The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music concert show in Nashville, Tennessee , which began as a radio barn dance on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay and has since become one of the genre's most enduring and revered stages. Each show consists of multiple guest artists as well as Opry members, who are selected by Opry management based on several factors including critical and commercial success, respect for the history of country music and commitment to appearing on the program. Publicly, once a new member is chosen, an existing member will ask the new member to join the Opry live on-air during the broadcast, usually when the new member is performing as a guest. Being invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry is considered one of country music's crowning achievements.[1]
Opry members have permission to perform at any Opry show they wish, with each show typically consisting of between five and seven members. Each show is split into four "segments", each hosted by a different Opry member who entertains the crowd, performs and introduces other members and guest artists. As such, the Opry has featured a large, rotating ensemble of members ranging from all-time greats and neotraditionalists to contemporary stars . As the Opry is a running series, membership requires that the performer appear regularly (at least 12 shows per year, according to rules in place for most of the 21st century, down from 26 in the 1960s) on the program to remain a member of the show, and if a performer ceases performing regularly at the Opry or runs afoul of management, they can be stripped of their membership; if the exiled performer reconciles and renews their commitment to the show, they can be reinstated. Membership expires when the performer dies; if a single member of a duo or group retires or dies, the surviving members may continue to maintain Opry membership on the group's behalf. The Opry, in general, allows performers who retire, or are no longer physically able to perform on a regular basis to stay as members. The Grand Ole Opry House maintains a wall of fame backstage that contains a name plate for every person who has ever been a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
There are currently 67 Grand Ole Opry members, seven of whom have retired from performing, and one (Jamey Johnson ) awaiting induction on a date to be announced.[2] Over the course of the program's history, over 200 acts have held Opry membership since the show's inception. As of 2021, Jesse McReynolds of Jim & Jesse is the oldest living Opry member and Lauren Alaina is the youngest.[3]
Indicates active members
Indicates acts invited to join, but not yet officially inducted
‡ Indicates acts in which one of the members is deceased or retired, and the other(s) maintain active membership
Acts with a † are deceased.
1920s
Founding member
DeFord Bailey was the Opry's only black member until his 1941 departure; no others would be inducted until 1993.
No.
Name
Induction date
1
Uncle Jimmy Thompson †
November 28, 1925
2
Humphrey Bate †
January 2, 1926
3
Henry Bandy†
March 13, 1926
4
The McGee Brothers†
1926
5
Mazy Todd†
April 3, 1926
6
Uncle Dave Macon †
April 17, 1926
7
The Pikard Family†
May 8, 1926
8
Deford Bailey †
June 19, 1926
9
The Crook Brothers†
July 24, 1926
10
Sid Harkreader †
July 24, 1926
11
Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers †
October 30, 1926
12
Theron Hale and his Daughters†
November 13, 1926
13
Arthur Smith †
July 16, 1927
14
The Fruit Jar Drinkers†
December 17, 1927
15
The Gully Jumpers †
December 24, 1927
16
Kitty Cora Cline†
March 24, 1928
17
Ed Poplin and his Barn Dance Orchestra†
April 21, 1928
18
Uncle Joe Mangrum and Fred Schriver†
July 30, 1928
1930s
1938 inductee
Roy Acuff , singer and publisher, was the public face of the Opry from the 1970s until his death.
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
19
Ford Rush†
20
Hilltop Harmonizers†
21
Nap and Dee†
22
The Vagabonds†
September 5, 1931
23
Asher and Little Jimmy Sizemore†
September 24, 1932
24
Curly Fox †
September 24, 1932
25
Zeke Clements †
September 24, 1932
26
The Delmore Brothers †
April 29, 1933
27
Robert Lunn†
March 31, 1934
28
Lee White †
April 21, 1934
29
Sarie and Sally†
January 26, 1935
30
Jack Shook and his Missouri Mountaineers†
February 2, 1935
31
The Lakeland Sisters†
January 23, 1937
32
Bob Wills †
May 22, 1937
33
Pee Wee King †
June 27, 1937
34
Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys†
February 9, 1938
Left the Opry in 1946 and returned in the early 1960s. Bashful Brother Oswald represented the Smoky Mountain Boys after Acuff's 1992 death until his own death in 2002.[4]
35
Cousin Jody†
36
Jamup and Honey†
January 7, 1939
37
Bill Monroe †
October 28, 1939
1940s
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
38
Danny Dill †
39
Johnnie and Jack †
40
Milton Estes and his Musical Millers †
41
Old Hickory Singers †
42
Minnie Pearl †
November 30, 1940
43
The Duke of Paducah †
1942
44
John Daniel Quartet†
1942
Included among its members Wally Fowler , who was inducted with his own group in 1945 (see below).
45
Eddy Arnold †
1943
46
Cowboy Copas †
1943
47
Ernest Tubb †
February 13, 1943
48
Curley Williams †
September 4, 1943
49
The Bailes Brothers†
1944
50
The DeZurik Sisters †
1944
51
The Poe Sisters†
June 17, 1944
52
Rod Brasfield †
July 15, 1944
53
David "Stringbean" Akeman †
1945
54
Lew Childre, Sr.†
1945
55
Bradley Kincaid †
1945
56
Wally Fowler † and The Oak Ridge Quintet †
January 27, 1945
Fowler was already a de facto member by way of his membership in the John Daniel Quartet. The Oak Ridge Quintet was a direct predecessor to the group now known as The Oak Ridge Boys . The quintet became a quartet as it evolved and all of its personnel were replaced by the time Fowler sold the rights to the name to Smitty Gatlin in 1957. In 1966, Gatlin turned the group over to Duane Allen , who along with William Lee Golden transitioned to a new lineup that solidified in October 1973; other than a period between 1988 and 1995 in which Golden temporarily left the group, this lineup has served as "The Oak Ridge Boys" ever since. The Allen-era lineup of the quartet was invited and then inducted into the Opry as its own group by Little Jimmy Dickens on August 6, 2011.[5]
57
Jimmy Wakely †
September 29, 1945
58
The Willis Brothers †
1946
59
Grandpa Jones †
March 16, 1946
60
Red Foley †
April 13, 1946
61
Lonzo and Oscar †
1947
62
Paul Howard and the Arkansas Cotton Pickers†
1947
63
George Morgan †
September 25, 1948
64
Little Jimmy Dickens †
November 6, 1948
65
Jordanaires †
1949
66
Hank Williams †
June 11, 1949
Dismissed and membership revoked August 11, 1952, for habitual drunkenness and missing shows.
1950s
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
67
Chet Atkins †
1950
68
Kitty Wells †
1952
69
Hawkshaw Hawkins †
June 1955
70
Goldie Hill †
August 22 1953
71
The Ladells †
1955
72
Red Sovine †
1955
73
Ray Price †
1951
74
Hank Snow †
January 7, 1950
Inducted by Ernest Tubb
75
Carl Smith †
April 29, 1950
Relinquished membership in 1956 following his divorce from June Carter .
76
Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters †
May 13, 1950
Billed as the Carter Family after 1960. June Carter Cash represented the family following the death of the other members; her children John and Carlene have made occasional appearances but did not maintain membership for the group.
77
Moon Mullican †
1951
78
Lefty Frizzell †
July 21, 1951
79
Martha Carson †
April 26, 1952
80
Opry Square Dancers
July 5, 1952
Originally inducted as Ralph Sloan and his Tennessee Travelers. The Opry's square-dance troupe has gone through several incarnations through its history and is a regular fixture on shows, though it has a sui generis status separate from the rest of the Opry members. Ralph's younger brother Melvin Sloan ran the troupe from Ralph's death in 1980 until his 2002 retirement, when the Opry took over operations of the troupe. It merged with the other square-dance troupe, Ben Smathers and his Stoney Mountain Cloggers, when Smathers died in 1990.[6] The last dancer from the Ralph Sloan era, Eddie Oliver, retired in 2016.[7]
81
Webb Pierce †
September 13, 1952
82
Marty Robbins †
January 19, 1953
83
Carl Butler †
October 17, 1953
84
Del Wood †
November 13, 1953
85
The Carlisles †
November 14, 1953
86
Ferlin Husky †
June 12, 1954
87
Faron Young †
November 19, 1954
88
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs †
January 1, 1955
89
Porter Wagoner †
February 23, 1957
90
The Louvin Brothers †
February 26, 1955
Ira Louvin left in 1963 (and died in 1965); Charlie Louvin represented the duo until his own death.
91
Justin Tubb †
September 10, 1955
92
Jim Reeves †
October 22, 1955
93
Slim Whitman †
October 29, 1955
94
Jean Shepard †
November 21, 1955
95
Johnny Cash †
July 7, 1956
Expelled in 1965 for breaking the stage lights with his microphone stand during an Opry performance.[8] Reconciled in 1968 and remained a member the rest of his life.[9]
96
Jimmy C. Newman †
August 4, 1956
97
George Jones †
August 4, 1956
98
Rose Maddox †
September 29, 1956
99
Stonewall Jackson †
November 3, 1956
Filed age discrimination case in 2006 and membership was temporarily revoked. His case was settled and he returned from 2008 until his 2012 retirement due to vascular dementia ; he remained a standing member until his death.[10]
100
The Wilburn Brothers †
November 10, 1956
Briefly members in 1940, the child stars could not legally work in Tennessee and had to wait until adulthood to officially rejoin.
101
Wilma Lee Cooper †
January 12, 1957
102
Rusty† & Doug
May 18, 1957
Departed prior to the duo's breakup in 1963.
103
The Everly Brothers †
1957
Disowned the Opry and dissolved their membership in 1960.
104
Margie Bowes †
1958
105
Archie Campbell †
1958
106
Don Gibson †
May 20, 1958
107
Ben Smathers and the Stoney Mountain Cloggers†
September 13, 1958
Merged with the Melvin Sloan Dancers in 1990 (now the Opry Square Dancers).
108
Billy Grammer †
February 27, 1959
109
Roy Drusky †
June 13, 1959
110
Skeeter Davis †
August 4, 1959
1960s
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
111
Jimmy Driftwood †
112
Tompall and the Glaser Brothers †
Last performance was in 1990.
113
Bobby Lord †
1960
114
Billy Walker †
January 1, 1960
115
Patsy Cline †
January 9, 1960
116
George Hamilton IV †
February 6, 1960
117
Hank Locklin †
November 12, 1960
118
Bill Anderson
July 15, 1961
119
Loretta Lynn
September 25, 1962
Lynn had a debilitating stroke in 2017. Still a standing member who makes occasional non-singing appearances.
120
Leroy Van Dyke
October 20, 1962
Membership lapsed prior to 1998; still makes occasional appearances.
121
Sonny James †
October 27, 1962
122
Marion Worth †
1963
123
The Browns †
August 17, 1963
Jim Ed Brown continued to hold Opry membership from the group's breakup in 1967 until his 2015 death.
124
Jim & Jesse ‡
March 2, 1964
Represented by Jesse McReynolds after Jim's death in 2001.
125
Ernie Ashworth †
March 7, 1964
126
The Osborne Brothers ‡
August 8, 1964
Represented by Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press since Sonny Osborne 's retirement in 2005.
127
Dottie West †
August 8, 1964
128
Willie Nelson
November 28, 1964
Membership lapsed prior to 1998.
129
Norma Jean
January 9, 1965
Mostly retired from the music industry after 1973.
130
Tex Ritter †
June 12, 1965
131
Connie Smith
August 21, 1965
132
Bob Luman †
September 18, 1965
133
Ray Pillow
April 30, 1966
Hasn't performed in recent years; still a standing member
134
Del Reeves †
October 14, 1966
135
The Four Guys
April 22, 1967
Disbanded in 1999. An attempt to continue the group's membership with a new lineup was rejected by Opry management, and the group was formally expelled in 2000.[11]
136
Stu Phillips
June 1, 1967
Hasn't performed in recent years; still a standing member.
137
Charlie Walker †
August 19, 1967
138
Jeannie Seely
September 16, 1967
139
Jack Greene †
December 27, 1967
Greene had already been a de facto member as part of Ernest Tubb's band since 1962.
140
Dolly Parton
January 4, 1969
141
Tammy Wynette †
January 4, 1969
1970s
Jan Howard performing at the Opry in 2007. After the death of
Little Jimmy Dickens in 2015, Howard was the oldest member of the current Opry cast until her death in 2020.
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
142
Tom T. Hall †
January 1, 1971
Retired since 1996 but remained a standing member until his death.
143
Jan Howard †
March 27, 1971
144
Freddie Hart †
October 16, 1971
145
Barbara Mandrell
July 29, 1972
Retired since 1997, but still listed as a standing member.[12]
146
David Houston †
August 12, 1972
147
Jeanne Pruett
July 21, 1973
Retired since 2006, but still listed as a standing member.
148
Jerry Clower †
October 27, 1973
149
Ronnie Milsap
February 6, 1976
150
Don Williams †
April 23, 1976
151
Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
December 25, 1976
1980s
No.
Name
Induction date
Notes
152
John Conlee [13]
February 7, 1981
153
Boxcar Willie †
February 21, 1981
154
B. J. Thomas † [14]
August 7, 1981
Full-time membership lapsed prior to 1998; continued to make occasional appearances until his death.
155
Ricky Skaggs [15]
May 15, 1982
156
Riders in the Sky [16]
June 19, 1982
157
The Whites [17]
March 2, 1984
158
Lorrie Morgan [18]
June 9, 1984
159
Johnny Russell † [19]
July 6, 1985
160
Mel McDaniel † [4]
January 11, 1986
161
Reba McEntire [20]
January 17, 1986
162
Randy Travis [21]
December 20, 1986
Retired from singing due to a 2013 stroke; still a standing member, he makes occasional appearances.
163
Roy Clark † [22]
August 22, 1987
164
Ricky Van Shelton [23]
June 10, 1988
Retired in 2006; still officially a standing member.
165
Patty Loveless [24]
June 11, 1988
166
Holly Dunn † [4]
October 14, 1989
Retired in 2003 and died in 2016.
1990s
No.
Name
Induction date
Invited by
Inducted by
Notes
167
Mike Snider [25]
June 2, 1990
Minnie Pearl
168
Garth Brooks [26]
October 6, 1990
Johnny Russell
169
Clint Black [27]
January 10, 1991
Garth Brooks
170
Alan Jackson [28]
June 7, 1991
Roy Acuff and Randy Travis
171
Vince Gill [29]
August 10, 1991
Roy Acuff
172
Emmylou Harris [30]
January 25, 1992
173
Travis Tritt [31]
February 29, 1992
174
Marty Stuart [32]
November 28, 1992
175
Charley Pride † [33]
May 1, 1993
Jimmy C. Newman
176
Alison Krauss [34]
July 3, 1993
Garth Brooks
177
Joe Diffie †
November 27, 1993
178
Hal Ketchum †
January 22, 1994
Little Jimmy Dickens
179
Martina McBride [35]
November 30, 1995
Loretta Lynn
180
Steve Wariner
May 11, 1996
181
Johnny Paycheck † [4]
1997
Bob Whittaker
Porter Wagoner and Johnny Russell
182
Diamond Rio
April 18, 1998
Bob Whittaker
Little Jimmy Dickens
183
Trisha Yearwood [36]
March 13, 1999
Ricky Skaggs
Porter Wagoner
2000s
1961 inductee
Bill Anderson , the Opry's longest-tenured active member as of 2021, inducts his friend
Mel Tillis into the Opry in 2007.
No.
Name
Induction date
Invited by
Inducted by
Notes
184
Pam Tillis [37]
August 26, 2000
Little Jimmy Dickens
Marty Stuart
185
Brad Paisley [38]
February 17, 2001
Bill Anderson , Jeannie Seely and Little Jimmy Dickens
Steve Wariner
186
Trace Adkins [39]
August 23, 2003
Little Jimmy Dickens
Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan
187
Del McCoury [40]
October 25, 2003
Patty Loveless
188
Terri Clark [41]
June 12, 2004
Steve Wariner
Marty Stuart , Pam Tillis , and Patty Loveless
189
Dierks Bentley [42]
October 1, 2005
Marty Stuart
190
Mel Tillis † [43]
June 9, 2007
Bill Anderson
Pam Tillis
191
Josh Turner [44]
October 27, 2007
Roy Clark
Vince Gill
192
Charlie Daniels † [45]
January 19, 2008
Martina McBride
Marty Stuart and Connie Smith
193
Carrie Underwood [46]
May 10, 2008
Randy Travis
Garth Brooks
194
Craig Morgan [47]
October 25, 2008
John Conlee
195
Montgomery Gentry ‡ [48]
June 23, 2009
Charlie Daniels
Marty Stuart and Little Jimmy Dickens
Represented by Eddie Montgomery since Troy Gentry 's death in 2017.
2010s
Bobby Bare was a member from 1964 to 1974, then rejoined in 2018.
No.
Name
Induction date
Invited by
Inducted by
Notes
196
Blake Shelton [49]
October 23, 2010
Trace Adkins
197
The Oak Ridge Boys [5]
August 6, 2011
Little Jimmy Dickens
198
Rascal Flatts [50]
October 8, 2011
Vince Gill
Little Jimmy Dickens
Disbanded in 2020. Gary LeVox has appeared on behalf of the band since then.[51]
199
Keith Urban [52]
April 21, 2012
Vince Gill , Rascal Flatts , and The Oak Ridge Boys
Trace Adkins and Josh Turner
200
Darius Rucker [53]
October 16, 2012
Brad Paisley
Vince Gill and Keith Urban
201
Old Crow Medicine Show [54]
September 17, 2013
Marty Stuart
Marty Stuart and Dierks Bentley
202
Little Big Town [55]
October 17, 2014
Reba McEntire
Vince Gill and Little Jimmy Dickens
203
Crystal Gayle [56]
January 21, 2017
Carrie Underwood
Loretta Lynn
204
Dailey & Vincent [57]
March 11, 2017
Marty Stuart
Old Crow Medicine Show and Jeannie Seely
205
Chris Young [58]
October 17, 2017
Vince Gill
Brad Paisley
206
Chris Janson [59]
March 20, 2018
Keith Urban
Garth Brooks
207
Bobby Bare [60]
April 7, 2018
Garth Brooks
Original induction date was August 14, 1964. Membership lapsed 1974. Inducted again by Brooks on 4/7/2018.
208
Dustin Lynch [61]
September 18, 2018
Trace Adkins
Reba McEntire
209
Mark Wills [62]
January 11, 2019
Vince Gill
Craig Morgan
210
Kelsea Ballerini [63]
April 16, 2019
Little Big Town
Carrie Underwood
211
Luke Combs [64]
July 16, 2019
Craig Morgan , Chris Janson , and John Conlee
Joe Diffie and Vince Gill
2020s
Gene Watson , the sole new member in 2020, performing on the Opry in 2007
No.
Name
Induction date
Invited by
Inducted by
Notes
212
Gene Watson [65]
February 7, 2020
Vince Gill
Steve Wariner
213
Rhonda Vincent [66]
February 6, 2021[67]
Jeannie Seely
Dierks Bentley
Delayed from her originally scheduled March 24, 2020 induction date due to the Coronavirus pandemic
214
Lady A
January 21, 2021
Darius Rucker
Inducted immediately upon invitation, as part of a filming of NBC’s 2021 special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music [68]
215
Carly Pearce
August 3, 2021
Dolly Parton
Trisha Yearwood
216
The Isaacs
September 14, 2021
Ricky Skaggs
The Whites and Ricky Skaggs
217
Mandy Barnett
November 2, 2021
Connie Smith
Marty Stuart and Connie Smith
218
Lauren Alaina
February 12, 2022
Trisha Yearwood
219
Jamey Johnson [2]
May 14, 2022(announced) [69]
Bill Anderson
TBA
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^ Alfs, Lizzy (22 January 2017). "Crystal Gayle inducted into Grand Ole Opry by Loretta Lynn" . Tennessean . Retrieved 6 November 2017 .
^ "Dailey & Vincent Invited To Join Grand Ole Opry" (Press release). Nashville, Tenn. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2017 .
^ Kruh, Nancy (18 October 2017). "Chris Young Joins the Opry – and Brad Paisley Is There to Tease Him In" . People . Retrieved 6 November 2017 .
^ "Chris Janson Invited To Join Grand Ole Opry" . WTVF . 6 February 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^ Watts, Cindy. "Garth Brooks welcomes Bobby Bare into Opry membership" . The Tennessean . Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^ Freeman, Jon (22 August 2018). "Dustin Lynch to Become Newest Member of Grand Ole Opry" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 June 2019 .
^ "Wills Invited To Join The Opry, Capps Celebrates 60" . Nashville.com . 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-23 .
^ "Kelsea Ballerini Invited to Join Grand Ole Opry" . Taste of Country .
^ "Grand Ole Opry on Facebook Watch" – via www.facebook.com.
^ "Gene Watson Invited to Join Grand Ole Opry" . CMT News . 18 January 2020.
^ "WATCH: Rhonda Vincent Invited to Join the Grand Ole Opry" . The Boot .
^ @RhondaVincent13 (8 December 2020). "Thank you Thank you Thank you!!..." (Tweet) – via Twitter .
^ "Lady A" . Grand Ole Opry . Retrieved 2021-01-22 .
^ @opry (April 11, 2022). "Join us on Saturday, May 14th..." (Tweet) – via Twitter .
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