From: hermit1@alltel.net
Date: August 02, 2006
Fan, the story I heard for Bob W. making only one appearance on the Opry, I believe was told by Chet Flippo. Seems Bob wanted to use the drum and horns and they told him 'No.' The argument went up the chain all the way to the National Life and Accident Insurance Company executives, the station owners. But the answer was still 'No! Bob said nothing but when he played on the air, he used them anyway. We have to remember that WSM in those days pretty much was country and western music. They wielded tremendous power not only in artist selection, but through the 'WSM Artist Service Bureau' they booked those under exclusive contract who appeared on the radio and charged the artists for everything, including mention of upcoming shows. I grew up on the edge of the Nashville music district and many of the artists lived nearby. One of the reasons that Roy Acuff could spend a lifetime sheltered by WSM and later Gaylord was that he never crossed either WSM, the Opry nor the 'Artists Service Bureau,' even when they were taking most of the money he made. A couple of hit songs in 60 years is not exactly burning up the charts. He had saved those pitiful few dollars and enticed Fred Rose, a Chicago songwriter and manager who was down on his luck, to start a publishing and Hickory Records recording label, and he made even more money. Rose added some stability and class to Acuff's career, though no one I know has ever known what the agreement between said about anything. One thing we can be certain of is, I think, that Acuff would never have stuck out his neck for Bob Wills or anyone else that The Boss didn't like. In fact, I doubt there was anyone at that time who would have stood up for Wills. This was Depression Era, and small bands were lucky to take home $30 to split among themselves for a night'work. Of course, $30 was more money then, than now and five bucks each was 10-days wages for most workers. I heard one story that said Wills was much later invited back to the Opry and that he refused...that was in the 1950s, I think.