New Hall of Famers Gather at the Ryman

There was one more ghost than usual in the wings of the Ryman Auditorium on Monday night.

Less than 24 hours after the passing of their brother in the Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry, new Hall of Fame Members Vince Gill, Mel Tillis and Ralph Emery took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium for their first public appearances following their inductions. If Monday’s performance at the celebration of WSM-AM’s 82nd anniversary is any indication, the futures of Porter Wagoner’s two most beloved institutions are in good hands.

Humility was the theme of Wagoner’s 2002 Hall of Fame induction speech, and that quality is not lost on the new members. Vince Gill ambled on stage unannounced following the performance of opener Nicole Broussard, lounged on an upstage riser and applauded the introductions of WSM’s on-air staff. Emery entered demurely and bashfully acknowledged a standing ovation with his Hall of Fame medallion hanging around his neck.

It didn’t take Ralph long to loosen up behind the podium where he announced countless Grand Ole Opry broadcasts as he poked fun at Gill, Tillis and his former colleagues before introducing Gill and noting that “my wife loves your eyelashes.” “Thank you Ralph. My mom thinks that you have a great ass!” Vince retorted before kicking into “One More Last Chance” amidst the crowd’s raucous laughter.

The rocking side of Vince Gill was on display Monday night in a set that eschewed most of his ballads. Gill’s strong Telecaster riffs led a talented group of musicians through a set that included such rollicking numbers as “Oklahoma Borderline” and “Liza Jane” and was punctuated by new material from the Country and Western disc of These Days. “Go Rest High on that Mountain,” dedicated to Porter Wagoner, earned a standing ovation and Vince’s encore set included a solo acoustic rendition of the folk classic “Old Shep.” Near the end of a curiously long instrumental break, Gill mused, “I guess that Cialis really does produce memory loss” before remembering the lyrics to the second verse. Set closer “When I Call Your Name” featured powerful harmony vocals by Dawn Sears.

Mel Tillis’ set opened with a medley of his hits that ended with a sing-a-long to “I Ain’t Never.” Killer ballads like “Time Life Turned Her That Way” demonstrated that Tillis’ voice is still in fine form, and he’s a surprisingly spry entertainer for a 75-year old legend, pantomiming the lyrics to “I’ve Got the Hoss” and tirelessly urging audience participation in “Coca-Cola Cowboy.” While Mel still possesses traces of his trademark stutter, speech therapy has greatly improved his speaking ability, and the newly liberated Mel has a lot to say. He regaled the audience with tales of his daughter Pam and his old schoolmates before returning to the music. “New Patches” and “Heart Over Mind” were set highlights and Tillis acknowledged tradition by closing the show with Gospel standard “How Great Thou Art.”

It’s the nature of a fan to anticipate that something very special is going to happen when the newest Hall of Fame members come together in the Mother Church of Country Music on the evening after their induction. However, once one sets aside the temporal significance of the performance, Gill and Tillis were most remarkable in their unremarkability: the Vince Gill and Mel Tillis present at the Ryman Auditorium on Monday night were the same performers playing the same show that they’ve played in Anywhere, USA every night for decades. Perhaps it’s that consistent greatness, rather than some extraordinary brilliance afforded by a favorable setting, that truly distinguishes the Hall of Famer, and it wouldn’t be fair for anyone at the Ryman to expect more. I think that the Thin Man from West Plains would approve.