Pull up a chair, y’all. This week in country music history (Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 25) is a mix of goodbyes, welcomes and a few voices we still hear every time the radio gets quiet.
The Anchor: Kenny Rogers Says Goodbye, With Dolly (Oct. 25, 2017)
Nine years ago this Sunday, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville hosted “All In For The Gambler,” Kenny Rogers’ farewell concert and a celebration of a 60-year career. The guest list was a who’s who: Lionel Richie, Don Henley, Reba McEntire, Kris Kristofferson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Alison Krauss and more. But the night belonged to Dolly Parton, who joined him to close the show with “Islands in the Stream.” Nashville even declared it Kenny Rogers Day.
Why it still matters: that turned out to be the last time the two shared a stage. Dolly Parton passed away in August at age 80, and “Islands in the Stream” suddenly sounds different. If you haven’t watched that performance in a while, this is the week. Two friends took a bow, hugged and walked off into the lights together. It’s hard to ask for a better last scene.
Oct. 20, 2019: Brooks & Dunn Join the Hall of Fame
At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Brooks & Dunn were inducted alongside Ray Stevens and Jerry Bradley. Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Trisha Yearwood and Travis Tritt were among the guests, and Old Crow Medicine Show turned “Dixieland Delight” into a bluegrass breakdown with Molly Tuttle. A duo that gave us line-dance floors full of “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” fans finally had a bronze plaque to match.
Oct. 23, 2010: Blake Shelton Becomes an Opry Member
Trace Adkins had invited Blake on Twitter right after their “Hillbilly Bone” duet, and on Oct. 23, 2010 he made it official on the Opry stage. Blake called it “the pinnacle” and “the Nashville dream,” and later said he went out to the parking lot to tell his parents. Sixteen years on, it’s a good reminder that an Opry invitation still lands harder than any trophy.
Oct. 23, 1978: Mother Maybelle Carter Passes
Maybelle Carter died on this day in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at age 69. Her “Carter scratch,” thumb on the melody and fingers on the rhythm, helped turn the guitar from a backup instrument into a lead voice. The family tree is a country music tree: daughter June Carter Cash, son-in-law Johnny Cash, and granddaughter Carlene Carter, also a singer.
Oct. 25: Two Names That Share a Date
Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley on Oct. 25, 1912, in Centerville, Tennessee. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Nov. 30, 1940, and “How-DEE! I’m just so proud to be here!” became one of the most recognizable greetings in the genre.
Eighty years after her birth, on Oct. 25, 1992, Roger Miller died in Los Angeles at 56. He won 11 Grammy Awards, and “King of the Road,” “Dang Me,” “Chug-A-Lug” and “Engine Engine #9” all landed in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 in the 1960s. Humor and heart in one songwriter.
Your Turn
If you could bring back one duet for one more night, which would you pick, and why? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: Country Music Hall of Fame, Wikipedia, GRAMMY.com, MusicRow, Pollstar, Country Now, Backstage Country (99.5 QYK).
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