Bobby Bones Hosting the Grand Ole Opry Is Not Working

When we look back years from now at this unprecedented period in modern life, one of the big bullet points in country music will be how the tradition of the Grand Ole Opry endured through this historic disruption at the hands of the Coronavirus. Despite having no audience and no band, performers have still taken to the Grand Ole Opry stage to keep the 94-year-old tradition of the Opry alive on Saturday nights amid strict guidelines and a special exception from the Nashville mayor.
These Opry performances have held a unique gravity due to the circumstances, and you can feel that weight in each song and moment. But sticking out like a sore thumb through the process has been the presence of pop country radio personality Bobby Bones. Though the performances have proper emcees as they always have from the round robin of on-air personalities from radio station WSM making announcements from the podium, Bobby Bones is out in the audience area talking over the actual host for viewers on the television and online feed. It’s beyond weird, and distracting.
When the new Circle Network owned by the Grand Ole Opry’s parent company first launched at the beginning of 2020, they promised a weekly Opry show would be included in their lineup that would take portions from each week’s Opry performances and rebroadcast them. In February they announced that the host of this hour-long program would be Bobby Bones, and that he would executive produce the program as well. This was the first time gripes went up about his participation.
Now that we’ve had ample opportunity to digest Bobby’s role in these segments, and especially when it comes to these special COVID-19 performances, it’s safe to say this is not working, and his presence is the regular concern you see from viewers who otherwise are very happy to still have the Opry coming into their living rooms every Saturday evening.
This is nothing against Bobby Bones personally. He does happen to be a polarizing guy to many country music fans, and outright loathed by most of the traditional country fans that the Grand Ole Opry tends to cater to. But he’s not some evil person. He just doesn’t fit, and offers nothing to the presentation whatsoever. In fact, he gets in the way of it. He’s like a fish out of water, and billing him equally with the talent taking the stage each week as the Opry has done in these streaming shows is a bit of an insult to the artists leaving their quarantine to perform for the masses.
Very likely, there is some contractual obligation in place between Bobby Bones and the Opry that not only precludes the Opry from forgoing him as a host for these quarantine segments, but necessitates his mug be included right beside the talent itself on promotional copy. As an “executive producer,” it’s unlikely Bobby Bones is going to fire himself. But watching the shows, even he seems to feel awkward, not really knowing what he’s supposed to do, and struggling to fill the time.
We gave it a try, and Bobby Bones is just not working, at least for these weekly streaming shows, which we may have many weeks or even months more of before the social distancing guidelines lift for live events. Having current on-air Grand Ole Opry presenters such as Eddie Stubbs, Charlie Mattos, or Bill Cody host the segments makes significantly more sense. Or have someone like Marty Stuart or Kellie Pickler who have experience hosting television shows fill that role.
These are important and unique moments the Opry is capturing with these Saturday night performances during the Coronavirus shutdown. Let’s not continue to feel obligated to Bobby Bones just because the powers that be want to make him the new Opry personality. These segments already have hosts. Bobby Bones feels very optional at a time when the Opry has never felt more essential.
Ricky Skaggs, and Dailey & Vincent have been announced for the Saturday, April 18th Opry.
April 17, 2020 @ 9:21 am
I have only watched one of the shows on youtube (Terri Clark, Ashley McBryde, Lauren Alana) which btw the ladies killed it. Lauren’s songs made me teary eyed a few times. You can tell who has true vocal talent when they sign acoustic.
Anyways I found Bobby Bones to be grating on my nerves. I don’t like his approach, seems unprepared and too script like – not casual, excited or have any knowledge about county music or its history. I ended up muting him or just fast forwarding his talking segments.
April 17, 2020 @ 2:02 pm
Why not get someone like Ray Stevens . He has way of making people laugh and I feel we need that no.
April 17, 2020 @ 9:23 am
When he comes on I always change the channel because it is so cringeworthy. I think Eddie Stubbs should be doing instead of him.
April 17, 2020 @ 2:26 pm
Dump Bobby Bones! He’s not funny or interesting at all. He talks way too much & takes away from the wonderful performers. Let the artists sing.
April 17, 2020 @ 9:34 am
Glad to hear I’m not the only one bothered by Bobby’s presence… I watched the one with Marty Stuart, Vince Gill and Brad Paisley mostly because I dig Stuart and Gill, but it was distracting going from a song directly into Bones standing out in the audience giving anecdotes about his own career, when he’s just supposed to be the host(?) and that’s not what we’re here for. Even when he interviews stars, I always get the sense he’s trying to make it about himself, and that’s what bugs me most about him
April 17, 2020 @ 9:40 am
I totally agree. I gave him a “chance” the first week I watched, but I found him to be turning the conversation too much to him, his experiences and including himself too much in what he was saying. Very awkward, trying to get his smile right for TV, either cutting off the first little bit of the performance or ending way too early. So much better to just have the host on stage take over all duties so it’s a seamless process, and, of course, the people at WSM or someone who embodies all the Opry stands for would be a much better choice.
If I watch live, I now switch to WSM online for the breaks or I just mute the sound until they come back. If I watch it afterwards, I skip over Bobby Bones. He definitely is not working. Hopefully they realize that and just take him out of the equation for the live shows. We need someone reassuring, not placating.
April 17, 2020 @ 9:54 am
While the musical portions of the no audience acoustic Opry shows have been fabulous your right Kyle, Bobby Is a “fish out of water” in the Opry environment. Sadly I suspect strongly we are stuck with him for the foreseeable future.
April 17, 2020 @ 9:58 am
Next article should be :
“Brett Eldredge goes Americana with new music”
April 17, 2020 @ 10:01 am
I’d give damned near anything to have Eddie Stubbs, Marty Stuart, Kellie Pickler, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisely, or Reba McEntire host this instead of Bobby Bones.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:25 am
Parton, Paisley, and Reba are probably way too bust to be doing something like that, but Kellie Pickler would be perfect for it, or Marty Stuart. Eddie Stubbs has been a personality that has deserved more attention for years. The guys a country music encyclopedia. He’d be perfect.
April 17, 2020 @ 11:04 am
Stubbs’ radio show was amazing. Like you said, a walking encyclopedia. Also very humble and personable.
April 18, 2020 @ 1:31 am
Stubbs is also very accessible, or at least he was when he and I used to exchange emails almost twenty years ago. Back then, I was campaigning for a change in a particular Opry routine. I had become bored with one particular fiddler playing the same tune over and over again for the Opry Square Dancers. I suggested featuring a different “guest fiddler” every week, playing a different danceable hoedown tune. Eddie said he’d send that suggestion up the food chain, but nothing ever came of it. I have a lot of respect for Eddie Stubbs. He’s the real deal.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:10 am
I’m a former radio personality of 20+ years experience and worked with Bobby Bones in Austin while he was still on Top 40 radio. I knew he was going to hit it big from the first time I met him. He worked harder and smarter than any radio jock I’d ever known. I was a bit surprised when Clear Channel tabbed him to be their national country radio voice; but as a deejay, it’s not uncommon to move across different formats so I knew he’d be fine.
Bobby’s real strength is interviewing guests. He endears himself rather quickly and makes them feel comfortable while sharing his life experiences. The younger artists really warm up to this approach and respond accordingly. The interviews generally come across like a couple buddies you might like to grab a beer with.
Unfortunately I don’t think this approach works with the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry as we all know is considered hallowed ground. And the legendary artists who are members, as well as those who currently play there, are viewed by us fans as royalty. I think it’s the one place we expect and demand reverence. And that’s why it probably needs someone like Marty Stuart who’s essentially a curator of country music history to host the program.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:21 am
I was very critical of Bobby Bones when he first moved to country and was ensconced as one of the most powerful voices in the genre without really any experience in it. His learning curve was very steep, and he started multiple beefs with artists that were unnessessary, including important artists such as Kacey Musgraves and Aaron Watson. Since then he’s started further beefs with Florida Georgia Line, Ashley McBryde, and others. But I tend to agree, he knows how to interview people, and he has shown a propensity to dig deeper than the nationalized playlists and champion some up-and-coming artists, at least in the mainstream. And so I backed off of him. I don’t think he’s a bad guy.
But he just doesn’t fit here, and you get the sense Bobby isn’t feeling it either. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants to back out. It’s just not flattering to him. You listen to him interview someone on the radio, and it’s fine. This is just not his forum.
We tried. Now it’s time to move on.
April 17, 2020 @ 12:43 pm
What beef did he start with Ashley McBryde?
April 17, 2020 @ 12:51 pm
I don’t want to engage in rumor. I worked on a story about it, but couldn’t really confirm anything. But apparently there was some friction there. Not surprising, seeing how his beefs with Kacey Musgraves, Florida Georgia Line, and others have been pretty public. When Florida Georgia Line takes the moral high ground around you, that says something.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:11 am
He’s not interesting himself, his interviews are bad, he can’t even act goofy competently (based on some commercial I saw him in the other day?). He has some comedy band that isn’t funny but still merits a spot on the Opry stage? WTF?
His only skill seems to be the ability to speak without stammering or drooling while somehow managing to be a whiter, less threatening version of Carson Daly.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:16 am
I’m sure Bobby Estell is a nice guy, but for a historic occasion like this, you need a historic person. Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart. Not “Bobby Bones,” for crying out loud.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:24 am
Said this in one of the Opry performance article comment sections – the best thing about watching the stream after the fact is you can simply skip right over all of Bobby Bones’ time.
The mere sight of him in this setting is enraging, to say nothing of the completely uninspired and pointless talk he provides. He sounds like a guy speaking at a funeral for someone he never met.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:26 am
“He sounds like a guy speaking at a funeral for someone he never met.”
Well put.
April 17, 2020 @ 12:57 pm
To me he sounds like he’s hosting a PBS pledge drive. Still definitely not the vibe anyone wants for these shows.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:26 am
Truth be told, Bobby Bones hasn’t been quite so bad since his intros and segues are limited. It feels like he’s trying to do the whole Carson Daly music-turned-TV-host thing, which never exactly worked for Carson Daly and probably won’t work for Bobby Bones. It would be way better to have the Bill Cody audio, but the local sponsor ads being read make it almost impossible to air on national TV. In a way, the constant Shriners ads tend to be more grating than Bobby Bones, though the Shriners are doing a good work and it’s not the fault of those appearing in the ads. However, if the Shriners are willing to foot the bill for televising the Opry every Saturday night, then I can’t complain too much. Maybe Bobby Bones will grow in his knowledge and respect of country music history and can become an asset instead of a liability.
April 17, 2020 @ 11:07 am
Can’t deny what most are saying. Never liked the guy, he’s boring, no personality. Bill Cody by comparison, oozes down home country charm and he’s a walking storehouse of country music anecdotes. He comes across as a guy who you would love to have as your neighbor. Bones isn’t country in the least. Zero substance.
I previously defended him in another post because I felt he was at least respectful to the legends, but I’m finally agreeing that we could do much better. They want a young face representing? Try Mo Pitney. He’s a decent storyteller and he has massive respect for real country music.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:41 am
Not to quibble, but Bobby Bones *is* evil. Anyone who’s done so much to promote pop-country is the personification of evil. He’s also an effeminate wuss, but don’t let that distract you
He is Satan’s spawn.
April 17, 2020 @ 12:36 pm
????????????
April 17, 2020 @ 10:55 am
Fortunately, there are so many other good streams out there right now. I gave the Opry stream a try, but a little bit of Bobby Bones was all it took to send me elsewhere.
April 17, 2020 @ 12:19 pm
Bobby’s loved the Opry since he was a young kid. He’s paid his dues as a performer and deeply respects the traditions that the Opry showcases every week. He has the most popular radio show on country radio and is a celebrity outside of the format in his own right. Why shouldn’t he host the Opry?
April 17, 2020 @ 12:50 pm
Because he’s a loathsome, talentless hack who wouldn’t know a good country song if it punched him in his oh-so-punchable face?
April 17, 2020 @ 12:55 pm
I don’t care if his mother birthed him right into the circle in the middle of the stage, his segments are awkward, annoying, and unnecessary. As I said above, it’s not anything against Bobby Bones personally. You just don’t need two people doing one job, especially when you’re supposed to only be using a skeleton crew. Bobby doesn’t even seem like he’s enjoying it. Read what people are saying. This is hurting him, not helping. He can come back when the Opry goes back to normal for the weekly segments where he can do better in a scripted environment where he’s not interrupting the flow of the presentation. These suggestions are given constructively.
April 17, 2020 @ 8:27 pm
Hey Bobby
thanks for checking in. it isn’t that you are a bad person, but you host the show like a guy called on in class who doesn’t know the answer and is trying to kill time while he asks under his breath “siri, who wrote the magna carta?” I have not heard of you before, but this exposure is only hurting your brand.
pick pickler
April 18, 2020 @ 3:10 pm
I see the ABC stores are still open in your neck of the woods.
April 17, 2020 @ 12:47 pm
I was bored and made a quick list of Opry line-ups I’d like to see during the Great Quarantine:
Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn
Ronnie Milsap, Charley Pride, Garth Brooks
Luke Combs, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt
Josh Turner, Chris Young, Keith Urban
Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Steve Wariner — with Randy Travis
Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Crystal Gayle
Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker
Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites
Eddie Montgomery, Craig Morgan, Dierks Bentley
Mark Wills, Ricky Van Shelton, Dustin Lynch
Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless
Bobby Bare, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mike Snider
Rascal Flatts, Chris Janson, Dierks Bentley
Lorrie Morgan, Martina McBride, Little Big Town
Riders in the Sky, Diamond Rio, The Gatlin Brothers
Barbara Mandrell, Connie Smith, Pam Tillis
Instead of Bobby Bones, have short hello segments from: Stu Phillips, The Osborne Brothers, Tom T. Hall, Bill Anderson, Ray Pillow, Jesse McReynolds, Stonewall Jackson, John Conlee, and Hal Ketchum.
And do “salutes” to little home towns.
April 17, 2020 @ 2:57 pm
WHAT a LINEUP !!! …. but ‘don’t think Loretta can make the show right now, with her hip problems… and a couple others couldn’t make it, either. But I definitely second your selections, there. – Doug
April 17, 2020 @ 4:51 pm
Three at a time, separate lines. Yes, some are up there. Opry should call in their chips to jack the numbers, and it’s the right thing to do.
April 17, 2020 @ 6:48 pm
Riders in the Sky, Diamond Rio, The Gatlin Brothers
how could you have all these guys on the same stage and be socially distant compliant?
April 17, 2020 @ 8:03 pm
You have to keep in mind that it is pretty clear that the Opry is limiting itself to 3 performer microphones spaced apart for social distancing purposes, so any group act is pretty much eliminated unless they are a family living together. Also, many of the Opry’s older members or those that may have underlying health conditions should not be risking their lives to perform which limits the available artist pool.
April 17, 2020 @ 1:43 pm
“I don’t care if his mother birthed him right into the circle in the middle of the stage, his segments are awkward, annoying, and unnecessary.”
This.
April 17, 2020 @ 1:53 pm
When Circle originally announced they would be televising the Opry, I expected just that – a televised Opry. What we got was a far cry. If not for these terrible circumstances bringing about these great performances, I doubt I would’ve tuned in very often. These have been great – the only drawback is this Bones guy talking over the real announcers.
April 17, 2020 @ 2:55 pm
They need to get rid of Bobby Bones ASAP. He is annoying to begin with on his own show. In a number of interviews he does with artists he seems somewhat unprepared and pushy at the same time, but this is even worse.
April 17, 2020 @ 4:07 pm
I agree with basically everything that’s been said so far, except for the one (and only) positive comment. But I always try to put myself in the shoes of the decision makers. Even then, the thought that he might draw a younger (expanded) audience seems wishful thinking. If I was (and I’m not), a bro / boyfriend / pop country fan who likes Bobby, I wouldn’t watch the Opry because of him. And since traditional fans can’t stand him, there is no upside that I can see. It seems lose lose all the way around.
April 17, 2020 @ 5:46 pm
Great list Corncaster!
If only …..
Love Diamond Rio. Those guys are way cool.
Exchanged a little sass mouth with them in INDY one time.
Was crashed-out behind the scenes taking a nap, (had driven a horse and carriage aroung INDY until 2:00 a.m. the night before) and as i was waking up to go tinkle, they were coming off their bus, and a couple of them piped up and said, “We saw you taking a nap.”
Thought great, hair was probably sticking out every which way, etc.
And of course, had to stand there doing the pee-pee dance, so i could get the last sass in.
They were great.
Somebody PLEASE wake up & get Bobby Bones the he** off the Opry.
No offense to Bobby, but COME ON!!! ……..
April 17, 2020 @ 7:34 pm
I am one of those who used to immediately change the channel whenever Bobby Bones made an appearance on Circle TV. Now, though, I don’t watch Circle TV *AT ALL* just so I won’t have to see that grinning idiot Bones. I don’t want to watch him, not even by accident. I am a traditionalist when it comes to country music, and detest modern pop country. I do like Hank 3 and Hank’s opinion of pop country!
April 17, 2020 @ 8:05 pm
I have said for a few weeks and continue to believe that Bobby does a capable (not awful, but certainly not great) job on the Circle TV broadcasts. Where he has fallen flat for me is on the social media streams when he is then asked to go from a 15 second intro/outro to a 2 minute talk and those become very repetitive and uninsightful. They really should just play the Circle and Shriner’s Hospital ads instead of making him talk for 2 minutes on the social media streams, or even better use the WSM their feed and whichever DJ is handling duties that night.
April 17, 2020 @ 10:23 pm
I’ve laid my gripes elsewhere but this social media check is also insulting (not to mention cutting off the last song every time). But hey I’ll take the performances with over none at all.
April 18, 2020 @ 7:37 am
The cutting off of the last song, that’s just live television. They have a hard and fast moment they have to cut off, and a lot of times the performers are running the red light. Would be cool to keep it going, but it’s more of a logistical than a production issue.
April 18, 2020 @ 12:18 pm
Fair enough for TV but I wish they would let in run on live stream on the web where shows are not beholden to those kinds of time constraints. Often they save the best for last.
April 18, 2020 @ 6:07 am
I’ve never heard him and the only reason I know he exists is from what I read here.
Reading the article(s) and the comments it seems I’ve not missed anything and brings to mind one of the reasons I stopped listening to radio many years ago-
the DJ’s wanted to make the shows about themselves and not the music-
I never understood that and still don’t. IF you want to be a media personality find your own way just as the musicians do/did. On radio you can do that by being engaging- obnoxious worked for Howard Stern and Don Imus- it’s run its course. Just Stop!
Think how famous you’d make yourself by being different.
If you want to be on television for crying out loud get on television and stop being the self centered, attention stealing whores, you come across as on the radio-
April 18, 2020 @ 10:39 am
I stopped listening to Bones, not because I didn’t think he was country enough or anything silly like that, but because I was tiring of his obsessing over his failed relationships and borderline dangerous obsessing over his own body image. What initially drew me to his show were the interviews, live performances, and Bones’ humanitarian efforts, and his personal insecurities began taking up too much airtime.
But I still think he’s unfairly criticized by most. He’s just a DJ doing a job. There’s almost certainly other DJs who are far less “country” than Bones, but they simply hide it better. Bones has been upfront about his love of pop and hip-hop, and that honesty has made him an easy target.
April 18, 2020 @ 2:03 pm
Like Kacey Musgraves at a Merle tribute. I bet she doesn’t even know what Bubble Up is.
April 19, 2020 @ 12:51 am
You people like a good moan, don’t you. I see no reason to bring Kacey Musgraves into the conversation, she’s fantastic and an amazing person.
April 18, 2020 @ 7:02 pm
yep, awkward as all get out, just let ’em sing, that’s what we are coming for anyway.
April 21, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
Watched last Saturday’s program with Rick Skaggs, along with Dailey & Vincent. Loved the show with the exception of the cut away to Bobby Bones. When you put him in the mix of Traditional Country and Bluegrass, it turned an excellent show into something less than mediocre. I think I’ll stick to watching repeats on YouTube so that I can skip anything with him in it.
April 22, 2020 @ 8:19 am
Bobby Bones: He always seems mush-mouthed and lacks clear pronunciation or inflection.