Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain: Tales of Romance and Tragedy
It’s easy to understand why the Grand Old Opry went to Robert Oermann with their latest book project: ‘Behind The Grand Old Opry Curtain, Tales of Romance and Tragedy.’ He’s been writing about music in Nashville for years and is world famous for his books, reviews and extensive television work. More significantly, though — he’s a big music fan and he loves the Grand Old Opry. This is his seventh book, and his first about the Opry and it reflects his admiration for the opry and the stars who have performed there. It’s a very enjoyable book to read, full of great love stories, tragedies, triumphs — the very stuff of country music.
There are 33 chapters in Behind the Grand Old Opry Curtain, each a compelling short story about a different Grand Old Opry legend. The book is so rich because for many chapters he pulled from over 150 of his interviews with the artists and you get to hear their stories first hand. Also, he got exclusive access to the Grand Old Opry archives to do more research, and he includes many rare photographs culled from the archives in the book. You can read the book from cover to cover, (Chapter 1, June and Johnny to Chapter 33, The Tragedy of Country Music’s King: Hank Williams). Or, like me, you can open the book right up to the chapter about your favorite artist, (chapter 28; The Red Headed Stranger).
I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Oermann on the phone, and I confessed to him that I’d jumped right to the chapter about Willie Nelson. He asked if I’d learned anything new about Willie from reading the book — and I did! I think other Willie Nelson fans will enjoy reading about Willie, framed through his time in Nashville and his membership at the Grand Old Opry. Mr. Oermann writes that Willie told him, “I was very nervous the first time I played the Opry. Because, you know it’s the Ryman Auditorium, it’s the Grand Ole Opry, and it’s where Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams and my heroes had played.”
He has interviewed Willie many times and written many articles about him, and when I spoke with him, I asked what it was like to interview Willie.
“Willie is like a god. There are very few people who make me nervous when I am in their presence, because they are just huge icons. And he is one of those people. He’s Willie Nelson! You’re sitting with Willie Nelson. He is very engaging. He’s almost magical. You can walk through a crowd with him, and he can look at people, and touch people, and pause before people, and still keep moving. It’s like walking with Jesus, or something. The crowd just parts and he walks through. He has a real aura about him that’s really amazing. So being in the presence of someone like that is really thrilling.”
The book has so much information about the Grand Old Opry, but all the dates and data are woven through the stories of these legends who performed on the stage for over eighty years. The stories are so rich because of his access to these stars (Dolly Parton knows him by name; calls him on the phone.) Plus, he’s a great writer and makes every word count, every anecdote count, every quote count.
Some of the most moving chapters are those written about opry members who have passed away, whom Mr. Oermann had the opportunity to interview while they were living. Those stories, written directly from his original notes and interviews, are so compelling, and fresh. He told me, “It really took me back, reading those old interviews. All these people I had loved so much. I felt like I was back with them. I could remember what it was like sitting in Johnny Cash’s kitchen, and sitting with Dottie West in her living room. “I feel so lucky to have spent time with these artists, and it was moving to write about them in this book.”
Fans of today’s Opry stars will enjoy those chapters he wrote from stories told to him personally by these current members. In their own words, they talk about romances that blossomed, or ended on the opry stage, careers that took off, and what it‘s like to be part of the music business today. Those chapters about Marty Stuart, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride and others are enriched by these first hand stories.
Other chapters in the book are about artists whom he never met who had passed away before he had an opportunity to interview them. For those chapters, he did extensive research, and he includes a list of all the books, articles, interviews and other resources he relied on in the back of the book (36 pages worth).
His newest book is well indexed, and fills a definite gap in the information available about the opry and its musical history. It will be valuable as a research tool for musicologists, or the kind of book a fan can grab when you hear a country song on the radio and think, “Hmm, wonder what was going on his life when he recorded that song?” The book was published last month, and is available for purchase in bookstores and on line.
Mr. Oermann kindly gave me some of his time:
RO: It must have been the first year I moved here in 1978. I have listened to it on the radio for years. When my wife and I first moved here, our Saturday night date would be to drive up and down along the Cumberland River, and listen to the Opry on the radio. Of course, gas was a lot cheaper then, and we could drive around all night. We still listen to it every Saturday night while we’re getting dinner. It’s just a ritual that I love. I love going to the Grand Old Opry. Even when they make mistakes, I think it’s cool. It’s live. It’s real people playing music and singing live.
LL: Did you start out as a music writer?
RO: Yes, I have always written about music.
LL: Who was the first artist you ever interviewed?
RO: Brenda Lee. I wrote a book with her. She ended up being a very good friend of mine. There’s not that many celebrities I could spend that much time with. I never got tired of being around her. She is so nice.
LL: Do you have any other favorite interviews you’ve done?
RO: “I’m a big Dolly Parton fan. I’m wild about Dolly. She’s one of the people who’s song writing really compelled me to come to Nashville. Dolly, and Kris Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall. When I heard their songs, I thought, “Wow, if that’s country music, then I have to go to Nashville.” Dolly is and always has been a big inspiration to me and I always enjoy talking to her. This interview in this book was one of the best she’s ever given to me, just because she talks openly about her marriage to Carl Dean. He was instrumental in the Broadway production of Nine to Five. He is a big Broadway musical fan. Who knew?
LL: Was there any artist who asked not be included in your book about the opry?
RO: Believe it or not, the only one was Steve Warren, of all people. Karen, his wife, is writing a book, so they passed on it.
LL: Has anyone ever gotten upset with you for a review you’ve done of their music?
RO: All the time. I’m famous for being brutally honest with my reviews, and yes, several people have gotten mad at me for negative reviews.
LL: How did you come to write, “Finding her Voice: The Saga of Women in Country Music“, with Mary Bufwack?
RO: She’s my wife. When we first met, she was teaching woman’s studies, and I was going to graduate school at Colgate, in upstate NY. We were both passionately in love with country music, so we decided to combine our love of country music with her knowledge of women’s studies. A re-written version came out just a couple years ago, which includes Shania Twain. That book has remained in print longer than any of my books. It’s one of my favorites; a scholarly book.
LL: Do you enjoy your television work in front of the camera?
RO: I’ve been trying to get off camera for years. [laughs] I don’t think I’m good looking, or sound great. It all started back when a parents’ resources music group in Washington wanted to put labels on albums regarding their content. And a tv station in town would have me on their show every Friday to talk about music, and give my opinion of if music was suitable, like, ‘Should your teen go to see White Snake?’ etc. And that lead to a nationally syndicated talk show in Nashville, then I just started being a talking head on VH1, CMT, GAC, which lead me to writing and directing for television. I keep getting called back for different projects.
LL: How do the television specials come about, like the one about Dolly Parton?
RO: Usually a producer will call me, and ask me to write the script and conduct the interview and be an off camera presence. Sometimes artists call me directly, they like me. With Jamie Johnson, he and the label approached me and said he would be more comfortable with me than anyone else.
LL: Did you enjoy working as a judge on Nashville Star? Were you impressed by the new talent?
RO: I did enjoy it. It was a favorite project of mine. I’m a huge music fan, and I enjoy performances. It’s one of the reasons I love the Opry. You get to see everyone out there, from Josh Turner to Dierks Bentley, George Jones. It’s a multigenerational show. And people enjoy Trace Adkins as much as seeing Jimmy Dickens.
LL: What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
RO: I like it all. I like the variety. This morning before you called I went over to a radio station and did an interview about the book. I just finished the liner notes for an album by Martina McBride. Tomorrow I start liner notes for another artist. So each day is different. Some day it’s television work, some days it’s radio work. Some days its writing. I host a show every year for fan fair, now the CMT festival, so that’s a lot of stage work. I enjoy my life. Sometimes I pinch myself. How did it happen that Dolly Parton calls me up and knows my name?
LL: What was the last concert you went to?
RO: When I was a newspaper reporter, I had to go hear live music as part of my job, and I got to see everybody, with a backstage pass. I don’t think there is anyone I haven’t seen. That period of my life ended about 10 years ago, and I pulled back from going so much. But I did just go hear Leann Womack on Monday night sing her new album. I love her so much, and this new record of hers is so great. It was a great to hear it.
LL: I read that you are working at the Nashville Fab Four Fest later this week. Are you a Beatles fan?
RO: Yes I’m a big Beatles fan. I’m a big music fan period. I love all music. For the festival, I’m hosting a panel on people who have played or performed with any of the Beatles.
LL: Do you write every day?
RO: I have a publication I write for, Music Row Magazine. I have to write a new music review column every Thursday for them. I wrote up the Leann Womack concert for them. If there’s a special event going on in town, I’ll write that up for them. Other days in the week I’ll review Nashville jazz or Nashville folk, pop, bluegrass, or some other genre. When you called I was just finishing Martina McBride liner notes.
LL: Do you have any advice for any young person thinking about moving to Nashville to write about music?
RO: Don’t do it! [laughs] It doesn’t pay very well. But living in Nashville is different, because no one is from here. Everyone is from some place else, it‘s a ‘hail fellow well met‘ kind of place. Everyone is outgoing, very encouraging. It’s a town where you can reach out and touch the music business. If you do want to learn the music business, I suggest you do it in Nashville. If you want to meet Tony brown, you can meet him. if you want to meet a star, you can meet them in Nashville. Stars are always doing seminars and show cases and songwriter nights. It’s basically a networking town, because people shift from job to job all the time. It is a great place to know the business. And it’s a great business. It’s very inspirational to be here, if you love music.
LL: Do you know what your next project will be?
RO: I have a presentation that I do for businesses and at conventions here in town, called, ‘How Nashville became Music City.’ It takes you back to the very dawn of Nashville as a town, and all it’s history of music, and how it became an international center for music. So I might write that story of how Nashville became Music City.
LL: Thank you so much for your time today.