Two things I love: (1) Country music, and (2) The Muppets. Miss Piggy’s cameo appearance at last month’s CMA Awards was hardly the first time the two had intersected. But before I head off to the movie theater to see The Muppets – the first theatrical film to star the Muppets since 1999 – I thought I’d celebrate my 300th blog post on The 1-to-10 by sharing a few classic TV moments that featured great country performers surrounded by those ever-lovable Muppets.
The Muppet Show, the classic Muppet-centric television series that ran from 1976 to 1980, had a history of featuring many prolific country music performers as special guest stars – performers who often went on to become legends.
Kris Kristofferson and Miss Piggy, “Help Me Make It Through the Night” – The Muppet Show, 1978
“It’s a very sexy number,” Piggy warn Kermit. “Are you sure you won’t be jealous?” To Miss Piggy’s dismay, Kermit doesn’t really seem to care.
Roy Clark, “Rocky Top” – The Muppet Show, 1978
It’s The Muppet Show with special guest stars… Roy Clark, Roy Clark, Roy Clark, and Roy Clark!
Loretta Lynn, “One’s On the Way” – The Muppet Show, 1978
One of my favorite Loretta Lynn songs sung by the woman herself backed by a brood of somewhat aggressive Muppet infants.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Hazy Mountains”/ “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”/ “Happy Trails” – The Muppet Show, 1979
Two legends of music and film perform a medley of Western classics.
John Denver, “Grandma’s Feather Bed” – The Muppet Show, 1979
This number is, for lack of a better description, cuter than a box of kittens.
Crystal Gayle, “River Road” – The Muppet Show, 1979
With Loretta having appeared on The Muppet Show, there was obviously no way little sister Crystal Gayle was getting left out. In this number, she portrays a young runaway persuaded to return home by an elderly woman.
Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler” – The Muppet Show, 1979
Okay, so those eerily-realistic old man puppets just might be the creepiest Muppets I’ve ever seen, but hey, we still get Kenny Rogers singing his timeless classic “The Gambler”!
Johnny Cash, “Dirty Ol’ Egg-Suckin’ Dog” – The Muppet Show, 1980
The legendary Man In Black performs a song which the pianist Rowlf seems to find quite offensive.
Linda Ronstadt, “Blue Bayou” – The Muppet Show, 1980
Kermit the Frog finds himself smitten with the beaufitul Linda Ronstadt, as she is likewise with him, but she’ll have Miss Piggy to get past first! In this hilarious episode, Ronstadt performs her classic country and pop hit “Blue Bayou.”
What are your favorite country music moments involving the Muppets? Share them in the comments section.
The 1-to-10 Country Music Review 