Jimmy Martin

[Jaded]

Ok, so I know these things prolly don't do any good, but what could it hurt?

http://www.petitiononline.com/jimmopry/petition.html

[Moose]

Jaded: Thanks for the "heads-up"!! - Let's do this, folks. Regards, Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Salty Dog]

Without disrespecting the opinions of others, I feel that the OPRY folks have made the right decision, given their standards. #On the same topic, did Flatt & Scruggs ever overcome the blockade by WSM to become OPRY members?

[Moose]

Flatt & Scruggs WERE long-time members of GOO - After the "break-up"..., Lester & The Nashvile Grass carried on "THE" tradition.. - I'm sure others on this Forum can attest to this FACT... (at least I THOUGHT I was listening to them for MANY years on Fri. & Sat. nites - Maybe it was "imitators" or "wanna'-be's"... naaaa....) - Wake up and smell the flowers... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Garrett]

Jimmy Martin is just being held out of GOO because of personal animus, it has nothing to do with standards. WE MUST GET JIMMY IN!

[Garrett]

A friend of mine just pointed out that Diamond Rio are members of the Opry. 'Nuff said.

[Salty Dog]

Garrett, this will be my last post on this topic. What "personal animus"; by whom? I am 63 years old and have attended many, many live performances in my life but the only one that I ever walked out on was a Jimmy Martin show in the early '70s. He was personally abusing the banjo player to the extent that I couldn't stand it any more and left the performance. I vowed never to attend another JM performance again and have kept my promise. The documentation of bluegrass music is kind to the music of JM but harsh to the individual. So am I, I love his music to the extent that I purchased the Bear Family collection. I will assure you that, if he was invited to the GOO, I would have made sure he wasn't on the playbill when I attended.
This is the personal opinion of one old man about another old "coon hunter" that I understand is in failing health. I have nothing but warm feelings toward JM and his contribution to the music (he brought us Paul Williams (Humphreys???) didn't he?) and hope that his health improves, but sympathy should not cloud clear judgement.
My opinion is that JM's behaviour and unpredictability kept him from being invited to the GOO. These are well documented but the "personal animus" keeping him from the GOO isn't documented to my knowledge. I wait to become enlightened.
I have no idea what the apparent slam on Diamond Rio means - please inform us - sometimes 'nuf said' isn't. I saw Gene Johnson perform at the same festival mentioned above with JM. He was with Eddie Adcock and Wendy and was a fine mandolin player, when I could hear him above Wendy's booming Martin.

[Moose]

Obviosly you saw - and heard - the King in "top-form" .... hee... hee... - well, I'm a 64 year-old unabashed "fan" who who would pay the price-of-admission any time just to watch The King come onstage.., wave his hands.., stomp his feet.., chomp his gum.., AND.., if I'm real lucky.., he might do a few numbers. It'll be worth it all... - "When the tailgate drops.., the BS(!) STOPS".. Incidently, your Bear Family "collection" is a hard-to-find" item... mmmmm... -Regards, Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Garrett]

Salty Dog,

You are a serious and knowledgeable fan of the music and I respect your opinion, so I really have no desire to argue. According to King of Bluegrass and other sources Jimmy Martin is being kept out not because he is a drunken abusive lout, which of course he sometimes is, but because of particular hatred of members of the managerial staff. I will find the names and post them. GOO has had many drunken louts, it has also had some of the most unpleasant humans around -- Hank Snow was a notorious example. But Jimmy Martin appears to be treated as a special case. Let Jimmy in, he's a brilliant musician and half dead at this point.

Gene Johnson is a great singer and was terrific with JD I think Diamond Rio is is the sort of pop country act that is killing country music, late me restate that has killed it. Hank would cry to see what country has become.

[mandopete]

Hank would cry to see what country has become.
......sounds like a song I once heard.

[GVD]

Garrett Posted on Sep. 09 2004, 14:49
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A friend of mine just pointed out that Diamond Rio are members of the Opry. 'Nuff said.

Well Said!


I think Diamond Rio is is the sort of pop country act that is killing country music, late me restate that has killed it.

'Nuff Said!!!

GVD

[doc holiday]

Jaded: Thanks for the heads up. Jimmy Martin is one of my all-time favorites, and I enjoy the sides he cut with Mr Monroe more than anything except those wonderful instrumentals like Big Mon, Scotland, Cheyenne, Kentucky Mandolin etc. As I added my signature I noticed the names of 2 very fine mandolin players on the list: Fred Zip who played with Charles Sawtelle and the Whippets and Caleb Roberts of Open Road who I had the pleasure of seeing again at the Chilliwack (near Vancouver BC) Bluegrass Festival last weekend. It would be the right thing to honor Jimmy's contributions to BG.
Regards
Doc

[Scotti Adams]

..well..i just signed it. No matter what your thoughts about Jimmy are..the man deserves to be a member. Take his guitar and singing(like it or not) out of the picture and we wouldnt have some classic Bluegrass that is now a part of history. After all T. Rice cites Jimmy as his favorite rythm man...after Del.

[Salty Dog]

Well I said my last post was my final but I couldn't resist another as I (after further explanation) do not understand why any of you want JM to be admitted to an institution(GOO) that you have so little respect for (i.e., lowly enough to admit the likes of Diamond Rio, etc.). #None of this makes any sense to me at all, so you folks can continue to mix emotion with common sense and try to justify why JM would want to be a member of GOO as it exists today, with such low-lifes as Diamond Rio and many others of the same ilk. #Country (plastic) music didn't become what it is today overnight and that is why I have disregarded it and the GOO and other forms for 15 years. #Bluegrass music should not continue to try to get these moguls to recognize them but should strive for our own recognition. #After the way they treated John Duffey, he would only have accepted a limosine ride out of Nashville and told them so. #Why do we continue to pretend that an honor Nashville might pretend to bestow on Bluegrass as an honor. #As pointed out above, Nashville honors anything that makes them money. #Bluegrass purists should hold a higher standard and we should not need approval from any Nerd in Nashville nor any institution that has regarded us as comic entertainment for so long. #Our music will survive and has survived long after they are gone. #BTW, when did Dr. Ralph become so prominent on th GOO - was it before or after "O' Brother", I forget. #Enough said by me.

[Garrett]

Salty Dog,

I basically agree with you, but Jimmy Martin wants to be in the Opry and that's enough for me. Maybe it will help to exorcise the place!

[Salty Dog]

Thanks, Garrett, that got my vote in spite of my other feelings. #He is a bluegrass great in spite of faults #I know he is in ill health and if this will make him happy, my vote is in. #I know you are well intentioned and also know that anything about JM will be controversial. #I hope you didn't take my disagreement as anything personal toward you as it wasn't at all. #This forum allows for differing opinions - that's what makes it a great source of information. # # Best regards, Salty

[Garrett]

Nothing personal taken, I enjoyed your well-reasoned comments.

[GVD]

Salty Dog,

Like you I have been personally appalled at JM's stage antics. I don't know why anyone would stay with him after some of his rants. That being said I still believe he has made a valuable contribution to country and BG music and deserves induction to the GOO.

GVD

[Moose]

Hey Garrett!! - "....to exorcise the place." (GOO) - Well, if ANYBODY can do it..., Jimmy can...STILL!! -- hee.. hee.. ("..play it like I taught 'ya." - Subtly(!?) said "onstage" to DR. Stanley by Jimmy) .. yooooo.. hoo.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

Jimmy can be an pain in the rear but the man deserves to be a member. IMHO. He is one of the greatest bluegrass poineers.

[mrbook]

The Opry made Johnny Paycheck a member just before he croaked, despite his antics. Whatever the Opry and country music have become - and I would watch if it was still on my cable TV - membership still really means a lot to these people. #Jimmy Martin is a major star in his field and deserves membership if he wants it. I'm not sure his personality is that much worse than some of the other "stars" I've met over years - some are really great, others are not, but they are people like everyone else. I saw Ralph Stanley recently, and am sorry to say I just saw an "act," but I'm sure Jimmy Martin will always put on a real show.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Is there a site that would list who the current and past members of the Opry are? I couldn't find anything via Google.

Thank you.

Greg

[Nathan Sanders]

What's up with the attack on Diamond Rio? If anyone had a hand in killing country, you could blame mostly Garth Brooks. Sure he helped popularize country to more types of people, but at the same time he led the drift from traditional country to more pop oriented, bubble-gum country. Don't blame Diamond Rio. Besides, Diamond Rio still features a mandolin in their music. How cool is that?

As for Jimmy Martin becoming an Opry member, who cares? Consider, Martina McBride is an Opry member. Nuf said? Ha.....really though...I do not think Jimmy Martin should be an Opry member.

Dont throw off on Martina Mcbride. She is one hot chick in my book! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Moose]

Well, if we're talkin' 'bout "hot chicks" I would certainly agree... ; on the other hand..., a Bluegrass legend she ain't.. . although I'm sure Jimmy might "use her" in his band.. ; well., MAYBE(!?#). hee.. hee.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[mrbook]

I'm not a Diamond Rio fan, but their mandolin player (Gene Johnson, I think?) is not carrying it for a stage decoration. There was an article on him in one of the spring issues of Bluegrass Unlimited, where comes off as a nice guy who knows his stuff. He has played a lot of serious bluegrass, and I believe played with David Bromberg for awhile, too.

[Moose]

mrbook: Yes!.., I think I read someplace(!#) that a couple of the Rio guys have some very good BG "credentials/heritage" (i.e. family and/or past gigs). Interesting! & thanks for the info http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[dave]

Groucho Marx said "I wouldn't be a member of any club that would be stupid enough to have me"

[Nathan Sanders]

If I remember right, the bass player for Diamond Rio is related to the Osborne brothers somehow.

[GTison]

just what Jimmy Martin needs.

Just what the Opry needs another over 70 artist.

Just what bluegrass needs.

[mrbook]

Dig out your February 2004 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited for an article on Gene Johnson (of Diamond Rio). Everyone should read it, so I'll just make a couple points: he played with the New Shades of Grass, Eddie Adcock, and replaced Jimmy Gaudeau in J.D. Crowe's band - more bluegrass credentials than I will ever have. His comments on playing mandolin are something to think about, too. Good article, but I didn't go out to buy a Diamond Rio album.

The issue also has an article on Ken Ratcliff and his mandolins.

Back to the real subject - the Opry is still country music's institution, and Jimmy Martin (an institution himself) should be part of it. I would rather see him than Del Reeves, Porter Wagonner, or a few other regulars I've seen when I attended Opry shows.

[GTison]

I do agree Jimmy is WAY better than 80% of the OPRY members. They should have made him a member a long time ago. But I'm not sure he'd take it now(according to his own words). And all it would do is put a little salve into the wounds of his adoring fans. Then he'd prob. go on stage gassed, and spit his gum out for someone, and say something rude about the opry staff. (Say it ain't a risk.)

[zeke]

I only have one thing to say on this issue:

I'm #760 on the petition list.

[cbogle]

Well said, Bowfinger....but I don't believe he'll tone down his behavior for the Opry stage as indicated in your scenario. # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

....And it IS a risk

[Moose]

Thank you #760 - http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif (by the way ; nice website ; best of luck to y'all)

[zeke]

Ain't nothin' but a thing, Moose, just doing what's right.

Thanks for the site compliment, appreciate it. Embarrassing audio downloads though, quite a few years old. But glad you liked it.

[Bob Asher]

AT BEAN BLOSSOM LAST YEAR, JM HIMSELF SAID,ON STAGE,"THEM FOLKS OVER AT HE OPRY, I GUELL THEY'RE ALL RIGHT. BUT, I DON'T NEED THEM NOW. BUT THEY NEE3D ME!"

[Bob Asher]

SHOULD HAVE CHECKED SPELLING BEFORE POSTING!