This month, the Grand Ole Opry will be celebrating its 99th anniversary. A lot has happened in those 99 years, much of it taking place in the month of October. Here are some of those happenings:
October 7, 1870: One of the early stars of the Grand Ole Opry, Uncle Dave Macon was born. Uncle Dave usually appeared on the Opry with his son Doris and was known as "The Dixie Dewdrop." After coming to the WSM Barn Dance, Uncle Dave would remain with the Opry until his death in 1952. He was also one of the early inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
October 25, 1912: Sarah Ophelia Colley was born. Known to the world as Minnie Pearl, she first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in November 1940 and was an Opry member for over 50 years. Comedy has become a lost art at the Opry, but during her time Minnie was one of the best. Minnie passed away in March 1996 from complications of an earlier stroke.
October 20, 1913: Louis Marshall Jones was born in Henderson County, Kentucky. Like Minnie Pearl, Louis was an Opry member for over 50 years and was known for his humor along with his banjo playing. He was also nationally known for his work on Hee Haw. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, you might know him better by his stage name: Grandpa Jones.
October 5, 1925: WSM radio went on the air. Edwin Craig was given the honor of starting off that first broadcast, and he did it with a few simple words: "This is WSM. We Shield Millions. The National Life and Accident Company." National Life President C.A Craig dedicated the station to public service. Among the guests that night was George D. Hay, who would later be hired as the program director at WSM, after which he started the WSM Barn Dance.
October 30, 1926: The Binkley Brothers and Theron Hale made their first appearances on the WSM Barn Dance.
October 11, 1932: Dottie West was born in Smithville, Tennessee. Dottie joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and would remain an Opry member until her tragic death in 1991. After what many considered a huge oversite, Dottie was finally elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
October 27, 1934: The Grand Ole Opry moved from Studio C at the National Life Building, home of WSM, to the Hillsboro Theater. The move was made because of the large number of people who were coming down to the National Life building to watch the show. The Hillsboro Theater was an upgrade for the Opry, as it sat 2,400 and also had dressing rooms for the performers. Because the Opry was now being performed before a live audience, the artists were told to dress for their performances, meaning rural clothes that would reflect the proper image for a country show. That night also was the beginning of Vito Pellettiere as the Opry's stage manager. Vito would hold that position until 1977 and he was responsible for bringing order and organization to the show, including breaking the show into segments with sponsors, and establishing a schedule, with specific times for each act to appear.
October 9, 1937: Roy Acuff made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. He was invited to appear on the program in what was basically an audition. While his initial performance was nothing to write home about, he was invited back and would join the Opry cast the following year.
October 16, 1937: Bradley Kincaid made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. In my opinion, one of the great oversites by the CMA and Country Music Hall of Fame is the lack of election of Bradley to the Hall of Fame. As a reminder, it was Bradley who performed with Grandpa Jones and was the one to give Grandpa his nickname.
October 14, 1939: The NBC Radio Network began to carry a half hour segment of the Opry, sponsored by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to promote its Prince Albert brand. Roy Acuff was the featured star, with David Stone as the announcer and George D. Hay as the Master of Ceremonies. On that first night, Roy and his group were introduced and played the theme song, "Have A Big Time Tonight." Along with George D. Hay, that first show included Uncle Dave Macon, George Wilkerson and his Fruit Jar Drinkers, DeFord Bailey, Brother Oswald, and the rest of Roy's group. Over time, the Prince Albert segment would become the Opry's most famous segment. Beginning initially on 26 network stations, primarily in the south, the segment would soon expand nationwide across the entire NBC Radio Network. For those of you who have never heard the first Prince Albert show, it is in the Country Music Hall of Fame Digital Archives.
October 23, 1939: Bill Monroe came to Nashville and auditioned for George D. Hay and the Grand Ole Opry. He sang "Mule Skinner Blues," which was the same song that he sang later when he was welcomed as a new cast member.
October 28, 1939: Bill Monroe became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, performing "Muleskinner Blues." Opry founder George D. Hay was so impressed with Bill and his new bluegrass sound that he told Bill that if he ever wanted to leave the Opry, he would have to fire himself. Thankfully, that never happened, and Bill would remain an Opry member for over 50 years, until his death in September 1996.
October 17, 1953: Carl Butler made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Later, along with his wife Pearl, the Butlers would be Opry members.
October 2, 1954: Elvis Presley made his first and only appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. He sang Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Reports had said that Elvis received only modest applause from the Opry audience, which was not that unusual. Legend has it that when he was finished and walking off the stage, Opry manager Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck. While Elvis's truck driving days were over, he never came back to the Opry. Over the years, there has been some doubt if Jim Denny actually made those comments to Elvis. Either way, although Elvis would return to visit backstage, he never again performed on the Opry. One person who was impressed that night was Bill Monroe, especially after seeing the size of the royalty checks he began to receive after Elvis recorded Bill's song.
October 15, 1955: "Grand Ole Opry" began on ABC-TV. The show would run once a month on the network.
October 22, 1955: Jim Reeves became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over time, Jim would become one of the Opry's biggest stars, but like so many others, he came to realize the limitations of being an Opry member and would move on. His last Opry appearance was in June 1963.
October 29, 1955: For what would be a very short run, Slim Whitman became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He came and went pretty quickly. Most fans will not remember Slim's time at the Opry, but they will remember those late-night television ads selling his greatest hits album.
October 19, 1956: Stonewall Jackson was given an audition at the Opry. He passed with flying colors and was invited back to perform on the show, eventually becoming a member on November 3, 1956. Stonewall came to town in his pick-up truck, without a hit record, and struck it big. Stonewall's time at the Opry was somewhat complicated, as he did leave for a few years and later in life, he sued the Opry and Gaylord Entertainment.
October 8, 1960: Buck Owens made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. While never becoming an Opry member, and being based in California, Buck would continue to make occasional Opry appearances throughout his life.
October 15, 1960; While a few different dates have been given over the years, it would appear that Loretta Lynn made her first Opry guest appearance on this date. The Wilburn Brothers were instrumental in getting her that guest spot and she appeared that night on a segment hosted by Ernest Tubb. At the time, Loretta did not have a band, so Leslie Wilburn played base and Lester Wilburn played rhythm guitar. Just like in the move, she sang "I'm A Honky-Tonk Girl." The Opry was impressed, and after numerous guest appearances promoted by the Wilburns, Loretta was asked to become an Opry member, which took place in 1962.
October 21, 1961: After overcoming a serious car accident, Patsy Cline returned to the Opry and performed "Crazy" for the first time. This was also the night that Merle Travis made an appearance on the Opry. On the Opry membership wall, Merle is listed as a member, and did agree to become one. Although he was an Opry member, he never appeared on the Opry while a member. (There is a story behind this).
October 20, 1962: Leroy Van Dyke became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Like many others, Leroy would only remain with the Opry for a couple of years before being suspended from the show for failing to meet the required number of annual appearances. However, after he left, Leroy would occasionally come back for guest appearances. There are very few former Opry members still living, and Leroy is one of them.
October 27, 1962: One week after Leroy became an Opry member, Sonny James joined the Opry's cast. Like Leroy, Sonny would leave a few years later as he developed a more sophisticated country sound. Also on the same date, future Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Walker made his first appearance on the Opry.
October 17, 1964: Willie Nelson made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Willie would join the cast later on but like others of that time period, found that the Opry was really not for him and moved on, in Willie's case, back to Texas.
October 23, 1965: Roy Acuff, Jr. made his first guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. With his father closely watching, Roy Jr. sang "Baby Just Said Goodbye." His recording and performing work showed the promise of a career in country music, however he preferred to work behind the scenes and his public performing soon ended. While that was his debut on the Opry, Roy Jr. would make a few more appearances.
October 14, 1966: Del Reeves became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Introduced by Opry member Porter Wagoner, it was a very emotional night for Del as his parents were in the audience to witness the event. Del was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to make it though his song, breaking down in tears. Del was a popular member of the Opry's cast and would remain so until his death in January 2007.
October 7, 1967: Dolly Parton made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry while appearing with Porter Wagoner. Dolly and Porter did not do a duet that night, that would happen a month later. Dolly sang "Dumb Blonde" that night. It was Dolly's first Opry appearance since her debut on the Opry in 1959 and came weeks after she joined Porter's show.
October 14, 1967: Dizzy Dean, Perry Como and Phil Harris all made surprise guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry that night.
October 21, 1967: The Browns: Jim Ed, Maxine and Bonnie, gave their final performance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. While Bonnie and Maxine would retire to raise families, Jim Ed continued on as a solo member of the Opry's cast, until his death in 2015. Even though they retired, the sisters would come back many times to appear with Jim Ed at the Opry, and other venues. The Browns had a big impact on country music, and a string of hits. In 2015, the year Jim Ed passed away, Jim Ed Brown and The Browns were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
October 6, 1968: Former WSM executive Harry Stone passed away at the age of 70. The influence that Harry Stone had on WSM, and the Grand Ole Opry was great, perhaps even more so than the Opry's founder George D. Hay. While the founder wanted to keep the Opry simple and down to earth, featuring local and regional musicians, Harry saw the value on the Opry to WSM and National Life. He began to add professional musicians and singers to the Opry cast, including Pee Wee King, Roy Acuff and Eddy Arnold. There was a lot of conflict between George D. Hay and Harry Stone, and in 1932 it reached its high point as Harry became the general manager at WSM, putting him ahead of Hay in the pecking order at the station. Many should thank Harry for his leadership at the Opry, as many of the decisions he made allowed the show to survive while other barn dance shows failed. Why Harry Stone has never been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame is a mystery to me.
October 19, 1968: In an interview published in the Nashville Tennessean, WSM President Irving Waugh said that the Opry's days at the Ryman Auditorium were numbered. The article stated, "The initiation of plans for the relocation of the Opry, possibly as the center of a multi-million-dollar hotel and amusement complex, was announced at a breakfast at Municipal Auditorium sponsored by WSM." Irving Waugh said, "Our feeling is that the Grand Ole Opry needs a new, modern facility. It is estimated the center, which would be called Opryland USA, would require between one hundred fifty and two hundred acres of land. The location would not be in the Music Row area." Over time, details would be announced, and the Opry would leave downtown and the Ryman for a rural location that became Opryland USA.
October 13, 1969: It was formally announced that the Grand Ole Opry would be leaving the current Opry House (Ryman Auditorium) and moving to a new home at Opryland. It would take almost five years for the new Opry House to be completed.
October 16, 1971: Freddie Hart appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. This was also the night of the Opry's 46th birthday celebration. Of course, Freddie sang his classic hit, "Easy Loving."
October 27, 1973: Comedian and storyteller Jerry Clower became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was the last member to join the Opry while the show was still located at the Ryman Auditorium. When Jerry joined the cast, comedy was still a big part of the show, as Jerry joined fellow comedians Minnie Pearl, Archie Campbell, Grandpa Jones and Lonzo & Oscar as active Opry members. After Jerry joined the cast, the Opry did not add another comedian until 2023, when Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer were inducted as Opry members.
October 25, 1974: The Pointer Sisters made a guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. It was also the night of the Opry's 49th birthday celebration. Additionally, while not scheduled, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton reunited on the Opry, their final appearance together until 1988.
October 18, 1975: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded weekend at the Grand Ole Opry House. Looking back, the 50th is considered one of the biggest shows in the history of the Opry. This was also the final night that Tammy Wynette performed on the Opry as a member.
October 22, 1975: Filming took place at the Grand Ole Opry House for a 50th anniversary television special that would air on ABC the following month. The filming took place over a two-day period.
October 16, 1976: During the Opry's annual birthday celebration, which would have been their 51st. veteran Opry stage manager Vito Pellettieri was honored. In many ways, Vito did more to establish the Opry than any other individual. Among Vito's many contributions to the show were the establishment of an actual schedule for each performer and breaking up the Opry into 15- or 30-minute segments. Vito, who passed away the following year, was with WSM and the Opry for over 40 years. And by the way, Vito never drove or owned a car, taking the bus to the Opry each weekend. (And Hank Snow loved Vito). While never elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Vito at one time did make the list of finalists.
October 6, 1977: The Grand Ole Opry put on a special Grand Ole Opry show at the Boston Gardens. The show featured a full Opry cast and was broadcast on WSM.
October 10, 1977: The Grand Ole Opry presented its 52nd birthday show with a special three-hour Opry for the visiting disc jockeys in town for their annual convention.
October 3, 1981: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers made a guest appearance on the Opry. While Roy Acuff was listed as the host of the segment, after Roy did his opening number, he turned the segment over to Roy Rogers, who handled it from there.
October 2, 1982: Grand Ole Opry member Doyle Wilburn made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Doyle would pass away several weeks later from cancer.
October 9, 1982: George Strait made his Grand Ole Opry debut. There are many who believe that George never appeared on the Opry, but he did. Over the years there have been rumors and stories regarding George and the Opry's management, especially in regard to the lack of future appearances or Opry membership. However, with George based in Texas and really having no Nashville connections, there was no reason to believe that George would ever become an Opry member.
October 16, 1982: Grand Ole Opry member Doyle Wilburn passed away in Nashville at the age of 52. The Wilburn Brothers, Teddy and Doyle, first appeared on the Opry with the rest of their siblings in the 1940s, however child labor laws sent them away from Nashville and the Opry. They came back, and in 1953 became Opry members. After Doyle's death, Teddy continued on as a solo member of the cast.
October 17, 1982: Alcyone Bate Beasley died. While the name might not mean a lot to some people, Alcyone was there when it all started in 1925 as a member of Dr. Humphrey Bate's Possum Hunters. Dr. Bate was Alcyone's father. After he died, Alcyone worked to keep the Possum Hunters going, but years later, when the square dance bands were merged, the Possum Hunters name disappeared from the Opry's programs. Even in her final years, Alcyone would always appear on the Opry's annual reunion shows.
October 29, 1982: Alabama traveled up to Nashville and made their first appearance on the Opry.
October 22, 1983: The Fruit Jar Drinkers made their final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. With the death of Kirk McGee several days later, the group disbanded, however most of the members of the group continued playing on the Opry in other capacities.
October 24, 1983: Grand Ole Opry member, and one of the originals, Kirk McGee passed away. Along with his brother Sam, Kirk made his first Opry appearance in 1926, back when the show was called the WSM Barn Dance. Over the years, he would be a part of the Dixieliners and the Fruit Jar Drinkers, in addition to performing with his brother. His last Opry show had been the previous Saturday night.
October 6, 1984: Keith Whitley made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Keith would make several more guest appearances and was just weeks away from being invited to become an Opry member prior to his passing.
October 19, 1985: Lonzo & Oscar made their final appearance as members of the Grand Ole Opry. Rollin Sullivan, who was Oscar, originally came to the Opry in 1942. Over the years there were three different Lonzo's, starting with Ken Marvin, followed by Rollin's brother Johnny, and finally David Hooten. In addition to being on the Opry that evening, the duo also hosted the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. The night also marked the return of Roy Acuff to the Opry. Roy had been missing for the past 18 weeks following the discovery of a blood clot.
October 3, 1989: Grand Ole Opry member Del Wood passed away in Nashville after suffering a stroke several weeks later. Del, whose real name was Adelaide Hazelwood, came to the Opry in 1953 and was famous for her ragtime piano playing and her No. 1 hit 'Down Yonder." Much like others, with Del's passing the ragtime piano playing has disappeared from the Opry stage.
October 14, 1989: Holly Dunn became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Holly would remain an Opry member until she left the music business and moved to New Mexico to concentrate on her artwork. Holly, who was not happy with her firing from the Opry, passed away from cancer in November 2016. And yes, she was fired.
October 28, 1989: Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music, celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Among those appearing on the televised portion that night to honor Bill, which was hosted by Grant Turner, were Emmylou Harris and Larry Cordle.
October 6, 1990: Garth Brooks became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Garth's 33rd year as an Opry member, an honor that he considers one of the most important in his professional career. While Garth's Opry appearances have been few over the past several decades, he always brings excitement each time he appears on the Opry stage, and I have been told numerous times that Garth helps out the Opry whenever they call. For those of us who were at the Opry's 5000th show last year, seeing Garth was one of the highlights.
October 4, 1991: Diamond Rio made their first guest appearance on the Opry. 7 years later, in 1998, they would become Opry members.
October 19, 1991: Legendary Grand Ole Opry announcer Grant Turner passed away, just hours after announcing the Friday Night Opry. Grant was the dean of Opry announcers and started at WSM on D-Day in 1944. Over the years, he also hosted the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree and the Opry's warm-up show. Grant is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
October 24, 1991: Gaylord Entertainment Company, owners of WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, listed its stock on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time. Many have said that this is the event that started the downfall of the Opry as the company went public after years of private ownership, and the focus changed. From that point forward, decisions were made based on the effect on the bottom line of the company.
October 23, 1992: Roy Acuff made his final Grand Ole Opry appearance. It was a Friday night show and Roy, in declining health, hosted his segment while sitting in a director's chair. He was scheduled for the following Saturday night; however, he took a nap that afternoon and his family decided not to wake him. Days later he entered the hospital for what would be the final time.
October 31, 1992: Longtime Opry sponsor Pet Milk sponsored an Opry segment for the final time. Most recently, the company had been sponsoring the 10:30 segment on the second Saturday night show.
October 2, 1995: Grand Ole Opry member Porter Wagoner rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to mark the 70th year of the Grand Ole Opry.
October 21, 1995: One of my personal favorite sponsors of the Grand Ole Opry, "Jogging In A Jug" began sponsoring a segment of the Opry. My favorite part of the commercial was the disclaimer that the product offered no medical benefits. The company remained a sponsor for several years in a few different time slots.
October 14, 1996: Bob Whittaker, Vice President and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry was named President of the Grand Ole Opry Group of Gaylord Entertainment Company. He replaced Hal Durham, who was retiring. Bob would remain in that position until retiring in 1998.
October 31, 1997: Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright appeared on the Grand Ole Opry with son Bobby Wright as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. Kitty sang "Makin' Believe" and did one verse of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."
October 15, 2000: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 75th birthday with four shows that weekend, including two on Saturday night that featured a majority of the Opry's members including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss. On a personal note, we attended the shows that weekend and they were probably the best and had the strongest line-ups of any Opry show that I have attended.
October 25, 2000: CBS-TV taped "Grand Ole Opry 75th--Celebration" at the Grand Ole Opry House, featuring Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Trisha Yearwood, Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner, as well as several other members of the Opry's cast.
October 17, 2002: Grand Ole Opry member Brother Oswald passed away. Beecher Ray Kirby first came to the Opry with Roy Acuff on January 1, 1939. After Roy's death in 1992, Brother Oswald was asked to become an Opry member, a well-deserved honor in recognition of over 50 years already appearing on the Opry. Usually during his segment Oswald would perform his dobro with Charlie Collins on guitar. Beecher "Pete" Kirby is another of those who have been overlooked for the Country Music Hall of Fame.
October 4, 2003: The Grand Ole Opry was televised on Great American Country (GAC) for the first time, moving over after spending several years on Country Music Television (CMT).
October 25, 2003: Del McCoury became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Del's 21st year as an Opry member. Del, who usually appears on the weeknight shows, was formally inducted by Patty Loveless.
October 1, 2005: Dierks Bentley became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. For Dierks, this will be year number 19 of Opry membership. Dierks, who is a former employee of The Nashville Network, made his Opry debut in April 2003. On the night of his induction, it was Porter Wagoner doing the honors.
October 15, 2005: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 80th birthday. Garth Brooks marked the occasion by coming out of retirement and joining Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner and Bill Anderson on stage. For Garth, it was his first Opry appearance in five years. Also, on board that night was Garth's friend Steve Wariner.
October 9, 2007: Grand Ole Opry member Porter Wagoner made his final appearance during that night's Tuesday Night Opry. Porter was in declining health and would pass away several months later. Porter was an Opry member for just over 50 years and after the death of Roy Acuff, was the face of the Opry.
October 20, 2007: XM Satellite Radio began airing the Grand Ole Opry. The first broadcast featured Carrie Underwood, Ronnie Milsap and Travis Tritt. 15 years later, the Opry is still replayed weekly on satellite radio.
October 27, 2007: Josh Turner became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Josh's 17th year as a member of the Opry's cast. Josh had made numerous guest appearances on the Opry, performing his hit "Long Black Train." It was during one of those appearances that Roy Clark surprised Josh with an invitation to join the cast.
October 28, 2007: Grand Ole Opry legend Porter Wagoner passed away in Nashville at the age of 80. One of the most popular members in the history of the Opry, Porter had just celebrated his 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry several months before. Not only was he a great solo artist, but he made some great duets with Dolly Parton. Porter died as a result of lung cancer.
October 10, 2008: Longtime Grand Ole Opry member Ernie Ashworth made his final appearance on that evenings Friday Night Opry. Ernie, who passed away in March 2009, was an Opry member for over 40 years, joining the cast in March 1964.
October 11, 2008: Marshall Barnes passed away. To some of the more recent readers, the name may not mean much, but Marshall was a part of the Opry for many years, first with Cowboy Copas, and later with Grandpa Jones, Roy Acuff and Bill Carlisle. Marshall was a great bass singer who also played the fiddle and guitar.
October 25, 2008: Craig Morgan became a member of the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. John Conlee inducted Craig, who will be celebrating his 16th year as an Opry member.
October 22, 2010: Blake Shelton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Blake's 14th year as an Opry member.
October 4, 2011: Randy Travis was honored upon his 25th year in the music business with a special show on the Tuesday Night Opry. He performed "Diggin' Up Bones" with John Anderson. Joining in the celebration were Carrie Underwood, Connie Smith, Gene Watson, Joe Stampley and Josh Turner.
October 8, 2011: During the Opry's 86th birthday celebration, Rascal Flatts were inducted as the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Among those on hand that night to welcome the group to the cast was Opry member Vince Gill. While Rascal Flatts disbanded several years ago, individually the members have continued to make Opry appearances.
October 2, 2012: Darius Rucker was invited by Brad Paisley, who was sitting in the audience, to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The formal induction would take place two weeks later.
October 16, 2012: Darius Rucker was formally inducted as a member of the Opry. This will be his 12th year as an Opry member
October 23, 2012: On what would have been the 100th birthday of Minnie Pearl, the Grand Ole Opry honored her memory with a special tribute show. Among those appearing that night was Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Pam Tillis and her dad, Mel.
October 3, 2014: During a guest appearance on the Friday Night Opry, Little Big Town was surprised when Reba McEntire walked out on stage during their performance to ask the group if they wished to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. Of course, they said yes, and on October 17th, they were formally inducted.
October 17, 2015: Country music Hall of Fame member Merle Haggard made a surprise appearance on that night's Grand Ole Opry. Introduced by Connie Smith, it would be Merle's final appearance on the Opry. Of course, one of the songs he sang was his classic "Okie From Muskogee." While Merle was never an Opry member, he did make a handful of appearances on the show.
October 24, 2015: Grand Ole Opry member Jan Howard made her last singing appearance on the Opry. Jan joined the Opry in March 1971 and continued as a member until her death in 2020.
October 29, 2016: Luke Combs made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. While Luke did not make many future guest appearances, in 2019 he was invited to become an Opry member.
October 17, 2017: Chris Young became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. This will be Chris' 7th year as an Opry member and it is always nice to see Chris appearing on the Opry.
October 28, 2017: Newly inducted Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Schlitz made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Since then, Don has been back to the Opry many, many times, eventually becoming an Opry member in 2022.
October 11, 2019: Garth Brooks introduced former President Jimmy Carter to the sold-out audience at the Friday Night Opry. Jimmy, along with his wife Roslyn, was in Nashville as part of Habitat for Humanity. Also appearing that night were Emmylou Harris, Bill Anderson, Dierks Bentley and Margo Price.
October 12, 2019: Dolly Parton was honored upon her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. While the actual induction date was in January, it took until the October date for everything to be planned out. Dolly made her Opry debut in 1959, and then returned in 1967 as a part of Porter Wagoner's outfit.
October 3, 2020: For the 1st time since March, live audiences returned to the Grand Ole Opry House as the Opry celebrated its 95th birthday before an audience of 500. Opry members Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley were featured. As part of the 95th Opry birthday, Dierks celebrated 15 years as an Opry member. And yes, I was one of the 500 in the audience that night and it was great to be back at the Opry.
October 22, 2020: Former Grand Ole Opry member Margie Bowes passed away after a period of declining health. Margie joined the Opry in 1958 and was a member of the cast until leaving the show in November 1971. After she left as a member, Margie would occasionally make an appearance, usually on one of the reunion shows.
October 24, 2021: Grand Ole Opry member Sonny Osborne passed away after a period of declining health. The Osborne Brothers, Sonny along with his brother Bobby, joined the Opry in 1964. Sonny had retired for several decades, while his brother Bobby carried on alone.
October 4, 2022: Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Loretta Lynn passed away after a period of declining health. Loretta was a 60-year member of the Grand Ole Opry, second only to Jean Shepard among female Opry members.
October 6, 2022: Ashley McBryde was invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Opry member Garth Brooks made the surprise announcement live from the Grand Ole Opry House on the CBS morning show. Her induction would take place later in the year.
October 7, 2023: Sara Evans was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Sara was surprised the previous month with an invitation to join the cast by Bill Anderson during a show at the Ryman Auditorium. Sara said that her dream had been to become an Opry member and that she prayed it would happen at some point. Opry member Crystal Gayle did the honors during the Opry's 98th birthday celebration.
October 24, 2023: Jon Pard became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Jon had been asked much earlier in the year to become a member. He will be the first member in the history of the Opry to have been born in California. Garth Brooks surprised the Opry audience that night and did the formal induction of Jon.
There you have the highlights for this month.