[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11778-S11779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COMMENDING THE GRAND OLE OPRY

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 286, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 286) commending the Grand Ole Opry on 
     the occasion of its 80th anniversary for its important role 
     in the popularization of country music and for its 8 decades 
     of musical and broadcast excellence.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 286) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 286

       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry is a pioneer of commercial radio 
     in the United States, and is the longest running continuous 
     radio program in the United States, having operated since 
     November 28, 1925, and having broadcasted over 4,000 
     consecutive Saturday evening shows on WSM Radio, Nashville, 
     Tennessee;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry played an integral role in the 
     commercial development of the country music industry, and in 
     establishing Nashville, Tennessee, as ``Music City USA'';
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry has consistently promoted the 
     best in live entertainment and provided a distinctive forum 
     for connecting country music fans to musicians so as to 
     promote the popularity of this uniquely American genre;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry serves as a unique American icon 
     that enshrines the rich musical history of country music, and 
     preserves the tradition and character of the genre through 
     commemorative performances and events;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry is committed to quality 
     performances, and the membership of the Grand Ole Opry 
     represents the elite of country music performers, including 
     generations of America's most talented musicians, 
     encompassing the music legends of old and the superstars of 
     today that continue to define American country music;
       Whereas performers at the Grand Ole Opry have included such 
     universally recognized names as Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, 
     Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagoner, Little Jimmy 
     Dickens, Connie Smith, Earl Scruggs, George Jones, Grandpa 
     Jones, Loretta Lynn, Uncle Dave Macon, Dolly Parton, Minnie 
     Pearl, Jim Reeves, Hank Williams, and many more;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry celebrates the diversity of 
     country music, with membership spanning both generation and 
     genre, representing the best in folk, country, bluegrass, 
     gospel, and comedy performances;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry continues to utilize 
     technological innovations to develop new avenues of 
     connecting country music to its fans, and can be seen and 
     heard around the world via television, radio, satellite 
     radio, and the Internet;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry provides heartening support to 
     members of the Armed Forces by participating in the 
     Department of Defense's America Supports You Program, 
     providing live performances to American Forces serving abroad 
     via the American Forces Radio and Television Services 
     network;
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry is recognized as the world's 
     premiere country music show, and continues to entertain 
     millions of fans throughout the world, including United 
     States Presidents and foreign dignitaries, and serves as an 
     emissary of American music and culture; and
       Whereas the Grand Ole Opry will continue to impact American 
     culture and music, and play an important role in presenting 
     the best in country music to new generations of fans 
     throughout the world, touching millions with music and 
     comedy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate commends the Grand Ole Opry on 
     the occasion of its 80th anniversary for its important role 
     in the popularization of country music, and for its 8 decades 
     of musical and broadcast excellence.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee is 
recognized.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I join the majority leader in the 
resolution that I have cosponsored honoring the Grand Ole Opry on its 
80th birthday.
  I ask unanimous consent to bring on the Senate floor this piece of 
demonstrative evidence which I hold in my hand and to which I will 
refer in a moment.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Those of us of a certain age will recognize this straw 
hat with a garland of flowers and a price tag that says $1.98 as the 
kind of hat that Minnie Pearl wore on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday and 
Saturday nights every year for about 40 years. Most of the time, Minnie 
Pearl was the Grand Ole Opry, along with Roy Acuff. She welcomed people 
with: Howdy, I'm so proud to be here. I didn't say it the way she would 
always say it. Thousands and thousands of Americans sat on the 
uncomfortable wooden pews in the back of the Ryman Auditorium and later 
at the Opry to watch this radio show. One of those was a young man from 
Minnesota named Garrison Keillor, who, in the 1970s, sat back there and 
imagined the show which we call today ``The Prairie Home Companion.''
  A couple weekends ago, I was the guest announcer on the Grand Ole 
Opry. They didn't trust me with the Goo Goo candy bar commercial or 
with the 7 p.m. show which is nationally televised, so I was on at 8. 
But I did get to do the Martha White flour commercial and to introduce 
Porter Waggoner three times.
  There is nothing quite like the Grand Ole Opry. There are 3,400 
people out there every Friday night, every Saturday night, now 
sometimes on Tuesdays. Flashbulbs are popping. Everybody is having a 
good time.
  There was Jimmy C. Newman from Louisiana who next year will be on the 
Grand Ole Opry for 50 years. There was Susan Haynes, the daughter of my 
law school roommate. This is her first year on the Grand Ole Opry. 
There was Carol Lee and Nora Lee, the back-up singers. They have been 
there a long time, too.

[[Page S11779]]

  At 7 o'clock, there was Vince Gill who ended his hour-long session 
with a piece of jazz music. The Grand Ole Opry is getting more 
diversified. There was Keith Bilbrey backstage interviewing people. He 
was explaining what Charlie McCoy, the great harmonicist, once said 
about the four stages of being a country music star which sound a lot 
like being a politician. Stage No. 1 is, Who is Charlie McCoy? Stage 
No. 2 is, Get me Charlie McCoy. Stage No. 3 is, Get me somebody who 
sounds like Charlie McCoy. And stage No. 4 is, Who is Charlie McCoy?
  The Opry was started so that the National Life and Accident Insurance 
Company could sell debit insurance. They got a big tower in Nashville. 
I think it is 50,000 watts. So all the people who were on little radio 
stations came to Nashville so they could be on the big radio station.
  That is when Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins and Archie Grandpappy Campbell 
and Dolly Parton all moved from east Tennessee to Nashville. If you 
understand how important the Alamo is to Texas, you will understand how 
important the Grand Ole Opry is to Tennesseans, not just Tennesseans 
but many Americans, the 3,400 who every Friday and Saturday night have 
gone to thousands and thousands of these radio shows.
  No one represented the Opry in its spirit better than Minnie Pearl. 
There is a photograph of Minnie in dressing room No. 1 backstage, which 
was Roy Acuff's dressing room until he died, which was the dressing 
room that Vince Gill was using on the night I was there as the guest 
announcer. There on the wall was a picture of a young Minnie Pearl in 
the early 1940s with this hat or a hat similar to this one.
  Where did this $1.98 price tag come from? I heard the story that 
night for the first time. Minnie was performing on the Opry. She pinned 
a garland of flowers to her hat. And during her performance, this price 
tag wiggled down and started dangling from her hat. She left it there 
for the next 40 years as a reminder that anybody can make a mistake and 
it is all right to make one.

  Minnie Pearl was a talented woman who wanted to be Katharine Hepburn. 
As she said, that was already taken. She set a standard of conduct and 
style for the Grand Ole Opry that lasts and persists until today, and 
that style was simply that she was just a very nice person. She would 
sign the last autograph; she would say hello to anyone; she would pay a 
call on a Grand Ole Opry family member who was sick; she would see the 
last fan who had waited for 2 hours after the show.
  Minnie Pearl told me one time: I have gotten to the point in life 
where I have decided if people are not nice, they are not so hot in my 
book no matter how big they are.
  So in the spirit of Minnie Pearl and all of the thousands of 
Americans who have created and enjoyed the Grand Ole Opry, happy 80th 
birthday, Grand Ole Opry.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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