What happened?

[Rick Campbell]

Where did this great music go? This was the best country music to my ears. The drums were not offensive. The bands didn't do 50's rock and call it country. The Opry looked like a country music show, and not a dark, depressing, funeral parlor look.

Hal Rugg playing some real hard core country here. I hear Buddy Spicher on fiddle. Don't know who the others are.

[https://youtu.be/qG7E6lgGvMI?si=QXASADSIISkErprz]

RC

[Bob Adams]

Sounds like 'Real Country ' to me! Magic! thank for posting.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Good question. I miss it as much as you do.

I guess what has happened is that the music industry is trying to please everybody and not offend anybody by putting music in specific categories. Homogenized, intermingled however you describe it.

It's very easy to tell country music when you hear it. It's not something you can describe to someone else. You either get it or you don't.

When I used to go to the Opry, I knew what I was going to hear...that's the reason I went. That was before things started changing there and those in charge wanted a variety. Baloney, the Opry's tradition is, with a very few exceptions, country and that's the way it should stay.

I wouldn't give you a nickel for a $75 ticket to the Opry these days. I don't want to hear the lion's share of music they embrace and air these days. Blech!!!

[Greg Cutshaw]

There's still a ton of great country, bluegrass and western music on the web and live. The venues are now online and no longer include the Opry or over the air radio. An example that I like is the French Family Band but there are countless others online and playing smaller venues like the Ohio Valley Opry. The examples below include the Grand Ole Opry but there are many others from smaller venues. Band members often include Dennis Crouch and Merle Haggard's ex bass player and even Charlie McCoy and Jimmy Fortune. They did feature a lot of pedal steel guitar at the Ohio Opry show. I enjoyed the upfront picking a lot more than the Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs shows I recently attended. We can also now enjoy as much of the old country stuff then ever before on YouTube and streaming media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyntItG ... rt_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD-sj8B ... rt_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpbL8O2 ... rt_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxFbhQD ... g&index=13

[Larry Dering]

I spend most days listening to Steelradio.org or my country music. Greg is right about lots of good acts out there but you have to hunt for them. Radio has nothing for me period. TV is useless. These award shows and concerts televised aren't worth my time.

[Dennis Detweiler]

I get my Country fix from a couple of area AM stations that play 1990's and earlier selections and not the syndicated FM Country. I agree, the Opry isn't even close to what it should be.

[Jerry Overstreet]

It's great that you can find the music from other sources, but what chaps most of our cheeks is that you shouldn't have to do that when it comes to the Grand Ole Opry. That's an institution for heaven's sake and although maybe not sacred, certainly should be respected.

Even through the performers' babble, you can hear that their honor is mostly hollow. Talk is cheap. The way you pay respect to the tradition is to play real country music.

Change be damned. There is no substitute for the real thing.