Tuesday Night Opry 2/12 & Wednesday Night Opry 2/13

There are two mid-week Opry shows this week, as in addition to the Tuesday Night Opry, on Wednesday night there will be a special show to honor Grand Ole Opry member Del McCoury.

The Tuesday Night Opry will feature a trio of Grand Ole Opry members: Dailey & Vincent, Connie Smith and Chris Janson.

Tuesday Night Opry 2/12:
7:00: Dailey & Vincent; Ashley Campbell
7:30: Travis Denning; Connie Smith
Intermission
8:15: Justin Moore; Davisson Brothers Band; Chris Janson

The Davisson Brothers Band will be making their Opry debut, at the special invitation of Chris Janson.

The Davisson Brothers Band are "from the hills of West Virginia" and are comprised of brothers Chris Davisson and Donnie Davisson, along with Russell Reppert, and Aaron Regester. The group has been around since 2006 and in the course of their careers have recorded for several different record labels and have had several different management agencies representing them. Brothers Chris and Donnie were a part of the filming of long time friend Chris Janson's music video for his song "Fix a Drink." The groups latest album, Fighter, was released in May 2018.
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Wednesday night, the Opry is having a special show in recognition of Grand Ole Opry member Del McCoury's 80th birthday, which took place on February 1st.

Del McCoury grew up in York County, Pennsylvania. At age 11, Del's older brother, G.C., introduced him to bluegrass through the music of Flatt & Scruggs. Before long, he had taken up the banjo, and by the early 1960s he was playing bluegrass in the honky tonks of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area. In 1963, Del made his first Grand Ole Opry appearances when he was recruited by Bill Monroe to join his Blue Grass Boys. Though he was hired as a banjo player, Bill soon made him into a guitar player and lead singer.

When Del left the band the following year, he continued as a lead singer, first during a brief stint in California with the Golden State Boys, and then back in Pennsylvania with his own band, the Dixie Pals. For the next quarter century, Del was a part-time musician, working as a logging truck driver to support his growing family while playing at bluegrass festivals on the weekends. Though he couldn't devote himself entirely to music, his reputation as a singer of unsurpassed intensity grew steadily.

Del's son Ronnie began playing with the band on a part-time basis in 1981 at age 14. Six years later, Robbie McCoury made his debut with the band. At the beginning of the '90s, Del and his family moved to Nashville to pursue music full-time as The Del McCoury Band. By the end of the decade, the band had become the top winner at the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual awards, eventually taking home nine IBMA Entertainer of the Year trophies. The Grand Ole Opry cam calling in 2003 fulfilling Del's lifelong dream of becoming a member.

Today, the Del McCoury Band enjoys the praise of traditional bluegrass lovers and tie-dyed clad "Del-Heads" alike. The Band's tour dates range from performing arts centers to hardcore bluegrass festivals. After years of playing hip, youth-oriented jamfests such as Bonnaroo and High Sierra, Del launched his own in 2008, the popular four-day DelFest in Cumberland, Maryland. Three years later, Del was elected to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

The line-up of artists coming out Wednesday night to honor Del is an indication of how well Del is liked and respected in the music business, and at the Grand Ole Opry. One of those scheduled is Vince Gill, who for a few years on Opry appearances, used Del's group as his back up band.

It looks like Wednesday night will be a great night at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Wednesday Night Opry 2/13:
7:00: Marty Stuart; Sam Bush
7:30: Bela Fleck; The Travelin' McCourys
Intermission
8:15: Vince Gill; Jesse McReynolds; Old Crow Medicine Show
8:45: Dierks Bentley; Del McCoury Band