Willie Nelson loved the fact Ryman's Theater (Original Grand Ole' Opry) stage door was right across a narrow alley from the back door to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and what it had to offer between sets.
He'd skip over for a drink or two, or three, saying "it's 17 steps to Tootsie's, and 34 steps back."
He'd skip over for a drink or two, or three, saying "it's 17 steps to Tootsie's, and 34 steps back."
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is truly the definition of a hole in the wall - it even has bright orchid, purple walls.
But if you are an aspiring country singer, nothing is bigger than singing on the stage of Tootsies. Early country singers, while playing on the Grand ole' Opry Stage would run out of the back door of the Ryman over to Tootsie's, belly up to the bar to wet their whistles, and then run back to the Ryman, up the steps to the stage to continue performing - without the audience even noticing!
But if you are an aspiring country singer, nothing is bigger than singing on the stage of Tootsies. Early country singers, while playing on the Grand ole' Opry Stage would run out of the back door of the Ryman over to Tootsie's, belly up to the bar to wet their whistles, and then run back to the Ryman, up the steps to the stage to continue performing - without the audience even noticing!
I received one of my favorite tidbits of information from an old timer in the back alley of Tootsie's in Nashville Tennessee, about 5 years ago. I was in the back alley with Len, my guitar player, waiting to be called for our debut on stage - and I was so nervous that I was doing anything to distract myself and to calm my nerves. I decided to count my steps from the back door of Tootsie's to the Ryman Theater.
"One, Two, Three, Four........Eight, Nine, Ten.......Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen....Twenty-five, Twenty-six...Thirty-three, Thirty-four".
"One, Two, Three, Four........Eight, Nine, Ten.......Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen....Twenty-five, Twenty-six...Thirty-three, Thirty-four".
I happily turned around and exclaimed across the alley to Len - "Yep, 34 exactly!"
"Not if your Little Jimmy Dickens"
- A haggard voice startled me from the corner-
I turned around to see a weathered old man with a grey beard sitting on a crate against the brick wall.
"Jimmy Dicken's?" I asked?
"Jimmy Dicken's?" I asked?
The man explained to me that Little Jimmy Dickens was one of the first country singers on the Grand Ole Opry that only stood 4'11 tall.
While most of the performers could manage a 34 step crossing - it took Jimmy 57.
While most of the performers could manage a 34 step crossing - it took Jimmy 57.
I delighted in listening to his story-telling, and almost forgot all about the butterflies in my stomach. When my name was called out the back door that I was up on stage, I turned around and asked,
"Wait a minute, how do you know all of this?"
He just winked at me and smiled with a glisten in his eyes -
letting me know that he knew much, much more - am I am sure that he knew all of these things first hand!
"Wait a minute, how do you know all of this?"
He just winked at me and smiled with a glisten in his eyes -
letting me know that he knew much, much more - am I am sure that he knew all of these things first hand!
Well, I have been playing this same old classic country CD here at the General Store for the last week. I just love track it - I keep on hitting repeat, and this one song just cracks me up -
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
"May an elephant caress you with his toes"
"May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose"
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
"May an elephant caress you with his toes"
"May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose"
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
So I finally googled the darn song, and son of a gun - it's sung by Little Jimmy Dicken's. I guess the songs main theme is when you are really frustrated at someone - instead of lashing out, or bottling things up inside - just wish them well inside your head, and then sing this little ditty to yourself!
Open Mic Reminder - we have lots of great musicians here on Wednesdays from 6:30 - 9:30. I invite you all to come on down to hear the areas brightest stars, and if you are a performer, we would love for you to debut your talent !
this week - keep on singing!
xo farmer kim
Mom's was the original name of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge,
Tootsie Bess bought Mom's in 1960.
She credits a painter with naming Tootsie's. She came in one day to find that he had painted her place orchid...thus the name Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
She was a singer / comedienne with "Big Jeff & The Radio Playboys". Jeff Bess was the bandleader and Tootsie's husband.
She was a singer / comedienne with "Big Jeff & The Radio Playboys". Jeff Bess was the bandleader and Tootsie's husband.
She recorded, "My Little Red Wagon" and "Tootsie's Wall of Fame"
Records recorded about Tootsie's include "The Wettest Shoulders in Town" and "What's Tootsies Gonna Do When They Tear the Ryman Down?"
Charlie Pride gave her the jeweled hatpin that she used to stick unruly patrons.
It is rumored that Roger Miller wrote “Dang Me” in Tootsies.
Famous early customers were Kris Kristofferson, Faron Young, Willie Nelson, Tom T. Hall, Hank Cochran, Mel Tillis, Roger Miller, Webb Pierce, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline and many more.
Movies filmed at Tootsie’s include “W.W. & the Dixie Dance Kings” starring Bert Reynolds, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” about Loretta Lynn and starring Sissy Spacek, and “The Nashville Rebel” starring Tex Ritter, Porter Wagoner, Faron Young, Loretta Lynn, The Wilburn Brothers, and Waylon Jennings.
A segment of the Dean Martin summer show was filmed at Tootsie’s.
TNN (The Nashville Network) did a 30-minute show about Tootsie’s, produced by Gus Barba.
Esquire and Penthouse magazines did articles about Tootsie’s.
Willie Nelson got his first songwriting job after singing at Tootsie’s.
The photo and memorabilia lined walls are called the “Wall of Fame”.
Tootsie was known to slip $5s and $10s into the pockets of luckless writers and pickers.
It was said that she had a cigar box behind the counter full of IOU’s from where she had given drinks and food to hungry pickers and writers. Supposedly, at each years end, a bunch of Opry Performers would take all the IOUs and pay Tootsie so she wouldn’t lose the money.
