Mid-Week Opry Shows 9/28; 9/29; 9/30

The line-ups have been posted for the mid-week Opry shows leading up to the weekend when the Grand Ole Opry will be celebrating its 96th anniversary with the annual "Birthday Bash." 

The Tuesday Night Opry will feature 3 Opry members: Riders In The Sky, Dailey & Vincent and Connie Smith, along with a couple who would make good Opry members: T. Graham Brown and Mandy Barnett. Comedian Henry Cho is on the schedule along with Hannah Ellis, who will be making her Opry debut. 

Tuesday September 28
7:00: Riders In The Sky; Hannah Ellis; T. Graham Brown; Dailey & Vincent
Intermission
8:15: Ryan Griffin; Henry Cho; Connie Smith; Mandy Barnett

Hannah Ellis is from Campbellsville, Kentucky and currently records for Curb Records. Her latest project "Home and a Hometown" was released August 27. 

According to Hannah, “I was driving to my hometown, and realized that I always speed on that drive because I just can’t wait to be there,” shares the humble woman who’s already been named one of Rolling Stone Country’s Artists To Watch and CMT’s Next Women of Country. “I then thought about the fact that I do the same thing when I am driving back home to Nashville because I just wanna be there, too. I realized that I love both places so much for different reasons and it occurred to me that I have a Home AND a Hometown. I came home to Nashville and wrote the song that week.” 

Beyond the full-scholarship to the University of Kentucky, where she graduated in less than four years with a degree in Integrated Strategic Communications, the girl raised in a quiet town took her deep curiosity about life, love and people — and has turned it into becoming one of the most affirming voices to hit modern country music since CMA Female Vocalists of the Year Mary Chapin Carpenter, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood and Lee Ann Womack ruled the radio.

The Wednesday Night Opry has just one Opry member on the schedule, Jeannie Seely. Also scheduled is very frequent Opry guest, Charles Esten, who has appeared on the Opry over 150 times, Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Fortune, comedian Dusty Slay and making his Opry debut, Kameron Marlowe. 

Wednesday September 29
7:00: Jeannie Seely; Kameron Marlowe; Tenille Arts; Charles Esten
Intermission
8:15: Jimmy Fortune; Sunny Sweeney; Dusty Slay; Michael Ray

Kameron Marlowe, who is from North Carolina, records for Columbia Nashville, and has had  over 148 million on-demand streams over a dozen digital tastemakers – Spotify, Amazon Music and Pandora among them. 

He loved music from a young age – schooled by his grandfather on the ‘90s country giants, and captivated by high-energy rockers like Stone Temple Pilots, Puddle of Mud and Kings of Leon. Plus, he sang in church and loved classic vocalists like Ray Charles and BB King, even forming a teenaged cover band that turned heads (the wrong direction, he jokes).

A hint of what could have been came in 2018, with a Top 24 appearance on Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice. But even with a resonate baritone as inviting as a Southern breeze, and a genuine small-town swagger, Marlowe left with nothing more than some new friends in Nashville – plus an interest in songwriting. It seemed like music had passed him by, and to be honest, he was fine with that. 

By 21, he was back home and back on the job, ready to settle down with a white-picket future. He was ready to put a ring on his girlfriend’s finger. But when she abruptly ended the relationship, telling him she wanted a different future, his whole world shook. Suddenly adrift and questioning the path he’d chosen, Marlowe put pen to paper for just the third or fourth time in his life … and that musical therapy session changed everything.

After signing with Columbia and releasing a self-titled EP in 2020, Marlowe tapped another electrifying power ballad as his single debut, sending the buzzed-and-broken “Sober as a Drunk” to country radio. In response, he was named to more than a dozen “ones to watch” lists, opened for stars including Lee Brice, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Young, and sold out headlining club shows throughout the Southeast. He’ll join Brad Paisley for his TOUR 2021 beginning in July. And now by working with mega-producer Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, etc.), he’s being challenged to believe in himself like never before.

Finally, Opry Country Classics will be taking place this week at the Grand Ole Opry House instead of its traditional home at the Ryman Auditorium. Once again, Larry Gatlin is the host, with a very solid line-up of artists. 

Opry Country Classics Thursday September 30
Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Sawyer Brown
Also Appearing: The Gatlin Brothers; Carlene Carter; Emily Ann Roberts; Charlie McCoy

As I have done for the past 30+ years, I will be heading down this week for the birthday weekend, taking in all of the shows next weekend along with a few of the mid-week shows. Hopefully the weather will be good as will the shows. Looking forward to seeing some of you over the next week.