 | CON AT THE RYMAN!Con fans got another great opportunity to see him perform live at the historic Ryman Auditorium!
Con's good friend,
Larry Gatlin, hosts
Opry Country Classics
at the Ryman
on Thursday nights for a few weeks every spring and every fall, and with Larry's multitude
of artist friends, the line-up is always sure to please! |
 | Techs are busy setting the stage for tonight's performance... |
 | Country Music icon
Eddie Stubbs emcees the show this evening and gets things rolling by introducing our host..... |
 | Larry Gatlin!
Larry is a perfect host, and really knows how to get a crowd involved!
Fans just love him!
On top of that, he just happens to be
one of the nicest,
most talented guys
we know! |
 | Larry's first guest of the evening...one of the Opry's Grand Ladies, the lovely Miss Jeannie Seely.
Jeannie is one of country music's all-time favorite female artists, and she and Con have been friends since his early days in Nashville.
Con loved her smash hit, "Don't Touch Me"
so much that he recorded the song on his
Sweet Memories CD. |
 | Up next is talented singer/songwriter
James Intveld.
James performed a couple of terrific country classics. |
 | Larry captivates the audience with an intimate performance of his hit
"The Heart". |
 | Also on the bill this evening is Mandy Barnett. She stars in the show "Always Patsy Cline", and wowed the crowd with some of Patsy's legendary classics. |
 | After a warm introduction from Larry,
Con takes the stage. |
 | Con sings his version of Bill Anderson's "Still". |
 | Every artist loves to perform at the Ryman...
It's a treasured institution to all, and is warmly referred to as
The Mother Church
of Country Music. |
 | To Con, being on stage at the Ryman is very much like..... |
 | ....coming home. |
 | Next, Con sang one of his own hits, "What's New With You". |
 | Larry and Con really enjoyed being on stage together again. Con and his band toured with Larry and the Gatlin Brothers, Steve and Rudy, back in the '80's, and tonight it's like they took up right where they left off.
Con told the crowd that Larry treated him like a brother, and he will never, ever forget that.
Larry responded by saying, "You are my brother." |
 | Then Larry began tuning his guitar and said Con couldn't go anywhere
until he sang a song that Larry wrote specifically for Con to record.
Con recorded the song in 1980 on his
I Don't Want To Lose You album.
After a little ribbing
the two friends
sang the song
"Straight To My Heart"
for the Ryman crowd.
Click here to watch a video clip. |
 | Eddie Stubbs was quick to tell the audience that this is what is known as
"An Opry Moment"...
...something totally unrehearsed and spontaneous, yet wonderfully magical. |
 | Con watches from the wings as bluegrass greats Dailey & Vincent entertain the Ryman audience. |
 | Con with good friend and WSM Radio personality Eddie Stubbs. |
 | Con and Larry
gladly take a moment
for a quick picture. It's been a real joy to be back at the Ryman...
Hope we'll do it again soon! |
