Book Review: The Grand Ole Opry - The Making of An American Icon by Colin Escott

When I was a girl, I spent many a Saturday night sitting with my sister in our parent’s home listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. Whether we were playing board games or baking cookies, there was a tangible excitement that floated through the air as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, or Porter Wagoner spun their musical webs. Nothing, not even going to the Opry years later, replaced the magic of those nights.

It’s impossible to recall another book that does such a thorough job of recounting the history of the Opry—warts and all—as The Grand Ole Opry: The Making of An American Icon, by Colin Escott. Oral history and accounts from books and newspapers bring that history—and magic—alive in a truly compelling fashion.

Take Ernest Tubb’s discussion of how he didn’t read music and “I’d fight the man who tried to teach me. I don’t care if I hit the right note. I’m not looking for that kind of perfection. I’m looking for individuality. I sing the way I feel like singing at the moment. I never sang for the dollar. I sing because I want to sing.”

And that, in effect, sums up what made the Grand Ole Opry great – and still does. The performers want to be there, not for the money but for the joy of music. And, most of all, they respect the history, tradition, and artistry of those who came before them.

“The first songs I ever learned were out of an Ernest Tubb’s songbook. I was as big an Ernest Tubb fan as people ever were Elvis fans or Beatles fans. I grew up with him back in the 1940s,” writes Willie Nelson in the book.

That’s not to say that the Opry has a blemish-free history or that everyone was warmly welcomed. Consider that Elvis Presley’s performance there was met with lukewarm, polite applause. Or that hate mail was sent to the Opry after James Brown performed.

Escott details those stories and many, many more and includes plentiful photos of key events and performances. But the main theme of the book is how many who hold the most reverence for country music history also became great.

Want proof? Look at Brad Paisley, who has always held long-time country stars in the highest esteem and took Little Jimmy Dickens on tour with him recently.

“It hurts me to see country artists who think they don’t need the Grand Ole Opry,” writes Vince Gill in the Foreward. “On one level, I get it. Things are different today than they were sixty years ago. But the Opry can and will stay relevant because enough people have reverence for it and care about its future as much as its past.”

Article Author: Nancy Dunham

Nancy Dunham is a freelance music and automotive writer whose clients include Relix, YRB, Auto Exec, and other national magazines and regional newspapers. See some of her work at www.NancyDunham.com

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