I support this petition because you don't really hit your stride as an artist until you are older and most of the older artists can sing cirles around the new acts
I support this petition.
I support this petition. The Grand Ole Opry is among the only places left where people can litsen to music more than they look at it. If the legends go, so will country music. Not many people know what that is anymore, including Mr. Tandy appaently.
I support this petition. These wonderful singers aren't just old horses you put out to pasture when they are done! These people have influenced country music & I pray that will continue!
I support this petition. I think that is BS. If it wasnt for Opry legends such as Loretta, Dolly, Patsy, and so many others out there, the Opry wouldn't be what it is today. It is those stars who made Country Music what it is. Todays country artist dont sound too country anymore, instead they all sound the same...few can match up with the legends. I am 100% with this petition.
Being a performer, you're only as old as you feel. Who has the right to tell you when you to old to perform. Hog-wash!!!!! I'm young, but if you take the legends away, who will we follow... who will we idolize... how will we school the younger performers on real music? How?
I can't believe this is even an issue.
- SandyLeeVocals
I support this petition. This is ridiculous.I find it disrespectful to the legends of country music that something this ludicrous was even suggested. Without the legends like Loretta Lynn, George Jones and all the others that are still with us, the opry just wouldn't be the opry.
I support this petition.It's a shame,but 97% of the new "Talents" couldn't carry Jack Greene's or any of the over 65 "LEGENDS" guitars.Tandy Rice is headed for being the most despised individual around and will never be able to pull his feet out of the buried rock-solid, stubborn concrete of the principles and ideas he holds so dear.Tandy knows what he can do with his passions!!!
I support this petition. Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Jack Greene, Ray Pillow, Gene Watson, Emmy Lou, Loretta, and many more who are 65 or soon to be, "too old"????? Nothing against todays singers, but lets not forget where we've been...I could just see next weeks line up according to tandy, !!!! Hosting "Kid Rock", with guest, Janet Jackson, Dem Franchize boyz, Aerosmith, Big and Rich......Nah!!!! Let's hear that fiddle Hoot....
I support this petition. Have you ever looked at the lineup. The younger "stars," most of whom don't even sing country music, couldn't fill out an opry show due to their lack of availability. There are plenty of us around even at young ages (20-30)that would much rather hear the legends no matter their age than the legend wannabes in this day of minimal talent and a maximum of eye candy.
I support this petition. The LEGENDS are who make the Opry! I'm a young man and I LOVE the legends! They are the foundation of country music and I think it is an insult to both the legendary artists and the fans to even think about forcing them to retire! If they aren't on the Opry....then you have NO Opry!
I support this petition. Mr. Rice says that he desn't want to be categorized as a fool and then writes a foolish column. Very few of the new "Talents" playing the OPRY or on the raido would get my butt in a seat at the OPRY. I go to see the folks that made and still make country music. I won't go to see most of these new artist that all sound alike and show their disrespect for the OPRY by going on stage dressed like they are homeless.
I support this petition.Mr Rice needs to realize the legends are those who have made it possible for all the new members he supports now. Lets not get hasty and bite the hand that feeds you. I believe Mr Rice should retire or wake up
I support this petition....Hmmmmm.. then if Mr. Rice is right... should George Jones, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard retire since they are all over 65....
I support this petition. I am young and the Opry LEGENDS are what has put my fannie in those Opry seats many times. Not only this, but I buy more tickets to all the Legend shows on tour than I do for the younger acts. I seem to see a lot of young faces there too. The young ones might get the crowd riled up, but the LEGENDS get the standing ovation simply for walking on the stage. Hummm. I think the fans get it and some in the industry need to do the same. Will the Circle be Unbroken?
I support this petition. I'm so Sorry that people want to get rid of the best in Country Music If You Get Rid of the Legends It will never be the same they have made Country Music what it is today. there WILL BE NO NEED TO EVER I MEAN EVER LISTEN TO COUNTRY MUSIC AGAIN. I THINK MR. RICE Should Retire himself and stop trying to take the Best In the world Away from people who want to hear them. If he does not want them then listen to another kind of Music.
I support The Legends Not to Retire At 65.
Tyler Bolen
I support this petition. If a member wants to "retire" or "needs" to retire, that is one thing. But to FORCE anyone to retire from The Opry due to age is not fair. The Opry provides a lobby and EXIT doors for those patrons who don't wish to listen to a particular artist. I've used the lobby several times when YOUNG artists have been on that I don't care for and never once felt like I was cheated or didn't get my "entertainment's money worth".
I support this petition. Mr Rice as you are close to this age maybe you want to lead the party and go home first.
That way the real performers can entertain and show the younger crowd how is should be played and done.
Indeed!! The whole ideal is ludicrous,
I support this petition.
I worked as a singer/songwriter/ producer for 20+ years, spent from 1984-95 in Nashville. Worked with and became friends with most of (yesterdays) Legends...not many with us anymore.
I was very much a rebel towards today's music industry,traditional all the way,had it not been for my hero's I wouldn't have stuck it out as long as I did. They encouraged me and stood behind me all the way...but 30 years old to Nashville is over the hill...So I got out a Dodge !!!
I remember when Mr. Acuff died that one of the big country stations in Nashville refused to play him..THE KING OF COUNTRY MUSIC ! I said "It's Over Now, you can kiss everything that Country Music is about goodbye." ...that's pretty much what has happened. Money is all it's about now, no heart.
Hank Williams would have been 83 years old this September. It's pretty frick'in sad that if he was still here some S.O.B. like Tandy Rice would try to keep him off The Opry...So, with all do respect and with all my heart, Mr. Rice, if you don't like Hank Williams or anyone else over 65...YOU CAN KISS MY A%$ !!!
Steph Hunter/Spinks WV
To force the legends to retire would be total insane the are probably 75% of the reason the opry is still going. If they are forced to retire then the people who are making this decision should be forced out of there positions when they hit 65. Making these people retire is dumb because they are what country music is about, todays "country music" is nothing but watered down rock. Howard Vokes Puts it best "Help put COUNTRY back into COUNTRY MUSIC"
I support this petition.THE LEGENDS ARE THE OPRY.BACK IN THE 50'S YOU COULD STAND RIGHT NEXT TO THE STARS. THEY MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE ONE OF THAN.DO THEY DO THAT NOW?NO
I support this petition. The older country entertainers are the BEST ones on the Opry! There has nver been no such thing as an automatic retirement from the Opry. Why should it be changed now? I think a better plan would be to prematurely retire the newer members who don't keep it country! The legends have kept the Opry going this long. Let's give them the respect they rightfully deserve by allowing them to perform as long as they wish and shall there be no such thing as an "automatic retirement" on the Opry- ever!
PURCHASED TICKETS DEC. 5, FOR A SHOW MARCH 18. RALPH EMERY, CHARLIE LOUVIN, JEAN SHEPARD, FERLIN HUSKY, HANK THOMPSON, KITTY WELLS, LITTLE JIMMY.2 SHOWS & COULD HAVE SOLD MORE, ASK THE STARS HOW MUCH MERCHANDICE THEY SOLD. I WANT TRUE COUNTRY SINGERS NOT SOMEONE YELLING OR EVERYONE SOUNDING ALIKE. BY WAY MY SEAT WAS THE 3RD FROM LAST ROW IN THE BALCONY. THESE PEOPLE STILL HAVE A STRONG VOICE. BETTER NOT LOOK IN THE MIRROR YOURSELF. AGE CATCHES YOU REAL FAST.
I support this p
etition.Tandy Rice should retire as he is over 65 and must have lost his mind as these people have made the Opry over the years. Who in the H.....made him spokesman for the opry..
I support this petition.
I cannot believe, or understabd, Mr. Rice's way of thinking. First, let me level set my situation . I will turn 40 years old on July 4th. I grew up on the music of the artists Mr. Rice has categorized with his "Mandatory Retirement Age". One of my earliest and fondest memories with my father (who will be 81 years old on August 19th) is riding with him in his 1966 Ford pick up truck listening to the radio (WAME Top Dog in Charlotte NC) playing a new song burning up the charts called Satin Sheets by Jeanne Pruett. Guess what? My father still has that truck and I still have that 45 rpm.
Today, I have the pleasure of dabbling in booking artists for various entertainment events. Country artists (true country artists, that is) are the only ones I book. The artists of choice, you guessed it, belong to this segment. I have had the priviledge of working with Jan Howard, Jack Greene, George Hamilton IV and Don Helms (the last living member of The Drifting Cowboys, folks! If I have to tell you they are, just stop reading and go to the next article) over the last few years. Let me tell you, there is not a finer and more talented crew than those that I mentioned. Each of them can perform as good or better than they did at the beginning of their careers. I am a card carrying member of Bill Anderson's fan club-another performer that is still kicking butt and taking names (Song of the Year-Whiskey Lullaby-YOU THA MAN, BILL!). My friend and fellow petition signer is right; when one of these "Legends" steps to the mic you don't have to wonder who it is. Today's artists are talented but they all seem to come from the same mold. You can't tell one from another. What happened to the days when you had your own identity?
In closing let me say, I just ordered Opry tickets for August 18th (Friday night) and August 19th (Saturday night) as a birthday present for my father's 81s
I support this petition. When I listen to the Opry I really only want to hear the older members. To me most of this modern music surely is not country. Mr. Rice needs to go set in a corner and think this over again.
I support this petition. Just because someone gets old doesn't mean we don't want to hear them. i think the cut-off age is a disgrace. I was going to have my ashes thrown at the Grand Ole Opry but i changed my mind!
Why not let the fans who spend their hard earned money to come to the Opry and buy tickets decide? Some of us have been die hard fans of certain artist for 40 plus years. Where would the Opry be without people like Jimmy Dickens, Jack Greene, Jesse McReynolds, Bill Anderson and ect. be? The so called older artist still have a lot of fans out there and they are the ones we care to go see. If Pete Fisher and Tandy Rice want to change things that have worked so very well for many years, then let them hold hands and walk in to the sunset together. We'd much rather have the so called 'older artist' who have dedicated their life to their music than someone who doesn't amount to a hill of beans TRYING to run things. Ever heard the saying. "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Well there you go and by the way the name says it all, "The Grand OLE Opry".
I support this petition. No One and I mean No one has the right to forcwe someone else into retirement. Just because one turns 65 or older does not mean they can't still perform. George Jones, Merle Haggard..etc made what the Opry is today. These youngsters are being inducted thanks to the beautiful tradition that the so called "Old timers" conitnue to present. The Youngsters are just continuing this terrific tradition.
I support this petition.
The Grand Ole Opry only has a few of the legends left to perform on it's sacred stage. What a shame it would be to force retirement on the very same artists that brought country music to every radio & TV world-wide since the 50's & 60's.
Gimme a break! NO ONE can dispute the fact that Jack Greene & others still sing as good as they ever did!
I support this petition.
I'm 19 and have been Jack Greene's duet partner on his shows for 3 and 1/2 years. I believe we need to treasure these artists as examples and learn from them and grow as artists ourselves.
Our Legends, Our History. I listen to these great artists each week as I stand in the wings of The Grand Ole Opry and I'm so grateful that they are still there to set examples for us new artists.
I support this petition. My response to Tandy Rice:Tandy,
The only April Fool you will see is the one staring back at you when you look in the mirror. I can't believe that you could be so myopic and short-sighted as to think that reaching some arbitrary age of retirement automatically disqualifies some one from being a productive, contributing member of society. Even worse, the Opry legends you quickly dismiss as being past their prime, are some of the very ones on whose backs you carved out your own distinguished career. Do you count yourself among that number whose usefulness to the country music industry is over when you celebrated your 68th birthday? I can't imagine how defensive and angry you would be if some one made such a sweeping generalization about you.
I'm shocked and dismayed that some one such as you, who has been an intimate part of the evolution of country music, are so ready to dismiss the critical role that tradition plays in perpetuating an institution such as the Grand Ole Opry. Don't you remember that these stars were expected to appear a minimum of 26 weeks a year, giving up lucrative dates throughout the country to gladly fulfill their obligations for a fraction of what they could have earned on the road? There is no such burden put on today's performers, yet appearing on the Grand Ole Opry remains an essential part of every record label's marketing strategy. The stars of yesterday still provide inspiration for the budding stars of today. I can still recall Brad Paisley being overwhelmed by being honored as an inductee, and giving heartfelt thanks to those pioneers who became his musical inspiration.
Following your line of reasoning, I suppose we should have put Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and George Burns out to pasture many, many years ago. In fact, Ronald Reagan, who helped Americans feel good about themselves again, would never have gotten the
If it were not for the country legends there would be very little country music at the Opry. The large percentages of the so-called young talent folks are not even country. Some may do a country song once in a blue moon, but that don't mean they are country. Teenybopper music, pop music, crap music, not country music. Being on The Grand Ole Opry was at one time a real honor. Today, sadly the Opry is just a showcase for more non-country artists than country. It is not the young artists that made the Grand Ole Opry. It is the ignorant; money greedy suits that are destroying good country music. To see some of today’s so called country music artists stand in that circle makes me want to vomit. If things in country music keep going the way they are now, just close the doors of The Grand Ole Opry and let it die in dignity, not the way it is now going. I never thought I would say that. However I never thought the yuppie crowd would come in and destroy country music. "Murder On Music Row" tells the story.
I support this petition.
These people are not some crop that has a harvest time.
Without them, the Opry is without a connection to the past...therein lies the truth.
-TS
I support this petition.Tandy Rice
sould be the one that needs Retire.the Legends
is the ones, that made the Grand ole opry.Beecher
O'Quinn jr President of the international Traditional country mudic fan club itcmfc.com
First of all I'd like to say shame on any person that would force a performer into retirement. They are doing what they like and their fans also agree. Without the legends there would be no Grand Ole Opry. Many artists still are vital forces in the genre. I mean look at Loretta Lynn her latest album Van Lear Rose was on almost ever best sellers list!!!!!! So whats the reason? It just doesn't make sense. This is why I support this petition whole heartedly.
I support this petition. If this had been a policy before, think how many people would never have experienced Roy Acuff or Minnie Pearl. Without the history, it's just another show.
