Opryland 1975

I was a costume character for the 1975 season of Opryland theme park ... "Barney Bass," a big orange bass fiddle with pink hair. The costume was fiberglass on a metal frame and weighed about 75 lbs. Heavy and hot!! But it was the best job I ever had. Here are random shots of the park on a typical day at work. When we weren't in costume, we'd play in the park, see the shows — including IHAS, the Country or Showboat show, or Russ & Becky Jeffers and Mark Barnett in Hill Country, or Charlie Collins & Pete Kirby (Bashful Brother Oswald), both Roy Acuff's musicians — or just sit in the Character Lounge in the Employee Cafeteria bldg (where Mr. Acuff ate every day with the park kids) and play board games or make up our own shows, as you'll see. Lynn Wright (Johnny Guitar ... who actually got married in the gazebo in the park with the costume characters as his attendants), Jack Patterson (Yancy Banjo), Tommy Webb (Delilah Dulcimer), Raoul Lemon? (Jose Mandolin) and Carol Heflin (Frankie Fiddle). Tommy Gilmer filled in for Lynn Wright when Lynn went back to MTSU in the fall. We'd take turns hosting out-of-costume leading the characters thru the park. Don't remember if we were Red or Blue cast ... there was another whole cast of characters each season too, including Larry Baskin and Sondra Estes. Hank Hildebrand and Jack's twin brother Jay Patterson also served time in costume. Opryland retired these costumes after a few years and replaced them with General Mills-sponsored cereal characters like the Trix Rabbit etc. (made of cloth, not fiberglass). This was the year following the Cumberland flood that spilled into the park. We had to scrub the characters inside and out and when it got 90+ degrees during the summer, you could smell that lovely river in the padding inside the costume. It was a blast, despite that ... and the one kid who would never leave you alone ... pulling, shoving, trying his best to push the top-heavy characters over. We must've posed for a million photos. I recall we were paid the same as other Live Entertainment employees (show folks) ... $6.75 or so per hour, which seemed like a fortune in 1975. The shots from the Show Boat show focus mainly on my Lipscomb buddies Dewight Lanham and Winston Harless. The movie quality is rough but it's a faded reminder of the wonder that was Opryland. What was Gaylord thinking when they bulldozed all this???

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• opryland
• 1975
• 8mm
• home
• movie
• russ
• jeffers
• mark
• barnett
• roy
• acuff
• danny
• proctor

[opryman65]

Thats Russ and Becky jeffers towards the end fo this video at the Bluegrass stage at Opryland shot at night. Wonderful memories here for sure. Thanks so much for posting it - it brought back so many fond memories.

[madman37115]

Yep, and Mark Barnett on banjo. I mention them in the info. We loved going over there and they'd ask the Costume Characters to stand along in front of the stage and dance while they played. Sweet, sweet folks. Glad you enjoyed the clip.

[Platformz]

This is an absolute treasure! So glad you posted this! I'll put post a comment on my channel sending folks this way. - TheRapidsNerd :)

[madman37115]

Thanks! By the way, that's me in the white shirt and blue jeans (when my hair was still black) playing Skeeball. It brings back so many memories when I watch this. We all rode the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster the day before it was opened to the public. I had a couple of friends in the Showboat Show cast so that's why there's so much footage of that one. So glad you enjoyed this!!

[KENNETHB1962]

I AM MISS THEM GOOD TIME WE WANT TO COME BACK THIS LOUG TIME TO GOOOOOD TIME I LOVE IT THERE SO WE ARE MISSING TO GONE SAD :-(

[dukevoice1]

74 through 80 I was in the shows IHAS, Showboat, Cantina, Jimmy and The Jets, Doo Wah Ditty City! It was so much fun! Now I live in LA and act in TV and movies. - Pat Duke

[savgal1211]

What happened to Neely Reynolds? Cute muscian my sister had a crush on! Black hair, real hip!!

[savgal1211]

AS a Nashville girl who spent many a day in the 1974 to 1978 season, I loved this! I remember all the shows and the timber topper and the flume Zoom!! I found a 50.00 bill on the ground one day, in front of the timber topper! I bought the new Edgar Winter album!!

[patrick9648]

I'm still mad at them for tearing down Opryland. We were planing to go back to Nashville from Mississippi back in the late 90's but canceled our trip when we found out the tore down Opryland and put up a dumb mall. Haven't been back to Nashville since.

[rockinredneck57]

Sure wish this had audio with it. Brings back some great memories. I miss Opryland.

[boomerboiiowa]

Thanks for posting this. I have looked online for pictures of the Costume Characters and they are very few. We went the first 2 seasons when I was 9 and 10.

[murrayturtle0372]

thanks for posting i still miss opryland what a shame it was such a magical place!! hey i like the little boy that came up to you first 2:51 he walks off like a big boy soo cute!!!

[oyok2112]

Someone had mentioned adding music would have made this video better. No way. I'm sure it was originally soundless and you have preserved that. It's striking to spend six minutes in silence and see Nashville's most beloved attraction from a time long since passed. I first went to the park in 1990, but this still brings back many many good memories!

[TronconesAmigo]

Wow , My Friend Charlie Collins @ 1:08