European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                February the stars and stripes Page 9 Pete Sayers left is producer and Host of the grand Ole opry performances in his Hometown of the hillsides a modern country group from appear on stage at the opry in american country music artist Porter Waggoner right gives Sayers a Pat on the Back As the two Chat backstage at the original grand Ole opry in photos at left and above Are by Jim photo at right was taken by fakes roof in England opry with accent Story by Jim Arwine Bureau chief England the grand Ole opry in Nashville has made Jukebox favourites of numerous Back porch fiddle players and guitar in half a the saturday night opry show broadcast in the on Clear Channel ism and for Many years overseas on the armed forces radio net has helped country music develop from hayseed entertainment to one of the most popular music forms in and now the grand Ole As a forum for country has crossed the Atlantic and taken Root in the last sunday of each the sounds of country music can be heard on the stage of the old King Sway Cinema on High Street in Banner on stage a Large Banner proclaiming grand Ole opry stretches across the it lists the types of acts which normally appear there Bluegrass Mountain old time music and Square the list continues with gospel songs of inspiration and Rock and Newmarket is a quiet town in East an about is Miles from american air bases at Raf Lakenheath and it is better known As the Headquarters of horse racing in the Oprysk transatlantic connection was made by Pete an English lad who went to Nashville to found himself appearing on the original opry stage and hosting a daily television show on the visit lasted five Only one Nashville Sayers returned to his native England with the rights to use the most famous of country titles the grand Ole he established a touring show using the before finding a permanent show place in he denies the Village will be come another there is Only one Sayers what you can do is establish a showcase a stage for talented people who have something fresh and different to its Only a Sayers May consider grand Ole opry England just a labor of but the mix of american and British country artists is a sure it Sells out weeks in British country music fan Ray Smith it gives us a Chance to see american artists we would not have a Chance to see opry England performers have included Bill the father of Bluegrass As Well As George Hamilton who is known As americas International Ambas Sador of country Sayers is generally regarded the Best Banjo player in great and he is one of its most popular he says he owes his Start in the business to an american airman named Joseph Katz then an air traffic was stationed at Raf Lakenheath in 1957 when a first met he walked into our family music store in Newmarket and told my Mother he wanted to teach an English boy to play five string that was the Start of it All my lifelong love of american coun try Sayers mule skinners band who performed under the name Jody played with other gis in the mule skinners they played British and american military social i used to follow him Sayers the British artist said he would listen to the saturday night broadcast of the grand Ole opry Over the an network out of i would record the even if the reception was it was the absolute highlight of my it was the Bluegrass and Mountain music that i grew to i became quite proficient on the five string at the in the Early i was one of the few people in England performing Southern american after performing for a few years in Sayers said he began to think something was i Felt like a fraud because i had never been to i had the knowledge but not the True experience of the visited through an invitation by an american civilian worker at Raf Sayers went to the United states in on a to visit the roots of american country five years later i came during those years in and around Nash Sayers said he Learned a lot and paid my he said the beatles and other British Rock v Roll artists had stormed America and things were right for some English influence in country i went along with the whole bit by wearing English style stage Sayers became a regular guest member of the grand Ole opry and routinely appeared on syndicated to these appearances led to Sayers becoming a staff performer for a part of the opry Warmup Job Ive been on the opry stage so Many times that i lost one of my jobs for ism was to warm up the audiences at the Friday and saturday night opry the Warmup portion of the show was usually recorded for radio or television and was later inserted into the program at during the 30minuteiong break for the audience radio to audiences didst know there was a Sayers in Sayers who had established himself in music decided to return to his Home Many of his friends questioned the i Felt at the time that i was getting in a the grand Ole opry had Given me permission to use the name grand Ole opry i started the local show based on the Best principles of the he there Are Many Good British Art Sayers most Lack one important i used to think British artists could develop into just As Good artists As their american but i know differently a person from another country other than the United states can never perform the music with As much you Haven known the same you dont feel it the same Sayers regularly hosts country music variety shows for British television net works in addition to making Public appearances and producing the monthly opry Good applause the opry England shows Are fun things that Are sometimes bloody hard american and British artists who travel to Newmarket to appear on the opry shows often make guests appearances on one of the Many television specials Sayers hosts for British he says British fans dont go wild about an but do give Good applause during opry once they have found something they they stick to it coming Back performance after country music is growing in popularity in it is the Healthiest of All music forms i think the reason for this is there Are so Many different styles of country from ballads to Jazzy Western Sayers and other British artists dont always produce what Many might Call pure country much of the sounds heard on the stage of grand Ole opry England Are easily recognized As country but it has a its country music with a european