Good-bye TNN

Buddy Buddy · From: Nashville, Tn. USA

Two of the phone calls i've had today, concerns what happened to country music, in Nashville. This is my answer. Thanks to Gaylord and former Mayor, Bredesen, they have chased country music out of Nashville, faster than the plague. A couple of years ago, if you forumites remember, I predicted that the Opry would be back at the Ryman, permamently, in less than 5 years. A few months later, it went back for 2 weeks, it's back for two months, now. The next time they come back, it will more than likely BE
PERMANENT !! While i'm at it, I predict that TNN, unless someone else buys it, will drop the Saturday Night Opry, altogether, within two years. I have the feeling, TNN is walking around with an albatross around its neck, right now. Ive been in the business a hella'va longer time than ALL of those jerks. There a a bunch of good steelers that will be affected, that's what makes me mad.

Opinions ?

"Little" Buddy.
Buddy.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

Hey, with stock car racing and fishing shows, why would TNN need country music (after all, they have that demographic covered, which is all the corporate bean counters care about).

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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I know I'm repeating myself but Gaylord Inc has done what the Nashville city fathers have tried to do for years - run the "hillbillys" out of town.

When I lived there, the country music industry was tolerated but the city did not really want to be associated with them. Eddy Arnold, at the time, was quoted as saying he didn't want to be associated with those hillbillys at the Opry. Then Opryland came along and it brought in a lot more tourists with their $$$ and all of sudden the country music industry was in vogue and the city embraced it. The industry took a turnaround and started producing "middle of the road" pop/rock "country" music and the true and loyal country music fans that visited Nashville started to decline. Then corporate wisdom took over at Gaylord and the main tourist attraction in Nashville was closed in favor of another shopping center. Corporate pawns were placed in charge of the Opry and TNN was sold.

There is no incentive for "country" music tourists to come to Nashville like there used to be and except for the "country" music legacy there isn't much else to attract tourists to the city. As far as tourist areas, the Demonbreun/Music Row area is shutdown, they are moving the HOF across the street from the Ryman (another clue that the Opry will eventually move permanently back to the Ryman). Music Valley area around the new Opry house is about dried up, Fan Fair was almost cancelled or moved to another city, etc, etc, etc.

Given Gaylord Corp's track record, the ultra expensive Opryland hotel will be eventually sold too.

The saddest part is it's not only Nashville. Talking to some longtime Dollywood Sevierville area pickers, that area is in a downturn. A picker friend who is a Branson native says things are not good there for pickers.....

Bill Crook · From: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance

Jack.....

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Many years ago, my company (RCA) opened a regional training center in Miami. Our center covered all the southern states, including Tenn.

I was very anxious to talk to any technician who came from Nashville for training. Boy did I get and earful and rude awakening. It soon became obvious just what Jack alluded to. Nashvillians do NOT like country music.

Wow! A few years later I had to spend considerable time in Nashville on company business and while there, I got deeply involved with the real Nashville all over the city. It was never made clearer that the "country music capital of the world" did NOT like country music.

I had already known Little Roy Wiggins who was then a young steel player with the up and coming Eddy Arnold. And when Little Roy told me that Eddy HATED "hillbilly music", my teeth dropped.

As the years went by, and I now reflect, I often wondered how the city ever got it's title "country music capital". I realize now that there never really was such a thing except a psuedonym for those who recorded there and THE fact there WAS a clear channel Radio station listened to around the world that conveyed an image that in fact did NOT exist. And of course the "Grande Ole Orpy". But outside Saturday nite, it didn't exist as far as the city was concerned, and then only as a "nuisance" for city street cleaners to have to clean up after that "hillbilly mob" had left.

Most Nashvillians never wanted ANYthing to do with "country" or as they called it, "hillbilly" music. Yet they never turned their backs on the millions of tourist dollars it brought in by people who believed the lie.

Thanks Jack for articulating it as it was and not how it was projected to be.

Sad indeed but true.

God bless all the brave souls who brought us what they loved so dearly or we would not have even what we did.

One thing is for sure, the city fathers (nor 99%) of Nashvillians), NEVER wanted it. They gave it lip service for the tourist dollars but still resented it with all their souls.

Looks like they are going to get there wish soon. And then when there are no more "hillbillies" coming to town maybe all the rock and rollers will "mob" Nashville and make them the R & R capital of the world. I can hear the city fathers now. Can't you?

You reckon

carl

Bill Myrick · From: Pea Ridge, Ar. (deceased)

I'm certainly not "in the know" about the politics and happenings in and around Nashville but read with great interest of those of you who are. I am located close to Branson and I have an opinion (what ever that's worth) that if the right backers would come to town and open a Friday and Sat. night (televised) ? "Opry Type" show and it was headed by someone the likes of say---Mr Tom Brumely or Mr Keith Hilton-- it would be most successful indeed and the viewer rating would be high indeed. ( Just IMHO ) Again, for whatever that's worth --

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

As someone already said above, this is just another opinion 'for what it's worth'. Maybe Gaylord was influenced by his lifetime of experience in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City was always been like someone has described Nashville.,...the locals were 'embarrassed' by any reference to it's "country" heritage, and downplayed it at every opportunity. The opinion of musicians in Oklahoma City for 40 years has been, "if you intend to ever achieve anything in the music business...first, leave Oklahoma City and go as far away from it as you can go. A weekender has always been able to do fairly well...but someone trying to make a living? No way. It's the deadest town on the circuit. There are a few of the pretend places where the kids wear cowboy hats and dance to disco music, but the hard-core country died not long after Buck Owens stopped taping at WKY-TV.

From my obversations you can blame whoever you choose for the problem, butin my opinion there is only one thing responsible....and that is, "a lack of intrest on the part of the public.

Joe Miraglia · From: Jamestown N.Y.

So maybe we should bring Country Music back to the people. If there were no Grand Opry on Saturday night, people would think more about going out to hear a live band. Maybe we should push live music in our own towns--who needs Big Country Music and the Big Money we have to spend for it? There are a lot of good big name talent and we like to listen to their CDs and see them live on tour, but there is a lot of good local talent that can or have gotten together to form decent bands that are pleasing to the ear. Bigger isn't always better. Joe

Sage · From: Boulder, Colorado

I'm relatively young (39), and came of age at the height of stadium rock. Country followed right after it, into the huge venues. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the greats of country music establish themselves in small places? Wasn't going out to a joint to scoot a boot with your gal the experience that gave birth to honky tonk music- and the shared experience of a night out at a barn dance that made the music shine for folks who didn't go to the bars? What do you think about this- that the very places folks went and experiences that people had there were neccesary elements for the birth of our music? Now the economics of the music business seem even more out of whack than before. Not only are the bands that work the small places terribly underpaid, but finding a good small club seems to be increasingly difficult. Yet the experiences that gave rise to our music and our need for them has not gone away. I really believe that we'll get another shot at it, and soon. It still lives in some places- Down at Lee's Liquor Lounge on Wed. nights you can hear the Cactus Pricks covering those great old tunes- they're tight! Joe Savage absolutely smokes on steel- and there's no cover. There's a mix of folks but there are a lot of young people there. Young folks who are learning the joys of a man and woman actually DANCING with EACH OTHER. Younger folks who grew up on the Clash and the Sex Pistols showing up in droves to see Dale Watson and hollering out for "Mamma Tried". In my local eatery most of the staff has more color in their hair and in tatoos than is in their clothes, which are ususally black. Twice within the same week I walk in and they're cranking Waylon Jennings on the stereo. Bloodshot records is recording a lot of younger artists and they're in Chicago. Merle Haggard's latest release was on a punk record label. What's going on here? Well, IMHO the music is going to get carried on. Early attempts at "cow punk" were (thankfuly) a disaster, and I see a serious appreciation for the REAL THING growing. Are these young folks a threat to roots country and westeren swing? I don't think so, I think they'll help carry it on. Stadiums and bean counters are a much bigger threat but maybe their run is almost done. What do you older guys think about this? You've been there. Where to now? May God help us thru this musical resession.

Abe Stoklasa · From: Nashville, TN

Well, I think that Opry Idea is great! My dad thinks the same thing, and indeed is looking into it! It wouldn't be a bar scene, but a place for REAL Country Music, food, family show, and dance! You know, something to go to after the opry was done for the night! I think it would be a big hit!

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