Tuesday Night Opry 5/13: Opry 100 Honors Loretta Lynn

Opry 100 Honors is a special live show series paying tribute to the trailblazing Opry legends who shaped country music’s past and continue to inspire its future. As part of the Tuesday Night Opry, the Opry will honor Loretta Lynn, a pioneering country music singer-songwriter whose raw, honest lyrics about life, love, and hardship resonated with generations of fans. The first woman to win the Country Music Association’s “Entertainer of the Year” Award, her groundbreaking success inspired countless artists, especially women, to share their stories through song.

Loretta's tribute in May will be the first, in what appears to be a monthly series of shows. In June, Johnny and June Carter Cash will be honored, while in July it will be Charlie Daniels. 

As you would expect, with the exception of Tre Twitty, part of the duo Twitty & Lynn, it will be an all-female celebration of Loretta's hits, and then some. The majority of the acts are on the schedule are Opry members, including the first appearances in 2025 by Martina McBride and Carly Pearce. Loretta's sister, Crystal Gayle is on the schedule, along with Rhonda Vincent. Completing the schedule are a couple of Loretta's granddaughters, Emmy Russell and Tayla Lynn. 

Tuesday May 13
7:00: Rhonda Vincent, Twitty & Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Martina McBride
Intermission
8:20: Emmy Russell, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce

Loretta Lynn joined the Grand Ole Opry on September 25, 1962. 

From the Tennessean, September 30, 1962: 

Ott Devine, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, announced this week that Loretta Lynn, voted by disc jockeys as the most promising female country singer of the year, has become a permanent member of the Opry cast. 

Loretta, a native Kentuckian, as been guest appearing on the Opry for the past several months, recording for Decca, and touring under management of the Wil Helm Agency. "The signing of Loretta," Ott said, "is keeping with the Opry's 36-year history of recognizing young promising talent." 

Loretta started her singing career is Custer, Wash. where she headed her own band. She came to Nashville on a promotional tour for her first record "I'm a Tonky Tonk Girl" and made a guest appearance on the Opry. The response was so great she remained on as a guest performer until she made it as a regular member of the cast. Her latest record "Success" has been moving steadily up the charts. 

Although her Grand Ole Opry appearances would steadily decrease over the years, once Loretta joined the Opry, she never left. When she passed away on October 4, 2022, Loretta had been an Opry member for just over 60 years, becoming the second female in the history of the Opry to have achieved that milestone. 

Martina McBride and Crystal Gayle, both of whom are on the schedule for the Tuesday night show, were inducted as Opry members by Loretta Lynn. Martina's Opry induction took place on November 30, 1995, during the taping of the Opry's 70th birthday special that aired in January on CBS. Crystal Gayle's induction took place on January 21, 2017. Crystal's induction was the final Grand Ole Opry appearance for Loretta. 

Her career achievements are too numerous to list. Among those are 16 No.1 singles and 10 No. 1 albums on the country charts. She won three Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, eight CMA Awards and 26 Music City News Awards. 

In 1972 she was the first female to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. 

In 1988 she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 1994 she received the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music. 1999 she was elected to the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2003 she was the recipient of Kennedy Center Honors, which is given by the President of the United States. In 2008, Loretta was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City in 2008. She received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her 50 years in country music in 2010. If that isn't enough, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2013. 

Loretta Lynn was a great choice to be the Opry's first honoree in 2025, and it should be a great show on Tuesday night as the Opry remembers Loretta Lynn.