Old Time Radio Westerns: “Fortune In Memories (Ernest Tubb) | Grand Ole Opry (08-23-52)”

Host: Andrew Rhynes
Original Air Date: August 23, 1952
Podcast Release: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Old Time Radio Westerns transports listeners back to a classic 1952 broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry, headlined by Ernest Tubb. Digitally restored for superior audio fidelity, the episode brims with toe-tapping live performances, bluegrass harmonies, comedic moments, and warm, community spirit direct from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Featuring stars like the Carter Sisters with Mother Maybelle, Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys, Moon Mullikin, Lonzo & Oscar, and June Carter, the show is as much an old-time variety revue as it is a vivid snapshot of country music’s golden era.

Main Performances & Key Segments

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Host Introduction (02:40—03:20)
  • The show kicks off with a warm “Welcome to Martha White from famous Ryman auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee,” emphasizing its sponsor, Martha White Flour, and the star power of the assembled cast.
  • Ernest Tubb introduces himself:
    “This is Troubadour Ernest Ta.” — Ernest Tubb (03:20)

Headline Song: "Fortune in Memories"

• Ernest Tubb’s Performance (03:33—06:20)
  • Delivers the bittersweet title ballad, a meditation on love lost and the emotional wealth of memories:
    “I’ve got fortunes and memories of your walk, your talk, your smile. I’ve got treasures of heartaches and some old dreams out of style...” — Show Host/MC (03:33)
  • The heartfelt lyrics define the nostalgic, often melancholic, tone that pervades classic country music.
  • Notable closing:
    “Thank you just a lot, neighbors. It’s our brand new record...Tonight we have the Carter sisters with mother Maybelle...” — Ernest Tubb (06:15)

Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys: "Memories of Mother and Dad"

• Bluegrass Set (06:20—09:01)
  • Bill Monroe, king of bluegrass, takes the stage with a gentle, reflective number about familial love and loss.

Comedy & Musical Antics: Lonzo and Oscar

• Introduction (10:17—10:46)
  • The show’s MC welcomes the comedic duo, who are “a couple of real fine entertainers. They may not be too bright, but after all, you can’t have everything...”
• "Let's Live a Little, Number Two" (11:01—13:42)
  • Silly, playful lyrics poke fun at aging, love, and rural life, delivered with satirical twang:
    • “Take your bony arms and squeeze me, pat my pointed head and tease me, let’s live a little if it’s the last thing that we do...” — Ernest Tubb (11:01)
    • “My bald head is shining like a billiard ball, it’s true, still my old heart is pining...” — Show Host/MC (11:17)
  • Audience laughter and banter round out the segment, showing the show’s vaudevillian flavor.

Moon Mullikin: "That's Your Little Red Wagon"

• Piano Boogie (14:23—16:04)
  • Introduced as the “king of the hillbilly piano players,” Moon lights up the house with a rollicking, good-natured tune about stubborn pride and rolling through life’s troubles.
    • “Now if you want to get mad and blow your top, ain’t nobody gonna make you stop. That’s your little red wagon, keep on rolling along...” — Ernest Tubb (15:28)

Dance Music: The Crook Brothers — "Soldier’s Joy"

• Square Dance Segment (16:33—18:11)
  • A lively dance set calls on the audience and highlights cheerful fiddle and banjo interplay, capturing the communal origins of country music.
    • “Right hand across, left and back. Swing on the corner, swing on the gate...” — Ernest Tubb (16:57)

June Carter’s Comedic Routine and Song: "Music! Music! Music!"

• Comic Interlude (18:29—19:42)
  • June Carter humorously asks Ernest Tubb for $50 to “help a family” being evicted—then sheepishly admits, “Well, not exactly. You see, I’m the landlord.”
    • “Oh, June, you just won’t do.” — Show Host/MC (19:42)
• Lighthearted Performance (20:09—21:58)
  • Carter and her sisters swing through “Music! Music! Music!” with playful lyrics and a wink to the original, declaring:
    “Put another nickel in that nickelodeon...All I want is having you and the music, a music, a music, a music, a music...”

Lonzo & Oscar Return: "Honky Tonk Sweetheart"

• New Song Performance (22:31—24:50)
  • Sentimental number about loneliness and the honky-tonk lifestyle:
    “Honky tonk sweetheart, you’re always alone with nightlife, your heaven a bar for your throne...Everyone’s trouble you’re willing to share, but when you need someone, there’s nobody there.” — Ernest Tubb (22:38)

Instrumental Virtuosity: Chet Atkins - "Grandfather’s Clock"

• Showcase Piece (26:09)
  • Chet Atkins (misheard as "Chat/Cat/Chet" in transcript) delivers a signature, intricate guitar number, demonstrating the technical musicianship that Grand Ole Opry cultivated.

Ernest Tubb: "Have You Ever Been Lonely"

• Closing Ballad (28:11—30:15)
  • A reflective, emotional performance, prompting listeners to empathize with lost love and heartache:
    “Have you ever been lonely? Have you ever been blue? Have you ever loved someone just as I love you?...Be a little forgiven and take me back in your heart.” — Ernest Tubb & Show Host/MC (28:11—28:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Playful Banter and Country Wit
  • “How long would it take a one legged grasshopper to kick the seeds out of a watermelon?” — Martha White Show Announcer, cueing Lonzo and Oscar’s humor (10:54)
• Sponsor Integration With Cheer
  • “Goodness gracious, it’s good.” — Repeated throughout, especially after Martha White ads and musical numbers.
• Community Spirit and Ribbing
  • “Well, not exactly. You see, I’m the landlord.” — June Carter admits to comic fundraising (19:35)
• Warm Tradition
  • “Thank you just a lot, neighbors.” — Ernest Tubb concludes several songs and transitions (06:15, 30:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |----------|---------------------------------------------| | 02:40 | Episode proper begins / Show Announcer intro| | 03:33 | “Fortune in Memories” – Ernest Tubb | | 06:20 | “Memories of Mother and Dad” – Bill Monroe | | 10:17 | Lonzo & Oscar comedic intro | | 11:01 | “Let’s Live a Little, Number Two” – Lonzo & Oscar | | 14:23 | “That’s Your Little Red Wagon” – Moon Mullikin| | 16:33 | Crook Brothers, “Soldier’s Joy” (square dance)| | 18:29 | June Carter comic bit, “the landlord story” | | 20:09 | “Music! Music! Music!” – June Carter & the Carter Sisters | | 22:31 | “Honky Tonk Sweetheart” – Lonzo & Oscar | | 26:09 | “Grandfather’s Clock” – Chet Atkins | | 28:11 | “Have You Ever Been Lonely?” – Ernest Tubb | | 30:15 | Show wraps up / farewell remarks |

Tone and Style

The tone throughout is friendly, homespun, sometimes wistful, and always steeped in the casual, communal traditions of the era. There’s gentle humor and a focus on simple pleasures—music, friends, dance, and pie—carried by both sincerity and tongue-in-cheek jests. Sponsor mentions and product plugs are cheerfully woven into the show’s fabric, becoming part of the entertainment.

Conclusion

This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns: Grand Ole Opry (08-23-52) titled "Fortune in Memories" is a lovingly restored window into a Saturday night at the Ryman Auditorium. Listeners are treated to classic country, bluegrass, and comedy from legendary performers, all wrapped in warmth, wit, and nostalgia. If you love vintage radio variety and music from the heartland, this episode is “goodness gracious” well worth a listen.