No Porter? No Little Jimmy Dickens? I'm sure it was Tandy's idea to move the CMA's to New York too...that was a great idea. Elton John sang while Merle Haggard sat at home. This guy doesn't care at all about country music. That's my guess.
I support this petition.This idea is absolutely rediculous! We love our country stars and especially admire and respect our long time favorites. Mr. Rice, get a clue!!!!
I support this petition. I happen to think that the legends and their music is beter than what most recocord company execs & radio stations tout as country. Most of what I hear now I wouldn't conside country. I love clasic country.
y last trip to the Opry was made more wonderful because of the legends.
I support this petition wholeheartedly...I also vote that since Mr. Tandy is so in favor of forced retirement once the "well" of worthwhile ideas has run dry, it is sincerely hoped by THIS country fan that he will see the writing on the wall and gracefully bow OUT of the industry regardless of his age before he is ridden out of town, tarred and feathered on the proverbial rail!!!
He should be ASHAMED!!
I support this petition.
Forced retirement for the legends of
Country Music. Absurd!!! Can you
imagine Johnny Cash's
version of "Hurt"
never being recorded
because of forced
retirement at 65. I
know they are only
talking about the
"Grand Old Opry",
but what's next?
I support this petition. This idea is complete madness!! If it were not for the LEGENDS of country music where would country music be now! To quote a t-shirt that I got at a Brad Paisley concert -- Keep it country you BASS TURD!
I support this petition.That is total craziness.They are royalty..the day they ask LORETTA to step down I am through..She just got 5 Grammy nominations in 2005 and took home 2 of them and had a #2 CD with Van Lear Rose on Billboard and 2 number one videos in 2005. Plus DOLLY is still winning awards!!
You should be ashamed of such comments. One of the problems this country has now is no respect--for much of anything and mostly people who paved the way for the rest of us.
I support this petition totally and completely! If ANYone should retire, it's Mr. Tandy! The legends are what made the Grand Ole Opry what it is today. They should NOT be forced to retire. And I don't remember anyone of MY favorites, tottering up to the microphone and whispering their songs! Long live the Opry and it's LEGENDS!!!!
I support this petition wholeheartedly. Perhaps Tandy should retire, maybe he has nothing to offer to the country music industry. The legends have everything to offer country music and the grand ole opry, decades of hits under there belt and great new music that never fails to stop to name a few. What a mistake it would be to enforce such a thing. I am younger, 28 and I love country legends as much as any person that triples my age, and would never stop seeing them as long as there alive and have a place to play. If i had to go to the opry to see one perform I would because I love them that much to do so. long live country legends.. stick with the old..out with the new..i wouldnt leave my front porch to see any of the newer artists today.
I support this petition. tandy rice should be ashamed of hinself, how dare him say something like this, the legends are the reason I watch the opry. These so called new country singers are not worth my time. Get rid of big & rich, cowboy troy, kenny chesney(makes me want to throw up) and leave George Jones, George Strait and especially my man GENE WATSON alone. That idiot rice must not have been listening to these great singers, they can still sing and they have lots of fans that love them. Gene Watson is the best singer ever and he can still hit those notes and he can fill those seats with this fannie and many more.
Tandy, you've had some great ideas through the years, but, brother, this ain't one of 'em. Be reverent and listen...You might want to rethink this one while there's still time to stomp out the fire on that bridge you're burning. At your age, you still may need to cross back over. Long live the Grand Ole Opry, and God Bless the ageless and timeless Opry Legends.
I support this petition.
I can't believe the ignorance of someone to suggest something so preposterous. Especially with the way so call “Modern Country Radio” treats the real talent, the ones that built the industry. Nothing against new talent. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, etc…were “New Talent” at one time. It’s tradition and what’s gone before that we need to respect.
somebody get a rope!
I drove 8 hours to see Ray Price at the Ryman last year! I'm 27; I am the target demographic. I will boycott Nashville forever is such a travesty were to occur! This really, really pisses me off!
I support this petition.
My first visit this past year to the Opry was to see Trace Adkins. But I was pleasantly surprised to be so entertained by Porter Wagner and Little Jimmy!!
I hope to go back to the Opry this year and will be very happy to see the "older members" again !!!
Throwing out the babies & saving the dirty bathwater. Nice. Opry isn't a beauty pagaent. It's country music at its best. You can't POSSIBLY think throwing out the legends makes country music better. Can you imagine if Johnny Cash stopped creating music at 65? I can see newbie wannabees at home. At the Opry, I want to see the best of the best.
The reason I travel to Nashville to see the Opry is to hear the legends perform. If I want to see the younger acts, I'd buy a concert ticket in my area.....not go all the way to Nashville to see them on the Opry stage.
I believe this is simply one more example of the the CMA being out of touch with the fans and the members they should be respresenting not shoving aside. This is such a sad state of affairs. Shame on you!
Jphnny Cash made some of his best work in his later years. But why should I be surprised by this petition Nashville & the radio stations tried to turn their backs on him 7 some of the other greats a long time ago
I support this petition. If it weren't for the "old-timers", there would be no Opry. The newer "stars" can't seem to find the time to visit the Opry, as they are making too much money on the road. And most of the singers today are not familiar with what a good country song sounds like. Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Jan Howard, Jeannie Sealy and a few others stay true to country music and should be praised for keeping the flame alive. I would rather pay my money for one of these artists than for half a dozen of the newer singers!!!
I support this petition. I think Mr. Rice is being a jerk. How can one person tell another when it is time to retire? Shouldn't that be the decision by the individual? The Grand Ole Opry is the Opry because of the ledgends of country music. Without the ledgends there would't be a Grand Ole Opry. The legends are what makes it great. Yea i agree that the newer country artist add spice to the Opry but the legends of country music is what makes the Opry. Without them I think the show would go downhill fast. So PLEASE keep the legends like Loretta Lynn, Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagner...etc. Don't force them to retire
I support this petition. Forced retirement is an establishment designed by corporate America, musicians are not slaves to the system, they stand against the system, so why should they be forced to obey the same rules as IBM would subject them to?
I support this petition.Are you out of your everloving minds.Have you been to a George Jones Concert lately to see what a GREAT show he puts on? This would make Nashville go from bad to worse. Let's keep our legends and let them know we love them for all the years of pleasure they have given us over so many years. How many of these new singers will last this long.............maybe Alan Jackson and a few others.The only time the legends get any attention is after we lose them. Let's let them know we love them while they are still with us.WAYLON was right........... Nashville sure don't think much of the living....but it sure speaks well of the dead. Never truer words spoken Waylon, Hannah Rockey
It is pathetic that Mr. Rice is apparently unaware of and thus does appreciate the vast talent available to the Opry in those performers past the age of 65. Thank God he is a "PAST" President of CMA and not in a decision making position.
I support this petition.i came over from England & i enjoyed the opry show,i would say a few of the artists were over 65,on another subject anyone seen sonny burgess perform ,the man is in his 70's & he rocks harder than any youngster
I support this petition.Sunday's sermon was "Forgive Your Enemies" Toward the end of the service
the
minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?" 80% held up
their hands. The minister then repeated his question. All responded this
time except one small, elderly lady.
"Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?"
"I don't have any," she replied, smiling sweetly.
"Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?"
"Ninety-eight," she replied.
"Oh Mrs. Jones, would you please come down in front and tell us all how a
person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world?"
The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the
congregation and said,
"I outlived the .......'s God Bless little old ladies!
I support this petition with all my heart. I am forty years old and have listened to the Opry since the early 70's. The Opry's veteran performers have been visiting my house each weekend for over 30 years and I disagree with pushing them aside just as I would if they were my own elder reletives. Before I continue I want to make this clear, my comments are not an attack on Mr. Rice, he has the right to his opinion just as the rest of us do. I only hope my comments are read by the same people at the Opry which he wishes to read his. Lets use this petition to support the legends not attack ones charachter.
If what I am hearing is true, this all started with Jeanne Pruett annuoncing her retirement form the Opry because she didn't feel her voice was up to parr anymore. She suggested Rhonda Vincent to take her place and I can't think of a better choice. Mr. Rice took it from there and suggested the manditory retirement.
Time cannot stand still, we must look forward and change. However, that change should not come at the expense of those who went before. I am not a fan of most of the new performers, I consider it noise and not honest heart felt music. However, new performers must come along or the Opry will die. If the Bill Anderson's and Connie Smith's had not appeared in the 60's, the Opry might have died in the 80's when we began to lose folks like Ernest Tubb and Marty Robbins. Most of the performers Mr. Rice would retire came along from the late 50's to 1970. They probably could have retired in the 80's but they chose to continue to support the efforts of those who went before. They respected thier elders and remained dedicated to the Opry. If they hadn't, we would not be having this debate, the Opry would be gone.
Think about this. If Mr. Rice's mandetory retirement had been in affect 40 years ago, Roy Acuff would have been gone by 1968. I&a
