It was a wonderful and busy week at the Grand Ole Opry as the Opry celebrated its 99th birthday this past weekend and announced the plans for the 2025 100th birthday celebration.
The celebration will take place all year, and it is going to be a very busy year for the show as there are a lot of activities planned. The big news, at least to me, is that there will be no specific weekend for the 2025 birthday in October, but rather, the Opry will celebrate the entire month, with birthday celebrations scheduled for each show during the month. Those celebrations will include the traditional cake, cupcakes and plaza parties. The other important date is Friday November 28, 2025, as that date falls exactly 100 years from the very first WSM show that featured George D. Hay and Uncle Jimmy Thompson. The Opry will be having a special show that night to commemorate the event.
Some of the 2025 announced plans, as reported in The Nashville Tennessean:
In January 2025 the Opry will be at downtown Nashville's Ryman Auditorium through Jan. 17, the program's host venue from 1943 to 1974. On the show's Jan. 3 edition, Country Music Hall of Famer "Whispering" Bill Anderson, the longest-serving member in Opry history, has been tapped to open the 100th celebration with the first song performed in 2025.
The Grand Ole Opry will offer 100 debut performances in 2025 beginning on January 18 with Shaboozey.
The Opry's will stage a fall 2025 performance at London's Royal Albert Hall which will "feature an all-star cast that will bring to life the rich and diverse musical styles found within the country music genre," according to an official statement.
"Opry 100 Honors" shows honoring legends including Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Patsy Cline, Charlie Daniels, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Minnie Pearl, Charley Pride, Porter Wagoner, Hank Williams, Tammy Wynette and more will be held. A portion of these ticket sales will benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which, for 60 years, has assisted members of the country's music community in need.
The Opry will name country music's 100 all-time greatest songs as determined by fans worldwide. Those songs will be showcased in Opry shows throughout 2025.
On Nov. 28, 2025, the Opry will celebrate the 100th anniversary of performer Uncle Jimmy Thompson sitting down and playing his fiddle for the first time on what would become the Grand Ole Opry. A press statement describes the event as "(walking) through the Opry's decades, beginning with that first performance and building toward a look to the Opry's next century."
The Grand Ole Opry and Abrams Books-released "100 Years of Grand Ole Opry" was written by historian Craig Shelburne and is available for pre-order at Opry100.com with exclusive editions containing bonus content available at select retailers. Opry and Abrams have also collaborated on 2025 wall and desk calendars, plus an Opry-themed children's book titled "Howdy! Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry," debuting in fall 2025.
Other limited-edition commemorative merchandise, including apparel and home goods, will be released in Jan. 2025 and available online at Opry100.com.
The question was asked and yes, there will be more members added to the Opry's cast in 2025. No names were mentioned, but Dan Rogers said to say toned.
"This centennial is not just a look back — it’s a celebration of the future of country music and the artists who continue to shape its story,” Grand Ole Opry Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers said. “Most importantly, we are grateful to the fans, artists, employees, Nashville and the entire country music community who have helped us reach this special moment. We can’t wait for everyone to join us for what will be an unforgettable year."
Overall, it is promising to be an exciting year, and tickets will be available for all shows on Friday. Pre-sales are now taking place.
As far as the 2024 birthday weekend, I thought it was an outstanding weekend, one of the best in the past several years. All three shows over the weekend were sold out and the shows offered some great music. Among the standouts on Friday night were standing ovations to Charlie McCoy and Don Schlitz, along the Gretchen Wilson, who closed out the show with "Redneck Woman." The Friday show also had a surprise appearance by Marty Stuart. No Marty did not sing; he came out and played guitar for Connie.
In addition to the two Opry shows on Saturday, there was the Opry Plaza Party, which has become an annual event. With the perfect weather, there were a lot of people there. The Saturday show had lots of highlights including the final appearance by Danny Davis, who spent decades at the Opry and a number of years with Jeannie Seely. Danny announced his retirement to spend time with his family. Another highlight was Katherine McPhee, who was making her Grand Ole Opry debut. And she did not disappoint. Like Gretchen Wilson on Friday night, Katherine sang "Redneck Woman" and in what I am sure was an Opry first, she danced through the audience and to cap it off, she jumped up on the piano, surprising Randy Hart. The audience loved it and it was a lot of fun to watch.
While there was no "superstar" on any of the shows, the lineups were very solid and offered some great country music. It was a fun weekend.
It is back to normal on Tuesday night and here are the running orders for the shows this week:
Tuesday October 15
7:00: Craig Morgan, Riders In The Sky, Jason Carter & Bronwhyn Keith-Hynes, Don Schlitz
Intermission
8:15: Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson & Sam Palladio, Lauren Alaina, Chris Janson
Wednesday October 16
7:00: T. Graham Brown, Madeline Merlo, Jeannie Seely, Dustin Lynch
Intermission
8:15: Jackson Dean, Del McCoury Band, Scotty McCreery
Thursday October 17
Host: Larry Gatlin
Spotlight Artist: Steve Wariner
Also Appearing: Mandy Barnett, Charlie McCoy, Jake Hoot
Some good shows this week that will include some collaborations and an Opry debut.