I fully and whole heartedly support this petition. Let the legends shine, they are as bright and talented as ever. Why would you want to destroy suchy legendary epics who have molded what it is today! Let the legends shine their bright light unto the very eager people!
I support this petition. If they want to continue entertaining people, what's the harm? They aren't doing anything that is dangerous to others,such as brain surgery. They just want to sing! Age shouldn't factor into it!
What is wrong with you people??? The newer artists are who are destroying the Opry by not paying dues to be on the Opry but kissing the butt of the week to get there. There are enough people on there who have no hits and are just there to be pretty. These elders have worked to get to be a member (which was a HIGH honor at one time) - performing is not like working in a factory where you spend thirty years and get a pension or retirement money. They should be on there as long as they are willing to and as long as their life reflects the hits they have made. Get rid of the singers on the show who do not belong there - the young fly-by-nights who have no dedication to the Opry and play it once a year or less, and the unknowns who have not paid their dues and worked hard to get on the show. Make the rules stricter to be a member (to play at least 26 shows a year), and structure the show the way it was most successful years ago. Rock and Roll, smoke and mirrors, and television screens do not belong on a RADIO show.
I support this petition. How the hell can anyone justify "retiring" a legend? Haven't we learned anything? We owe these artists a tremendous debt, and honoring them permenantly is a good start.
I don't find any reason why my e-mail should be hidden. The first two idiots who need to resign are one Pete Fisher and you, Tandy Rice. Why don't you do the honorable thing you are talking about and set the wonderful example you are imploring be set by others and leave Country Music, we would be so much better off without the likes of you and Pete Fisher trying to destroy everything Country Music stands for, is, and ever was. I expect your resignation will be immediate, will it not? Let's see you stand by your own words.
I support this petition.Boy this has to be the biggest April Fools Joke ever, who do they think made the Grand Ole Opry what it is today? E.T., Roy Acuff,Justin Tubb, Jean Shepard and many others, sure a lot of them have passed away and some may not be in full voice but they satill have every right to be on that stage!! We don't oust our congressmen when they get 65 so why oust our wonderful pioneers of country music? There will be nothing to come to the Opry for if all the old timers are put out to pasture, think about it...I know I won't spend my money on a ticket to see these young guys with holes in their jeans, etc.
I support this petition.
As the webmaster of a website dedicated to (veteran) Texan country music artist Gene Watson (www.gene-watson.com), I feel that this great man (who is the grand old age of 62)has much to offer the country genre.
Gene is still recording today, and is still bringing his music to his fans through extensive touring and is still very much a vital part of the country music community.
I hope, like all his true fans, that Gene will continue to do what he enjoys for many more years to come.
One of the biggest problems I see in our country today is a total lack of respect for history or where we come from. If you had made Miss Minnie Pearl retire at 65, I hate to think how many wonderful years we all would have missed out on and I'm sure Hee Haw would not have been half the show it was. When you see how touched Buck Owens left folks STILL at his funeral or think how many great country songs would have been lost if Cindy Walker had stopped writing on that beautiful floral typewriter at 65 instead of every single day of her 87 year life-it sickens me. In every profession I believe you should keep working until YOU are done. That is Ms. Pruett's choice to make - not ours. Maybe it's time for some folks to stop writing no matter how old they are Mr. Rice. I support this petition.
I support this petition. Sounds like a Pete Fisher idea to me. He already has ruined enough of the classic way the legends do things. Like giving that legend one song while these little spithead new ones get two. Kids today don't even listen to the opry. Span the audience sometime and see the age groups there. It sure isn't 18-30.
I support this petition.
I have listened to the Opry since I was born way back in the l930's .
It is painful to hear what is being broadcast on the airwaves today, or shown on television,that is passed off as Country Music. It is NOT country at all. Hank Williams once said that "You have to have smelled a lot of manure to be able to sing country."
The legends that are still alive are the living roots of the Country Music Tree. So, I beg you....".Woodsman, Woodsman, Spare that tree."
Wait a minute...is this a really bad April Fool's joke? Now that I've calmed down a little bit, I'm re-reading Tandy Rice's column, and two things just popped out at me...
In the first paragraph...
"It was Garth Brooks who recently said, "A wise man often changes his mind. A FOOL never does!"
"But I want to devote this month's column to the APRIL'S FOOL in all of us..."
Maybe this is just a really, really, bad April Fool's day joke. And one that's in INCREDIBLY bad taste. I can only hope...joke or not, its in very bad taste and I'm not laughing...
I totally dis-agree with Tandy Rice. If not for George Jones, there wouldn't have been Georg Strait. If not for George Strait, no Alan Jackson, if no Alan Jackson, no Brad Paisley,, thus,, every artist is linked to the artist that paved the way. Like the old saying "you kill the ROOTS, you'll kill the tree". The Opry is like an long time, close southern family, and would you want to tell your GRANDMOTHER than she can no longer come to the family functions anymore? No. Thus,, we should NEVER tell anyone they can no longer play at the Opry. I got to see Bill Carlisle come out onto the stage with his walker before he died and I enjoyed his performance just as much as seeing Dierks Bentley. This is the OPRY.,, if you want young guns the whole time, turn on CMT.
Mere words can't even begin to express how angry I am at Rice's suggestion. I can't believe anyone who would call themself a country music fan in the loosest sense of the word would support Rice's idea.
I would honestly rather see the Grand Ole Opry close its doors and never do another broadcast than to see them force the legends of Country Music to leave the show.
For starters, where the hell are the younger Opry members every Saturday night? They don't want to waste their time missing a $50,000 tour date to go play the Opry for union scale. But EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT legends like Porter Wagoner and Jimmy Dickens are there without fail!!! You force the legends to leave the Opry, what do you have? Nothing. Without a regular cast who is there every week without fail, you would have NO OPRY. I'd rather just see the Opry hold its final broadcast than to see them force the people who created country music retire. Mr. Rice, I think you are a total jackass. You keep it up, you may not live to see the legends of the Opry forced into retirement because the fans of REAL country music are SICK of being pushed around by idiots like you.
I support this petition.
I know that my husband and myself, would never make another appearance at the Opry without being able to see the legends that made the Opry. Today's so called musicians are NOT COUNTRY.
The older artists don't put "fannies in seats?" Sorry but this 46 year old hit the Opry house on a hot August night last year. Martina, Vince and Billy Ray performed that night. But it was the chance to see Little Jimmy, Porter and Whisperin' Bill that brought my wife and I to the Opry.
I support this petition. To me, and to many others, the legends and elder statesmen and stateswomen of the Opry are the most interesting and most valuable thing about the Opry. Please don't pursue this badly-conceived idea!
I support this petition.
Automatic retirement date? NEVER!!
I's sorry sir but without the Old Guard the Opry would be nothing but another rock concert.
Don't mess with something that ain't broke.
Al Lindley
This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read! If these "older" Opry stars aren't capable of putting "fannies in seats" anymore, how is it that the Opry's attendance is as srong as ever...after EIGHTY YEARS?!? Geez, what are we gonna do, consider everyone over the age of 65 useless and force them to retire? It's a shame this baffoon was ever president of anything!
I support this petition. Out with the old and in with the new..
That seems to be the sign of the times these days.
How can you even consider ousting the very people that set the foundation of the music I love??
Mr Tandy, The state of "Country" music is bad enough without this. I attend the Opry every few years, it nice to see a few sequins. This legends will pass on with time, they dont need you're Push!
This article is disrepectful and insulting not only to the artist but by the majority of people across America and across the world. Not only is it disrecpectful to the artist but to the general population aged 65 and older. This individual should be ashamed of his actions. I think his retirement should be the one in question if his writing and thoughts are this restricted and close minded. I think it is just a terrible article for someone to take the time to exploit the artistic abilities of legends like this writer has done.
Of course, I support this petition. I believe Tandy Rice must be on drugs. All one has to do is listen to singers like Jack Greene to know that they still have what it takes to entertain the fans. Tandy's comments are absolutly rediculous.
I support this petition.
Where in Hell does Tandy Rice come off telling those legends or anybody else in the music industry that they should retire? I'm not only talking for the Opry & Country music in general. Look at Loretta Lynn (in country) or the Rolling Stones (in rock). They're still kicking up a storm & having a great time doing it, too.
Shame on you Tandy Rice. YOU're the one who should be retiring.
I support this petiton.
This is pure age discrimination! I mean c'mon - Loretta Lynn gave us Van Lear Rose at the age of 70 and all her concerts are sold out.
People like her made country music and we all love to listen to them. It's what-ya-get-is-what-ya-se e thing. Opry should cherish them not deprecate them. Because once they're gone they're gone. No one will ever replace them because they're unique. That's why we love them and that's why we should be grateful for having them. God bless all legends!
Of course I support this petition. Until country music begins to support the people who truly deserve to be up there, those who are of the same high standard as our Opry Legends (NOT the flashy CMT sex icons), then they have no one to replace them with. They should be the ones who decide who plays anyway; they know what it's all about.
I support this petition. What kind of fool would force retirement on a legend of the music industry? All people should sing as long as they want to and they can!
And what of The Opry itself? Wouldn't this "suggested retirement age" imply that the very institution in question is also past it's "good years?"......I would rather hear a legend whisper than to listen to a bellybutton warble.....I support this petition.
Mr. Rice said that the legends could no longer put fannies in the seats. It seems to me that mr. rice is more concern with the money coming in then the music. If it wasn`t for the music that the legends have entertain us with , there would not have been an opry.Those legends have been the building blocks and the foundation of the opry. By the way Mr. Rice, it doesn`t take a wise man to know that , if you pull or take out your foundation, that a house can not stand, therefor it would fall and there would no longer be an opry. I support our legends and i support this petition! T.Berge
The main stay long term artist's that have made the Opry what it is today and keeping Country Music what it's supposed to be, yeah, let's just throw em' out. Real smart, real American. Are we sure this is America? Sounds like the Nazi day's of Germany. Next it'll be Merle's not the Okie from Muskogee. I wonder what Willie think's about this. That's corporate Nashville for you. I'm so glad I'm not a member of The so called "Grand Ole Opry, Pat Payne. Independent Country Music Artist from Oklahoma! Tandy, you need to retire or fire yourself. The problem you have is that you let no talents on the most prestigious stage in the world that has run off all the main stay Country Music Lovers. That's why you can't sell any tickets, who wants to go to the Opry any more anyways. It sucks and so do you.
I support this petition. However,I
an NOT petitioning against the MESSENGR, but against the MESSAGE!! I don't know Mr. Rice persoally, but I've
been aware of his career in the Nashville music scene, and if so many of us have misinterpreted his message, I would like to hear him clearify it for us.
Tandy, I'm afraid you didn't just put your foot in your mouth, you put BOTH FEET!
I've heard from several sources, that you think people are misinterpreting your piece in Music City News, but Tandy if you'll go back and read your own feature, you made yourself very clear.
I'm sure you'll print a retraction explaining yourself in the next issue, and if I may, I'd like to give YOU a little advice (you've given me some good advice over the years), Tandy, select your words VERY CAREFULLY THIS TIME!
There's no denying the fact that you DID suggest a mandatory retirement age....it's going to be difficult to "crawfish" out of this one!
OUCH!
I support this petition. Tandy Rice is a "Has been" ,who has the mentality of a "Piss Ant"!!! Perhaps He should be admitted to a home for demented people who are over age 65.....
I support this petition. I wonder if Tandy Rice has been to a Opry show lately to see how many Blue hairs, like his, are in the audience.... Or is he sittin' behind a desk on music row, counting the money he made off of the very people he now opposes....
I support this petition who heartedly. does this mr. rice not realize that without those "muffled whispers" that there wouldnt be an opry. those artists created the opry and are the only ones that can really be counted on to make regular appearances. all these new kids are on tour making money and dont have time for the opry...
I support this petition.keep the good music alive.with the murder on music row.with the people that made country music what it use to be.it is funny that when you go to where the old as they call them.perform they sellout both shows.the main reason I go to bluegrass festivals I don"t have to listen to the new crap they call country music.
I think it is rediculous to force the retirement of the legends that made country music what it is today. Age has no reflection on an artists ability. Forcing these retirements would be like turning our backs on our history.
On second thought...I do like the idea of a pension & retirement celebration for those elders who've made contributions to the genre but are no longer able to support themselves with their art, but the idea of FORCED retirement for those who are still vital and creating amazing music is still ridiculous.
By this sort of logic, Bill Monroe would have been forced off the Opry in 1976, Grandpa Jones in '78, Bill Carlisle in '73, Minnie Pearl in '77, Roy Acuff in '68...
I couldn't read all of it because it pisses me off. If these older member don't play there won't be an opry. The OPry isin;t about what is new and hot. It is about honor, tradition and dignity. Something that today's society has put on the backburner. I for one would be utterly pissed if I couldn't see Jean Shepard, Jeeney Seely, Jim Ed Brown, Jan Howard and other not play the Opry. Today generation only plays off the history of this place of what these older member have made. It not the point of the older member playing too much. It that the younger member and so called "exciting players" are not playing enough. Don't take away what made the Opry, make the Opry what it was and can be. A place where generation of entertainer come and celebrate their love of music wheather they be 25, 45, 65 and yes even 85
Possibly Mr. Rice should consider retiring his remarks and himself to make way for someone much younger who is not completely isolated from the realities of middle America and what they really want as opposed to what Music Row and commercial country radio limits them to.
Retire at 65? The best performers in country music are from 55 years old and up. We need them to teach the younger generation the art of performing real and real good country music!
