1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, how D and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Josh Clark. There's Charles W Chuck Bryan over there, there's 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: Jerry Jerome Roland, and this is Stuff you should Know, folks. Yeah. Uh, 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Can I do a little plug right off the beginning 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: to sort of explain why I got this idea? Yeah? Yeah, sure, 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: because this episode is on the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: the longest running radio broadcast in US history, and they 9 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: sent you a check. No, I gotta an email, Jesus. 10 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: I feel like a long time ago from a Stuff 11 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: you Should Know listener in a movie Crusher named Joseph 12 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna pronounce it tin l t I n n 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: e l L And he is the content and programming 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: director of WSM Radio, which you'll learn all about that here. Uh. 15 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: And he runs the show and he started at staying 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: we kind of had some back and forth over the 17 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: years about um me coming to the Rieman to see 18 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: a show, and he's like, I could I haven't mentioned 19 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: on Movie Crush. He said, I can get you backstage 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: if you ever want to come to Nashville and go 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: to a show with the Ryman, and so we've been 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: communicating for a long time. And then this past year 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: he started, uh, what's called the WSM Playlist, which is 24 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: they turned the radio station over to someone for an 25 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: hour and let them DJ and program. And he offered 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: that to me and I did it? Wow? And when 27 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: did you tell everybody about it? On stuff I'm doing 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: right now? Oh, when is it gonna play? It is? 29 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: It's you know, you record it so they can release 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: it whenever. So you you did covers of all the 31 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: songs that you wanted on the playliss I, I just DJ. Basically, 32 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: It's gonna air five pm Central time, July one at 33 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: five pm Central on ws M Radio Home in the 34 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Grand ol Opry. You can find it online at w 35 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: s M radio dot com. Just hit the listen live button. 36 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: On July one at five pm Central, we'll hear me 37 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: spinning records from Uncle Tupelo and Bonnie Prince Billy and 38 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. I can't remember who. Well, 39 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: it's a lot of a lot of great stuff that's awesome. 40 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: Did you do that thing where you like you just 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: held the one uh like can up to your ear 42 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 1: from the headphones. Now, I was a little nervous though, 43 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: and I felt that was a little stiff and loosened 44 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: up and then send it to him and I was like, hey, 45 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: I feel like I didn't do great at first. And 46 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 1: he said, yeah, you were a little stiff. And he said, 47 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: why don't you redo the first We call him all 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: these radio lingoes like ins and outs and you know, 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: raps and things like that, because you gotta talk about 50 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: the last song and then the next song. And so 51 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: he let me redo the first kind of set of 52 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: those and hopefully I'm a little more loose. It's always 53 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: better the second take. It is. Willie Nelson's in there. 54 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: I got some good stuff. That's really cool. Man, can gratulations, Chuck. 55 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: I feel like you finally made it. You're a member 56 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: of the Grand Old Operation. No, no, no, we'll talk 57 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: all about that. That's the old deal. So um we 58 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: are talking Grand Old opry. Uh. And now I'm nervous 59 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: about it because the station manager is going to be listening. 60 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: And by the way, this episode, what was his name, 61 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: Joseph Tinnell. Joseph prepared to be disappointed criticisms. He's a 62 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: stuff you should know listener and the movie Crusher two. 63 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: Of course he's a nice guy. So we're talking Grand 64 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: Old Opry today, and you said something that I find 65 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: just fascinating that it is I don't know if you 66 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: said in the world, but it is the oldest, longest 67 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: running live radio broadcast program in the entire world. It's 68 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: been broadcasting The Grand Old Opry, which is a radio show. 69 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: A lot of people think it's it's a music venue, 70 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: and it is, but really the music venue kind of 71 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: grew out of the radio show. It all. It began 72 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: as a radio show, um, all the way back in 73 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: so it's coming pretty close to its hundredth the anniversary. 74 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: And in all that time, it's only missed one Saturday 75 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: night broadcast, one live Saturday night broadcast. Every other Saturday 76 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: night all the way back to you could tune into 77 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: WUSM Nashville AM six fifty and here the Grand Old 78 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: Opry radio program, which is I mean, hats off to that. 79 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: I don't care if you think country Western music is 80 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: as bad as experimental smooth jazz, doesn't matter. You still 81 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: have to tip your hat to that. Yeah, tip that stetson. Uh, 82 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: we should tell them why that they missed that one broadcast. 83 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: It was after the assassination of Martin Luther King. The 84 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: city of Nashville, I think most of Tennessee probably was 85 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: under curfew, so they had to rerun a program, and 86 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: I think they did a live show the next day 87 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: or or something during the day earlier that day before, 88 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: I believe they tried to show. So they still did 89 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: a show that day. They just missed the live broadcast 90 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: that night, but all the other ones dating back, they 91 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: made pretty neat. Yeah. I actually went um when I 92 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: was a kid. We went to it was an amusement 93 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: park called opry Land, USA, which is now I think 94 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: sort of a shopping center mall kind of thing, but 95 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: back then it was an amusement park like a country. 96 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: It was pretty Dollywood. Oh you went to the opry Land, USA? 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: Oh wow? Okay, Yeah, And so we also went to 98 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: the Grand ol opry House. And I don't know if 99 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,919 Speaker 1: it was a Saturday show. I know they do shows 100 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but um, I don't remember 101 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: much about it, do But I do remember being in 102 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: that building and seeing the sort of barn shaped motif stage, 103 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: and that's kind of all I remember. I was probably 104 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: no more than six or seven. I don't know what 105 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: it is, but they're nothing more cozy than a building 106 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: within a building. Yeah, you know, I definitely loved the 107 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: stage for the Grand Old Opry for sure. Alright, So 108 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: the Grand Old Opry started out out of indirectly out 109 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,679 Speaker 1: of Chicago. That was something called the National Barn Dance, 110 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 1: which was a radio broadcast out of Chicago playing country music, 111 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: uh way back in the day, and it had a 112 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: really big following, but it didn't reach Nashville. So the 113 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: former UM, a former DJ from there named George Hay 114 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: went to Nashville became the station manager at WSM and 115 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: pitched what he called, um the Barn Dance, Yeah, which 116 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: was a lot like National Barn Dance. But He's like, 117 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: but here's the difference. We dropped the National. Yeah. It 118 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: was kind of like a proto heehaw and that they had. 119 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: It was a variety show. They had music, they had dancers, 120 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: they had comedy bits and sketches, um, all with that 121 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: sort of country fide flavor. I almost wonder if he 122 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: Hall was influenced by the Grand Old Operation, think a 123 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: little bit, but it was. So it was on WSM, 124 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: as you were saying that the barn Dance is what 125 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: you know Grand old Opry radio program was originally called 126 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: for the first couple of years, and that guy George 127 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: Hay who pitched it and hosted it, had had been 128 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: at that radio station in Chicago, but now he worked 129 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: for WSM, which was actually an insurance company's radio station. 130 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: It's a very strange story, it is, but they they 131 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: were there were the headquarters in the National Life and 132 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: Accident Insurance Company, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. And I apparently 133 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,239 Speaker 1: one of the executives there was really into this new 134 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: technology radio and I was high enough up in the 135 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: company that he got the company to start broadcasting from 136 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: the fifth floor UM. And so that's where that first 137 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: early program was broadcast from. Was this insurance company UM 138 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: headquarters like office building on Saturday nights. Yeah. And if 139 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: you're wondering what w O s M stands for, because 140 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: it was from the insurance company, it stands for We 141 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: Shield Millions, still known as w s M. It's really funny. 142 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: I tried to find out who this executive was, but 143 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: I couldn't. I couldn't look at it. Yeah, that's you know, 144 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: it's crazy how people can become lost to history, even 145 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: though their story is just so wrapped up in something 146 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: that's everywhere. All it takes is for them just getting 147 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: knocked out of one, you know, one popular article and 148 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: everybody else who picks up on that after that, Yeah, 149 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: they're not coming back, you know. All right. So the 150 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: Barn Dance, they had their first broadcast on November had 151 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: uncle Jimmy Thompson, who was a Tennessee musician and won 152 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: a fiddling competition in Texas, was a big, big hit, 153 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: and within just a few months there were people literally 154 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: coming down to this insurance building to watch live through 155 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: the US the glass walls of the studio very cool. Yeah, 156 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: all this reminds me of um oh brother or art 157 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: that when they go into the recording studio. I think 158 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: it's very similar to that kind of thing, right, So 159 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: like they kind of knew, like, no, this is this 160 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: might be a thing, like this is kind of a 161 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: people are showing up, you know, in person on Saturday 162 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 1: night at an insurance company's offices to watch this stuff. 163 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: And it kind of started to take off pretty quickly. 164 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: And it was I think when George Hay famously said, 165 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:39,319 Speaker 1: um about this preceding like radio or classical music Appreciation 166 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: Hour that we've been listening to music largely from the 167 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 1: Grand Opera. From now on we will present the Grand 168 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: Old Opry. And apparently everybody thought that was hysterical, and 169 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: that became the name of the show from that time on. 170 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: I think in December of it is pretty cool, yeah, 171 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: And so there were these weekly performances every Saturday, UM 172 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: at the National Life and Accident Insurance Company's headquarters. But 173 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: more and more people started to show up, and I 174 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: saw somewhere, Chuck, I love this. It's like a full 175 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: circle irony. But at the time, the leaders the of Nashville, 176 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: the heads of business and UM, a lot of the 177 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: other you know, the politicians, the wealthy people who are 178 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: running the show in Nashville, were trying to move the 179 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,719 Speaker 1: city's image in the exact opposite direction of what they 180 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: were doing every Saturday night at the insurance company's headquarters. 181 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: Like they were trying to basically say, Nashville is not 182 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: no mountain folk here, no holdowns going on here. Just 183 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: we're just like every were like New York, where the 184 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: New York of the middle of America. I kind of thing. 185 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: And they really resented the Grand Old Opery because it 186 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: was getting more and more popular. And then finally the 187 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: Grand Old Opry became so powerful and such an institution 188 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: in nash Fille that it in large part became the 189 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: leaders of the city and it shaped Nashville. Like Nashville 190 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: wasn't music city until the Grand Ole Opry came along 191 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: and they were trying to take it in a different direction. 192 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: The Grand ol Opry took it in that that direction 193 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: of basically establishing like the headquarters of country western music. 194 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: Uh and put Nashville on the map in that very 195 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: legitimate way. It had three consecutive mayors killed it did 196 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: to accomplish this feed that's all poisoned. Oh no, that's 197 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: not true at all. People who run the Grand ol 198 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: Opry that are listening right now, we wei, yeah, I 199 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 1: do feel like someone's looking over our shoulder. All right, 200 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: So you know what, let's take a break and then 201 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: we'll talk about kind of the change in venues over 202 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: the years and how that represents the rise of the 203 00:11:48,880 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: Grand ol Opry in prominence. Right after this, all right, 204 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: so you're you're throwing these hoe downs in an insurance building. 205 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: It's going well, people are showing up, mayors are dropping 206 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: like flies, trying to fight this thing to be big city, 207 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: New York City in Tennessee. Uh. And so they said 208 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: we gotta move. So they said, all right, first thing 209 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: we'll do is we'll move into an actual auditorium space 210 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: here in the same building. That worked for a little while. 211 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: Then in thirty four they moved to the Hillsborough Theater 212 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: Community Playhouse now called the Bellcourt Theater um started selling 213 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: some ads, making a little dough. I think two years 214 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: later they outgrew that moved to the Dixie Tabernacle, which 215 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: was a religious hall um, sort of an old timmy 216 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: sort of revival house, and they were there for a 217 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: few years before they said, you know what, I don't 218 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: like this wild audience coming in here on the drink 219 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: and acting all crazy and dancing in the aisle. So 220 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 1: get out of the Dixie Tabernacle and they moved to 221 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: the War Memorial Auditorium, which is when they started selling 222 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 1: tickets for a quarter apiece in n nine and started 223 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: I think they even got um a spot on NBC. 224 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: They were in a movie. Things started happening in a 225 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: big way. Yeah, it was a big deal. In thirty 226 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: nine when NBC started broadcasting them on the radio, uh, 227 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: to a national audience. I mean, first of all, it's 228 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: it's now it's national, and that certainly legitimizes it. But 229 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: the fact that one of the big broadcasters at the 230 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: time thought it was an important enough show to to 231 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: pick it up and you know, send it out to 232 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: everybody else, that's a that's a huge And this is 233 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: you know, less than twenty years after it's about fifteen 234 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: years after the Grand Old Opry first went on the air. 235 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: That's pretty impressive stuff. Um. And then they moved on 236 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: i think nineteen forty three to the Rhyman Theater, which 237 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: is one of the places that the Grand Old Opery 238 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: is synonymous with. Right, yeah, and that's I'm dying to 239 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 1: go to a show there. I'll make it there at 240 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: some point, hopefully get that backstage tour from Joseph. But 241 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: it was it's a legendary theater. It was there for 242 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: thirty years. Umye hundred seats. It's the mother Church of 243 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: country music. And I think they raised the price to 244 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: eighty cents there. Um. We'll talk a little bit more 245 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: about how the Rymans still figures in today, but it 246 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: was that's when things really I mean, if you're in 247 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: the seat venue, filling it up a few times a week, 248 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: that's your your big time. At that point, I think 249 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: they um the regular cast what played Carnegie Hall in 250 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: the forties went on tour in Europe and they were 251 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: starting to birth some real sort of superstars like roy 252 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: A Cuff. Yeah, and Mini Pearl came along in Yo. 253 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: And she's just as closely linked to that period of 254 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: the um the Grand Old Opry as roy Acuff is 255 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: for sure. Um. I was reading about her, did you 256 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: know that whole thing was just a total put on? 257 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: That she was like a college educated woman from a 258 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: well to do family. It was, it was a character. 259 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I fell for a Hooklein and sinker. She 260 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: was Larry the Cable Guy. Yes, exactly, she was. She 261 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: was Larry the Cable Guy prior to Larry the Cable Guy. 262 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: But I was like, I know she was in a 263 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: commercial that I loved when I was a kid. I 264 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: was like, I think it was Spick and Span, and 265 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: I looked it up and sure enough, thank you Internet, 266 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: there's a two Spick and Span commercial where she shows 267 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: up and shows this this lady that she can get 268 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: her Linoleum floors back to looking new with spick and span. 269 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: It was great. That's funny what hangs in the memory, right, 270 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: it really does that. And then my other association with 271 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: Mini Pearl is UM that Dead Milkman song Punk Rock 272 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: Girl where they'll name their their daughter Mini Pearl. That's 273 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: the other, the other Mini Pearl thing. UM. So there's 274 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: a couple of ways you can get on stage and 275 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: play at the Grand Old Opry Um. Most people are 276 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: invited to play as a guest just on a random 277 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: individual show, and that's a great, great honor. Uh. Then 278 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: they have there I mentioned the cast earlier, they have 279 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: what's what's called members. They're the cast. They're these regular 280 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: performers who are invited to become a member UM. I 281 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: think publicly. Once you're invited, an existing member will ask 282 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: you to join them live on the air during a broadcast. 283 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: Kind of is the big coming out party, I guess UM. 284 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: And being a member is UM it's a really big deal. Like, uh, 285 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: they take a lot of time to add members. They 286 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: only add maybe a couple of year. There's there's I 287 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: think sixty five current active members I'm sorry, sixty total, 288 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: uh nine of which no longer perform or officially retired, okay, 289 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: but they're still they're still considered members of their considered 290 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: I think you kind of have to pass away to 291 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: officially be taken off, unless you run a foul, which 292 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: we'll talk about that as well. I got you. Um So, yeah, 293 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: there's uh, the there's basically, I mean, to become a 294 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 1: member of the Grand Old Opry is an enormous honor, 295 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: Like it's a really big deal. There are people who, 296 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: um are just huge country superstars that are not members 297 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: of the Grand Old Operate. They might be invited to 298 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: come play a show or something like that, but they're 299 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,719 Speaker 1: not members of the Grand Old Operation if you remember 300 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: the Grand Old Opry. Basically, the impression I have is 301 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: that you're considered the the uh the guard of country 302 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: music is one way to put it in a really 303 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 1: confusing way. Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of 304 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: things that go into it, and I mean it sounds 305 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 1: like it's you know, they talk about you being successful 306 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: and you being connected it and you being committed. That's 307 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: a big part of it, and we'll get to that 308 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: in a second. But it sounds like there's not just 309 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 1: sort of one set of criteria where like, hey, if 310 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: you have so many number one hits or so much 311 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: music sales, it's like a bunch of stuff decided by people. Yeah, 312 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: subjectively and objectively, right. I think also in some cases 313 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: it's a it's a judgment that's passed on your style 314 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: of country music. Like they might not like it at 315 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: a time. Maybe I think it sounds too poppy back 316 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: in the day, they might have thought it sounded to 317 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: rock and roll. Um. Like there's a there's a definite like, 318 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: like you said, subjectivity to it as well as objectivity. Um. 319 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 1: But if you if you do get that that um, 320 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: that invitation, um, you're expected to come play twelve shows 321 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 1: a year, twelve Saturday nights, I should say a year, um, 322 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: to maintain your your membership. Uh. And I think also 323 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: you have to sell cookies in the February to help 324 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: raise funds. Is that true? No, it wouldn't surprise me. Man, 325 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: that's the girls Scouts. No, it would not surprise me 326 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: because they they do expect a lot of participation, and 327 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: not just on show nights. They expect you to go 328 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: to a lot of shows. They expect you just to 329 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: kind of be there a lot. Um. I think in 330 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: the fifties and sixties. Uh, they were at I mean 331 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: from its inception up into the fifties and sixties, they 332 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,879 Speaker 1: required twenty six shows a year, which is a man, 333 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: that's like half your weekend shows basically, yea tour. Yeah, 334 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: if you want to go tour, that's that's a significant 335 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: amount of time that you have to dedicate. And they 336 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: finally knocked it down to twelve, which is still pretty significant, 337 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: especially if you don't live in Nashville, but uh, it's 338 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: that's much more manageable than twenty six, you know. Yeah, 339 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: they knocked it down to twenty and nineteen sixty four 340 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: after they bought at six and then sixty four. It's 341 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: I think in two thousand and they finally knocked it 342 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: down to twelve. Oh really, it took that long. Huh, 343 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: took a while. So over the years, the membership of 344 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: the Grand Old Opry has been you know, there's a 345 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: lot of people that that you would expect who were members, 346 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: like everybody from roy A Cuff, as we said earlier 347 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 1: in Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, Um, Petty Kleine, 348 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: Hank Williams was for a while, Johnny Cash, Barbara Mandrell, Reba. 349 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,959 Speaker 1: Reba's actually playing what's the date today? Do you know? 350 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: Is it the twenty two? Yes, Reba's playing the Grand 351 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: Old Opry tonight. Isn't that cool? I love it? And 352 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 1: listen to you going with just the one name. Oh 353 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: it's Reba we're talking about here. I watched your TV 354 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: show pretty frequently, so I'm on a first name basis 355 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: with her. I never saw it was a good It 356 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: actually was good. She was cute. Yeah, she was a good, 357 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: good actress for a non actor. She's a good act 358 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: sorry for she was a good actor for a non actor. Um, 359 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: and she really I think I really came to appreciate 360 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: Reva first and Tremors. Oh, I loved her in that. 361 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: And we can say that because we were bad actors 362 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: for non actors exactly. Yes, we know, we know what 363 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 1: we're talking about. Who else these days Randy Travis, Allison Kraus, 364 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley. I think Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, 365 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: and Blake Shelton and most recently, the most recent edition 366 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: is Lady A which used to be Lady Annabellum until 367 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: the George Floyd murder and ensuing protests. They were like no, 368 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: we're gonna drop in and a Bellum, which hats off 369 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: to them, but they went to Lady A Um, which 370 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: they're probably like this coolest, sounds good, But then the 371 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: Seattle Blue singer Lady A, who's been performing for thirty years, 372 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: is like, I'm not really okay with this, but I'm 373 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: not sure that they're changing their name again anytime soon. 374 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: That's right after you are invited to perform, now that 375 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,880 Speaker 1: you get your aim on the wall. And I think 376 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: it was Blake Shelton who actually started the new tradition 377 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: of hanging his own plaque on the wall because he 378 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: was so excited. Apparently he grabbed the plaque and went 379 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: and did it himself during the ceremony, which is which 380 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: is fairly adorable. I think I don't know much about 381 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: the guy, but I like an excitable feller. Yeah he's 382 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: married to Um. Yeah, that lady that's there. He's not 383 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: a Hall of Back girl. By the way, was that 384 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,479 Speaker 1: was that one of their songs? Yeah, that was one 385 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: of her songs. I don't know B A N A 386 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: N A yes, something like that. I have a rhythm. 387 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: Well you sang this episode that's all I wanted, so 388 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: um should we take another break? Is it time? Yeah, 389 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: let's take another break and we'll talk about just how 390 00:22:50,200 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: this institution has evolved over the years. Okay, Chuck, So 391 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: you you mentioned how the institutions evolved over the years, 392 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: and you can't really be like the the ongoing voice 393 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:31,159 Speaker 1: or foundation or home of genre of music if the 394 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: genre of music keeps evolving and you don't you know, 395 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: but there's like kind of this tension for the Grand 396 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: Old Opry as well, because it is this institution. It 397 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: can't and shouldn't just go chasing every trend. It needs 398 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: to kind of wait and see see if there if 399 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: you know, some change that comes along is real change, 400 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 1: um all while protecting like the musical roots of this 401 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: very proud tradition of country Western music. It's not a 402 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: really enviable position should and you know, luckily they've had 403 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: what seems to be a pretty good succession of members 404 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 1: and management who have done a fairly good job of 405 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: overseeing that task. Um. But being an institution, it's also 406 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: been kind of ice Bergean and its movements of like change, 407 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: especially when a major change comes along to music, like 408 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: when rock and roll came along. Yeah, I mean, you 409 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 1: start out as folk music and how down music and 410 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: bluegrass stuff and then honky tonk stuff, and eventually the 411 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: electric guitar is going to make an appearance. And they 412 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: had a decision to make because drums and horns and 413 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: electric guitars were all banned for many years, and I 414 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: think electric guitar even was allowed before drums and horns 415 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: were allowed. And all it takes is kind of one 416 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: performer to break the mold for people to like it, 417 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: which is key, and then for the management to say, 418 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: you know, maybe we need to start letting drum sets 419 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: in here, because it was that that slap bass is 420 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: kind of what kept that percussive time for that kind 421 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: of music for many years, and drums were just you know, 422 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 1: it's not something they wanted in there. Yeah. Um, So 423 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: you can imagine when rock and roll comes in and 424 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: people like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis come around, 425 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: it's a big deal and they didn't want any part 426 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: of it. I think Elvis was invited to play once, 427 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: but he certainly was never invited for membership. And then 428 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: Jerry Lee Lewis um he got a little revenge in 429 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: that he was not treated He felt like he was 430 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: sort of shunned by Nashville in the country music establishment, 431 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,120 Speaker 1: even though he sort of did some country western, mostly 432 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: kind of blazing rock and roll piano tunes. And so 433 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: when he finally played there, I think in ninety three, 434 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: they said, all right, you can come and play. We're 435 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: inviting you, but don't play any rock and roll. And 436 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: he said, okay, just put me up on that stage, 437 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: got up on the stage and said, let me tell 438 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: you something about Jerry Lee Lewis, Ladies and gentlemen, I'm 439 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: a rock and rolling country in Western rhythm and blues 440 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: singing m f R yeah, mother lover, yes. And they 441 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: did not take kindly to that. Uh. The only reason 442 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,199 Speaker 1: he wasn't banned is because the audience loved it. I 443 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: think have you ever read The Strange and Mysterious Death 444 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: of Mrs Jerry Lee Lewis from Rolling Stone In You 445 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: should read it. It's very eye opening and like one 446 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: of those I think it was a disgrace Land episode. 447 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: I'm sure that, yeah, but it's like kind of jarring. 448 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: How you know, if you're super super famous, just the 449 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: different kind of treatment you get, even you know, in 450 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: a in a murder investigation, you know, Yeah, I'm glad 451 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: that's all changed. Yeah, I know the seventies are crazy, um, 452 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: but they they the fact that they didn't kick Jerry 453 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: Lee Lewis out or allowed him to come back and 454 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: play some more. I don't think he was ever Um 455 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: he was never a member, right, No, he was just 456 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: abody to play, okay, but he was he was invited 457 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: back again. Was because he rocked that place that hard, apparently, 458 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: but there have been other people who were kicked out, 459 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: um for far less than that, for what then what 460 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: he did? Um? So there is kind of this this 461 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: view from the outside of like what what what's the 462 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: decision making process here? In some of these cases, some 463 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,120 Speaker 1: are just obvious, other ones are like I'm not sure 464 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: about that one. Yeah, there was Um well, these the 465 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: Birds weren't kicked out. But in the sixties with a 466 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: hippie counterculture, obviously that was going to be an issue 467 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: with Nashville because they had sort of a no long 468 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: hair's rule. But they did invite the Birds because they 469 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: were that kind of new brand of country rock and 470 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: the crowd hated them. Um. So I don't think they 471 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: came back, but it wasn't like they were kicked out 472 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: they were were less voted out by you know, lack 473 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: of popular demand. I'll bet that was not a comfortable show. No, 474 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: I'm sure that didn't feel very good. But David Crosby 475 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: had plenty of drugs too, right. So Hank Williams was 476 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: very famously kicked out. He was a member of the 477 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: Grand Old Opry Um and he was kicked out in 478 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: nine two, just a few months before he died. Um. 479 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: He was kicked out because he kept missing shows. So 480 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,479 Speaker 1: he missed two shows in one weekend because he was 481 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: off drunk um and they were like you, you're just 482 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: we can't have this any longer. Um, I think we 483 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: should do a whole episode on him someday. Yeah, sure. 484 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: I mean, anyone who kind of drinks himself to get 485 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: to death before their thirties intriguing at the very least, 486 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: very sad story, Yeah, agreed. And then Johnny Cash he 487 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: very famous. He was kicked out of the Opery as well. 488 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: He met his wife, June Carter Cash when they were performing, 489 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: both of them separately at the Grand Old Opery one night, 490 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: and he became a member for years until nineteen sixty 491 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: five when he um went nuts and destroyed like some 492 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: lighting equipment because as Mike wasn't working during a rehearsal um, 493 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: which is a little diva ish, I think you could 494 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: make the case. And they said, um, bite your tongue, 495 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: and they said, uh that he uh, he could not 496 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: be a member of the opera anymore. And they kept 497 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: them that way until I think the eighties, when he 498 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: was finally invited back as a member. They said, Okay, 499 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: we think you've probably cooled down enough. Well, he got 500 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 1: sober and I think saw the air of his ways 501 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: and made a bunch of big changes for the better 502 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: in his life. I suspect that it was when he 503 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: um covered that nine inch Nail song that the Grand 504 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: Ol Operay was like, this is the bomb, you can 505 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: come back. That's a great great He does some great 506 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: covers on those albums. Yeah, very sad stuff. I think 507 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: in seventy three, the was a woman named Skeeter Davis 508 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: who had that really big hit the End of the World, 509 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: great song um, and she got a little political. Earlier 510 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: in the day, she was at a shopping mall and 511 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: saw some cops arresting some Uh. There were some church 512 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: workers sort of witnessing and doing their thing at the 513 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: shopping mall, which I guess you weren't allowed to do. 514 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: So the cops, uh either arrested them or at least 515 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: took them out of there. And she got on stage 516 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: that night and said, this is something I really should share. Uh. 517 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: I didn't ask our manager if I could say this, 518 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: but they've arrested fifteen people just for telling people that 519 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: Jesus loves them, and that really burdened my heart. She 520 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 1: was a fourteen year member and lost her membership and 521 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: was banned reinstated a few years later, but actually was 522 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: it yeah, one year later, but this was I was like, 523 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: why would they do that? It seems like the Grand 524 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: Opera you would be way down with that message. But 525 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: the cops were not happy, and the police complained, and 526 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: so they had to maintain that them blue line you know, 527 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: got you. They had to back the blue back the blue, 528 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: that's what it is and then chuck. In two thousand one, 529 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 1: there was a really UM I would say famous case 530 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: when Nico Case was banned. She wasn't a member of 531 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: the opery though I don't believe, but she was an 532 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 1: invited UM performer, right, Yeah, she played not in the 533 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: operay house. It's sort of the stepping stone is to 534 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: be invited to play the party plaza outside and she 535 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: was playing in the sweltering heat and asked for some water. 536 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: They couldn't get it to her, asked if she could 537 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: take a break. They wouldn't let her take a break, 538 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: so she took her shirt off and finished the set 539 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: in her bra and they banned her for life. The 540 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: only person to date has been banned for life right 541 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: because she showed her braw yeah, which is um, you know, 542 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: I think I think she could totally turn this on 543 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: them now, uh, And they would probably react pretty quickly 544 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: to get her back in there and invite her if 545 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: she you know, if you were like you weren't weren't 546 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: taking care of a woman's health on stage or a 547 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: performers health on stage by giving them, you know, letting 548 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,959 Speaker 1: them hydrate themselves, then I think they would be like, 549 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: oh yeah, yeah, yeah, so back out here quick. Yeah. 550 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 1: And she said later in an interview that like this 551 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: was not a stunt or anything, like she was about 552 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: to have heat stroke and this is how she was 553 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: coping with it. That she wasn't you know, trying to 554 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 1: be cool or anything, or she said she getting kicked 555 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: out of the Opery. Wasn't punk rocket, wasn't good or 556 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: nothing good came of it. But she did say that 557 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: they told her that she'd never played Nashville again, and 558 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: she certainly has played Nashville, including at the Ryman a 559 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: number of times too, which is kind of, um, good, 560 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: good comeback. Yeah. I actually just bought tickets to go 561 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: see her in uh, the wine country in California in August, 562 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: did a winery, very chic. Cannot wait. I can imagine 563 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: she's one of my favorites. I've seen her a bunch 564 00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: of times. It'll probably be a nice small show. Huh. Yeah, 565 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, outdoors of the winery, sipping wine, 566 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: listening the cocase. That's awesome. Uh really can't wait. But 567 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: she's you know, she has a reputation for sort of 568 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: that outsider sort of punk rock attitude, and I think 569 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: that's why they thought. Some people might have thought she 570 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: was trying to just stick it to the Grand Old 571 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: Opry and she's like, no, that's not the case. So 572 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: we mentioned the Rieman, and obviously the Rieman's still around. Um, 573 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: but the Grand Old Opry moved from the Rheman in 574 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy four, right, and to um this this new venue, 575 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: the Grand Old Opry House that it's still in today. 576 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: And it was a big deal when they moved because 577 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 1: they've been in the Rheman for like thirty years. They 578 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: started to hit like their peak of their popularity, which 579 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: is plateaued really high since that time. UM. And they 580 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: had their last show in March of nineteen seventy four. 581 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: And I read this really great article from the New 582 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: York Times of All Things UM from nineteen seventy four 583 00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: by Suzanne Freeman. It's called opry Land is a Dream 584 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: to believe in and it's about, you know, the Grand 585 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: Old Opry and what it meant to her growing up 586 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: as a kid in Pennsylvania and UM, how she ended 587 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: up going to this last show and what it was like. UM. 588 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: But as they moved to the opery Land, one of 589 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: the reasons they moved was because of this amusement park. 590 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: It was a radio show that started out playing Hodowns 591 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: in the headquarters of an insurance building in Nashville, now 592 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: had its own Disney design theme park built in and 593 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: this huge person cushioned seat, air conditioned venue UM to 594 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: to basically celebrate the how far this this thing had come. 595 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 1: It was pretty amazing. Um doubled almost doubled in size 596 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: from the Rieman. Uh, and they took a little bit 597 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 1: of the tradition with them. They cut out the six 598 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:55,840 Speaker 1: ft circle they're at center stage with the artist performs 599 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: from the Riemans floorboards, moved it over to the Grand 600 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: Old Opry. How us opened it big with Richard Nixon 601 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:08,720 Speaker 1: on March four, who performed. He actually played the dulcimer 602 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:13,879 Speaker 1: in the piano, sang Happy Birthday to his wife. The 603 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: Rheman very sadly fell on hard times after that and 604 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: hard to believe, but kind of like our our fabulous 605 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,919 Speaker 1: Fox Theater here in Atlanta was actually being talked about 606 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: being demolished in the seventies and the eighties, and they were, 607 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: like the Fox, a lot of fundraisers and a lot 608 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,759 Speaker 1: of people getting involved to save the Rieman. And now it's, 609 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 1: you know, one of the oldest and still one of 610 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: the most premier venues which still hosts the Grand ol 611 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: Opery from November to January every year. They hold it 612 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: at the Rieman. Okay, that's pretty cool, and it's called 613 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:47,880 Speaker 1: Opery at the Rieman, but it's still the Grand ol 614 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: Opry every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, February through October. It's 615 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:56,399 Speaker 1: still at the Grand ol Opry House. And um, yeah, 616 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:58,360 Speaker 1: they don't miss those shows. Man. There was a flood. 617 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: Cumberland River flooded in two thousand ten. Yeah, and uh, 618 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: it really damaged. Like they had to do a lot 619 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 1: of repairs. They even had to pull out that center 620 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 1: circle and that was really damaged and they restored that, 621 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: got it going again and kept that traditional alive. So 622 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: one of the things about the amusement park that I 623 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: was looking up is that it was closed in and 624 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 1: I was reading an article about it where they were 625 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: saying like it was just a bad decision that this 626 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: thing was closed, because this amusement park was lucrative. Basically 627 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:31,319 Speaker 1: from the day it was opened to the day it 628 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 1: was closed, it made money. It wasn't ever, it wasn't 629 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: underwater until that flood. Um, but it was replaced in 630 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:44,080 Speaker 1: ninety seven by a mega mall, and even in people 631 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: knew malls were starting to go away. So that was 632 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: a really bad move to begin with. And then I 633 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: found out the person who ran UM, the company that 634 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 1: owned the amusement park, also at the same time decided 635 00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,760 Speaker 1: that it would be best for their company to start 636 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:04,839 Speaker 1: ordering the market on online Christian music websites during the 637 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,240 Speaker 1: height of the dot com bubble, just before it burst. 638 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: And um, this was the same person that decided to 639 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,000 Speaker 1: to shut down opery Land USA and replace it with 640 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 1: them all. So it was not not one of the 641 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,840 Speaker 1: great decisions of all time. But I thought this that 642 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 1: was super interesting, that it was fine. It just was 643 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 1: taken away from everybody. Luckily there's still Dollywood, so don't panic. Yeah, 644 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 1: I mean Dolly partner smart. She started playing the Grand 645 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: ol Opry when she was ten years old. She saw 646 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: the riding on the wall with opery Land, and UH said, 647 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: why don't I start my own uh amusement country music 648 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,880 Speaker 1: amusement park. And I don't know if that helped drive 649 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,920 Speaker 1: opery Land out of business or I guess you said 650 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 1: they were still doing okay, But yeah, no, it was good. 651 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,959 Speaker 1: I saw another there was another article that basically said 652 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 1: the um opery Land made more money than Dollywood. It's 653 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:02,439 Speaker 1: last like month in exist since Wow, yeah, I'm gonna 654 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: have it was just a bad move. How old I 655 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,799 Speaker 1: was when I we took that trip. That was us 656 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: going to apry Land, the Grand all Opry House, doing 657 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 1: that stuff. That was a quintessential Bryant family vacation in 658 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies. That's awesome. Your dad was just see 659 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,360 Speaker 1: being with people the whole time, totally see being with people. 660 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: We probably camped because I know he didn't stay in 661 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: a hotel because I've literally never stayed in a hotel 662 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 1: with my family before. Uh yeah, dude, I didn't stay 663 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 1: in a hotel till I was except for like church trips, 664 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 1: till I was like out of college. You were like 665 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: tiny shampoo. It was weird, like they give you this stuff. 666 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 1: It's funny, man. I love the Chuck Bryant saga. You know, 667 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: it's interesting and not too far from years. I think 668 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 1: it's something about growing up in that time period. That's uh. 669 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 1: We we have some common DNA. Yeah, I stayed in 670 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 1: hotels though we had hotels. Well yeah, the street we 671 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 1: were camping campers, and we were also, Uh, I didn't 672 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:03,399 Speaker 1: have a ton of money and we're also kind of cheap. 673 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: I got you, I got you all those things combined 674 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 1: to enter the campground. Um, what else? You got anything else? 675 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: On Grand Old Opry And I got nothing else? Just 676 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 1: check out my w S and playlist hour July one, 677 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 1: five pm Central. Very nice and hopefully this, uh it 678 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:25,319 Speaker 1: fattened up the WSM people to get you that backstage 679 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 1: tour of the Rheyman, Yeah, eman, he even mentioned doing 680 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,280 Speaker 1: introductions at the Opery House, and I was like, dude, 681 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 1: come on, wow, Like you don't want to confuse and 682 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:42,480 Speaker 1: repulse the fine people of Nashville, So okay, you don't 683 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:44,840 Speaker 1: have anything else about the Opery. I don't have anything 684 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: else about the Opry. I would say, go forth and 685 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:49,520 Speaker 1: listen to the Grand Old Operate. It's still broadcast. Um, 686 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 1: this is how cutting edge it is. It's now on YouTube. 687 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,800 Speaker 1: But you can also go listen to WSM online every 688 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: Saturday night. And uh, they probably broadcast the Tuesday and 689 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: Friday night ones too, but definitely Saturday. And since I 690 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: said definitely Saturday, it's time for a listener mail. I'm 691 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: gonna call this nearly corrected but not Oh I know 692 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: this one. Hey guys, I'm Sean. I'm a Chinese dude 693 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: living in Milan, Italy. Uh, and I just listened to 694 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: short stuff Chinatown, interesting and informative. And by the way, 695 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 1: I picked this one because at another listener right in 696 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: it was not too kind about this correction, and it 697 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: turns out I was right. So that's why I'm reading it. 698 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,719 Speaker 1: Probably because of the different pronunciations in Mandarin, Chinese, which 699 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 1: I speak, Cantonese Chinese, and English. I thought Chuck was 700 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: wrong wen you mentioned the first formally recognized Chinatown was 701 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 1: called Little Canton at the time, and then today Canton 702 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:46,399 Speaker 1: is known as Little Gong Jao. Okay, so that Gong 703 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,360 Speaker 1: Joo is that it? I know I said it correctly 704 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: the first time, but I looked it up recently. So 705 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: just whatever I said the first time, I'm pretty sure 706 00:40:55,120 --> 00:41:01,319 Speaker 1: it was Gong Joongong Joe Man. I hope it is going, 707 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,400 Speaker 1: but go ahead. What matters is that you got it 708 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:06,399 Speaker 1: the first time, yeah, and screwed it up the second time. 709 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:08,360 Speaker 1: That's what Billy Joel always says. Get it right the 710 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:12,400 Speaker 1: first time. That's the main thing. Okay, He's somebody to 711 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 1: model to follow, base your life on. So I mean, man, 712 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,239 Speaker 1: why are you bagging on Billy Joel? Hey? I know 713 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:27,360 Speaker 1: the music man, but um piano man, I think I 714 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 1: should have stopped talking about five minutes ago, Okay. So 715 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 1: immediately started writing a Haha, you're wrong email to point 716 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,759 Speaker 1: out that Chuck was wrong, but after finishing, right before 717 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 1: clicking Cind, I had a gut feeling I should do 718 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:39,799 Speaker 1: a little bit more research. Luckily I did. It turned 719 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 1: out the joke is actually on me. I was wrong 720 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 1: and Chuck was right all along. So thank you much, Uh, 721 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:47,439 Speaker 1: Sir Chuck and Sir Josh, you two American gentleman taught 722 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: a Chinese boy lesson about his own country. Because, by 723 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,799 Speaker 1: the way, Josh, you pronounced it super accurately. This is 724 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:58,839 Speaker 1: how you pronounce it, Guang Jao, Guang Jo, good job. 725 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: Thank you. One last secret before finishing the email, I 726 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 1: don't like wearing headsets nor earphones. I always play podcast 727 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,360 Speaker 1: on my Google Home when I am cooking eating twing dishes. 728 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's so noisy when I'm cooking and doing dishes 729 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:12,839 Speaker 1: that I can't hear it very well. So your show 730 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:15,479 Speaker 1: is one of only two podcasts that I actually listened 731 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: to with headsets that I don't like. I don't want 732 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,959 Speaker 1: to miss anything. High praise. The other one is Crime 733 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:25,319 Speaker 1: Junkie Okay, Hi praise indeed, yeah, we'll take it. Uh. 734 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,839 Speaker 1: And that is sincerely your big if not biggest Chinese fan, 735 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: Sean Sean. Thank you very much, Sean. I appreciate that, 736 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 1: and I think it's pretty sweet that you wrote into 737 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: not correct us, especially when somebody was mean to Chuck Gosh. 738 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: I don't know how that one slipped past me. You know. Um, Well, 739 00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:46,759 Speaker 1: if you want to get in touch with us and 740 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:49,000 Speaker 1: be nice, even if it is a correction, you don't 741 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: have to be a jerk about it. You can wrap 742 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 1: it up, spank it on the bottom, and send it 743 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:59,280 Speaker 1: off to Stuff podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff 744 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,320 Speaker 1: you should know it is production of I heart Radio. 745 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:04,319 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 746 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 747 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 1: favorite shows. H M.