Jimmy Wayne Has the Christmas Spirit at the Grand Ole Opry

NASHVILLE - Christmas time at the Grand Ole Opry frequently features Opry regulars singing traditional songs. Sometimes, though, something special happens - like newcomer Jimmy Wayne leaving the crowd and the performers with a true sense of the Christmas spirit.

Wayne's was on the Opry stage at the Ryman Auditorium Saturday night, Dec. 20, to sing his hit, "Do You Believe Me Now." But it was his second song - "Paper Angels" - that stirred the emotions of the audience.

Wayne introduced the song by talking about the Angel Tree program, a charity project available in many malls. The program, sponsored by the Salvation Army, allows Christmas shoppers to purchase toys for children from poor homes. Wayne noted that he and his sister benefitted from the program. "There were years we wouldn't have had Christmas without the Angel Tree," he said.

"Paper Angel" is his musical attempt to give something back to the charity. The song urges audiences to continue supporting the program. He sang it with obvious emotion, and the audience seemed to feel it too.

When Wayne left the stage, most of the Opry regulars continued the Christmas theme. Some sang traditional carols, including a memorable rendition of "Away in a Manger" by Connie Smith.

The strongest performance along this line came from a surprising source. The Whites, better known for their bluegrass music, brought some other family members on stage for two well-performed numbers - "Hallelujah" and "What Child Is This?"

Other performers featured non-religious seasonal songs, including John Conlee (Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper"), Jim Ed Brown ("Scarlet Ribbons"), Restless Heart ("Jingle Bell Rock"), and Bill Anderson ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town").

Ricky Skaggs paid tribute to his hero with "Christmas Time's A-Comin.'" "When I was a kid, when I heard Bill Monroe sing that song on the radio, I knew Christmas was getting near," Skaggs said.

A few of the regulars sang a hit from the past, including Conlee ("Backside of Thirty"), Restless Heart ("Why Does It Have to Be"), Marty Stuart ("Hillbilly Rock") and Jack Greene ("Statue of a Fool"). Give all four performers credit for hitting all the right notes on those tunes.

Jan Howard also deviated from the Christmas theme, doing a heartfelt rendition of the Eddy Arnold hit "You Don't Know Me."

Instrumental highlights included a tune from banjo/comedian Mike Snider, a guitar solo from Aussie Tommy Emmanuel, and a banjo solo from Buck Trent. Emmanuel's amazing guitar performance caused the other Opry musicians to gather off-stage to watch him. They had a similar response to Trent, a former "Hee Haw" star who now headlines his own show in Branson and rarely returns to Nashville.

There were, of course, some of the usual oddities that occur in an Opry radio broadcast. This time Jeannie Sealy showed up in a Santa Clause outfit (sans beard) that drew the cheers from the audience but required an explanation for the radio audience.

"Whispering Bill" Anderson provided that explanation and closed the show with a recitation, "I Still Believe in Christmas," that drew a standing ovation from the audience.

But the performer who did the best job of capturing the Christmas spirit was Jimmy Wayne. He had experienced what he was singing about.