Open Letter to the Grand Ole Opry About Hank Williams’ 100th Birthday
Dear Grand Ole Opry Executive Producer Dan Rogers,
First off, I want to offer you a sincere thank you and congratulations for all of the work that you have done at the Grand Ole Opry during your tenure in this important leadership position, not to mention for everything that you did before to ascend to such an important post. It has been under your leadership since 2019 that you have taken a historically significant—but if we’re being honest—a rather decrepit institution of country music, and made it viable and relevant once again.
During your tenure, we have seen an evolutionary and forward-thinking approach that can only be characterized as transformational. Where before the Opry was often too miserly with allowing coveted debuts in the hallowed circle to up-and-coming artists, now it seems there is an Opry debut on nearly every presentation, creating meaningful career support behind performers who don’t always receive equitable consideration from the rest of the country music industry.
Where before the Opry was equally as stingy with handing out meaningful and deserved membership invitations, we’ve also seen significant improvement in this direction as well, addressing the backlog of deserving artists awaiting membership, while also not being too liberal with invitations as to dilute the weight and importance of the distinction. There is still some work still to be done in this direction, but it is in such better shape compared to previous Opry eras.
You’ve also done so much to make sure the Grand Ole Opry is representing the entertainers of country music and the greater roots music world equally, no matter who they are, or where they’re from. Whether it’s Black or Brown artists, traditionalists, older artists, younger artists, Texas and Red Dirt performers, they’re all receiving opportunities right beside the hot mainstream performers. It feels like the people’s Opry in 2023.
You especially deserve credit for the way the Opry navigated the COVID-19 era, allowing the Opry to be one of the few institutions that was able to still provide entertainment to the masses like it’s done for 100 years, offering a diversion to the “sick and shut in.” It was both completely unexpected and totally heartening to see the American culture reconnect with the Grand Ole Opry in that moment, and for the Opry to carry that momentum beyond the pandemic.
All of this has led to the Grand Ole Opry serving country fans not just with performances, but with “moments.” Whenever someone makes their debut, whenever someone is simply invited to make their debut, whenever someone is surprised on stage with an official Opry membership invitation, or sometimes just the performances themselves that transpire on the Opry stage, the weight of these moments never cease to stimulate chill bumps in the audience, and validate the efforts of deserving artists in a way that is honest and real.
The grandeur of the Grand Ole Opry endures, even after all of these years.
But there is still a point of contention that comes up regularly whenever the name of the Grand Ole Opry is evoked in certain circles. I’m sure you know where this is headed. I’m talking of course about the strained relationship between the Grand Ole Opry and the Hank Williams legacy.
I read right before the pandemic and shortly after you took the position when you said,
“Hank Williams will always be a treasured past member of the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry is made of living, breathing artists who can contribute to the show, and to whom the Opry can give back. We have a long list in the member gallery of folks who have been members of the Opry from Uncle Jimmy Thompson, who preceded what Opry membership even meant … So that wall honors everyone from Uncle Jimmy Thompson to Little Big Town to Hank Williams.”
You then went on to say, “Had Hank Williams lived, there is little doubt in my mind that…I would hope he would have returned to the Opry and all would have been great and right in the world. Unfortunately, he didn’t.”
This is all that Hank Williams III and supporters of the Reinstate Hank movement have been saying for the last 20 years. There is no qualm with Opry members vacating their membership role when they die. It’s about how when he was living, Hank Williams meant more to the Opry arguably that anyone else in the institution’s history, and the Opry meant a lot to Hank Williams. As you said yourself in the interview, “There is not a single Opry night that happens where his influence isn’t felt. And there are many, many, many Opry shows where his music is sung.”
Ceremoniously Reinstating Hank would be a way to mend wounds, and incidentally, would make for a good piece of positive publicity for the Grand Ole Opry. As you say yourself, it would make everything “right in the world” when it comes to Hank Williams and the Grand Ole Opry. It wouldn’t stimulate a flood of families of deceased members clamoring for their loved ones to be reinstated as well. It’s the fact that Hank was never reinstated in life that makes the case for Reinstating Hank today a viable one.
As I’m sure you know, Hank Williams III started the Reinstate Hank movement back in 2003 in an effort to get the Grand Ole Opry to recognize his grandfather who was kicked out for drunkeness and missing rehearsals in 1952. Nobody holds it against the Opry for not putting up with Hank’s behavior at that time. The Opry promised that if Hank could clean up his act, it would welcome him back with open arms.
But of course, Hank Williams never got that opportunity. He passed away in the back of his Cadillac on New Years Day, 1953. The Reinstate Hank online petition now has over 62,000 signatures on it, with even more signatures in the physical Reinstate Hank book that Hank3 would take around with him on tour. Hank’s grandchildren and performers Holly Williams and Hilary Williams have signed it. Hank Williams Jr. has been spotted wearing Reinstate Hank T-shirts, and has also voiced support for the movement. If Reinstating Hank means nothing to anybody else, it means something to the Hank Williams family.
On September 17th, country music fans from around the world will mark the Centennial of the birth of Hank Williams. The Country Music Hall of Fame, along with the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama will be holding festivities to honor Hank, as will artists, fans, and venues from all around the world.
Yet so far, we’ve heard nothing from the Grand Ole Opry about any plans to even mark the occasion. The Opry celebrates all kinds of anniversaries every week, including some that seem a little silly if we’re being honest. It was during an Opry tribute to Hank Williams on the 50th Anniversary of his passing in 2003 that Hank Williams III first spoke out about Hank Williams not being a member, and realized why it was important.
I understand this all might be on short notice, or that you’re surely busy with other things. It almost feels like the Opry is afraid to even say anything about the Hank Williams Centennial in fear of stirring up negative sentiment about the Reinstate Hank issue. But it seems to me that the 100th birthday of Hank Williams would be an excellent time to finally and forever extinguish this concern that some have with the Opry. And again, it would be a great opportunity to help promote the Opry, and mend wounds of the past that you’ve done such an excellent job addressing during your tenure.
Once again, congratulations and a sincere thanks for all you have done revitalizing the Grand Ole Opry institution, modernizing it to the digital world, making it viable and important to all country music fans, and shepherding it into the future as a vibrant, viable, and valued part of American culture. It would be great if you were willing to resolve this one final piece of the puzzle that makes some believe that the Grand Ole Opry ain’t so grand any more.
As Hank Williams III said, “That would be a dream come true for a lot of people.”
Sincerely,
Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos of Saving Country Music
…and 62,059 co-signees.
September 6, 2023 @ 8:18 am
From the prophet, John Hartford:
They’re gonna tear down the Grand Ole Opry
Another good thing, is done gone on, done gone on…
September 6, 2023 @ 9:20 am
I’m all for the Opry holding a celebration for Hank Williams, but I’m not for “reinstating” his membership.
It would be like the Louvre in Paris replacing the arms on the Venus de Milo.
They could do it, but it would be rightly seen as fake.
The Venus lost her arms, Hank Williams was fired from the Opry. It was a reflection on his behavior, at the time. It is what it is and let it be.
[That being said, I’m guessing that the Opry will reinstate Hank Williams, once they figure out how to monetize the action by holding a star-studded concert, selling tickets and DVD’s (or the modern, virtual equivalent), T-shirts and various swag–(and splitting proceeds with the Wiliams estate/family).]
September 6, 2023 @ 9:45 am
I hew a bit closer to your feelings on the matter, but I appreciate the passion and verve that members of this movement display. And hell, it won’t hurt anything and it’s mostly symbolic, so I say go for it. The Opry has sinned.
That said, though you’re criticizing the commercialized aspect of any hypothetical Hank Williams tribute, I actually think that could be beneficial in a lot of ways. I think Hank Williams has become more of a specter to a lot of listeners than a flesh and blood performer. Yes, he passed away long ago, but I think his legend can overshadow the actual music for a lot of people. It’s almost like Beethoven or Mozart, or even Shakespeare: Williams played such a foundational role in popular country music that he’s taken for granted. Everybody knows who he is, but I’d say the actual listeners are lesser in number. A huge, monetized tribute featuring the man’s songs could change that for younger listeners who may not know much about him aside from his name. I have no illusions of Zoomers putting down Zach Bryan, Luke Combs or Chris Stapleton in favor of Hiram, but at least they might get a bit of a history lesson. I can’t tell you how many songs have hit me differently in particular contexts, when they didn’t really stick out before, and we even see that in the mainstream quite a lot. If Marty Robbins’ “Big Iron” can experience something of a resurgence through social media like TikTok, so can Hank (even if its unlikely)
September 6, 2023 @ 1:38 pm
One thing I tried to underscore in the letter is that the fact that the “Reinstate Hank” matter remains unresolved precludes the Opry from ever honoring Hank at all. If it was any other major Opry artist, the Opry would be celebrating their 100th birthday. But they’re not because they’re afraid it will stir a bunch or Reinstate Hank stuff. At least, that’s my guess as to why they’re not. They’re doing a huge tribute to Johnny Cash on the 12th of September. Why? Who knows.
September 6, 2023 @ 1:54 pm
This September 12th will be the twentieth anniversary of the death of Johnny Cash, so I would think that’s the reason. It’s not explicitly mentioned on their website, though.
September 6, 2023 @ 3:48 pm
Ah, good catch. I looked through the press release, and they didn’t give a reason. This makes sense, as would marking the Hank Williams Centennial.
September 6, 2023 @ 8:20 pm
I dare anyone compare anyone to up there with HANK WILLIAMS. There is not anyone in his class.
No disrespect to other singers.
The Opry needed Hank, Hank did not need the Opry.
The is a great place, and great for country music.
September 6, 2023 @ 6:00 pm
Hank was bigger then the Opry , 70 years after his death , Hank continues to add new fans and Hank deserves to be reinstated to the Opry for many reasons.
1) There’s absolutely no doubt he’s the most important and influential person in the 20 century and for country music.
It would mean a lot (and right a wrong) to not only the Williams family but to Hank’s fans around the world.
Happy Birthday Hank , R.I.P
September 6, 2023 @ 9:32 am
Do we know the exact reason why the Opry has seemingly ignored the Reinstate Hank movement for 20 years? I would think it has nothing to do with pride, as surely the people who kicked out Hiram are likely deceased or, at the very least, not working there anymore. I can only figure that they don’t see the point of going through the rigamarole of reinstating a dead member, only for the majority of the people watching to either think, “he wasn’t a member?” or “what’s the point of this?”
According to an interview with Rogers conducted by The Boot in 2020, he considers the Opry to be for the living (https://theboot.com/hank-williams-kicked-out-grand-ole-opry-wont-be-reinstated/). He also says that Williams “will always be a treasured past member of the Grand Ole Opry.” Granted, at the time he was vice president, so his feelings may have changed somewhat. But it seems to me that the reality of Hank being dead is the main issue, as apparently deceased artists are no longer considered members. And it also seems that Rogers sees no material difference between Hank, who was fired before he died, and other performers who were members until they died.
Of course, the literal membership and its dues are not the point of reinstating Hank as a member. This is a lovely letter, and hopefully Rogers not only notices it, but reads it and considers it.
September 6, 2023 @ 9:38 am
Unpopular take: It’s traditional music and values that are appealing about country music to many, and perhaps also the historic legacy of the Opry. Though I’m a fan, the guy was held accountable for his behavior within the framework of the times. Revisionism be damned.
September 6, 2023 @ 1:29 pm
I don’t think anybody is saying that Hank Williams shouldn’t have been fired from the Opry, or denying the fact that he was, or saying that he was fired should be scrubbed from the history books. Those would be revisionism efforts.
September 7, 2023 @ 11:44 am
One of the first things to come up in google: “the theory or practice of revising one’s attitude to a previously accepted situation or point of view.”
Not trying to argue semantics here…just saying there is something about correcting a “wrong” through a modern lens that rubs me the wrong way. Especially when we agree that he should have been kicked out.
September 6, 2023 @ 10:49 am
After reading some of these comments, i’m surprised. I would think that in today’s day and age, people would be more understanding and forgiving of Hank. Hank had serious substance abuse issues which likely stemmed from emotional or mental health issues in addition to chronic pain. The Opry clearly meant everything to him, and his firing, while understandable from an Opry perspective, undoubtedly played a role in his further downward spiral prior to his death. For this reason, people should have some compassion for him.
I’m all in favor of reinstating him. This is an excellent article, and I hope they get the message.
September 8, 2023 @ 4:11 pm
THANK YOU JERRY FOR YOUR COMMENT WHICH I TOTALLY AGREE WITH. HANK WILLIAMS SR WAS TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN HIS OWN HELL AND WAS NOT LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE THE HELP WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE TODAY. IF JESUS COULD FORGIVE HIS MURDERERS, WHO ARE WE AND THE POWERS THAT BE IN NASHVILLE TO DENY FORGIVENESS? HANK BROUGHT LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AND SHARED HIS PAIN WITH THE WORLD THROUGH HIS MUSIC. I FOR ONE WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM.
September 6, 2023 @ 11:08 am
Agree with the letter and think it would be cool to see that happen in line with Hank’s 100th birthday. Doubt it will happen unless it’s something they’ve been considering for a while though. I’m surprised to read some of the takes that Hank was just being held accountable and therefore shouldn’t be reinstated. Trig’s letter explains no one is holding anything against the Opry for what they did at the time. I would think it would be a pretty unanimous opinion that Hank’s legacy and connection to the Opry outweighs his past issues with the Opry.
September 6, 2023 @ 11:59 am
I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I don’t agree. To be clear, this is something that by all accounts matters a lot to some folks (like the Williams family), and it doesn’t matter that much to me either way, so I’m not stomping my feet or anything.
But, Hank got fired for good reason (which more-or-less is accepted). We’ll never know if he would have gotten to a point in his life where he could have worked back toward a reconciliation with the Opry (or, if in the clear light of sobriety, would have wanted to).
This isn’t a question of Hank’s talent being weighed against his bad behavior. These are just the facts of what happened. Posthumously unfiring him doesn’t change that.
Also, Hank isn’t around to accept reinstatement, so the Opry doing it unilaterally (even if the Williams family agrees) strikes me as inherently self-serving. It certainly would not improve my opinion of the institution.
If they want to celebrate him by other means, though, I’m all for it.
September 6, 2023 @ 12:53 pm
I guess I don’t agree that it’s not a question of his importance to the intuition verse his behavior. To me, that’s exactly the question when it comes to a reinstatement. I’m not a country music historian though and have nothing to do with the Opry, so I have no issues with a difference of opinion.
September 6, 2023 @ 1:53 pm
That’s a good point: we can’t know for sure Hank would want to be reinstated had he lived.
September 6, 2023 @ 11:21 am
Totally agree with this letter. Make it so.
September 6, 2023 @ 1:10 pm
So you are the Duke of Earl
September 6, 2023 @ 12:29 pm
I don’t believe Hank Jr. is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and probably could care less if his dad is ever reinstated . All 3 Hanks music can speak for itself as the best country music ever and doesn’t need the Grand Ole Opry membership to legitimize it .
September 6, 2023 @ 1:34 pm
Hank Jr. has worn “Reinstate Hank” T Shirts, so something tells me he cares. You’re right, he is not a member, and he had his own battles with the Opry over the years, similar to Johnny Cash.
September 6, 2023 @ 3:45 pm
Hank Jr does not need the Opry. Look at how few live shows he plays a year. He’s just not in love with performing anymore, way more into the hunting and fishing. Yeah, I would love to see him pop up on The Opry, but it ain’t gonna happen.
As for this ceremonial reinstate Hank idea, I could care less either way. Though, I might be for it if it might coax Jr out to do some performances.
September 6, 2023 @ 7:56 pm
Hank Jr. is 74. I don’t think he does all that much hunting or fishing either. These people aren’t supermen, just becuause they’re famous (even if Jr. did fashion himself the “Man of Steel”). At that age, between arthritis and deteriorating vision, he probably has trouble carrying gear and loading and holding and aiming and firing a rifle or handling a fishing reel.
Like a then-54-year-old, ailing Waylon once sang:
“Maybe I should run for office
But I just like to talk
I ain’t about to run for nothin’
I don’t even like to walk.”
September 6, 2023 @ 12:42 pm
People rightly complain about how the Opry doesn’t hold current members accountable for neglecting their responsibilities. But they also want the institution to reinstate a member who was justly fired for his behavior.
I love Hank, but he earned his pink slip. Reinstating him posthumously isn’t worth the fight. The battle with the Opry resides in the music performed on the stage.
September 6, 2023 @ 1:20 pm
Happy birthday to David Allan Coe! He can do you every song Hank Williams ever wrote.
September 6, 2023 @ 6:05 pm
That’s a good song, and you’re pretty witty😀
September 7, 2023 @ 7:15 pm
Cause he can sing all those songs about Texaaasss…
September 6, 2023 @ 1:23 pm
Great job, Trig!
Did you send it? This deserves to be printed off and hand delivered.
September 6, 2023 @ 5:05 pm
I just want someone to make a musical called Phantom of the Opry about Hank Williams haunting the Ryman
September 6, 2023 @ 6:08 pm
If the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES can PARDON someone, why can’t the
GRAND OLE OPRY PARDON HANK? Just saying!
September 6, 2023 @ 6:26 pm
“The Opry promised that if Hank could clean up his act, it would welcome him back with open arms.
But of course, Hank Williams never got that opportunity.”
He never got the opportunity because he never cleaned up. That’s not the Opry’s fault.
September 7, 2023 @ 9:39 am
Exactly.
The Opry shouldn’t feel pressured to reward bad behavior.
September 6, 2023 @ 6:29 pm
The Opry not reinstating Hank Williams would be like the National Baseball Hall of Fame not having a plaque for Babe Ruth.
September 7, 2023 @ 9:36 am
Except the Opry isn’t a Hall of Fame.
September 6, 2023 @ 9:22 pm
I have been a passionate fan of Hank Williams and his music since I was a child. I am also a historian who researches and writes about him. I respect all of the other opinions on this issue, but to me it doesn’t matter whether or not the Opry resinstates him. Hank and his legacy have been bigger than the Opry for decades now. His lofty place in the history of American popular music is secure. It’s simply not important what this much-diminished institution chooses to do with regard to his membership.
September 7, 2023 @ 5:09 am
Reinstating Hank Williams to The Grand Ole Opry would be a magnanimous gesture on their part. A very good move showing respect and compassion.
September 7, 2023 @ 10:33 am
Maybe if they controlled his back pain, he wouldn’t need to drink like a fish????
September 7, 2023 @ 3:50 pm
Hank was a “binge” drinker as per his close friends and family. He did not drink all the time. He went many months without drinking, and according to many also had pretty muchcleaned himself up before he died.
September 7, 2023 @ 5:29 am
There’s a lot of ol’ country I listen to….but mostly semior
September 7, 2023 @ 7:31 am
With regard to the Grand Ol’ Opry, you’ve made your point concerning Hank Williams. So, now get off of your collective asses and do the right thing…. GIT ER DONE!!!
September 7, 2023 @ 8:05 am
I didn’t know that ol’ Hank wasn’t in the Grand Ole Opry,but it seems incomplete without the man whose music influenced Country,rock and R&B and 70 years after his untimely passing,is STILL regarded as the genre’s defining voice. It would be appropriate if Hiram were restored to his rightful pew in “Mother Church” on the 100th anniversary of his birth. (Wonder what “Skeets” [his boyhood nickname] would have though of “bro-Country,” and the Morgan Wallen,Jason Aldine and Oliver Anthony controversies ?)
September 7, 2023 @ 8:27 am
We can employ, and bandy around a lot of rhetoric, vitriol, And clever turns of phrases about reinstating Hank Williams to the grand ole Opry
But in two words, I like to think that those arguments for the reinstatement, could be put to rest
‘Then what?’
In more words: What would reinstating Hank Williams to the Opry even look like? What would it functionally do? It would be a dog and pony show on the stage that might wind up with a big plaque being put somewhere. Presumably someone have to get up on the stage and announce that they intend to give a dead man a job.
Because make no mistake, the Opry is a place of employment for country artists. And dead men don’t work.
Hank Williams was fired, and then he died. Do you know who else was fired, and then died? General, George McClellan. After McClellan died no one demanded he be reappointed to the head of the union army.
So now that we have established that Hank Williams can’t come back from the grave and work for the place that fired him, what would the place that fired him unfiring him actually do?
The people who fired him aren’t there, he isn’t there, so it’s a great big exercise in futility by a bunch of people who read about it in a book, or saw a documentary about it.
Sound and fury, signifying nothing except to get a lot of media attention.
And if we don’t stop there, what’s to stop it from giving a post facto membership to a lot of other stiffs?
Why not have a great big wall of plaques and placards for all of the members who are deceased, but retained their membership.
Why stop at just the Opry? Why not ask Macy’s to put all of the people who’ve ever worked for them and passed away back on the payroll? Just so we can look at the paperwork and know that they are on record. Obviously they aren’t working any shifts.
And I’m sure someone is going to tell me that the reason we should do this is because it will make Hank Williams Junior feel good
But if the man is so pastreason that he wants a job for a dead person, so bad, making him feel good isn’t exactly on anyone’s priorities list
Because I pre-membership was a career for country artists, it was regular work, introduced them to audiences, and helped spread their music.
I know that the Opry is an institution, and we should treat it as an institution. But let’s not pretend that the people who take that stage I didn’t get paid to do it. Let’s not pretend that the people who took that stage didn’t have other stages they needed to go on to put milk and bread on the table.
But if we are giving memberships back to people who have passed away, we should start at the beginning with the first stars and work forward to Hank Williams. Obviously the first person to have a job back should be uncle Dave Macon.
September 7, 2023 @ 10:27 am
And just to clarify that, I don’t intend this to be contrarian, hostile, or condescending to opposing viewpoints. I am trying to articulate why I feel like reinstating Hank Williams to the grand ole opry is a rather silly concept.
September 7, 2023 @ 8:33 am
Just love, love, love Hank Williams music.
September 7, 2023 @ 8:57 am
Either way, I don’t care. I can listen to Hank’s music every fucking day, and that’s what matters to me. The Opry has been a complete joke for a long time now.
September 7, 2023 @ 11:48 am
Hank Williams is the King of Country, and if it were not for the early greats like him, there would be no Grand Ole Opry today.
Since Hank’s influence is still felt at the Opry, then they need to honor him and celebrate his 100th birthday.
My best friend Ernie and I certainly will, as we travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to be at Hank’s grave to thank him for his music and all the good things he did for people.
Maybe we will see some of you there on September 17th.
George Vreeland Hill
September 7, 2023 @ 3:54 pm
It would be a nice gesture, but I think the more important thing is acknowledging why it happened and that perhaps it should have been handled differently. Losing his Opry membership likely had the opposite of it’s intended effect and led to a downward spiral. We’ve learned a lot in the decades since about treating addiction and, within country music, many of the artists who we all know and love did eventually get sober. And, unfortunately, some didn’t. Even today, it certainly appears that one of the biggest stars in country music has a bit of a drinking problem that has led to several PR disasters and even though I’m not a fan of that particular artist, I do hope that he will overcome his issues and be able to continue entertaining his fans for as long as Cash, Jones and Haggard did. I think the best thing the Opry and other institutions within country music could do to honor Hank is to make sure that resources are available for artists and musicians struggling with substance abuse issues and ensure that a medical or mental health professional will be consulted before a decision is made in any future situation like the one that led to Hank’s firing.
September 7, 2023 @ 5:30 pm
Ted Alan Woods; I will never be able to count the great and encouraging ways Hank Williams, Sr. and The Grand Ole Opry have influenced my life. GBY
September 8, 2023 @ 3:29 am
The Opry is for the living, but so are pardons and bar admissions, and those are often bestowed on the dead to help heal historic wounds. Hank being posthumously “reinstated” is not that big a deal to me, but it would be a nice gesture that means a lot to many people.
September 8, 2023 @ 7:46 am
To me it would seem a bit disingenuous for the Opry to reinstate Hank Sr at this point. I think it could create even more negative perception around the issue; the potential for it to appear wholly self-serving is pretty significant.
Besides, this is such a huge historical event in the history of Country Music, and the controversy which has followed is a big part of it. It’s just another part of the rich history of both the man and the institution which adds texture and interest. Ultimately the legacies of both Hank Sr and the Opry are unaffected. Each is such a massive influence on the rise to prominence of Country Music that they will always be celebrated.
What would be a travesty is if the Opry fails to recognize Hank Sr on his 100th birthday. Make it a surprise, make it sweet and poignant, and acknowledge the significance of the man in the Oprys history.
Failing to do anything to mark Sr’s birthday? That would just look petty.