A bit o' Christmas & Happy Birthday, Grand Ole Opry fill-in - 11/27/2015

The Ryman Auditorium was the full-time home of the
Grand Ole Opry for 31 years (1943-1974).

Hope you're all having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your friends and family!  This holiday week at WHUS has provided lots of opportunities for several of us non-students to do "extra" radio programs, and I got to do one on Friday morning as Jimmy T. was away from his "Sugar Shack."  The music that formed my playlist was one small portion of

Christmas music and one large portion of music celebrating the Grand Ole Opry -- WSM's broadcast gem that officially began broadcasting on Nashville's WSM on November 28, 1925.  Many of the songs played were drawn from live recordings made during Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, spanning from the late 1940s to the decade of the 1960s.  Other songs were not live Opry recordings, but were performed by folks who were major stars of the Grand Ole Opry at one time, including Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe,  and Ernest Tubb.  It was great fun for me -- hope you enjoyed it, too!

If you're interested in learning more of the Grand Ole Opry's rich history, there are several books filled with wonderful photos and information.  Here are just a couple of recommendations:

The Grand Ole Opry:  The Making Of An American Icon by Colin Escott (Center Street, 2006)

The Grand Ole Opry History Of 
Country Music by Paul Kingsbury 
(Villard Books, 1995)














Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Be sure to join Jim in the Bluegrass Cafe on Sunday afternoon.  Rumor has it that he may even be hosting a special in-studio guest.  Tune in to find out at 4PM, won't you?  :)

Amy





Friday's fill-in playlist for "The Sugar Shack" (8-10AM):

• Jingle Bells / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto
• That White Christmas Song / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Sugar Plums / Sugar Hill
• I'll Be Walkin' The Floor This Christmas / Ernest Tubb / Hillbilly Holiday / Rhino
• I Never Spend A Christmas That I Don't Think Of You / Statler Brothers / Christmas Card / Mercury
• Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me / Ranch Romance / Sugar Plums / Sugar Hill
• My Little Silver Bells / Bill Grant & Delia Bell / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• A Holly Jolly Christmas / Bob Dick / Tidings Of Comfort And Joy / Appleland
• Christmas Is Near / Stanley Brothers / The Early Starday King Years, 1958-1961 / Gusto
• Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / Hillbilly Holiday / Rhino
• Christmas Shopping / Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Christmas Shopping / Rhino
• The Bargain Store / Dolly Parton / Box Set Sampler / Legacy
• Window Shopping / Hank Williams / 24 Of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits / Mercury
• Grand Ole Opry Song / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Jimmy Martin / Will The Circle Be Unbroken / Capitol
• Mama's Opry / Chris Brashear / Heart Of The Country / Dog Boy Records
• Bring 'Em On Back / Larry Sparks / Almost Home / Rounder
• Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar / Delmore Brothers / The Delmore Brothers, 1933-1935 / JSP Records
• Mule Skinner Blues / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1940-1946 / JSP Records
• Wabash Cannonball / Roy Acuff / The Essential Roy Acuff / Columbia
• Great Speckle Bird / Roy Acuff / The Essential Roy Acuff / Columbia
• Lovesick Blues / Hank Williams / Live At The Grand Ole Opry / Mercury
• Wedding Bells / Hank Williams / Live At The Grand Ole Opry / Mercury
• Comedy With Hank Williams, Red Foley & Minnie Pearl / Live At The Grand Ole Opry / Mercury
• Walking The Floor Over You / Ernest Tubb / 20th Century Masters / MCA
• I'll Be There / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
• It's A Lovely, Lovely World / Carl Smith / The Essential Carl Smith / Columbia
• The Shoe Goes On The Other Foot Tonight / Marty Robbins / Legends Of The Grand Ole Opry / Time Life
• Satisfied Mind / Porter Wagoner / Hall Of Famers Live / Opry Music
• You Ain't Woman Enough / Loretta Lynn / Opry Country Classics, Volume 2 / Opry Music
• Pop A Top / Jim Ed Brown / Opry By The Decades--The 1960s / Opry Music
• Before I Met You / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Bluegrass Collection / Opry Music
• Don't Touch Me / Jeannie Seely / Opry By The Decades--The 1960s / Opry Music
• Second Fiddle To An Old Guitar / Jean Shepard / Opry Country Classics, Volume 2 / Opry Music
• When I Stop Dreaming / Louvin Brothers / Duets / Opry Music
• I Know One / Jim Reeves / Live At The Opry / Country Music Foundation
• Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes / Jim & Jesse / The Bluegrass Collection / Opry Music
• Cincinnati, Ohio / Connie Smith / Opry By The Decades--The 1960s / Opry Music
• Bright Lights And Country Music / Bill Anderson / Grand Ole Opry Live Classics, Volume 1 / Opry Music