A crew from ABC-TV made a stop last week in Nashville to take a look into the "The Changing Face of Country Music." Rhonda Vincent and Ray Price were asked to voice their opinions on everything from the struggle to obtain radio air play, to the art of presentation in their music. The piece will air Friday, October 18, on ABC, during the Peter Jennings "In Search of America" segment.

Stars Shine For Musicians' Union

By: CRAIG HAVIGHURST
Staff Writer

It's commonly said in the Nashville music business that "it all starts with a song."

But the musicians behind the recordings of those songs were the objects of honor last night at the Grand Ole Opry House. There, the Nashville Association of Musicians celebrated its 100th birthday in a gala concert featuring country music legends George Jones, Kitty Wells, Brenda Lee, Ray Price and Willie Nelson.

The union "took care of the musicians, who in turn took care of the stars," singing/songwriting great Bobby Bare said backstage, moments after singing his 1963 hit "Detroit City."

"Musicians don't get enough credit for creating hit records," he said.

Opry Manager Defends Programming Moves

In a letter to Grand Ole Opry members, general manager Pete Fisher took issue with a recent news story that implied he is squeezing out older Opry acts. Fisher also said that Opry attendance has finally picked up after years of declining. In a front-page article in the Sept. 29 Tennessean, long-time members Charlie Louvin, Del Reeves and Stonewall Jackson blasted the way Fisher handles the position he assumed in 1999. Among their complaints was that he has cut back on their number of performances, forbidden them from using their own bands, spoken to them disrespectfully and generally favored the scheduling of younger performers. Jackson accused Fisher of saying he "would work as hard as possible until no gray hair was in the audience or on the stage" and of telling him, "Stonewall, you are too old and too country to fit in anymore." Without referring to any of the dissidents by name, Fisher denied the quotes Jackson attributed to him. "I have never made such comments," he said in his Sept. 30 letter, "nor do I agree with that philosophy. The only gray hairs I don't like are the ones on my head." Defending his programming decisions, Fisher noted, "We are very encouraged by the results which show an increase in attendance this year, the first such increase in nearly two decades! I believe we are on the right track."

Solace: Music Has Power To Soothe The Soul

By: Carol Capo
Daily Press Associate Editor

For any great loss, the anniversary must be observed. It doesn't mean the grief is over and the adjustment complete -- there's a delusion -- but just that the grieving have gotten through one of everything: one birthday, one Thanksgiving, one of each holiday. It means that for one full journey around the sun, the grieving have faced 365 new days to be lived.

With all that was lost on Sept. 11, 2001 -- nearly 3,000 lives, our innocent assumption of security, a fair measure of hubris -- the 2002 anniversary had to be observed. And it was, with exhausting thoroughness.

What I remember about Sept. 11, 2002, is the music, for it said all that could be said, or should be said, that day.

I have just been informed that the City of Camden plans the official opening of the Camden Heritage Museum on the 15th of October. We have a small display of Patsy Cline memorabilia including a portion of the plane wing, the Life Magazine article, pictures, sign in books from the memorial site and such, but anything that the members of the fan club would like to loan the museum would be greatly appreciated. Gary Farmer is the contact for the museum. He is at Camden City Hall 731-584-4656 and I will be happy to help coordinate in any way.

Veteran Opry Members Fuming Over Changes

By: PETER COOPER
Staff Writer

The membership of the Grand Ole Opry has historically been viewed as a family, a like-minded coalition of country stars who work in symbiosis with Opry management to put on the greatest country music show on earth each Friday and Saturday evening.

But if the Opry is still a family, it's a family in transition. And with transition comes dissension.

Efforts to broaden the show's audience and reach a younger demographic have caused hurt feelings and angry verbiage among some of the 77-year-old show's cast members. Opry General Manager Pete Fisher has done away with what he calls a ''members-only'' approach to booking, and three Opry members — Del Reeves, Stonewall Jackson and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin — are livid over the show's direction.

The artists say Fisher's scheduling of a bevy of contemporary acts minimizes the visibility of longstanding, even legendary, favorites.

At Country's Crossroads

By: Richard Harrington
Friday, September 20, 2002; Page WE34

Admit it: You don't expect to be able to say country music history and Washington, D.C., in the same breath.

If you're talking recent history, you're right. But if you look to the past, there are things that will surprise you.

Like the fact that the two names that most identify the music -- hillbilly and country -- were popularized by Washington-rooted people.

'Opry' Will Air On Subscription Radio

By: Richard Lawson
Staff Writer

WSM, Sirius to use satellite-to-car signal

The Grand Ole Opry will be shot into space, sort of, in time for its 77th birthday.

The legendary country music show's radio home, WSM-AM 650, next month will begin beaming its signal to satellites, which will send it back to receivers in cars.

It is part of a deal WSM owner Gaylord Entertainment Co. of Nashville has struck with Sirius Satellite Radio, one of two nascent companies offering subscription-based programming to compete with standard radio.

"WSM Entertainment" will become Sirius' classic country channel — No. 164 — and feature all of its content, except the local commercials. That includes the Opry broadcasts on Friday and Saturday nights and Tuesday nights during the tourist season. Special features from the Opry and material from the WSM archives will be available, too.

Patsy Cline Organization Receives Grant From Festival Group

Contributed By Anna G. Thomson

Preservation of Historic Winchester, Inc. recently announced the presentation of a grant in the amount of $18,500 to Celebrating Patsy Cline, Inc.

The donation represents a portion of the net proceeds from the 2002 Blues House Festival - Crazy for the Blues, which was held in Winchester on June 22, 2002.

According to the Blues House Festival chairman, Paul H. Thomson, "Blues House 2002 was our most successful festival to date.

The event continues to grow each year thanks to a hard-working planning committee and a dedicated corps of supporters and volunteers." He added, "the Blues House Festival produces tangible results for the community. Proceeds from previous years have restored a house for a police officer on South Kent Street. Now, PHW is helping to preserve one of Winchester's valuable landmarks, the girlhood home of Patsy Cline."