Grand Ole Opry 2/27 & 2/28

Just a bit of news before getting into what will be taking place at the Grand Ole Opry this weekend. On Tuesday, the Opry named it's NextStage class for 2026. Alexandra Kay, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Graham Barham, Hudson Westbrook, Jake Worthington, Tyler Braden, Vincent Mason, Willow Avalon make up the class of 2026. All have appeared on the Opry previously and more appearances are expected in the coming year. 

Some are disappointed that John Foster was not named to this class. So am I. As he continues his string of Opry appearances, fans have been impressed and he has been well received. Hopefully, the future will be bright for him. 

Now looking ahead to this weekend, it going to be a very special night at the Grand Ole Opry House on Saturday as the Opry will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. 

But before we get to Saturday night, there is a very good Friday Night Opry on the calendar that will feature Opry members Connie Smith, who missed last weekend, John Conlee, Riders In The Sky, Mark Wills and The Isaacs. Rounding out the lineup is the amazing guitarist Tommy Emmanual, Jackson Dean and making their Opry debut, Red Camel Collective. 

Red Camel Collective is one of bluegrass music's hottest new acts. The group includes Heather Berry Mabe, Tony Mabe, Curt Love, and Johnathan Dillon. Originally from Walnut Cove, NC, known for blending heartfelt vocals, masterful musicianship, and a modern take on traditional roots. They won the 2025 IBMA New Artist of the Year award and their self-titled debut album spent three months at No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart

Now, taking a look at Saturday night and the official press release: 

The Grand Ole Opry will host a 25th anniversary celebration for the 8x Platinum O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack on Sat. February 28. The special Opry show will feature artists from the original soundtrack and more including Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters, Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Chris Thomas King, Colin Linden, Dan Tyminski, Del McCoury Band, Emmylou Harris,  Fisk Jubilee Singers, Jerry Douglas, Molly Tuttle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sarah Jarosz, The Fairfield Four, The Whites, and Tim Blake Nelson.

The film’s iconic, T Bone Burnett–produced soundtrack helped spark a renaissance of roots music—bringing bluegrass, gospel, blues, country, and folk back into the spotlight. Like the Opry has done and featured for over 100 years, the show will honor the music, the legacy and the timeless sound of the American South.

An exclusive 25th anniversary O Brother, Where Art Thou? Hatch Show Print poster will be available for sale in The Opry Shop. 

Lost Highway Records will mark the 25th anniversary of the iconic O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack by releasing a vinyl gatefold edition on February 20, 2026.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? was produced by T Bone Burnett for the 2000 Coen Brothers’ film of the same name, which was set in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression and starred George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as three escaped convicts. The soundtrack climbed to the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 after winning multiple GRAMMY® Awards, including Album of the Year. It was also named Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. The film and soundtrack sparked a 21st-century cultural renaissance, reintroducing traditional American roots music to the masses and inspiring a new wave of popular music, rooted in the American South – a movement that Lost Highway Records was at the epicenter of.

 O Brother, Where Art Thou? was the biggest-selling soundtrack of the decade according to Billboard and, in recent years, has been named as one of the best soundtracks of all time by such outlets as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Time Out and Parade. As contemporary artists continue to reimagine its songs – such as Home Free’s cover of “Man of Constant Sorrow” and Pepper Coyote’s version of “Big Rock Candy Mountain” – the soundtrack’s resounding impact is clear.

I find it very hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the movie came out and I am very happy that the Opry was able to get the vast majority of those associated with the movie to come out for this special night. As stated in the press release, Grand Ole Opry members Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Old Crow Medicine Show, Del McCoury Band and The Whites head up the lineup, with Billy Strings, Dan Tyminski, Molly Tuttle and Jerry Douglas among those who will be appearing. 

Friday February 27: 
7:00: Mark Wills, Connie Smith, Red Camel Collective, Tommy Emmanuel
Intermission
8:20: John Conlee, Riders In The Sky, Jackson Dean, The Isaacs

Saturday February 28
7:00:
Alison Krauss
The Fairfield Four
Billy Strings
Old Crow Medicine Show
Sarah Jarosz
Fisk Jubilee Singers
Colin Linden
Chris Thomas King
The Whites
Molly Tuttle
Emmylou Harris
Alaska Sunnyside Singers
Tim Blake Nelson
Dan Tyminski
Del McCoury Band
Jerry Douglas
Suart Duncan
Mike Compton
Dennis Crouch

(There will be an intermission at 8:00)

Let me add that I am very happy to see Alison back on the Opry. It has been a while (not counting the NBC special, and she has been missed. As to the running order, the list I posted is what was sent out. Don't necessarily assume all will appear in that order. 

It is that time of year where we start to anticipate the naming of the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Each year there are numerous debates on who should be in the Hall yet have been passed over for years. One of those is Archie Campbell. 

Archie Campbell was from Bulls Gap, Tennessee. He got his start in 1936 when he co-hosted a radio show with Roy Acuff in Knoxville. A year later, he moved to Chattanooga, where he stayed until joining the Navy in 1941. After returning from the service, he moved back to Knoxville and station WNOX, where he helped to create the Tennessee Barn Dance. In 1952 he moved to a rival station where he helped to start Country Playhouse, the city's first country music television program. 

In 1958 Archie moved to Nashville and to the Grand Ole Opry. The following year replaced Rod Brasfield on the nationally syndicated Prince Albert segment of the Opry. Soon after, he signed a contract with RCA Victor, and one of his early singles, "Trouble in the Amen Corner" reached the 1960 country music top 25. After an unsuccessful stint with the Starday label, Campbell returned to RCA Victor in 1966 and had three top 30 singles: "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" (1966), "The Dark End of the Street" (1968), and "Tell It Like It Is" (1968).  

 In 1968 he became a writer and star for the popular country variety show Hee-Haw. In 1969, his success as a recording artist and actor led him to be named "Comedian of the Year" by the Country Music Association. 

In 1984, Campbell hosted TNN's Yesteryear interview show. Campbell was an accomplished amateur golfer and built one of the earliest lighted golf courses in the United States. An avid painter (he painted the mural backstage at the Grand Ole Opry), he also owned an art gallery and served on the school board in Knoxville, where he lived until his death.

On June 15, 1987, Campbell suffered a heart attack. He had heart surgery but then died of kidney failure on August 29, 1987.

I bring up Archie Campbell because it was on February 28, 1987, that Archie Campbell made his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. By that point in his career, Archie had a theater in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and would spend much of the tourist season performing there, with his Opry appearances generally taking place during the winter months. 

Here is the posted lineup from Saturday February 28, 1987: 

1st show: 
6:30: Stonewall Jackson (host): The 4 Guys
6:45: Archie Campbell (host): Skeeter Davis
7:00: Hank Snow (host): Charlie Walker, Boxcar Willie, Dottie West
7:30: Roy Acuff (host): Jim Ed Brown, Connie Smith, George Hamilton IV, The Crook Brothers, Melvin Sloan Dancers
8:00: Porter Wagoner (host): The Osborne Brothers, Roy Drusky, The Whites, Jeanne Pruett
8:30: Grandpa Jones (host): Del Reeves, Jean Shepard, Billy Walker, Jack Greene

2nd show
9:30: Porter Wagoner (host): The 4 Guys, Dottie West, The Carlisles, Lorrie Morgan Whitley
10:00: Archie Campbell (host): Jeannie Seely
10:15: Roy Acuff (host): Boxcar Willie
10:30: Grandpa Jones (host): Jean Shepard, Charlie Louvin
10:45: Jim Ed Brown (host): Roy Drusky, The Crook Brothers, Melvin Sloan Dancers
11:00: Hank Snow (host): Connie Smith, The Osborne Brothers, The Whites
11:30: Del Reeves (host): Jack Greene, Jeanne Pruett

When Archie first came to the Opry, country comedians were expected to dress like country bumkins and rural characters. That changed with Archie: 

"One particular night at the Opry, I took a look at Ferlin Husky. He was one of those well-dressed cats; he'd come out in them mohair suits. And I thought, my God, that's it. So I bought a new mohair suit, while shirt and a white tie. When I came on that night, they asked, 'Where's your costume?' And I said, 'This is it,' And they said, 'Hell, you can't go out in stuff like that. That's no outfit for a comedian.'"

That night, he proved his point as he saved his best stuff for the show that night, and again in his words, "I really laid 'em in the aisles. I proved my point. As far as I know, I'm the first one to ever dress like that in country comedy." 

I mentioned that Archie has been overlooked for the Country Music Hall of Fame. His resume speaks for itself. He was one of the top comedians on the Opry for almost 30 years. And not only was he a great comedian, but he was also a wonderful storyteller. He was a charter member of the cast of Hee Haw on CBS-TV from its beginning in 1969, and he also served as one of the head writers. He also developed many of the characters and scripts on the show such as Archie's Barber Shop, Doc Cambell and Justus O'Peace. His contributions to country music were enormous. 

Archie Campbell's childhood home on Main Street in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, has been preserved as a memorial, and has been expanded into a "tourism complex and museum." I visited there a couple of years ago and it is wonderful. It's a little out of the way and a bit hard to find, but it is worth the stop. Plus, it is free!!

On June 15, 1987, Campbell suffered a heart attack. He had heart surgery but then died of kidney failure on August 29, 1987. He is buried near the town of Powell, Tennessee.

Enjoy the Opry this weekend!