT, and I can even appreciate a silly song like “Pontoon.” What I don’t understand is how Willie, Merle, Dwight, etc., are not members. Someone needs to explain this.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:06 am
I agree with you. There are definitely some that are more deserving, but I too, like LBT. I liked them more after watching an interview with them about how long it took for them to make it, Kimberley’s husband dying suddenly, and how they all rallied around her after that. They just seemed like artists that genuinely want to sing and have worked their butts off for many years to get a hit. It’s not really their fault that Pontoon was the first song that people were drawn to. They have been trying with better stuff for a long time. That doesn’t mean there weren’t better options for the Opry, but I don’t think it’s really fair the judge them on 2 songs.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:45 am
Yes, I’m glad you highlight their personalities, which are in stark contrast to the self-absorbed guys dominating the airways today.
And every album since The Road to Here (2005), with their breakout hit, “Boondocks,” are really solid albums, with an admirable amount of variety. Of course, it is mostly pop-country, but I only wish that pop-country songs were more like theirs.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:24 am
I guess I like them because I’m just a simple suburban women who wants to live in an idealistic country town that doesn’t exist… However I do see “real cows” pretty much every day. Mostly when I get to ride in the truck to the market to get the fixins for my big strong man’s supper. If he likes what I make, I get to turn on the radio and listen to all these artists who make music just to take me away to the country fantasy life. (Insert big eye roll) Seriously guys, chill on the Axe body spray, it’s frying you’re brain.
October 4, 2014 @ 11:24 am
Hahaha, it looks like Cale struck a nerve.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:24 pm
36. Steve Young. More country and more soul in his fingernail clippings than the entirety of every act on every label on all of Music Row. Motorboat THIS.
October 3, 2014 @ 10:42 pm
37. Jubal Lee Young.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:48 pm
Minds might be blown if such a thing were to happen. 🙂
October 3, 2014 @ 10:57 pm
Initially I did not like the Sturgil Simpson album, however since have come around to respecting/liking his work.
However for him to be on this list is insane…
If he’s on there, you might as well include Sweet GA Brown
October 3, 2014 @ 11:15 pm
The list is simply an illustration to attempt to show people the absurdity of adding Little Big Town as opposed to the many other worthy names. Everyone’s list would be different.
As for Sturgill Simpson specifically, if this was the 50’s or 60’s, he would already be a member. Back in the day, the Opry membership is what you were awarded with when you were a fast rising star like Sturgill Simpson currently is. Many, if not most of the artists that were made Opry members were inducted early in their careers. Today when you look at artists like Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, and now Little Big Town, it almost looks like an attempt to help salvage their mainstream career instead of establish it. I actually think Sturgill would make a great pick, though it may be 6 to 9 months too soon.
October 5, 2014 @ 11:46 am
I just want to add that just because they have had genuine popularity with songs like “Pontoon” or “Day Drinking” does not mean they aren’t deserving of being in the Grand Ole Opry. They have had many fantastic songs with deep meanings like “Live with Lonesome”, “Your Side of the Bed”, “Boondocks”, “Bones” and “I’m with the Band”. All of which show off their fantastic harmonies and none of which ever make me think of pop. Sure “Pontoon” and “Day Drinking” aren’t the most country but they show that LBT knows how to sing songs that people want to hear. By the way, why does the word “motorboatin'” need to have anything to do with women in particular when the song has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX. One joke at the CMAs and a dirty minded population doesn’t change the fact that the song itself has NO SEXUAL TONES WHATSOEVER. I am sorry if this sounds rude but reading between the lines doesn’t always work. I agree that many of the artists would have been better choices but LBT are 100% deserving of their place in Country Music and it isn’t their fault that the world can’t connect to any of their deeper singles.
October 5, 2014 @ 1:25 pm
Little Big Town does have some good songs, and it is unfortunate, just like with a lot of artists these days, that these songs are not released as singles, and when they do, they do not perform as well. I personally could do a better job covering their unheralded songs, and I commit to attempt to do this more with their upcoming album. Little Big Town is not the problem with country music, despite some of their unsavory singles. Still, it is my opinion there would have been better picks. In fairness, there could have been worse ones too, so we should all be mindful of that when regarding this pick.
October 5, 2014 @ 1:30 pm
As for the “motorboatin'” issue, I would say that the vast majority of people think of it as a sexual term as soon as they hear it. I will make an even more crazy assertion: If it wasn’t for the word “Motorboatin'” in the song, it would have never been cut by Little Big Town, and certainly would have never been released as a single. It is a seminal part of the song, and the instance on the Opry stage during the invitation proves this.
October 8, 2014 @ 10:35 am
That is true Trigger about the artists of country yore being invited to the join the Opry sooner rather than later in their careers. I seem to recall that Loretta Lynn wasn’t long off the bologna sandwich tour in which she got the DJs to play her record, when it began to hit and she was invited to join. I hope I’m remembering real history and not movie history.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:04 pm
I’m so glad to see some love for Aaron Watson and Easton Corbin from you Trigger. They are both terrific and underrated artists.
October 5, 2014 @ 7:35 pm
I was surprised to see Aaron Watson on this list as well. One of my favorites.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:10 pm
Whatever happened to Reinstate Hank, anyway?
October 3, 2014 @ 11:25 pm
They CAN”T reinstate Hank Williams because he’s DEAD, and dead people CANNOT be members of the Grand Ole Opry! Only LIVING, BREATHING artists can be members. Willie Nelson was briefly a member back in the mid-60’s but he left. And they tried to induct George Strait back in the 1980’s, but there was a mis-communication between the Opry and Strait’s management, and it all fell apart.
October 3, 2014 @ 11:17 pm
http://www.opry.com/oprymembership
Based on that, other than talent it looks like this invitation was largely based on the airplay and sales of Tornado and Pontoon. They also inducted Old Crow Medicine Show and they have almost no airplay. How often does that happen? I’m surprised Lee Ann Womack isn’t a member. Every year, Kellie Pickler has consistently performed at the Opry about 3 dates per year (22 since 2006), which I’m guessing is above average for non-members. How many times has Little Big Town and Miranda performed? Little Big Town released their first album in 2002 so they’ve been around longer and radio played Tornado to #1 or 2 and Pontoon to #1. Another possible factor is maybe they wanted to invite a mainstream group this time.
Kellie has always been very dedicated to the Opry. She earned and deserved an invitation before newer country artist Darius, who got invited largely based on airplay and sales as one of many men country radio quickly plays to and keep at #1 while totally robbing equally and more talented solo female artists. Kellie can’t help that radio totally robbed her 2 best and top critically acclaimed albums. Hopefully the Opry is giving the women radio robs extra credit for that unfair treatment, and radio should stop robbing and start playing them to #1 like they deserve. Even the bro-country men radio plays are calling for it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21fX9TddNb4
Is there a list of members by year inducted? When was the last time a solo female got invited? Carrie in 2008 is the last I recall. Kellie should be next and I hope they don’t invite Miranda next and then we have to wait another 6+ years for the next one. They should either invite Kellie soon or maybe Kellie and Miranda at about the same time. I just don’t know how dedicated Miranda is to the Opry and it seems like she’s performed there less than Kellie. If another newer male act who isn’t a legend gets invited before them I will puke on some tailgates.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:06 am
I hate to compare two artists side by side because that’s rarely fair, but logistically I would think Kellie would have a better chance than Miranda. Miranda is busy being the biggest woman in country and just announced a new tour. Miranda also lives in Oklahoma which would make it difficult (though like we’ve established, nobody is fulfilling their obligations anyway).
“Another possible factor is maybe they wanted to invite a mainstream group this time.”
Rascal Flatts was one of the most recent inductees. Groups also make it harder for them to fulfill performance obligations because you have to coordinate 3 or 4 schedules instead of 1.
October 4, 2014 @ 1:36 pm
That’s what concerns me. I want to think Kellie is already at the top of the Opry’s list but based on how invitations have been going I wonder. The Opry seems to love Kellie and I feel like she should have a better chance than Miranda if Miranda hasn’t been as dedicated to or consistently performed at the Opry 3 times each year since 2005. But I won’t be surprised if they invite Miranda first because she’s “the biggest woman in country” because radio heavily plays her and overlook Kellie. Like when radio unfairly stopped playing Kellie to top 20 when they moved Miranda up to #1, totally robbing one solo female to make more room for another instead of playing and keeping both at #1 like both deserve and radio does for men all the time. We don’t see radio screwing over the best male artists like that and they often play mediocre men to #1.
It makes me sick knowing that radio isn’t playing more than 2 of the best country solo female/overall artists and the Opry uses airplay and sales (which mostly come from airplay) for membership criteria, so not enough solo females are getting invited. I can’t think of anyone radio has robbed as much as Kellie and they’ve played everyone else at her talent level with multiple hits plus some less talented acts to #1. I hope the Opry shows radio how it’s done and invites more of the best country solo women radio robs.
The Opry membership process is moving way too slowly for some artists, especially vs. men they’ve inducted in recent years. No doubt Kellie is country, one of the best country artists and performers, very dedicated to the Opry and wants to be a member. One time she said “an Opry membership is the only award I need.” My pick for the next mainstream male Opry member would probably be Dierks Bentley and he’s already a member. His major debut album released in 2003 and he got inducted just 2 years later in 2005. Darius got inducted in 2012, 4 years after his country album debut. It’s 8 years and going on 5 albums after Kellie’s debut and still no Opry invite. Why wait so long to invite one of today’s best country artists and why do solo women besides Carrie have to wait over twice as long as solo men?
I’m not opposed to Little Big Town getting inducted if they’ve been regular dedicated Opry performers and I agree that Zac Brown Band is a great choice for the next band if they are dedicated. But let’s stop robbing and excluding great country solo women who are clearly very dedicated to country music and the Opry and have mile-long lists of achievements. Historically and today, solo females are the strongest country artists and performers and it’s a shame they are getting robbed and ignored. The Opry invites 1 or 2 members per year and it’s been 6 years since they invited a solo female? Good grief, how many years passed between Carrie’s invitation and the previous woman invited?
October 4, 2014 @ 12:59 am
Definitely surprised to see Miranda Lambert on that list, Easton Corbin would’ve been a good choice a few years ago because his early music was good, but now im not sure. That being said in MY personal opinion I’d rather hear 2 walruses going at it then listen to a second of any terrible so called “music” LBT puts out.
October 4, 2014 @ 1:19 am
Never heard of them…. so really don’t give a dang about them 😉
October 4, 2014 @ 2:03 am
That’s an interesting list – I wonder how many of them would want to be members? Makes me think of the old Groucho Marx line about not wanting to be in a club that would have him as a member …..
October 4, 2014 @ 6:27 am
From what I heard: George Strait was actually offered membership into the Opry but he turned it down…don’t ask me where I heard it because I really don’t know.
October 4, 2014 @ 8:27 am
Keep in mind that Strait has always lived in Texas, Opry requires a certain number of appearance from its members and I think most of the members are in Tennessee.
Not 100% sure but I think Strait did make an appearance or two very early in his career.
October 4, 2014 @ 12:09 pm
https://savingcountrymusic.com/grand-ole-oprys-newest-members-not-paying-their-dues
“Today, Opry General Manager Pete Fisher has set a goal of 10 appearances a year by each Opry member. Members, especially popular country stars, can also receive extra appearance credits by appearing on a weekend. Friday or Saturday appearances country as 3 performances according to some accounts of the current Opry rules.”
If George Strait flew into Nashville 3 times a year for weekend performances, which he is probably already doing anyway, then he would fulfill his obligations in the eyes of the Opry, and fulfill them much more than many of the Opry’s newest members currently are. That’s the stupid thing about all of this. Blake Shelton was inducted in 2010, and subsequently has only played the Opry twice in four years. If George Strait, Willie Nelson, or Merle Haggard can’t or won’t fulfill their Opry obligations and that’s the reason they’re not members, then fine, give the opportunity to someone else. But were they asked? Would they get the same preferential treatment bestowed to Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, and other newer Opry members who are not fulfilling their Opry obligations? How about give it to Elizabeth Cook or Sam Bush who already play the Opry all the time? I hope Little Big Town rack up their 10 performance credits. I’ll be watching.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:47 am
Little Big Town is mondern country’s Hand Sanitizer artist–you know, that artist in a popular genre that’s stripped down, wiped completely clean, and refurbished for women in their thirties who don’t, check that, refuse to know any better.
October 4, 2014 @ 5:36 pm
What the hell?? This thread is ridiculous. Some men on here obviously think that women are stupid as hell and have zero ability to decide things for themselves. Why is it that every act that you country music cowboys don’t like automatically gets deemed “soccer mom music”?? Furthermore, why is it that you think that only men get to decide who people should like? Insinuating that the female demographic is a substandard category is insulting as hell and insinuating that we only like what we are told to like is even more insulting. Commence with your meeting of the He-Man Woman Haters Club fellas. I’m off to find a more female friendly group.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:36 pm
Because it’s mostly young girls, young women, and middle aged women who like the garbage “country” out there. That’s not misogyny–that’s observation from a concert worker who sees the crowds who go to bro country and bad pop country shows.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:48 pm
Sorry, I’m calling bullshit on that. Every concert I have been to, which includes (gasp) Little Big Town, in the last few years has almost as many guys as girls.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:55 pm
Well, you are’t paying attention, then.
October 8, 2014 @ 10:40 am
As another woman, I would love to be able to agree with you, but unfortunately the Billboard and other standard industry record-keeping numbers tell the tale against us. Anecdotal concert attendance does not.
October 4, 2014 @ 11:59 pm
The idea that bro-country fans are mostly women was disproven through statistics by Windmills Country in a thread in the recent past.
October 8, 2014 @ 11:03 am
Not bro-country, but smooth, bland pop “country”.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:41 pm
You make some excellent points JC . I wonder if guys , in general , are just more passionate about the music .. ? Just asking ….
October 4, 2014 @ 7:54 pm
I would definitely say that one of the major differences between the sexes is the way men seem to care more about material things. Women seem to care more about inter-personal relationships.
Not that both sexes don’t care about that, but we communicate in different languages–men in confused silence and women in smoke signals.
October 8, 2014 @ 11:11 am
If we want to use anecdotal evidence, just look at the disparity in numbers between men and women in the commenting history of this blog, and the men (from my scant acquaintance with the comments) are indeed more passionate in decrying the dilution of country music from its rough unhand roots to its present bland, or just as bad, its “evolution” into something which bears no relation to the origins of country music.
I watched a BBC-produced documentary about the history of country music (it can be found on YouTube), which only went as current as the Shania and Garth era. Even in that time, the narrator made a comment about country music, for the first time, being totally cut off from its past. If he could see it then, how much more must it be removed from the past now?
It’s been double-teamed by bro-country and by pop country.
October 5, 2014 @ 5:13 am
More passionate? Maybe. More arrogant? Definitely.
October 4, 2014 @ 7:02 am
What about Jack Ingram? I think he’s a very talented artist who is well-deserving of an invitation to join.
October 4, 2014 @ 8:47 am
At this point, who cares? The original Grand Ole Opry is dead and gone. It is has no cultural value any longer and is nothing more than an extension of the Big Machine/IHeartRadio media conglomeration.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:09 am
I am beyond sick of the Opry and as far as I’m concerned membership has no special meaning in my eyes. I put Billy bobs in a higher category now and I can’t wait to go back.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:27 am
ElectricOutcast is correct, Strait was asked behind closed doors in the 80’s (that’s how they used to do it) but he could not commit to the appearances, same goes for Radney Foster. Willie Nelson IS a member of the Opry (clean cut Willie), he just stopped making appearances once he moved to Austin. And Hank Sr. IS currently listed on the membership wall backstage of the Opry House. I agree there are more deserving ‘traditionalist’ that fit our definition of what the Opry is, but to stay current and keep people coming they have to keep with the times as well. Quite frankly I think from what they could have picked for current ‘radio friendly’ mainstream acts LBT is a lot better choice then what they could have picked. They were not picked “to fill the void” of George IV, for we also lost Opry member of 58 years, Jimmy C. Neumann, this past summer. The Opry’s unofficial guidelines are to induct one to two new members per year, with flexibility of course.
October 4, 2014 @ 11:56 am
It was 30 years ago when George Strait was asked if he wanted to be a member, when members were actually required to fulfill their membership obligations, and the membership obligations were twice what they are today, and Strait was in the midst of his mainstream career. So how does this somehow let the Opry off the hook today? Did they reach out to George Strait to see if he wanted to be a member? Wouldn’t George Strait be a bigger draw than Little Big Town, and more appropriate to the institution’s roots? I agree that the Opry could have picked much worse candidates for their latest selection, and it’s not fair to Little Big Town to couch then as some pariah of country music. But the question I am asking is, did they pick the artist that is the best for the Opry, and for country music?
Also, let’s not pretend that Little Big Town, or any of the artists that are invited to the Opry are not vetted ahead of time. The rumor that Little Big Town was going to be asked, and specifically by Reba had been out on Twitter and other places days before.
October 4, 2014 @ 4:32 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if Strait didn’t want to make that trip from Texas to Nashville even now, and if he turned Opry membership down because of that.
And to the dude who said Strait “has no respect whatsoever for the Opry, or anyone other than himself”…really? I mean, really? I got nothin’…
October 4, 2014 @ 6:31 pm
Wasn’t Charlie Pride asked to join an did not accept until many years later?
October 4, 2014 @ 9:48 am
Why is Ricky Van Shelton still a member he stop singing awhile now ?
October 4, 2014 @ 12:05 pm
Many
October 4, 2014 @ 12:00 pm
What’s the source of the Reba quote about the Opry?
October 4, 2014 @ 12:35 pm
My source is Byron Fay who keeps and excellent and objective blog on the Opry that includes detailed statistics about appearances and member’s current standing with the institution. In his 2013 rundown of appearances, he lists Reba as one of the members with 0 appearances, and says, “while Reba McEntire has said that the Opry no longer fits her image.”
http://fayfare.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-grand-ole-opry-year-in-review.html
Where Fay got the quite, you would have to ask him. But most in the media see Byron as a very trusted source.
October 4, 2014 @ 12:03 pm
What about Guy Clark? Charlie Robison? Steve Earle? (although he’d refuse) Todd Snider? Chris Knight? Chelle Rose? ALL are amazing artists, and more importantly, amazing songwriters. Steve Earle is the greatest songwriter the world has ever known. Guy Clark can absolutely rip your heart out when he sings. I gave up on “country” music radio years ago. Real music is still out there, if you know where to look for it.
October 4, 2014 @ 12:34 pm
Can someone provide a source for the quote from Reba saying the Opry doesn’t fit her image? I’ve seen that come up from time to time but never actually seen it sourced anywhere. I’m not sure I buy it as a real quote.
October 4, 2014 @ 12:37 pm
Was just answering this from another comment when you commented, so I will cut and paste it here…
My source is Byron Fay who keeps and excellent and objective blog on the Opry that includes detailed statistics about appearances and member”™s current standing with the institution. In his 2013 rundown of appearances, he lists Reba as one of the members with 0 appearances, and says, “while Reba McEntire has said that the Opry no longer fits her image.”
http://fayfare.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-grand-ole-opry-year-in-review.html
Where Fay got the quite, you would have to ask him. But most in the media see Byron as a very trusted source.
What we can certify is that Reba has not been making her required Opry appearances for a number of years now.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:30 pm
I’m curious as to the authenticity of this quote as well. A lot of the people of that forum are just out of touch with reality.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:57 pm
For the sake of argument, let’s just say that the quote is completely bogus and fabricated, though I have no reason to believe it is, and Byron Fay has no motivation for lying about it. Even then, last year Reba made 0 appearances at the Opry. That means out of the 10 performance credits she is obligated to, she earned none. She also made 0 appearances in 2012. Though I can’t find any specific data on her appearances in earlier years, unless I’m missing something, she didn’t make any appearances in 2011 either, and there’s no record of her making any appearances in 2010. So even if the Reba quote is incorrect, her actions speak much louder.
And let’s not just single out Reba. The simple fact is other prominent members like Dolly Parton and Tom T. Hall have made it clear they have no intention of playing the Opry, but they remain members. When nobody follows the rules and nobody is enforcing them, it erodes the integrity of the institution.
October 5, 2014 @ 10:21 am
Trigger I love the site and had NO idea Willie and Merle were not members till now. But….a few observations from an admitted novice about Opry appearances and protocol, especially as it relates to Dolly to who you say “The simple fact is other prominent members like Dolly Parton and Tom T. Hall have made it clear they have no intention of playing the Opry”
In the interest of full disclosure, Dolly could go on a shooting rampage from the stage of the Opry and I would still try to defend her. Having said that, I would point out a few things regarding your comment that it is her “intention” not to play the Opry.
(1) the Opry’s own site says “The Grand Ole Opry contacts performers to schedule appearances”. I don’t know if that policy applies to non-members, members, or both. If it applies to members, maybe thats why she has not appeared, namely, because her telephone aint ringing and she has not been asked. Who in the world would NOT ask Dolly to appear? Maybe someone with an animus (like modern country radio) to older performers. It is not that far fetched. Stonewall Jackson sued the Opry for that vary thing. In his suit it was reported “Jackson claims his appearances on the show declined after Fisher was hired in 1998. Jackson said he approached Fisher on several occasions and was told, “I don’t want any gray hairs on that stage or in the audience, and before I’m done there won’t be any,” and, “You’re too old and too country.” The settlement was confidential, but clearly Jackson got something out of the suit. At the very least, more reported Opry appearances. My point is just there may be more to Dolly’s lack of appearances, and the fact Willie and Merle are still not members, than meets the eye.
(2) The Reba factor. I’m not a big fan of Reba, but why should Dolly appear more than 80’s artists like Reba when, Dolly has been a member twenty years longer? They are lucky to have Dolly at all. You previously referenced from Byron Fay in a previous entry of yours “As has been reported before, the goal of Pete Fisher is for each Opry member to appear 10 times per year. That is the commitment he is asking of those who currently join the Opry. (Remember that for Opry members who joined during the mid 1980’s thru 2000, no commitment was asked).” By that standard, Reba is living up to her commitment of Zero. She committed to nothing, and gives nothing. Dolly should do more?
My point: nothing other than Dolly gets a pass on almost everything in my book. Plus, when she does appear, she just serves as a constant, bitter reminder that Dollywood shut Opryland down
: )
October 5, 2014 @ 11:38 am
Andy,
Please don’t take it that I’m criticizing Dolly Parton, or even Reba as much as I am criticizing the lack of a clear and enforceable rules regime governing the Opry’s membership. I am fully aware there may be some specific reason Dolly has not played the Opry that are not Dolly’s fault, but the Opry, and expressed those views specifically in a number of places.
I reported on the bad blood between Dolly and Gaylord after the Theme Park deal was dissolved:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/dolly-parton-pulls-out-of-theme-park-after-gaylord-sale-to-marriott
Also in the article about Opry artists not fulfilling their obligations liked above, I specifically address Dolly’s Opry relationship.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/grand-ole-oprys-newest-members-not-paying-their-dues
“Another interesting note is that long-time Opry member Dolly Parton has been absent from the Opry stage for an extended period. Though there has been no specific word of a beef between Dolly and the Opry, a theme park deal between the two parties dissolved in 2012 when the Opry was part of a sale to Marriott in the restructuring of Gaylord Enterprises to the new Ryman Hospitality Properties.”
If Dolly is not making Opry appearances because she’s disgruntled with Pete Fisher, good for her. But if Opry membership is going to mean anything, it must have rules, and those rules must be adhered to. If there is a different set of rules for an artist like Dolly who’s been paying her dues for many years, that’s totally fine, but write that in the rules.
My biggest concern are these mainstream acts that are being inducted, and immediately not giving their appointed number of appearances. Many of them play the Opry regularly hoping for induction, and then as soon as they get it, they stop because they already got what they wanted. Opry induction is not for everyone. It is for artists willing to take of their time, play for much less than what they’re used to, to help preserve an iconic institution.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:08 pm
If I’m not mistaken a Oklahoma boy is being represented on the opry stage on Sept. 25th. Stoney Larue. It’s great seeing Red dirt music make it to Nashville.
October 4, 2014 @ 2:28 pm
Rich Leonard posted the most intelligent response to this thread by far. You MUST be living to be a member. George Jones was an Opry member, unfortunately George is no longer with us, thus he is no longer an Opry member. George has made 0 Opry appearances in 2014.
The majority of this list of “potential” members of laughable. George Strait has no intentions of even performing as a guest on the Opry, much less being a member. He has no respect whatsoever for the Opry, or anyone other than himself. Lee Ann Womack, while a fine traditional Country singer, has repeatedly shown up drunk on the Opry. Thus, she is rarely invited.
Cousin Kenny Vaughn? Are we serious, here? Don’t you get enough of him with Marty Stuart? Willie Nelson lives in Texas, he is rarely in Nashville. He likely has no interest in being a member. Same with Billy Jo Shaver and Mark Chesnutt.
October 4, 2014 @ 3:00 pm
“George Strait has no intentions of even performing as a guest on the Opry, much less being a member. He has no respect whatsoever for the Opry, or anyone other than himself. Lee Ann Womack, while a fine traditional Country singer, has repeatedly shown up drunk on the Opry. Thus, she is rarely invited.”
And these wild-eyed assumptions and assertions are coming from someone refuting the Reba quote.
October 4, 2014 @ 5:22 pm
People can be a pain sometimes.
October 4, 2014 @ 5:46 pm
I would add Jerry Lewis to your list. Also Waylon said he would never accept an invitation due to the required appearances and low pay. Politics kept the “King of Bluegrass”, Jimmy Martin out while he was alive.
October 4, 2014 @ 5:47 pm
Obviously I meant Jerry Lee Lewis. Sorry.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:18 pm
Trigger, I know the list is only your list, but hasn’t Gary Stewart passed away? And while I am on it, Aaron Tippon?! Worst live performance I have ever seen. Ever. And I saw the Backstreet Boys, Nena and David Hasselhoff in Cologne, Germany back in ’96.
Frankly, I don’t really care about the Opry anymore. I honor its past, but as long as gas bags like Rascal Flatts is in it it has no credibility with me. What could it possibly do for Merle Haggard and legends like them? Nada. You what is next for the Opry? Sugarland, as soon as they release another album!
If they want to induct someone who is singing about pontoons, why not Sonny Ledfurd:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OwVSBQC9JI
He is more “country” than some of the drek and sellouts they have been inducting.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:27 pm
For the record, I am not a fan nor am I advocating the country-rap or whatever you call it of Sunny Ledfurd. I am just using him as a foil for LBT.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:25 pm
Mark Wills, jimmy Wayne and The Grascals, just on the fact that they play the opry more often than most of the modern members. Also I love the Grascals.
October 4, 2014 @ 6:48 pm
I interrupt this comment section to say the following:
RCA Studio A saved! Woohoo!!!
That is all.
October 4, 2014 @ 8:20 pm
As usual, I think a couple of the anti-Opry comments are too extreme.
I definitely have criticisms of Pete Fischer’s management style, but to say the Opry has “no cultural value” as one commenter said, goes too far.
In the last month, the Opry has featured live performances from artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Kellie Pickler, Mac Wiseman, Amber Digby, Alabama Shakes, Steep Canyon Rangers, Elizabeth Cook, Marty Stuart, Bill Anderson, Roy Clark, and many others including the usual cast of old-timers and regulars such as The Whites and Riders in the Sky. The month before that featured the likes of Cailtin Rose, Holly Williams, and Shovels & Rope. Sturgill Simpson will be making his third appearance on the Grand Ole Opry soon.
I think the Opry has fallen pretty far from what it was in its glory days, and could be vastly improved, but in order to get a balanced view, I think it’s important to acknowledge that the show still has its share of enjoyable musical moments. Again, I say this in the spirit of wanting to keep a balanced perspective on things. If people were carrying on saying that the Opry was just as wonderful as it always was I would probably be arguing from the other direction. 🙂
Anyway… Little Big Town is a potentially decent pop-country band that sold out really hard. I am pretty ambivalent toward their induction, but I wish them good luck. Hopefully they can use this as an opportunity to take stock and decide to move away from recording insipid material such as they have lately. Then again, if they’re bragging about singing “motor-boatin;” with Reba, they can’t be all that self-aware to begin with.
October 4, 2014 @ 9:12 pm
I thought you made some good points. I’d guess that the Opry management wanted to induct a pop country act to “stay relevant”, but tried to pick a band that wouldn’t piss off country fans too much. The conventional wisdom is that Little Big Town is kind of like Lady Antebellum, a mainstream group that produces mainstream music that is acceptable to most country radio listeners. Classic country fans don’t love their music, but it’s also hard to hate their music because it is bland. They won’t be accused of destroying country music, because they aren’t doing anything that many other pop country acts haven’t already done before.
It was a “safe” pick, and therefore disappointing. I would like to see them induct an artist who is more creative and original.
October 5, 2014 @ 5:11 pm
As the person who said “no cultural value”, maybe I went too far. My point was that the Opry really is nothing special any longer and is no better than any other music festival or concert with a lineup of country artists. It is just a concert now without any special history or cultural value beyond that.
October 5, 2014 @ 12:15 pm
I’m a long-time reader and big fan of this site. But this is my first time commenting.
I have to take issue with this about Reba … “she is one of the Opry members that is most in arrears with meeting the solemn obligation to the institution of giving them at least 10 appearances a year.” As Andy and even the Byron Fay blog point out, when Reba McEntire joined (in January 1986), there were no performance obligations. How then, can an artist be in arrears when they never committed to anything?
And on the topic of the Byron Fay blog, I don’t buy Reba McEntire being quoted as saying anything negative about the Opry, including saying the Opry “no longer fits her image”. Reba has always been very careful about what she says in public – even to the point of being annoyingly wishy-washy – so she doesn’t offend any one group. I guess I’d have to hear it come out of her mouth or at least in print in a major publication, not just some random aside on one man’s blog, before I believed she made that statement.
All that said, I still agree with most of the point you made and I think at least 20 of the artists on your list should have been given this invitation over Little Big Town.
October 5, 2014 @ 1:22 pm
Hey J.R.,
“As Andy and even the Byron Fay blog point out, when Reba McEntire joined (in January 1986), there were no performance obligations. How then, can an artist be in arrears when they never committed to anything?”
I’m not saying that in 1986 there were no performance obligations, but I am not seeing that information anywhere, including on Byron Fay’s blog. All the information that I have about the performance obligations is that they have gradually lapsed over time, meaning that they are weaker now than they would be in 1986. And even if Reba joined at a time that there were no obligations. There are obligations now, and Reba is one of the select few members who is not fulfilling them.
As for the quote, refute it all you want, but that is a matter you would have to take up with Byron Fay. That is why I couched it in this article as, “According to Opry historian Byron Fay, Reba was recently quoted as saying she did not want to appear at the Opry because it “no longer fits her image.” Maybe the quote is bunk. I can’t independently verify it either. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t said.
But as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and Reba’s actions speak that she does not have the time for the Opry any more. Maybe, hopefully that will change in the future, or with her visit on Friday.
I am not attacking Reba as much as I am illustrating an issues with the rules regime in place at the Opry. Try to discredit the stance that Reba is in arrears all you want. The simple fact is she has not been making regular appearances. And according to the Opry’s rules, this is in violation of them.
October 5, 2014 @ 7:09 pm
Byron Fay has been asked for his source on the Reba quote several times on his own blog, and each times he ignores it. I’m guessing he just doesn’t personally care for Reba.
Oh well, to each his own. He doesn’t care for Reba, I don’t care for George Strait.
October 6, 2014 @ 4:11 pm
Thanks for replying to me, Trigger. The no performance obligation for artists inducted in the mid-1980s through 2000 is noted on the link you have above to Byron Fay’s blog. “(Remember that for Opry members who joined during the mid 1980’s thru 2000, no commitment was asked)” … But since I am refuting his Reba quote, I guess I can’t call that information reliable either. And I can’t find any information about Opry appearance requirements anywhere else online. I still say any act that inducted in that 15-year span doesn’t “owe” the Opry anything.
But of course you’re right. Reba – and lots of other Opry members and even the up-and-comers of today – could and should be paying their respects to what the Opry represents. The Opry will never be viable in the marketplace again unless acts at every level of stardom – new acts, established, still relevant names AND the veterans start making regular appearances. The veterans can’t carry the Opry to any sort of relevance without the more marketable artists.
October 5, 2014 @ 12:42 pm
Doesn’t fit her image?! Reba… darling… you can’t be Taylor Swift, let Taylor be Taylor Swift. I know you tried real hard with that bad and slightly campy song “On The Radio” to show you have a young girls mojo but no… don’t do a Madonna and try to be a “Girl Gone Wild”, be a woman and age gracefully and put out mature music. Or least music as mature as the stuff on some of the 90s records. Thank you.
October 5, 2014 @ 7:21 pm
How in the world is Merle Haggard or Dwight Yoakam not members? That’s astonishing.
THough this would never happen, I would love to David Allan Coe play the opry. I think he did get invited by “a friend” a time or two and sang Get a little dirt on your hands.
October 5, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
How in the world are….
October 5, 2014 @ 7:54 pm
Likely because they have no interest in being members. Both of them are rarely in town.
October 5, 2014 @ 8:08 pm
People who also need to be in the Opry; Aaron Tippin, Big & Rich, Eddie Rabbitt & the Avett Brothers.
October 6, 2014 @ 9:48 am
Eddie Rabbitt is dead. Deceased individuals cannot be a member.
October 5, 2014 @ 8:17 pm
At some point in their lives I’m sure Merle or Dwight wouldve been honored to be Opry members. By now though they probably don’t have any interest because 1)its been this long and they havent been asked and 2) its about a joke who gets to be members and who doesnt get to be.
October 5, 2014 @ 8:56 pm
It’s easy to say mean things about someone when you don’t know them, behind the anonymity of your keyboard. You know nothing about these people and what kind, generous, amazing individuals they are. If you knew them, you’d find your comments as reprehensible as I do.
In the words of Kacey Musgraves (who is managed by the same people as LBT and has toured with LBT), go back to your trailer.
October 6, 2014 @ 5:29 am
The fact that Little Big Town are wonderful, generous people (and I’m sure they are) doesn’t really have anything to do with the quality of their music, or people’s opinions of it. Also, you’re twisting Musgraves’ message around. Her whole ethos is about how people should have the freedom to be themselves. I’m sure she would support the right for people to speak their minds and voice their honest opinions. If it makes you feel better, you can tell yourself that the people commenting here are just “following their arrows.”
October 6, 2014 @ 6:28 am
It”™s easy to say mean things about someone when you don”™t know them, behind the anonymity of your keyboard.
It just figures that some who claims to work in the (pop) country industry would use such a tired cliche (behind the keyboard) as a putdown.
In the words of Kacey Musgraves (who is managed by the same people as LBT and has toured with LBT), go back to your trailer..
So I guess you think that’s clever way to say “you’re all nothing but white trash.” And you’re using an anonymous handle while you do it. I’m thinking of a word that begins with H….
January 12, 2015 @ 12:34 pm
Actually, it’s a quite funny reference to a well-known Kacey Musgraves song, that has nothing to do with calling someone white trash.
January 12, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
Yes, I got the reference the first time. That’s really the only song of hers that I’m quite enthusiastic about. But I’m not sure there was anything good natured about the comment I was responding to.
October 6, 2014 @ 5:26 am
Mark Wills is much more deserving!!!
October 6, 2014 @ 9:05 am
Just confirmed that the last time Reba made an appearance on the Opry stage was 2009, so whether the Opry “no longer fits her image” quote is true or not, she is definitely significantly behind on her obligations to the institution.
October 6, 2014 @ 7:01 pm
Ten more none of whom I think have been mentioned (but I could be wrong):
Rodney Crowell
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
Buddy Miller
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Dailey & Vincent
Gibson Brothers
Rhonda Vincent
Kathy Mattea
Holly Williams
Mac Wiseman
Not all are my favorites but all deserve induction before Little Big Town
October 8, 2014 @ 11:06 am
Robert Earl Keen. Herb Pederson
October 6, 2014 @ 7:04 pm
and I forgot Dwight Yoakam and Chris Hillman
October 7, 2014 @ 9:05 am
If you just look at LBT, they look like they might sing backup for Jimmy Buffet. (No offense to Jimmy, love JB). I read the opry list and some of them are sure laughable, I’ve pretty much written Nashville off anyway…………..
Country Haiku #519 | Country California
October 7, 2014 @ 11:16 am
[…] by this and this and […]
October 10, 2014 @ 1:49 am
Jamey Johnson should be above Miranda Lambert. Just saying.
October 18, 2014 @ 12:28 pm
What??? Kacey M. and Brandy Clark? Get real. So shouldn’t be on that list. LBT are so much more deserving than them. JMHO
October 19, 2014 @ 9:15 pm
I may be in the minority here, but I really could care less. When is the last time that the Grand Ole Opry was even relevant?
October 27, 2014 @ 1:46 pm
Kathy Mattea should be there as well as Elizabeth Cook. Little Big Town is not really country at all and I think the Opry officials should be more careful before extending invitation. Old Crow is the only one making sense for a while.
November 7, 2014 @ 10:47 am
I think Easton Corbin is a good representation of the very few newer “mainstream” country singers that still have that country sound (even though he has kind’ve dropped off the radio). His songs have true meanings behind them, and still sound like a country song instead of than this rock and pop influenced crap playing that only covers the the topics of beer, trucks, and girls. It’s a shame that people like Chase Rice and Cole Swindell have more airtime than Easton. But this is just my opinion, I can be wrong.