I used to go once a year to visit my son when he lived in Nashville, Tennessee. He and a roommate rented a big house with my son's recording studio on the lower floor of a split level where he played steel guitar and Rhodes piano. They always cracked me up talking to each other in phrases from movies the way guys do. One day they had a plumbing issue so the landlord came and fixed it and somehow the landlord and I started talking about creamed potatoes..a rather lengthy but tasty conversation much to the dismay of my son and his roommate! They thought we would never stop talking so the landlord could leave. (You never want the landlord to stay too long) They teased me that they were in the kitchen with spoons trying to cut their wrists while our conversation piled on the sour cream and the butter and cream cheese.
During that visit he took me to the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum and introduced me to the exhibit of Hank Williams. He was thoroughly mesmerized by this display and am sure if he would have gotten inside it Hank's tight fitting country singer suit would have fit him to a T. I was never into country music much although my grandparents loved it and never missed Midwestern Hayride the entertainment show broadcast from Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1960's. They also loved to watch Porter Wagoner on Saturday afternoons who gave Dolly Parton her start. I loved to watch that show with them because Porter had all the glitz and over-the-top sequins and jewels on his rodeo suit and I loved sparkle. So my son decided it was time for me to experience the Grand Ole Opry. It was rather late in the afternoon but he called and got great tickets for two, front and center. How lucky was that! When we arrived it was truly impressive and as we walked in my son got lots of looks..he is tall and slender and looks great in jeans and cowboy hat and can walk with that "I'm a star" strut. He has the ability to look like any thing he is into at the moment. Would be a good actor. Wow, what a show! Brought tears to our eyes. Porter Wagoner came on first, introduced by Little Jimmy Dickens, with all his gild and glam and sang and my son and I just turned our heads to one another and smiled and nodded...this was it! We didn't have to speak. Loretta Lynn sang and of course everyone went wild and wanted her to sing Coal Miner's Daughter and she fussed and whined that she was "so tired of that girl and wanted to just forget her" but of course she sang to please the riotous crowd. My, gosh it was a great line up of stars as we were graced with the musical talents of Brad Paisley who wasn't quite famous yet (my son whispered to me "Watch him, Mom, he will be a great rising star soon") Leon Russell and Amy Grant and Vince Gill. Wow, what a night we were able to share together. Seeing the old famous stars was the most awe inspiring to us and people left the Grand Ole Opry with goosebumps and tears in their eyes. My son got the looks again as we departed and he took me to a place to dance that is a bar by night a boot store by day~the real guts of Nashville night life~he was shocked to see that I can really cut-a rug and he gave me a big proud hug. Yes, son, I can dance and now I listen to George Jones ~my favorite song~I Put The Golden Band on the Right Left Hand This Time....Rest in Peace, George Jones...Country music just won't be the same.
