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COUNTRY EXPRESS BAND
Click on the name to see a picture of each member! |
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| The Country Express Band has continuously backed all entertainers at
the Opry, including the greats such as Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson, Buck Trent,
Shoji Tabuchi, Chubby Wise, Nat Stuckey, Norma Jean, Leona Williams, Claude
Gray, Jeannie Seely, Frenchie Burke, Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall and many
others. Our six piece band consist of a lead guitar, bass, fiddle, steel
guitar, piano, drums and rhythm guitar, however on any given Saturday, someone
will break out a dobro, mandolin, or more rhythm instruments to add
variety to the show.
Carroll Parham, the Country Express Band leader, has held this position since opening night of the Opry, January 27, 1979. Carroll plays just about anything there is to play, but on stage you will see him the steel, dobro, sho-bro, or banjo. Carroll has his own recording studio, teaches music, does all the booking for the Opry, has a daily 3 hour show on radio station KCLW 900 AM, 5 hour show on Sunday afternoon on "Hard Country" KEQX 89.7 FM and in his spare time does some ranching. Jimmie Green, lead guitar, has been with the Opry (with the exception of a couple of years) since the beginning. Jimmie is an excellent songwriter and composer as well as playing the guitar. You might even see him sing one of his songs every once in a while. Jimmie recently retired from his job at the Fort Worth Star Telegram, so you might see him hang around a bit after the show. G. W. Logan, bass, is a seasoned musician from the Grand Prairie area. G. W. has played bass all around the area, playing bass for Box Car Willie before he went to Branson and living in Nashville. While living in Nashville, he played for a number of seasoned and up-coming singers. You mention G. W. Logan around the metroplex and everyone knows who your talking about. A great all around guy. Debbie Bridgewater, pianist, lead and back-up singing, but her very favorite is playing rhythm and flatpicks on the guitar. She also plays a mean mandolin and bass. Debbie has years of musical experience growing up in a family of Bluegrass musicians, which she'll tell you is her favorite music and she has devoted a lifetime to the art. She has played from Texas to Tennessee and all places in between. Jim Rogers, drummer, is always smiling while he's setting the beat for the band. Playing drums is not the only thing Jim does with his time, he is also a computer programmer for Tarleton State University in Stephenville. He has been playing and drumming for over 40 years. Jim also plays in the Jazz Band at Tarleton. Keep On Smiling, Jim! |
