I’ve been to quite a few Grand Ole Opry shows over the past 50 years, including the 75th anniversary show, the 5,000 Saturday night show and the 50th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House. There have been others, but those are the ones that stand out. While I missed the 50th birthday weekend, the opening of the Grand Ole Opry House, and the return to the Opry House after the 2010 flood, those shows were outstanding also.
That said, Friday night was special and for those who missed it, I would say that the two shows on Friday were the best shows I have ever seen at the Opry. To take it one step further, with the exception of the first night at the Opry House in 1974, the first 15 minutes were the greatest 15 minutes in the history of the Opry.
To recap, the show opened with Ricky Skaggs playing Tennessee Wagoner, the first song that Uncle Jimmy Thompson performed 100 years ago, and he played it on Uncle Jimmy’s fiddle. With the cast standing behind him, Bill Anderson and Kathy Mattea stepped forward and Bill led the singing on a special version of Will the Circle be Unbroken, with lyrics Bill wrote for the special night. The significance was Bill being the longest tenured member in the history of the Opry, and Kathy being the newest member of the Opry, bridging the past and the future of the Opry’s members. That was followed by the George Jones classic, Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes, with Scotty McCreery answering the question of who’s gonna sing the Wabash Cannonball. Of course, that was followed by the singing of the Roy Acuff classic.
During that entire segment, the majority of the audience were standing, with tears in many eyes. It was truly an emotional moment and the perfect way to start the show.
The entire night was a highlight but two stood out for me: the tribute to Bill Anderson and the gospel segment that featured The Isaacs, John Conlee and Mark Wills. The ending was perfect with Steven Curtis Chapman leading the cast in the finale. I also nod my head to the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, who I hadn’t seen in a while, and in my personal opinion, should be on every week backing up the square dancers.
All aspects of the Opry's history were remembered in some way: the square dancers and string bands, comedy, gospel, and artists from various generations.
The entire show was put together so well, blending the past with the present. I know that Dan Rogers spent a lot of time and effort putting this show together and he should be congratulated by each of us. I spoke to him on Friday night, just long enough to tell him thanks.
The first show lasted over two and a half hours, with the second show ending until 1:40 in the morning. In my opinion, the audience for the first show seemed much more energetic and enthusiastic than those attending the late show, which was understandable considering how late into the night it was. And there were those, like me, who attended both shows.
I know many watched the livestream and from what Miss Nellie told me, there were no issues with the stream, and it was so well produced that she felt she was right there with me. I think, from what she told me, the video and pictures that were shown in the Opry House were also shown on the livestream.
In addition to those I have already mentioned, there was Dustin Lynch, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan (who did an outstanding version of Something In Red, perhaps the best I have ever heard her sing it), Marty Stuart, Del McCoury, The Whites, Riders In The Sky, Gatlin Brothers, Dailey & Vincent, Suzy Bogguss, Mandy Barnett, T Graham Brown, Don Schlitz, Henry Cho, Gary Mule Deer, Charlie McCoy, Jamey Johnson, and last but not least, Vince Gill.
Following in the footsteps of Roy Acuff, Vince is truly the face of the Grand Ole Opry and I could make an argument that Vince is the Opry’s most important and valuable member. During his segment, he spoke fondly of Roy and what Roy, and the Opry means to him.
Connie Smith, Trace Adkins and Jeanne Pruett were scheduled but canceled due to illness.
For those Opry members who were not there, and we know who they were, it would have been nice if you would have been there on this historic night (and the date has been known for 100 years), but you were not missed. The show was fine with those who chose to be there. I just can’t believe in the Opry’s 100th year, that there are some active members who have not appeared at all this year, or only made an appearance on the NBC special back in March. I know some have had legitimate reasons, but not everyone.
While there were a couple of members specifically who did disappoint me by not being there, those who were are the members that are the backbone of the Opry, that carry the show most weeks and will continue to carry the show into the future. They deserved their time in the spotlight.
A surprise was seeing the Opry’s former general manager Pete Fisher, who was sitting a couple of rows in front of me. We enjoyed spending some time talking to him and he could not have been any nicer. He did say that he hopes to begin production soon on the movie about the life of Jimmy Dickens. Pete looked good and relaxed and seemed to be enjoying himself.
Yes, we can nick pick at a few things here and there; members that were missing or not remembered, songs that we not sung, but not me. Well, actually, the traffic on Briley Parkway and the lack of parking spaces in the mall parking lot would be on my list. Luckily, I parked in the Opry's parking lot, as did a few others.
Opry 100 will continue into 2026, and I know there will be many more historic and wonderful shows on the schedule, but it will be hard to top Friday night.
On a personal note, my thanks to my “Opry” friends. I saw more than a few of you both Friday and Saturday night, and I always enjoy the visits. It was nice to catch up and to see some that I haven't seen in years. For those at home, yes, I was proudly standing with those, actually just a few, who have attended more than 100 Opry shows.
Again, thanks to Dan Rogers and the entire team at the Grand Ole Opry for what we have experienced not only on Friday night, but during the entire 100th year. It's been wonderful. And what we saw on Friday night will never be repeated.
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