“The top picture is a close-up of the Grand Ole Opry ring I wrote about in the Ask Bill section of our newsletter. You can see the year “1925” embossed on one side of the ring. That’s the year the Opry began. I couldn’t fit both sides into the picture, but on the other side […]
1) One of country music’s greatest radio voices and most noted historians, Eddie Stubbs, has announced his retirement from WSM and the Grand Ole Opry. I first met Eddie when he was on the air at WAMU in Washington, D.C., and encouraged him to come to Nashville. He is a dear friend and my personal […]
Our oldest living fan club member, Bertha Thomas of Pilot Mountain, N.C., celebrated her 103rd birthday on June 8th. She saw her first concert when she was 99, and her daughter brought her to see me in Mt. Airy, N.C. We became instant buddies, and I send her flowers every year on her big day. […]
My granddaughter, Hallie, turned 12-years old on May 9th, and I was able to go to her house and wish her a socially distanced Happy Birthday. Several of her friends gave her a drive-by birthday parade and she was all smiles. Not a normal birthday by any means, but one she definitely won’t forget! I […]
My good friend, Dallas Wayne, whom many of you know from his radio shows on Willie’s Roadhouse at Sirius/XM, recently had this beautiful guitar strap made for me. It is designed to go on the Grammer Guitar that I play at the Opry. It was created by Shawn Ohler in Arkansas, and is something I […]
Jan Howard and I first met in the spring of 1960 when I made my first trip to California. She and her husband, Harlan, invited me out to their home for dinner, and I ended up staying for two days. They moved to Nashville later that year, and in 1966, Jan came to work as […]
It was a chilly night in Nashville, and I didn\’t want my buddy, Little Jimmy Dickens, to get cold, so I loaned him my overcoat as I was leaving the Ryman. His statue stands on the plaza outside, reminding me every time I pass what a special friend and special entertainer he was. Another special […]
I thought you might like to see a few pictures from the shows we did on the Country’s Family Reunion cruise. It was so much fun working alongside my friends, Gene Watson, who is about to become the Grand Ole Opry’s newest member, and Jeannie Seely, who always entertains the crowd. In the bottom photo, […]
There’s nothing quite like the smile on a child’s face at Christmas. I gave my granddaughter, Sophie, the doll she is holding for her birthday in November, then found a matching set of pajamas for the two of them for Christmas. Her smile says it all. After Christmas, I was able to get away and […]
My grandson, Gabe, held Grandparents Day in his hospital room prior to surgery on November 25th. His mom’s parents, Nancy and Gary Henrich, were there along with his Whispering Paw Paw. Note that Gabe and I have on matching hospital bracelets, as we were both having procedures done that day. Below, big brother Blake came […]