Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass and Pete Fisher.

I am very grateful and extremely honored to have this opportunity to speak with you this evening. I believe the bluegrass music industry holds tremendous potential to grow. In my years at the Opry, I have personally witnessed how the power of bluegrass music and its artists can win over those who may not consider themselves fans of bluegrass.

It’s hard to believe I’ve been at the Opry 10 years, and what an exciting 10 years it has been! It was around September of 1998 when Steve Buchanan first approached me about the General Manager position at the Opry. At that time I was in my fourth year of artist management, the second phase of my music industry career. To be honest, the call came as quite a surprise to me. Although I had a very high regard for the Opry, I never envisioned in a million years that my career would lead me to that revered institution.

In addition to the obvious musical compatibility, bluegrass music and the Grand Ole Opry have a lot in common. Introduced to the world by Bill Monroe on the Ryman Stage 64 years ago, like the Opry, bluegrass music has a long rich legacy which celebrates excellence and tradition.

Bluegrass music, like the Opry, is truly a slice of Americana. It’s all-American. Bluegrass Music, like the Opry, is multi-generational – the performers and fans alike.

A frequently asked question I get from the media is, “What is country music?” I typically respond by saying country music, at its best, is about real people singing real songs about real life. If country music is that, then bluegrass music is the espresso version of that!  Both bluegrass music and the Opry are real—authentic to the core.

With each and every one of the 200 Opry shows we present each year, we strive to present a diverse array of generations and musical styles. So when one experiences a Grand Ole Opry performance, they are really witnessing the past, present and future of country music, as performed by it’s new stars, superstars and legends. That is our core programming philosophy for the show.

This approach serves us well because it broadens the Opry’s relationship with performers and their representatives as well as those enjoying the Opry in person, on the radio or on television, online, or on satellite radio. This programming philosophy is best for the long-term interests of the Opry, the performers and from a tourism perspective, the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee.

As many of you know, bluegrass music plays a key role in the make-up of any Opry show. Many Opry shows feature performances by some of the Opry stars of bluegrass like Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Del McCoury and Dr. Ralph Stanley. Many also feature performances by some of the superstars of bluegrass like Opry stars Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss.

We also feature many guest bluegrass performers such as Dailey & Vincent, Rhonda Vincent, The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Larry Stephenson, The SteelDrivers, The Infamous Stringdusters, Steep Canyon Rangers, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Mountain Heart, Dale Ann Bradley, Russell Moore &  IIIrd Tyme Out, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Isaacs, Dan Tyminski, Steve Martin,  Alecia Nugent and The Lovell Sisters, just to name a few.

Over the next several minutes, I’d like to share with you some insights about the Opry, our industry, our customers and also share with you some ideas and best practices. I’m always up for a challenge because I believe we only grow when we’re challenged. I hope you take any challenges I may throw out there in the spirit in which they are intended – to grow and prosper.

I took the opportunity over the past several weeks to meet with various leaders in the blugrass industry. I set out to see what challenges were unique to bluegrass as compared to the broader country industry. What I took away from those discussions is that there really aren’t many differences.

The challenges are really the same: to make music with impact—find the audience and have an ongoing relationship with that audience year-round and exceed their expectations to win their loyalty. Note, I said “exceed their expectations,” as opposed to “meet their expectations.” You know, true fan loyalty comes when we deliver the total experience in a manner which goes beyond what the fan expects. You’ve heard the saying, “Give ‘em what they want”? We actually should be saying, “Give ‘em more than they want!”

We are at our best when we have a strong team. Now, I know many of you may be thinking what a thankless job I must have. I know that because many of you have come up to me over the years and have told me, “Man, what a thankless job you have.” Or you say, “Man, you’ve got a great job. I wouldn’t want to have it.”  Well, nothing could be further from the truth.

So many folks have approached me over these years with a great deal of praise for what has been accomplished. Although I am very grateful to accept those compliments, I accept them on behalf of the incredible team we have at the Opry. It’s very easy to recognize the great team of performers we have on stage, but what is not as easy to see is the great team of performers we have behind the scenes.

Just as any Opry show isn’t ever about one single performer, the Opry is an organization isn’t about any single member of our team.

Just as we have generations of performers on each and every Opry show contributing to a diverse musical experience, we have generations of team members behind the scenes who lend their talents—whether they be hosts and hostesses, concession stand workers, marketers, sales reps, audio, lighting and video technicians, etc. That’s the beauty of it…both onstage and behind the scenes.

It’s important that our team be made up of the best players, playing in the positions they were designed to play in. Everyone has a set of skills that are an extension of what they are most  passionate about. It’s important for us to make sure out team members are doing what they truly love to do, because then, they will do it better than anything else.

One observation I’ve had as it relates to many artists’ careers, particularly artists in the more niche formats, like bluegrass, is that a team often does not exist. Or, if a team does exist, it is rather limited. I realize that a team can be cost-prohibitive at times. If that’s the case, I would encourage the creation of an advisory board which might meet quarterly or even assist in providing some insights and do some strategic planning. We are at our best when we have a strong team.

We are at our best when we have the proper perspective. My time at the Opry has afforded me a number of memorable experiences over the years. I’ve also hd the opportunity to meet and get to know some truly awesome people, whether they are performers onstage or guests backstage.

Another key, great thing is when I stand on the side of the stage during our Opry shows and enjoy the incredible perspective that I, and others are afforded. I recall during my days on Music Row feeling like the only artists and music that mattered were those who were on the charts at the time. It seemed like adds at radio, SoundScan and industry nominations and awards were the driving force in the business. Sure, these sorts of metrics are important measurements of success, but it seemed that was what it was all about. In other words, we had the biggest ballfield to play on, yet we only chose to play in one relatively small corner most of the time – the flavor of the moment, if you will. At the Opry, I and others are afforded the opportunity to view out industry from a perspective which spans over 60 years on any given Opry show which features music spanning from the traditional to the contemporary to the alternative.

Talking about perspective—I believe a key element to success is that talking about perspective—I believe a key element to success is that perspective we hold. Even on the business planning side of the Opry, we shape our perspective, not by how one person in the organization sees it, but how our team collectively sees it. We have a management team who brings very diverse ideas to the table. We aren’t afraid to challenge one another.

If you don’t have the proper perspective, simply, you will not make the best decisions. Personally, I love participating in discussion where all sides are represented. I often find myself bringing up thoughts and ideas in meetings, not because that is my opinion, but because I want that thought to go before the team to get a reaction. That way, the game plan the team ultimately hammers out stands the best chance for success.

As an artist, your artistic perspective is important, especially when it comes to making the music. But the consumer’s perspective, as well as the perspectives of gatekeepers to those consumers like radio programmers, festival buyers and journalists is more important. Do all you can to develop a keen understanding of their perspective.

One last thought on perspective. We often find ourselves mired in the details, or tactics. Take time, on a regular basis maybe with your advisory board, to look at your career from a higher altitude. You know the clarity of thought you often get when you’re 30,000 feet above ground? The same clarity can come to you when you get away from the details and rise above to think from a broader perspective. Think vision. Think strategy. Develop a plan. We are at our best when we have the proper perspective.

We are at our best when we “stand by our brand.” Now what’s the point in developing a plan with your team if you don’t know what you’re developing? That’s where the brand comes in. Not the product—the brand. Not the logo or trademark, the brand. Marketing expert, Stephen King, puts it this way: “A product is something that is made in a factory. A brand is something which is
bought by a customer. A product can be copied by a competitor. A brand is unique. A product can be quickly outdated, a successful brand is timeless.”

Put another way, a brand is a collection of thoughts in the mind of the consumer. Or another way, a brand is a promise to consumers. What excites me most about the Opry is the brand that it is, and the brand that it still can become. When you are developing your producet, what is your promise to your customers?

Each and every brand has a set of attributes or qualities which make up the brand’s portfolio. These attributes need to be crystal clear and represented in all aspects of the artist’s career. Whether it’s the recorded music, the packaging, a video, the media kit, the website, the live performance, the speaking points in an interview, etc. Everything about the brand, the look, feel, sound, smell—it should all be consistent. I’ve always felt that we are in the business of selling emotions through music. In order to cut through the clutter, our brand, and all of the products which come from that brand, need to be distinct and have impact. Otherwise, we become just a bunch of musical wallpaper that doesn’t make an impact on consumers or the gatekeepers to those consumers.

I could go on one and on about brands. I encourage you to read some of the great books that are out there and become brand-centric in all you do.

We are at our best when tradition is a treasure, not a trap.  I mentioned earlier that bluegrass music, like the Opry celebrates tradition. Well, how do we honor tradition in today’s seemingly topical world?

Well, I believe one way you honor tradition is by presenting it in a manner which will resonate with today’s culture. Multi-generational duets, contemporary arrangements of classics and imaging are all ways to achieve this

As many of you are aware, the progress which has been made at the Opry has not always come easy. What I didn’t tell you earlier when I said I was approached about the Opry job in 1998 was that it took me over six months to ultimately join the Opry. It took that long because I was fully aware that succeeding at the Opry was not going to come easy and it would likely be controversial. However, it became apparent to me that not only could the Opry be relevant and viable, but it could thrive and serve to, once again, become a driving force for artists and the industry.

So when I joined the Opry in June of 1999, we set out to focus on various aspects of the show which would drive contemporary artist participation, a segment of programming which has been waning over the years. Much of our efforts and investment were focused on a more proactive approach to talent booking, upgrading the production values of the show like audio and lighting as well as introducing the Opry’s first new set in over 20 years—one that could move from a traditional look to a more contemporary look as the music did onstage. In addition, we placed a focus on increasing the reach of the Opry by growing our distribution with the addition of our syndicated radio show with Westwood One, America’s Opry Weekend and developing a retail and licensing program. We also set out to be more involved with the labels on Music Row, often participating in promotional partnerships with them. This really helped grow the value proposition for the artists who performed on the Opry.

As I mentioned, growing the Opry’s contemporary relevance has not come easy. I spoke earlier about brand attributes. Well, some of the Opry’s key attributes include tradition and heritage and authenticity. Qualities like tradition and heritage are tremendous assets for providing entertaining consumer experiences. On the flip side, those assets can become anchors if not managed properly. An over-reliance on tradition and heritage can lead to irrelevance in the eyes of the media and consumers.

I’ve learned that there are innovators, followers and preservationists in our world. Don’t get me wrong. There is a place and need for all three. However, when preservation leads to irrelevance, or even extinction—what’s the point? If you’re solely focused on innovation with no regard for how that innovation is going to grow and be sustained—what’s the point?

At the Opry, we celebrate and honor tradition by not only presenting it and preserving it, but also making it relevant. A key way that we accomplish this, in addition to the show’s production values, is through the show’s programming. Having a contemporary artist honor a legend, like we did this past Thursday when one of the biggest new names on the scene, Jamey Johnson, performed a Jones Jones classic as part of our Opry Country Classics Salute to George Jones. We are at our best when tradition is a treasure, not a trap.

So, to conclude, we are at our best when we have a great team—the right players praying the positions they were made to play. We are at our best when we develop and maintain the proper perspective with that team so we can make the best decisions possible.

We are at our best when we stay true to who we are and “stand by our brand” in all we do. We are at our best when we honor tradition as a treasure and not a trap by balancing innovation with preservation.

In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate the Opry’s 84th Birthday. Our greatest motivation is to ensure that the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years that our members and guest performers have given to the Opry are not in vain. It is our job to keep it relevant while staying true to the values that got it there. The same holds true to the bluegrass music industry.

I hope you seize this week as an opportunity to learn, grow, and discuss new opportunities, nurture new relationships, and celebrate the incredible achievements of your colleagues Thursday night at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Thanks you again for this opportunity and have a great week in Nashville.

It will be their second visit to the Opry stage, and banjo picker and primary songwriter Graham Sharp tells us that they will be highlighting material from their upcoming album, Deep In The Shade, due from Rebel on October 6.

“We’ll be doing a couple tunes for the 8:00 segment of this Friday’s Grand Ol’ Opry, probably from the new record. We’ve been doing most of the new songs live and folks seem to really like the direction we’ve taken; I think the tunes are pretty distinctive.

It’s exciting times…  our last Opry appearance, I believe, was one of the last shows Porter Wagoner hosted, so we have some fond memories there and are honored to be returning.”

The 8:00 p.m. Graham mentions is Central time, with the Opry show starting up on WSM at 7:00. Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys and The Whites will also appear on tonight’s show.

Tune in to WSM at 650 AM or online to catch all the evening’s great music.

After winning several armloads of trophies at IBMA 2008, Dailey & Vincent may be accustomed to walking off stage with major awards. But handing them out, not so much.

But that’s just what they’ve done. After the success of their self-titled debut release, and the ‘09 follow-up, Brothers From Different Mothers, the boys wanted to show some appreciation to people who have opened doors for them in the music business.

They presented a Door Opener Award to WSM and The Grand Ole Opry’s Eddie Stubbs on July 30 after their performance at the Springer Mountain Farms Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman show. Stubbs was brought out on stage to accept this expression of gratitude for the support he has shown Dailey & Vincent.

Then  two weeks later on August 11, they presented a similar trophy to Pete Fisher, General manager of The Grand Ole Opry, after their Tuesday Opry show. The duo had played their very first live performance at The Opry on December 29, 2007, and thanked Fisher for having booked them on the show.

We understand that Dailey & Vincent is back in the studio again this summer, working on a Statler Brothers tribute album. Their next Rounder CD is scheduled to be an all a capella project.

No resting on their laurels for these fellas!

Rhonda Vincent will be on tonight’s (7/17) show in the 8:00-8:30 p.m. segment (EDT), and The Lovell Sisters will be on Saturday night’s show in the 8:00-8:30 and 10:30-11:00 slots.

Jesse McReynolds and Mike Snider will also perform on Friday night, and Snider and The Whites will appear on Saturday’s show.

CMT had a nice feature about The Lovells on their blog earlier this week, comparing them favorably to The Dixie Chicks. No pressure there…

The Opry is broadcast live on WSM AM 650 in Nashville, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com. Friday’s show runs from 8:00-10:00 p.m., and Saturday’s from 8:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. All times EDT.

Fisher had worked in both artist management and music publishing before joining the Opry team in 1999. He has also served on the board of NARAS (The Recording Academy – formerly the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences) and is a current board member of both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

As Opry GM, Fisher manages the operations of the Opry House in northeast Nashville, including it’s thrice-weekly live shows, radio and television broadcasts and various private events on site.

His address will be delivered on the opening night of the IBMA conference, Monday September 28, just prior to that evening’s music showcases.

Tonight (1/9), they will appear on the Friday Grand Ole Opry during the 10:00-10:30 p.m. segment.

The Friday Opry show is available over the air on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

On Saturday (1/10), look for them again on CMT. They will be featured on the CMT Insider show at 1:30 p.m. to talk about their recording session with Hank Williams Jr.

CMT sent their cameras into the studio and caught interviews with Hank Jr. and the Grascals. From what we have learned, those sessions went quite well and there is some talk about future collaboration between the two.

This edition of Insider will also air on Sunday (1/11) at 11:00 a.m. (EST).

bluegrassmercury – Travelogue #2
by Richard F Thompson

We had the pleasure of attending the Grand Ole Opry last night (9/27). I say we, my wife Karen will probably get many mentions over the next week or so; she’s my trusty photographer.

It was my third visit to the Opry, if my memory serves me correctly and Karen’s second experience of the show.

The format never changes; it’s an institution and it works, so why fix it! It is a superb variety show with entertainment for very nearly all tastes. For those that don’t know, each artist is limited to one or two songs on his or her portion of the show, which for this particular evening, was split into four parts, each half an hour long.

There was a good mix of ladies of country music – I mean real country music.

The still beautiful Connie Smith demonstrated why Dolly Parton rates her among the top three female singers in any genre, telling me that she Never Once Stopped Loving You. The feeling’s mutual Connie! Marty, you are one very fortunate fellow.

Canadian Terri Clarke has a rare empathy with an audience and won more favor with a very good version of Loretta Lynn’s first recorded song Honky Tonk Girl. Karen was thrilled by that. And Suzy Bogguss reminded us that the art of yodeling is still alive and well.

Little Jimmy Dickens was in good wise-cracking form and reminded us of his abilities as great ballad singer, even at 87 years of age or thereabouts. In contrast the portly Jack Greene looked as though age had caught up with him a few years ago.

There were four bluegrass acts this evening; Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, who performed just one song; I’ll Love Nobody But You. He was accompanied by his granddaughter, Amanda Lynne and grandson Garrett (guitar), both singing harmony, and an ever-smiling legend, Jim Buchanan on fiddle, Terry Lease (banjo) and Matthew Madden (upright bass). Jesse still has nimble fingers.

The Del McCoury Band did two numbers in succession. The title of the first escaped me; the second was the Ronnie McCoury instrumental Quicksburg Rendezvous. Mark Fain, bass player with Kentucky Thunder deputized for Alan Bartram.

Ricky Skaggs hosted the next portion of the show and kicked it off with Why Did You Wander?, before later doing his late mother’s favourite song Mother’s Not Dead. In between, he introduced The Whites, who did a rousing Gospel number with Buck White featured on piano, rather than mandolin.

The Grascals effectively closed the show. It was the first time that I had seen them and I found them to have a presence and power; they reminded Karen of that aura associated with The Johnson Mountain Boys. I have to agree that that is a very apt comparison. They treated the receptive audience to Only This Whole World (title?) and Happy Go Lucky.

Front and centre were Terry Eldridge, Jamie Johnson and Terry Smith, combining voices excellently, while Danny Roberts impressed with some powerful mandolin playing. I will have to make listening again to his Mandolin Orchard CD one of my first tasks when I get home.

It was a very satisfying evening and whetted the appetite for what is to come next week when there will be sizeable sets rather than snapshots of obviously great talents.

Tonight’s Friday Opry (9/26) will feature Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, Grascals and Jesse McReynolds.

On Saturday night, they’ll have Del, Ricky and The Whites again along with Bobby Osborne and The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

The Friday Opry is broadcast from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. (EST) and the Saturday show runs from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Both shows are available over the air in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

Our Richard Thompson will be at The Opry tonight, so perhaps we will have a report from him tomorrow.

The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration, presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and staged at the Grand Ole Opry will include The Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Grascals, and Daily & Vincent. Each is among the final nominees for this year’s IBMA Entertainer of the Year award.

Daily & Vincent who burst onto the scene just last year have been nominated for a staggering 10 awards in total, including Vocal Group, Male Vocalist (Dailey), Emerging Artist, Bass Player (Vincent) and Album of the Year for their self-titled debut on Rounder Records.

The Del McCoury Band and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver have both received four award nominations each.

Also making an appearance are the Infamous Stringdusters, The SteelDrivers, Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys, and James Monroe.

The Infamous Stringdusters have nominations for Instrumental Group while The SteelDrivers are finalists for Album of the Year and Emerging Artist, with band members Mike Henderson and Chris Stapleton in with a chance of taking the Song of the Year title with Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey.

It should be a superb show!

The Opry’s long-standing fall bluegrass show was re-named the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration after Monroe’s death in September 1996.

The event, which starts at 7:00 p.m. (CDT), takes place during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World Of Bluegrass event held in Nashville from September 29 to October 5, when, of course, there will be many bluegrass industry people in the city.

Information regarding this and other concerts at the Grand Ole Opry House and ticket arrangements can be found at the Grand Ole Opry website.

Sierra has a dozen or more Opry appearances under her belt, but those were all ones where she sat in or appeared alongside some other artist or Opry member. Now, with her debut Rounder CD, Secrets, doing well and her performance schedule staying full, her Opry spot tonight is all about Sierra.

“I’ve played the Opry usually a couple times a year since I’ve been about 10, but it’s always been with other people. It’s been about a year since I played last, and that was with Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Ron Block, and Dennis Crouch. It’s always a big honor to get to play there for sure!

I’ve played one other time under my own name along with my brother when I was about 14 or so, but I kinda feel like this is really the first time. It will be the first time doing my own songs since having a record come out, so it’s very exciting!”

She will be performing with members of her road band, with a couple of special guests – Cory Walker on banjo, Jacob Eller on bass, Shane Blackwell on guitar, Cody Hull on guitar, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar and Sierra on mandolin and lead vocals.

“My brother and I hardly get to play together anymore, so I’m thrilled he can be part of this. We’re also so happy to have Rob come out and play with us. He’s amazing and a joy to get to pick with too!”

The Friday Opry can be heard from 9:00-11:00 p.m. (EDT) over the air at WSM 650 AM, broadcasting from Nashville, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), or via live streaming at wsmonline.com.

Sierra’s set is scheduled in the 10:30-11:00 segment.

The guys will be on tonight’s Tuesday Opry (9/2), performing in the 8:30-9:00 segment along with Jean Shepard. The Opry show is broadcast over the air on WSM AM-650 from Nashville from 8:00-10:00 p.m., and via live streaming at wsmonline.com. The show is also carried live on on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville).

Then tomorrow morning (9/3) Friday morning (9/5), they will be the guests on Studio Special, which runs on XM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction (XM 14). The show debuts at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) with a number of rebroadcasts over the next week or so.

• Saturday, September 6 at 11:00 a.m
• Sunday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 9 at midnight
• Thursday, September 11 at 3:00 p.m.

The show features a live, in-studio performance from The Grascals, along with interviews and discussion with Studio Special host Kyle Cantrell – who tells us that this show was one the final appearances of former fiddler Jimmy Mattingly with the group. Kyle also mentioned that when they recorded this show back in March, the band had not yet publicly performed a number of the songs from their newest CD, Keep On Walkin’, which serves as the focus of this program.

Tonight (8/19) at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) the guys will be on the Tuesday Opry which airs in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

Then, at 10:00, their official CD release party begins at The Rutledge, hosted by XM Satellite Radio’s Kyle Cantrell. Everyone in attendance will get a free copy of Gravity’s Our Enemy, and C-Sky fans outside of the Nashville area can watch the proceedings live online at skaggsfamilyrecords.com.

Sounds like a big day in store.

He was senselessly murdered on Nov. 10, 1973 along with his wife, Estelle, when they returned from a Grand Ole Opry show to find intruders lying in wait for them in their home. The bodies were discovered by close friend and fellow Opry star, Grandpa Jones.

John A. Brown and his cousin, the late Doug Marvin Brown, were convicted of their murders and sentenced to 198 years in prison, but it seems Brown may be on his way home from prison in the near future.

The piece in The Tenessean by Kate Howard tells the tale…

As country music changed and Nashville generations passed, the fame of slain Hee Haw star Dave “Stringbean” Akeman faded.

This week, the state parole board heard all the reasons why the man who shot Akeman and his wife deserves a second chance, 34 years later. About a half-dozen spoke on behalf of convicted killer John A. Brown.

But the killer’s name didn’t ring a bell with anyone in the district attorney’s office when the possibility of Brown’s freedom came up. Most of the loved ones who spoke up in the past, Opry legends Roy Acuff and Porter Wagoner among them, have passed on. They had no children. And the friends who remain were never told a hearing was coming.

So, nobody stood to talk about the lasting impact of the day an unassuming country star named Stringbean was killed for his money, and his wife was silenced with a bullet while she begged for her life.

According to Howard, there are two parole board members who have yet to vote on this matter, and Brown will be freed should they vote in favor. You can read the full piece on the Tennessean site.

Here is a YouTube clip of String (as he was known to his many friends) appearing on television in 1971 on the Del Reeves Country Carnival show.

They are scheduled during the 9:00-9:30 p.m. segment (EDT).

Michael will also appear this morning with Katy Daley on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country online at 9:45 a.m. to talk about the new CD.

Catch tonight’s Friday Opry over the air at WSM 650 AM, broadcasting from Nashville, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), or via live streaming at wsmonline.com.

Joining him were the members of The Randy Kohrs Band, Ashley Brown on fiddle and vocals, Mike Sumner on banjo, Elio Giordano on bass, Chris Wood on drums, with Jody Hughes filling in on guitar for the Friday show, and Josh Williams for Saturday’s.

Ashley also sent along this report about the impression Randy’s new signature model Amistar resonator guitar made on the Opry stage.

“For our set in the second show last Saturday at the Opry, we started with If All Those Trains Were Still Around (I’d be an ol’ hobo), which went over great. Randy did a very respectful intro to the song, saying we were doing it in the spirit of Mr. Acuff and his love for train songs.

For the second song, we did She Ain’t Comin’ Back. Randy had to switch to his signature Amistar metal body tri-cone guitar, and just as he was about to say something into the mic, the strap came off the pin and it went crashing down to the floor of the Opry stage, right in the middle of the circle – the guitar and the floor now have matching dents!

The audience let out a gasp in unison (it seemed). We just stared to see what Randy would do next. He just picked it up, strummed it once to see if it was still in tune ‚Äì it was ‚Äì and announced over the mic that it was a good thing it’s made out of metal. Randy then proceeded to sing the ever-loving daylights out of that song and the audience loved it!

Technically, he could get the dent out, but he’s not going to. It’s the best souvenir from the Opry he could ever have!”

She tells us that Randy made a strong showing with his voice in their first set as well.

“He started out the night with Shallow Grave, a solo with just him and the resonator, though the band comes in softly at the chorus and at the end. The audience went nuts before the song was even over. I’d be willing to bet he’s the first dobro/vocal soloist on the Opry in a long time – if ever – to get that sort of Opry response!”

The Tuesday Opry broadcast is available over the air in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com. It can also be heard live on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville).

The new CD is in stores today, and available from online resellers. There are still no audio samples on the Rounder site, but two clips can be heard on Dan’s MySpace page, or samples from all 12 tracks in iTunes.

Friday night’s Opry (6/13) will feature performances from Mountain Heart, The Whites and Bobby Osborne & Rocky Top X-Press while Saturday (6/14) night has 3 Fox Drive and the Carolina Chocolate Drops on tap.

Kim Fox of 3 Fox Drive tells us that they will also be performing Saturday evening at the Opry Plaza Party, a free event just outside the Opry House that starts at 5:30 p.m.

“We’re really looking forward to the weekend as we’re flying our dad in for Father’s Day. Crossing our fingers that the weather holds out!!”

The Friday Opry is broadcast from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. (EST) and the Saturday show runs from 7:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Both shows are available over the air in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville), and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com.

Tomorrow, Friday May 30, 2008, the Randy Kohrs Band will make its debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

Randy, and several members of his band, have performed on the Opry stage before as sidemen with other acts, but this will be Randy’s first appearance fronting his own band.

The band will perform at 8 PM Central Time.

Congrats Randy! Show em how it’s done.

The Opry broadcast is available over the air in the Nashville market on WSM AM 650, and simulcast worldwide via online streaming at wsmonline.com. It can also be heard live on XM channel 11 (XM Nashville).

The band has continued to offer some sneak peeks from their next CD on YouTube. Throughout the video clips posted so far, they have refered to the project as Cherryholmes III, but that may just be the working title for this next Skaggs Family project.

In this clip, we see guest artist Rob Ickes preparing to track his part on the uptempo bluegrass song, Traveler.

And this latest clip is of Cia Cherryholmes recording vocals for the song, This Is My Son.

You can see all of the video clips on the Skaggs Family YouTube channel.

Cherryholmes also has a UK tour scheduled for this summer, doing shows in both Wales and England prior to their big show at the Cambridge Folk Festival at the end of July. You can see a list of their UK dates at ukbluegrass.com.

The Friday Opry (5/2) will include a show from Mountain Heart, in the 10:00-10:30 p.m. segment, and the guys will be back on Saturday evening as well.

Joining them on Saturday will be The SteelDrivers, who are stoked about their Opry night.

“The SteelDrivers are excited and especially looking forward to this Saturday night’s Grand Ole Orpy performance because it will be on the TV segment of the show. The televised portion of the Opry is on the GAC channel and airs from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. We are schedule to perform two songs starting around 8:45 (EDT). Needless to say, The SteelDrivers wish to thank the Opry for affording us this wonderful opportunity. Hope you can tune in.

After the Opry, we hit the Briley Parkway expressway and head to downtown Nashville to play our home away from home, the world famous Station Inn. Two sets of hard chargin’ bluegrass are on tap starting around 9:00pm.

One footnote, Richard Bailey, the SteelDriver’s banjo player, was recently married to Ms. Mandy Haynes on April 23rd. It was reported that instead of the traditional marriage vows, the couple just said, ‘If you can’t be good, be gone.’ Congratulations.”