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 Dress Code Needed For Opry Performers? (Page 1)
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Joan Cox Member From: Eustace, TX USA |
posted 19 August 2003 05:51 AM
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I was at the Opry Saturday night backstage and saw Mel Tillis' band as they were getting ready to go on. Nothing but class..There were thirteen of them that were on stage at once. They all had a western type ties on with boots (shined), light colored western cut slacks and a dark western type sport coat. They all looked really neat. All I could think of was "classy". It was such a pleasant sight to see performers walk out on stage that dressed better than the audience. Johnny told me that when he was in Mel's band, Mel always spent lots of money putting the band in nice clothes. He's always done that. My point here is that I cannot understand why the newer younger performers don't follow the same example. I've seen artists (if that's what you want to call them) walk out on stage in torn T shirts that look awful, and the band with them don't look much better. There are people backstage that I've heard say the same thing. You would think they would at least have the common sense to dress nice when they go out on the Opry stage (or any stage for that matter). It's like they have no respect for what they're doing. If they're on the Opry stage, it seems like they would want to look the best they possibly can. I guess I'm from the old school. When my Dad was playing music, he would take a couple of hours to get ready. His boots were always shined, he would dress up and he would always look nice. He always told me "When you are out there playing music, you are hired to do a job and you should always look your best because people are coming to hear you and see you play". That has always stuck with me. I know they can't all have the nudie suits and stuff, but at least they could tuck their shirt tails in. Most of them have to be making enough money with touring and appearances, so it seems that there is no excuse for the way some of them look. I guess they just don't care. I guess it can't be like it used to be, but it seems like country music performers used to look nicer in years past. Porter and Little Jimmy Dickens still wear the glittery clothes (I think they really look neat). I guess people don't have to do that, but it would be nice if everyone had to dress nicer. |
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Jim Vogan Member From: Ohio City, Ohio 45874 |
posted 19 August 2003 06:01 AM
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Right on, Joan. The bluegrass bands always look good. I don't like the ones with blown out knees, T shirts, nasty looking hair and a ball cap!Tacky!  ------------------ |
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Doyle Huff Member From: Broken Arrow, OK USA |
posted 19 August 2003 06:40 AM
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I certianly agree with you Joan. I made that statment many times watching the Opry. I don't know if they just don't care or if they think it appeels to the younger audience. I don't even go to the store looking like some of those guys do. After watching the Opry a few time lately, I have to wonder if the Opry mangement care about who they have on there. I wonder if money talks. You know me, I'm from the old scool to |
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Donna Dodd Moderator From: Kennesaw, Georgia, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 06:58 AM
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I agree totally with you, Joan. It is an honor to be an invited guest of the Opry. They should follow the “understood” protocol of the legends who have graced that stage. Your Daddy used to take two hours to dress and prepare for something he respected. Imagine ___________ having a conversation with himself. Probably goes like this: “Hummm, Gotta leave for the Opry in about 5 minutes. What’s my cleanest dirty shirt? Oh, there it is. Rover, move over and get off that shirt. Thanks, good dog.” |
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Kevin Hatton Member From: Amherst, N.Y. |
posted 19 August 2003 07:12 AM
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Joan. You said it! I don't care to look at people looking like bums on stage. Tillis's band exuded class. We have a dress code in our band and it works. We always get compliments on our appearance. I have three rhinestone Manuel jackets, and they get the audience's attention. No respect for your self translates into no repect for the audience. [This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 19 August 2003 at 07:15 AM.] |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 19 August 2003 08:42 AM
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Doyle's right, non-conformity (the nicest euphemism for this that I can think of) appeals to the younger crowd. They like signs of rebellion, and this is why some stars dress this way. Other (older) stars (like Willie and Merle) finally did it (I guess) as a sign of resistance to the long-standing Nashville trend. They probably think that they are stars already, and have nothing to prove. It's also possibly a reenforcement of their faith in their own talent. (Look, I can dress like a hobo, and they still love me...packed house!) Unfortunately, I tend to be one of those "Holier Than Thou" bigots who can't help but judge others (partially, at least) by their appearance. Yeah, it's a free country, and I got no right saying how someone else should dress. I could probably go along with that, except there's a few entertainers who don't seem to know the difference between "casual chic", and "homeless box-dweller grunge". If you're gonna "dress like a working man", at least dress like he looks in the morning, and not how he looks after a full day of working in the sewer. |
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Jesse Pearson Member From: San Diego , CA |
posted 19 August 2003 08:52 AM
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Joan, I have a problem with your statement "have to dress a certain way". Why don't all musicians or anyone else for that matter wear suits all day long anymore, because it's a hassle and not very practical and simply not in fashion. It looked cool back in the day, but would be out of place now. As far as baseball caps, farmers wear baseball caps when their working, you are talking about country music that's suppose to be down to earth and that has a rural blue collar theme running thru it. Shannia Twain wears alot of glitter on her cloths, but I can't relate to her kind of country music that well. I would be bummed to no end if there were dress codes imposed on musicians. I have no problem seeing a country artists dressed like a cowboy or a farmer, if their music is real, then I can relate. For some types of acts, I guess dressing up would be fun and entertaining, but if imposed for all of the acts it would be pure alienation. Tim Mcgraw's latest tour broke all records for moneys collected I heard, someone surely is relating to his image and that has the finale word. [This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 19 August 2003 at 09:22 PM.] |
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Carl West Member From: La Habra, CA, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 09:27 AM
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I didn't see anywhere that Joan was proposing any sort of dress code ! Take a look at Ray Price's guys as with Mel's group. It's class all the way and class doesn't seem to exist on the Opry or at concerts any longer with the exception of a few. IMHO it looks like crap. Carl West |
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Kenny Dail Member From: Kinston, N.C. 28504 |
posted 19 August 2003 09:45 AM
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"Class" is something todays generation, as well as some of yesterdays, think is what you have to take to learn the computer. ------------------ |
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Jason Stillwell Member From: Soper, OK, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 09:55 AM
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I am nearing my 30s, and certainly IN NO WAY do I speak for or even agree with most in my age bracket, but I just prefer to see artists (or people in general, for that matter) look neat. I wouldn't be caught picking up dog mess out of my yard dressed like many of the "stars" I see on my television. I am sorry that I missed the Opry last Saturday. I would have liked to have seen Mel's performance. The sad reality, though, is that not a heck of a lot can, or at least will, be done about it. TPTB are aiming for a young audience, and I guess that to most people my age and younger, this type of "fashion" is "kewl." BTW, how many of you, with the sound off, can tell the difference between CMT and VH1? How many of us can tell the difference with the sound on? Hard, ain't it.  |
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Leroy Riggs Member From: High Country, CO |
posted 19 August 2003 10:16 AM
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Right on! |
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David Doggett Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 10:36 AM
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All performers go on stage in a costume. It is a form of expression. Some people seem to be forgetting that in the really old days a typical Opry costume was denim overalls, flannel shirts, and clod-hoppers. Other costumes have been gaudy colors with sequins and rhinestones. How classy was that? I agree Mel and his group looked pretty good. But when I first saw them I thought, "What is this? Dress up night at the Opry? What's the special occassion?" Why don't they all just go all the way with white tie and tails, like symphony orchestras? It's the Opry, not grand opera. It's all part of the act. There are different acts with different styles. I like variety and enjoy the changes. I enjoyed Mel's classy look, but I am sure glad eveyone on the Opry doesn't dress like that. How boring. |
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Jesse Pearson Member From: San Diego , CA |
posted 19 August 2003 11:10 AM
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Hey Eric, the name of this thread is " Dress code needed for Opry performers". I'd like to see you putt to one of your gigs where your gear is already set up, dressed up in your rhinestone pretty boy clothes, somehow I don't think that's you bro? |
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Alvin Blaine Member From: Sandy Valley, Nevada, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 11:17 AM
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I thought the Opry had a dress code. Isn't it black jeans(optional faded ripped blue jeans) with a black t-shirt and a black long sleeve shirt untucked, unbuttoned, and hanging down to your knees. That's seems to be what everyone wears so I just assumed it was the "dress code" of the Opry. |
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chas smith Member From: Encino, CA, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 11:33 AM
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quote:It was like that until Bob Wills band showed up in their western outfits. |
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Frank Parish Member From: Nashville,Tn. USA |
posted 19 August 2003 11:52 AM
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Class never goes out of style. Just because it's country music certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't try to look your best. I like to think country is at least three steps in front of rock and roll in the way you should dress. Before I came to Nashville, I never seen anybody go on stage without nice clothes and many timesq all dressed alike. Bill Monroe set a very high standard that should be practiced today. There's been many times I went out and spent more money on one nights clothes than I made in that night. If you're playing a club gig and the people come in on the break, the first thing they see is how you're dressed. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. |
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retcop88 unregistered |
posted 19 August 2003 12:14 PM
It all boils down to enforcement.If the Opry doesn't care if the performers look like street gang members,just got out of work didn't have time to shower look.Why should anyone who likes the slob look change.This way after they perform at the Opry they can work some sleezy old bar the same night. could it be called the GOS?Grand ole Slopry. ------------------ |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 19 August 2003 01:09 PM
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You may have hit on a point there, James. Way back when, the stars existed because of the Opry. Now, it seems like it's the other way 'round. For some reason...I just get the naggin' feelin' that many of the new "stars" who appear on the Opry get there because someone has paid big money just for them to be seen there. Or maybe I'm wrong? |
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Tony Prior Member From: Charlotte NC |
posted 19 August 2003 02:42 PM
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I guess as long as the BIG HAT is neat and folded correctly ..the jeans with the tears in the knees and old ratty T-Shirts are ok... Personally I dress just a tad above jeans for all gigs now..no more T-shirts..Generally black jeans and a nicer shirt..no hat though..I never got into them... If I wear jeans they are right outa' the drawer..not the one's I've been wearing all week..I think it's important to dress a tad above the fray when on a gig anyway.. oh yeh..when I break out a fresh pair of jeans for a gig..I wear those for the entire next week ..! tp [This message was edited by Tony Prior on 19 August 2003 at 02:43 PM.] |
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Janice Brooks Moderator From: Pleasant Gap Pa |
posted 19 August 2003 04:39 PM
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Joan and all I have mentioned this many times in my opry recaps. I think the opry performences should have a high fashion reverence particuarly the telavised portain. We have come a long way from the depresson times when folks could not afford decent cloths and the gimmicks of the likes of Ron Brasfield. As for the lady's, I won't take it the level where they can't wear pants, but not shorts or jeans. I doubt Mel would have lasted so many years in Branson without his dress code to complement his talant. ------------------ |
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Joe Casey Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9) |
posted 19 August 2003 04:58 PM
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You people forget, that that is the "rock" look. Why not it's there true feelings,they play the stuff and want to look the part. Unfortunately they are hoping their music catches on and crosses over to MTV. Most couldn't sing a true country song if they wanted too.They are all "proud and humbled"  they say to appear on the Opry.But they show up looking like they slept for a week in their (excuse the expression) clothes.I believe it expresses the lack of class also on managements part. At least the staff band and the Carol Lee singers along with Opry mainstays still exibit the class they have always shown through out the years.------------------ |
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Ray Montee Member From: Portland, OR, USA |
posted 19 August 2003 07:00 PM
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YOU ARE A BRAVE SOLE with this post. I did one something like this a few months ago and still occasionally receive hate mail, about how I don't want young wanna-be musicians to have an opportunity to reach out for stardom. The Blue Grass folks, and those like Price and Tillis.....have "CLASS" and in no way consider being cleaned up any kind of handicap; or, uniforms being some kind of restriction. That lame excuse always reminds me of the dirty kid that make a dozen excuses for not washing his face rather than picking up a clean wash rag and scrubbing of the days old grime. One gets only one chance to make a good first impression........ A lot of folks these days, display a desire to look cruddy and shoot for the bottom of the barrel, rather than aim just a little higher and give the audience the impression that they just might care about how they look. Those of us who condone this kind of appearance, IMHO, and label it "style" or "costume" I believe, only furthers the further decline of what country music is supposed to be about. The real musicians of the past made the most difficult of musical feats look simple, while todays hoards, tend to make nothing but loud racket look difficult requiring a talent beyond human comprehension. |
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Jody Sanders Member From: Magnolia,Texas |
posted 19 August 2003 09:51 PM
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Ernest Tubb once told me that he owed everything he owned to the people that bought his records and attended his concerts and club dates. He said he felt this was their way of showing respect for him and his music. He said I return that respect by dressing up for them and doing my best at each performance. He said that a band that shows up and performs in cut-offs, ragged jeans, t-shirts , and tennis shoes are showing utter contempt for their audience. He used some adjectives that I can't print on the forum, but I totally agree with him. This was all in reference to country music performances. Jody. |
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Myron Labelle unregistered |
posted 20 August 2003 06:00 AM
My old paw paw told me years ago "It is most important to look the part". Now when I played in my bands (Rock) we would wear whatever wasn't dirty. I always respected the dress code the Country performers from Nashville would wear when we played the same fairs.It didn't make them better players,but the difference got them plenty of attention and respect. ------------------ |
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Myron Labelle unregistered |
posted 20 August 2003 07:28 AM
I suppose one could call it the Willie Nelson look. Seems like Willie and another guy had a lot to do with the down dressing..Some artist are known for their dress as well as their accomplishments. Porter still has those Nudie (vintage 1960) outfits.Actually the only talent Porter and some others bring to the stage is the talent of the clothes maker..(Whatever happen to Tony Alamo?)One has to wonder if the 90 day wonders have made enough money to invest in themselves for necessities like razor blades,holeless jeans,shirts long enough to be tucked in,(It's ok to have a pot)decent hairpieces so they don't have to wear cowboy or baseball caps with a tuxedo.It would be nice to see a video that displays ones musical talent not that of a producer director of risque movies.Sure is nice to see the Prices,Tillis,Clark groups when they do the Opry,It dresses up the stage as it should.The slob acts could dress up but in my opinion it would only be like putting a fur lined cover on a garbage can. ------------------ |
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Bobby Lee Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA |
posted 20 August 2003 09:44 AM
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If you have special clothes for performing, you can deduct them from your income tax! Whenever I'm hired as a sideman, I always ask the leader "What should I wear?". Nowadays some bandleaders are surprised by the question. When you see their band, you understand why. Many musicians don't dress for performing these days, or coordinate with other band members. There's no real dress code in Open Hearts, but we all are very aware that we're putting on a show. We project a certain collective image. My "boots and snaps" would be as out of place in Open Hearts as tie-dye is in a country band. I dress accordingly. ------------------ |
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Richard Sinkler Member From: Fremont, California |
posted 20 August 2003 11:37 AM
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I almost never didn't look and dress nicely on stage. I firmly believe in the fact that you are an employee and should dress accordingly. Heck, that's what you see even in fast food and retail establishments. Granted they are furnished by the company. I did play for one guy that bought us all matching outfits (4 set each for a 6 piece band). I was in a band called Derert Star for like 5 years, and we never went on stage not dressed alike. Even the two women in the band. We were one of the staff bands for a couple of years and would play at Coyote Ranch just south of San Jose. This was a middle of the day, outside gig where the temperatures often exceeded 100 degrees (had to put fans and sometimes ice bags on our PA power amps to keep themm form overheating and shutting down). We still wore our costumes, complete with heavy long sleeve western shirts. Why, you ask. Because we were employees and felt we should dress accordingly. We were not told to dress nice. We did because that is what we as a band decided was part of the package that we sell to the employers and audience. it also makes me feel better as a person to look nice. Even in bands that dressed like slobs, I would try to look nice. I would look better than the front man sometimes. In Desert Star, we also would not drink alcohol on stage (or at all) or for those in the band that smoked, they would not smoke on stage either. I carried this tradition on to any band that I played with afterwards. It's just a pride thing, I guess, with me. Now I do like the lady entertainers who wear tight jeans. But that because I am a pervert. |
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David Doggett Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 20 August 2003 12:38 PM
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Myron is right, this battle was started back in the '60s when Willie and others adopted the hippie look (okay, I admit, I was the original hippie-from-Mississippi). Continueing to fight this battle long after it was lost only convinces people of how old and cranky you are. The young rock oriented performers adopt this look in identification with their young audience, who also dress like that. Any of you who think you can win this battle at this late date are welcome to come work on my teenage kids. Don't get me wrong. I like to see some people dress up sometimes, just not everyone all the time, even on stage. |
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R. E. Klaus Member From: Montana, USA |
posted 20 August 2003 02:26 PM
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Some of us that where in Nashville thirty years ago, at age 20 or so, worked with artists that had already been recording and performing for forty years or more. Dressing nice was just another part of being "professional." Now, the general feeling seems to be to get closer to your audiance (not entirely a bad thing). If your audiance expects you to look and sound like they do, maybe you should. Better for record and ticket sales. Would I show up for a job today in an old T-shirt and baggy shorts? NO!- and I live in Hawaii where EVERYONE dresses that way even for church. |
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Theresa Galbraith Member From: Goodlettsville,Tn. USA |
posted 20 August 2003 03:36 PM
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The dress code is determined by the artist the musicians work for. Every artist is different, so be it! Theresa |
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retcop88 unregistered |
posted 20 August 2003 08:21 PM
I don't understand the feeling dress like the audience so they can see your one of them. Then why do they pay to see someone that is like them? ------------------ |
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Earnest Bovine Member From: Los Angeles CA USA |
posted 20 August 2003 09:27 PM
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quote:Maybe the performer has some skill that is worth paying to see, such as playing steel guitar. Maybe the playing is good enough to stand on its own without a fancy costume. |
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Eric West Member From: Portland, Oregon, USA |
posted 20 August 2003 09:38 PM
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EB. IMHO, there aren't very damn many that fit into that category. Like about Five of them..
It's kind of like saying, "Hey I'm dressed really normal so you ( the audience) won't ecpect anything good out of me." Also a couple that really "hoboed out" to try and give the audience a "surprise" when they played better than they looked. Only seldom if ever did they.. Somebody might have mentioned that clothes that "look crappy" might have been designed and ordered that way. DY's knee holes are probably ordered to exact dimension for hundreds of bucks.. Appearance is seldom uncalculated nor should it be. Y'ouhghta see me at my day job.. They never believe I wear silk sport jackets and spit shined boots to my "other job". One of these days I'll post a picture of my "paving suit". EJL |
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retcop88 unregistered |
posted 21 August 2003 06:33 AM
Ernest! My point is when one looks in the mirror and that is the best he or she is going to see ,then why pay gazigabucks to go out and see what's free. I agree even if one paints a sewer pipe it's still a sewer pipe.Musicians have always wanted that different look. Now I guess they want the average guy look. And I guess it sort of reflecks the average talent and looks they started out with. JMOBDFOC? ------------------ |
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Roger Rettig Member From: NAPLES, FL |
posted 21 August 2003 07:14 AM
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Fashion is one thing, but this sloppy and unkempt appearance is quite another. When I was a teenager, I wasn't happy unless my dad raised an eyebrow at my appearance (slim tie, drape jacket and tight trousers, with an 'Elvis' hair-style!), but I went to great pains to look like that. I'm NOT convinced that these kids are making any effort at all. Could it be the result of declining standards of behaviour, and lack of what was once considered normal discipline? Anyway, I'm with Joan! RR PS: I saw Merle play at the 'Bottom Line' in NYC a few years back - he came on with a rumpled T-shirt, filthy sneakers and a turned-around baseball cap (also a bit grubby); I have to say that I was disappointed. |
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Donna Dodd Moderator From: Kennesaw, Georgia, USA |
posted 21 August 2003 01:35 PM
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In the end, it’s really a personal statement regardless how you cut it. Even when your job dictates your wardrobe (i.e. nurse, pilot, auto mechanic, etc.) a personal statement is made within your personal decision limitations of hygiene, accessories, body language and the way a person speaks. Although uniforms place people on the same playing field, there’s a big field out there and people are going to go where they want and eventually slip into “themselves”. I believe each of us has our own unique fundamental template by which we gauge our own personal standards – and we subconsciously follow that template in our treatment of others, our jobs, our families, the earth – and the value we place on ourselves as a functional member of that society. A country music example: Even though Dwight has the cut-out knees, his image is professional, clean and respectable. Look how that consistent persona mirrors his successful career results. His cut-out knees have been a constant (and now predictable) distinctive fashion flair since day 1. He seems very grounded in his writing style and his love of family and his roots. He seems to be an intelligent, talented individual who takes delight in praising his own heroes. Dwight made his entrance into country music when his average listener didn’t even know who Buck Owens was, and if they did – likely saw him more as a clown-type hillbilly on HeeHaw, rather than the superb musician he is – Dwight proudly professed his admiration of Buck, credited him for influencing his own personal sound, and then even toured with him. And, it was the best of Dwight concerts I’d seen!! His acting career has followed suit. Not many music artists are given dramatic acting parts, and respected in both arenas. Back to the point of respect and what it means to each of us. I know there are exceptions to everything in life. Some disrespectful low-life people do make it big for a brief time – a few even for the long haul. But I believe we all really do see the world through the same eyes that look back at us each morning in the mirror. We are all “on-stage” every day of our lives . . . our own life-stage. The choices we make and the image we project is up to us. Ironically, I believe our own choices to be the ultimate reflection of the value others place on us as individuals. |
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Eric West Member From: Portland, Oregon, USA |
posted 21 August 2003 03:30 PM
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Donna. South of Cincy is about a guy living up North brokenhearted while his love writes unsent letters telling him to come home.. Nothing that morbid I'm afraid. Maybe you were thinking of Gene Watson's " I'm gonna kill you, and bury you in a box about half your size", or Banks of the Ohio about the "Hillbilly Proposal Process".. I thought DY's best performance was in Sling Blade, though he's done many that were good. " From now on, we're gonna be a happy family". -DY in Sling Blade- EJL |
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Bobby Lee Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA |
posted 21 August 2003 03:59 PM
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Ernest has a point. I don't pay to see the musicians' clothes. I pay to watch and listen to them playing music. The quality of their music is what brings me to the concert hall. Sawyer Brown could dress his band like the Statesiders, and I still wouldn't buy a ticket. Ray Price's band could wear t-shirts and cut-offs, and I'd still pay to see them. The way a band looks isn't important to me. But then, I'm a musician... ------------------ |
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Joe Casey Member From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9) |
posted 23 August 2003 05:07 AM
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Back in the early 1970s we stopped the uniform dressing on stage and went to the more relaxed jeans and Cowboy shirt look.All wore different shirts,we all had different hair styles long and short and more or less.The thing I insisted on, was be neat and clean. A lot of it was the cost of the uniform look. Working 5 and six nighters clothes got old fast.bOb is right I can't remember anyone coming out to see our clothes.In fact there were many that came out to see us with them off after the GIG.  ------------------ |
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David Doggett Member From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
posted 23 August 2003 10:06 PM
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Joe, what's this I hear about Weeki Wachee Springs closing? Please tell me it's all a baseless rumor. No more glass bottom boats? No more mermaids (now that's the kind of clothes I can enjoy)? What's the world coming to? [This message was edited by David Doggett on 23 August 2003 at 10:07 PM.] |
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