The following is from Country Aircheck Today:
Almost House: Stoney Creek's Jelly Roll was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry by Craig Morgan during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. "It don't get no bigger in country music, bubba," Mr. Roll told Rogan. "That's as big as it gets. F***ing Grand Ole Opry, dawg." He also shared a story about seeing Morgan at the Opry, saying, "He comes out and sings 'Almost Home,' and I had, I'm not bulls***ing, cried maybe 10 times in my life at that point. I cried and cried. I cried like I'm crying here now, and I just remember thinking, 'Man, I want to make people feel the way he makes me feel.' That's what I want to do. I did it, Joe."
I will say that watching the video clip, it has been a long, long time since I have seen anyone get that emotional after being invited to join the Opry. I want to believe that it was sincere and, in his case, a dream that came true.
Some have asked, so here you go with my thoughts: I do have mixed feelings about Jelly Roll. I know that I am not part of the demographic that Jelly Roll appeals to, so maybe I am missing something. But when I talk to those who follow him and his message, he makes an impact. And those that he is making an impact with are those who are part of the next generation of Opry fans.
I have been reading some of the comments on the Opry's social media sites and he definitely has his supporters, as well as those who are really against this. I saw the comment about Jelly Roll's Opry appearances. Since his Opry debut in 2021, he has made 15 appearances. Certainly not as many as some others, but more than many of his contemporaries. 6 of those appearances have taken place this past year and he has stated that until the new Tennessee Titans stadium opens, he will only appear in Nashville on the Opry.
Overall, Dan Rogers has done, in my opinion, a very good job at bringing on new Opry members. His last four invites have gone to Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, Steve Earle and Steven Curtis Chapman. The last contemporary invite was Lainey Wilson who joined prior to Steven Curtis. It was time for a member who appealed to a younger audience. As with the others Dan has brought on, I will trust him on this one and trust that he made the right call.
How often Jelly Roll will appear on the Opry is anybody's guest. If the Opry gets 5-10 appearances from him in 2026, I call it a win. Anything more would be a bonus, while anything less would be a disappointment. Yes, there are members of the Opry of whom I do not care for. Not personally, but their music. But I do appreciate that they are Opry members and support the show by appearing. Hopefully, Jelly Roll will be one of those. Not like a few of the Opry members who can't seem to find their way to the Opry House.
One last comment that doesn't even pertain to Jelly Roll. I have been reading several comments about what a crime it is that Jelly Roll will be an Opry member, while Hank Williams still has not been reinstated. Let me remind those people once again that the Opry is only for living members. There are no dead members who are current Opry members. I will also note that if you go backstage at the Opry House, there is a wall that lists, in order, all of the members in the history of the Opry. Hank Williams is listed on that wall. While he left under unfortunate circumstances, it is still recognized that Hank was an Opry member. And don't forget that there is an Opry 100 Honors show in January that will honor Hank.
So at the end of the day how do I feel about it? I am fine with it. As with other new members, I offer my congratulations to Jelly Roll and I will look forward to his Opry induction, and in seeing him on the Opry. I am sure it will be quite a night.
Not sure how I feel about this to be honest. I know he's popular, but how often is he actually appearing at the Opry? Maybe he's there more than I think he is - happy to be corrected! Meanwhile, we have Elizabeth Cook, Charles Esten, Maggie Rose, The War & Treaty, Jim Lauderdale etc continuing to appear without being invited. I feel like the Opry has generally been quite good at selecting new members recently, so maybe Jelly will prove me wrong...
ReplyDeleteJelly Roll has probably appeared on the Opry as much as any modern-day artist currently in their prime. The last four member inductees are artists who were in their prime during the 80s and 90s, so a newer artist was pretty much due. I’m not a Jelly Roll fan musically, but he does seem to have a healthy respect for the Opry, so this move is probably a good one.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty nonplussed as he's not my cup of tea/what I think of as country, but Jelly Roll has a good story and I'm happy for his success. I thought he would get the invite at the Opry 100 special on NBC in March, but he had to cancel that and I'm not sure if he's been back since. I'm worried that will be a habit, but hopefully he'll surprise me.
ReplyDeleteJ in OK
Byron, you know I'm a fan of Jelly Roll ... there is just something about this guy that I like, I think he's just so honest, while remorseful, about his past. Honesty is integrity, so I may be wrong, but I think all the crying he does now is that he is sorry for all he did wrong, whatever all that was, I don't know what he all did and I don't need to know and that he is now so happy people are taking him and his music seriously. If listening to Craig Morgan's music helped Jelly turn his life around, then CHEERS to Craig Morgan and bigger CHEERS to Jelly Roll and congratulations to Jelly Roll as well!
ReplyDeleteIf he gets to the Opry a good dozen times a year, then hurray for him! I hope so, it's what the Opry invited him to do. Though I think he needs to not curse on the Opry stage, I don't think his new Opry boss will appreciate it any more than the FCC ... ha-ha! Being on Joe Rogan's podcast and use "language" is one thing, being on the Opry stage is an altogether different story. He'll be fine.
I'm sure there are others, but the last Opry member to get a Christmas gift from "Santa Dan" was Scotty McCreery when Garth Brooks invited him to be an Opry member ... today it was Jelly's turn to get a Christmas gift from "Santa Dan" I'm trusting that he knows what he's doing here. Thanks Santa and Merry Christmas too! :-)
(Jeanene)
I'm good with JellyRoll. I hope he appears often on the 'Opry.
ReplyDeleteHe will sell out every show he's on I suspect. Maybe two!
Good for him, and good for the 'Opry.
And thanks to Craig Morgan. I think the two of them are a lot alike.
As probably the youngest person here, I can tell you that he is one of the more popular artists in the last 10 to 20 years in any style of music. Like at all. That will only help the show to have someone that is that popular. If you want to sell tickets, names that people know sell tickets I think. The public has never heard of Elizabeth Cook. Not really as great as she is. Like the general public. But everyone knows who jelly is. Like this is a very good strategic move to get him while he’s hot. Ez
ReplyDeleteSorry, but "everyone" does not know who Jelly is. Other than some news articles I still don't know his music - it is not on the stations I listen to - since I don't hear WSM often, do they play his music? Just not my genre.
DeleteSo how come Elizabeth has guested more times than anyone else and still hasn't been offered membership?
DeleteThere is no easy answer other than she just has never been asked, or she is just fine guesting on the show. Opry membership has always been one of the mysteries. Mandy was on hundreds of times before she was asked, same with Rhonda Vincent. Others are asked much earlier in their careers.
DeleteFor me, this was expected. Jelly Roll understands what the Opry means and has such a compelling story about the impact of the Opry and country music in his own life. And while I understand that his music does not appeal to everyone, I have been impacted by his music, his story and the work he is doing to improve the lives of so many others. I personally think he will be a great Opry member who will help other audiences discover the wonder of the Opry. Kudos to Dan and his team on this selection!
ReplyDeleteI look at this as similar to Carrie Underwood. I'm not a big fan of her music, but, again, I'm not the demographic. But she gets it. She shows up and that's good enough for me. When I hear Reba or Brad being interviewed about loving the Opry, my stomach wants to turn over.
ReplyDeleteI am repulsed by this. He is not country and his appearance has lots to be desired. His language on the Rogan show was inappropriate... Show class when talking about the Opry and not with the f bomb.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100 percent! If this is the kind of talent the Opry needs to survive then perhaps it is time to turn off the lights and lock the doors. Absolutely disgusting!
DeleteYou mention that Dan Rogers is selecting these new members, but is he the sole decision or is there a selection/nomination committee, board of directors, or other joint process? As others mentioned, Jelly Roll definitely not in my wheelhouse for a new member.
ReplyDeleteThere is no selection/nominating committee or board of directors. While he does take into account the views and opinions of others, ultimately as the Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry, Dan has the final say.
ReplyDeleteNot a Jelly Roll fan, but I will say this. If he's willing to be on the Opry regularly and commit to being a member then I'm all for it. If the Opry is going to survive, we need members who will be there each week instead of just once every decade. So as long as he's willing to put in the effort, I say welcome to the family. I think the Opry is going to evolve into a show that welcomes all musical genres. Much like when I think of Austin City Limits. When it first started, I remember it being mostly country acts. But the show evolved into featuring acts of every genre. I would rather the Opry stay a purely country show, but I don't see it surviving another 100 years that way. I think it will have to evolve into a show that has artists from all genres. Am I necessarily a fan of the idea? No. I'd love to go back to the era of Roy Acuff, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, and Ernest Tubb. But those days are gone. Country music has changed good bad or indifferent. The entire music industry has blurred so much that just about every genre all sound alike (Bluegrass is about the only genre I can think of that I still recognize as a unique sound).
ReplyDeleteAdding to my previous comment though, I believe strong cursing/swearing of any kind on the Opry stage should be automatic dismissal as a member no matter who it is. Keep it a family show. If an Opry guest thinks its cute to use f words, they should be banned permanently. Foul language has no place at the Opry.
Delete