OPRY RECAP: 02/25/1956
Cowboy Copas Hosts, Rod Brasfield Brings the Laughs, Carl Butler Guests, and Del Wood Plays "Ain't She Sweet" at the Ryman
Cowboy Copas Hosts, Rod Brasfield Brings the Laughs, Carl Butler Guests, and Del Wood Plays “Ain’t She Sweet” at the Ryman
Show Overview
Host / Star: Cowboy Copas
Announcer: Grant Turner
Featured Guest: Carl Butler & The Webster Brothers
Comedians: Rod Brasfield, Cousin Minnie Pearl
Sponsors: Prince Albert Tobacco, Cavalier Cigarettes, National Guard
Network: WSM / NBC / Monitor Radio Service
Segment-by-Segment Recap
1. Opening Salvo: Cowboy Copas — “You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry”
Announcer Grant Turner introduces the Grand Ole Opry live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, hosted by Cowboy Copas. Copas kicks off the broadcast with an upbeat rendition of “You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry.” Grant Turner then runs down the evening’s talent lineup, including Rod Brasfield, Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones, Del Wood, the Opry dancers, and special guest Carl Butler and The Webster Brothers.
2. Ryman Comedy: Rod Brasfield Trades Jokes with Copas
Copas welcomes country comedy legend Rod Brasfield to the stage. Brasfield gets the crowd laughing with a series of tall tales and quick-witted punchlines:
Cat Tail Question: Asking Copas if he knows what they call the last three hairs at the end of a cat’s tail (“Cat hair!”).
Uncle Cy’s Washing Machine: Recounting his visit to Missouri where his uncle bought his aunt an electric washing machine, which she mistook for a bathtub—leaving her bruised and scraped by the agitator paddles.
Uncle Cy’s New Job: Joking that Cy is working in a bottle factory (“he’s a corker”) because nobody could ever stop his wife.
Scaring Uncle Cy: Detailing how Cy’s wife wrapped herself in a bedsheet behind a bush to scare him into quitting drinking, claiming to be the devil—only for Cy to shake her hand and say, “I married your sister!”
3. Commercial Break: Prince Albert Tobacco
Grant Turner and Cowboy Copas deliver a mid-show pitch for Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco. They highlight its crimp-cut processing and special flavor-retaining method, noting it rolls neatly for making cigarettes and burns cool and steady in pipes.
4. Special Guest Spotlight: Carl Butler & The Webster Brothers — “You’ll Always Be the Only One”
Copas introduces guest Carl Butler and The Webster Brothers. After updating the audience on their recent recordings and touring through Virginia and the Carolinas, the group performs their Columbia Records track “You’ll Always Be the Only One.”
5. Square Dance & Fiddle: Dale Potter & The Opry Dancers — “Old Joe Clark”
Fiddler Dale Potter leads the band through a high-energy performance of “Old Joe Clark” as Ralph Sloan and the Opry Square Dancers swing across the Ryman stage.
6. Sacred Hymn: Cowboy Copas — “Don’t Shake Hands with the Devil”
For the show’s sacred segment, Cowboy Copas leads the congregation and band in a lively, hand-clapping gospel warning song, “Don’t Shake Hands with the Devil.”
7. Commercial Spot: Prince Albert Roll-Your-Own
Grant Turner and Copas return with another quick plug for Prince Albert, featuring a short musical jingle touting PA as the “natural taste” for roll-your-own cigarette smokers.
8. Ragtime Piano: Del Wood — “Ain’t She Sweet”
The Opry’s “Down Yonder” girl, Del Wood, takes over on the piano to pound out a fast, syncopated ragtime arrangement of the classic “Ain’t She Sweet.”
9. Grinder’s Switch Gossip: Cousin Minnie Pearl
Opry favorite Cousin Minnie Pearl bounds onto the stage with her trademark “Howdy! I’m proud to be here!” Minnie shares news from Grinder’s Switch:
Chasing Men: Declaring that she is giving up chasing men because she isn’t as spry or giddy as she used to be.
Windy Weather: Joking that it’s been so windy down home that they need a new calendar because four days of the week blew away.
Brother’s Babysitting Job: Explaining how her brother got hired to babysit Claude Sand’s four kids—Eeny, Meeny, Miney, and Charlie (“there ain’t gonna be no more”).
Brother’s Barbering Career: Sharing how her brother got a job shaving folks at the barber shop because he likes to “scrape up old acquaintances,” but accidentally shaved dimples into Herman Hoskins’ cheeks.
10. Guest Return: Carl Butler & The Webster Brothers — “Only One Heart”
Carl Butler and the Webster Brothers return to the WSM microphone to showcase their latest release, the emotional ballad “Only One Heart.”
11. Banjo Pickin’: Grandpa Jones — “Company’s Comin’”
The legendary Grandpa Jones rushes out with his five-string banjo, singing his classic, fast-pickin’ comedy tune “Company’s Comin’.”
12. Public Service Announcement: The National Guard
Grant Turner presents a brief PSA encouraging young men to join the National Guard, highlighting its specialized training, retirement benefits, and service to the country.
13. The Headliner: Cowboy Copas — “Any Old Time”
To close out the musical portion of the program, host Cowboy Copas sings his soulful recorded ballad “Any Old Time.”
14. Sign-off & Preview
Cowboy Copas and Grant Turner wrap up the broadcast, thanking the crowd and announcing next week’s host, Ferlin Husky, alongside special guest Jean Shepard. The show signs off with an advertisement for new king-size Cavalier Cigarettes in their red, white, and gold pack, followed by the WSM and NBC Monitor network IDs.
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