Longtime Grand Ole Opry announcer Hal Durham has died at age 77. The McMinnville, Tenn. native was with the legendary country music program for 32 years, beginning his stint as the voice of the Opry in 1964. He also served as general manager from 1978 - 1993 and as program director of the Opry's radio home, WSM.
Hal Durham, who helped assure the Grand Ole Opry's transition into the modern era, died over the weekend at his home in Cape Coral, Fla. Mr. Durham, a McMinnville, Tenn., native who also served as a WSM announcer and executive, was 77.
Mr. Durham's contributions to the Opry were substantial and necessary. He served four years as manager and began his 15-year run as general manager when he succeeded E.W. "Bud" Wendell in 1978.
By that point, country had evolved well beyond its roots as an acoustic music format, and top country artists were drawing arena-level audiences that necessitated playing lucrative tour dates away from Nashville.
The general manager reacted to these factors by altering both the Opry's stage setup and its membership rules.
Under Mr. Durham's leadership, full drum sets were allowed on the Opry stage.
Before, drummers had to appear with only a snare and a cymbal, and when percussion was first allowed on the Opry in the 1950s, drummers such as Buddy Harman had to actually strike a brush against a drum head that was affixed to a standup bass.
Mr. Durham also significantly relaxed membership requirements with regard to required personal appearances, clearing the way for artists with heavy touring schedules to become Opry members without having to commit to multiple Opry appearances each month.
No comments:
Post a Comment