2021 Opry Year in Review

It's that time for a look back at 2021 at the Grand Ole Opry.  If nothing else, it was a very eventful year at the Opry with the biggest event being the 5,000th Saturday night performance of the Grand Ole Opry. The celebration took place with two sold out shows on October 30, which included appearances by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Chris Young, Chris Janson and a number of other Opry members. It was certainly a memorable night. Earlier in the month, the Opry celebrated its 96th birthday as the countdown to the 100th anniversary continues. 

In addition to those two milestones, NBC televised a 95th Opry special in January, that included a number of Opry members. The Opry also was part of the Music City Grand Prix, with a show headlined by the Oak Ridge Boys, Bill Anderson celebrated his 60th year as a member of the Opry, Randy Travis was honored upon his 35th year as an Opry member, and if that wasn't enough, the Grand Ole Opry was the opening act for Garth Brook's Nissan Stadium concert, a show that included Jeannie Seely, the Gatlins, Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris and Chris Young, before heavy rains and storms shut down the show. 

The Opry added five new members during 2021, the most in any one year in decades. Lady A was invited and inducted as part of the Opry's 95th special in January, followed by Rhonda Vincent (who had been invited to become a member before Covid struck), Carly Pearce, The Isaacs and Mandy Barnett. Additionally, Lauren Alaina was invited to join the cast in December, with her induction scheduled for 2022. 

Sadly, the Opry lost two of its longest tenured members as Tom T Hall, an Opry member for over 50 years, and Stonewall Jackson, a 60-year Opry member and the last remaining member to have joined the cast in the 1950s, both passed away. While neither had been on the Opry in a number of years, their passing was still felt by many. 

When you add it all up, the Opry started 2021 with 64 members and ended the year with 67.

I know there are those interested in the numbers, so here we go. When all was said and done, the Opry put on 152 shows at the Opry House in 2021. That was up from 80 shows in 2020, but down from the 231 pre-Covid shows in 2019. Those numbers include the Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night Opry shows, Opry Country Classics and Opry Christmas shows. 

Who appeared on the Opry the most in 2021? The Top 10 list is below and there are really no surprises as the veteran Opry members dominated the list. This has been the trend for years. It is nice to see a couple of the Opry's newest members on the list as it shows their commitment to the show. 

Jeannie Seely: 89
Riders In The Sky: 68
Connie Smith: 45
John Conlee: 28
Rhonda Vincent: 24
Dailey & Vincent: 23
Gatlin Brothers: 23
Bobby Osborne: 22
Bill Anderson: 20
Mark Wills: 19

As usual, the number of Opry members who did not appear in the past year was substantial: Bobby Bare, Clint Black, Diamond Rio, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Jesse McReynolds, Dolly Parton, Stu Phillips, Ray Pillow, Jeanne Pruett, Rascal Flatts, Ricky Van Shelton, Keith Urban and The Whites. That adds up to 18. Granted, many on the list are retired, but there are a couple that were active and doing shows in 2021 (specifically Diamond Rio and Alan Jackson), Rascal Flatts has broken up while a couple of others stayed home, working to keep safe during the Covid surge. (It should also be noted that while The Whites did not perform this past year, the were at the Opry to help induct The Isaacs as new Opry members). 

There were several who have supported the show in the past that saw a significant decrease in appearances in 2021, with that group led by veteran Opry member Mike Snider, who appeared only once. Mike was always one of the top members to appear on the show and it seems with some of the changes at the Opry and the current format, Mike is taking a break from the show. 

Others who appeared only once in 2021 include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap, Eddie Montgomery, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis and Travis Tritt. As one of the Opry's newest members, it is very disappointing to see Lady A on this list. 

As to the rest of the members: 

The Isaacs: 17
Mandy Barnett: 15
Carly Pierce: 12
Vince Gill, Chris Janson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs: 8
Craig Morgan: 7
Dustin Lynch, Del McCoury, Steve Wariner: 6
Terri Clark, Lorrie Morgan, Oak Ridge Boys, Marty Stuart, Chris Young: 5
Gene Watson, Trisha Yearwood: 4
Garth Brooks, Luke Combs, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner: 3
Trace Adkins, Crystal Gayle, Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood: 2

(The appearance count for The Isaacs, Carly Pearce and Mandy Barnett includes all of their 2021 shows, including those prior to their memberships).

Normally, I am critical of those active Opry members who appear less than 10 times per year, which was the unwritten goal. However, with less Opry shows, Covid, and many artists cutting back for health and safety reasons, I give most of the members a pass. Hopefully we will see many of those members appearing more often in 2022. 

In its history, the Opry has been blessed with a number of comedians who were Opry members. Names such as Minnie Pearl, Rod Brasfield, Archie Campell, June Carter, Duke of Paducah and Jerry Clower to name a few. That said, comedy made a big comeback as the Opry welcomed a number of those to the show this past year, led by Gary Mule Deer, who appeared 28 times, which was the most by any non-Opry member. Looking at a few of the other comedy acts who made multiple appearances, the list includes Henry Cho (21), John Crist (12), Brad Upton (10). Aaron Weber (8), Chonda Pierce (6), Dusty Slay (5), and Killer Beaz (5). Comedy seems to have become a part of every Opry show. 

Also standing out in 2021 was the number of artists and acts who made their Opry debuts during the year. If my addition is correct, there were 49 who walked onto the Opry stage for the first time, and it was a diverse group. The range included veteran country acts, comedians, bluegrass, Americana and large number of new, contemporary country acts. 

So, adding it all up, who were the non-Opry members that made the most appearances in 2021? The list of those who made 10 or more appearances: 

Gary Mule Deer: 28
Henry Cho: 21
Don Schlitz: 16
Charlie McCoy: 13
John Crist: 12
Charlie Worsham: 12
T. Graham Brown: 11
Charles Esten: 11
Brad Upton: 10

Right behind that group with 9 each were Darin & Brooke Aldridge, John Berry, Jake Hoot and Maggie Rose, while future Opry member Lauren Alaina, Lindsay Ell and Aaron Weber followed up with 8. 

Could any of those guest artists become future Opry members? I know some have speculated that one of the comedians could be asked, while others have mentioned T. Graham Brown, Don Schlitz, Charles Esten, Charlie Worsham and Darin & Brooke Aldridge. And while the didn't make this list, Jimmie Allen is a name that should be watched, along with Jon Pardi. 

So, what to expect in 2022? Probably more of the same. I would expect to see a few more new members in the coming year, along with many more artists making their Opry debuts. And if the Opry can't get many of their members to return to the Opry stage on more of a semi-regular basis, I would expect many of the shows to have more non-members performing than members. Thankfully, we should appreciate all of the artists who come out to perform on the show. 

As I conclude, and I mention this every year, my thanks again to all who read and follow the blog, especially those who take the time to comment, or email and text questions and other personal thoughts and opinions to me. I always enjoy hearing from everyone. As I have mentioned before, I am on Facebook, Twitter, and you can text or email. I find it hard to believe, but since I started this blog, there have been over 1.4 million page views and just under 14,000 comments. 

Special thanks go to those who I have met not only this past year, but in other years while attending Opry shows. I have made many special friends and it is always nice to put a face to a name. Those who I have never met, either due to distance or timing, don't despair. I could still happen someday. And while I appreciate the long-time readers, I also want to thank the new readers of the blog. 

My thanks also go to all of those who work or are associated with the Grand Ole Opry and the Grand Ole Opry House. I know some of you follow the blog and every time I head down to Nashville and the Opry, I have always felt welcomed and appreciated. Even though we sometimes disagree, I still think the Grand Ole Opry is the greatest show in the world, a real piece of Americana.

Finally, thanks and appreciation to Dan Rogers and the entire team who run the Opry. I know it is not an easy job booking the show each week, but I also realize that all of you are doing your best to put a good show on each night. You are dependent on Opry members and the non-members you reach out to, to fill the line-up each night. I know some weeks are better than others, but I will never question the commitment behind the scenes. We all thank you.

Again, my thanks and appreciation to everyone. 

(As a disclaimer, the appearance counts are based on my own personal records. I strive to be 100% accurate, however if I missed one or two, my apology. Following the policy that the Opry had, if there were two shows on a particular night and an artist appeared on both shows, that counted as two appearances. Appearances were counted only for official Opry shows).