Tuesday Night Opry 2/24

On February 6, 1976 Ronnie Milsap became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. On the Tuesday Night Opry this week, Ronnie will be honored as he celebrates his 50th year as a member of the Opry's cast. 

Ronnie came to Nashville in 1973 and was signed by RCA. The hits started soon after that and within a few years, led Ronnie to the Opry. As he said, "Before I joined the Opry in 1976, Jeanne Pruett was always getting me to come out here and guest. Eventually she said, 'I think you need to join the Grand Ole Opry.' And I said, 'Well, how do you do that?' All of a sudden, one night I was over here, and Mr. Roy Acuff came up to me in the hall and said, 'Hey, Ronnie, you want to be a member of the Opry?' I said, 'Yes, sir.' He said, 'Ok, then you're going to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.'"

Ronnie Milsap is certainly one of the greats in the history of country music. During his career, he has released over 30 albums and has had over 40 number one hits. He has won multiple CMA and ACM Awards including being named the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1977 and receiving the ACM Pioneer Award in 2002. In 2014 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

His Opry career has been a little spotty, at best. Since joining the cast in 1976, he has appeared less than 100 times. However, when he did appear, he was always well received. Now retired from performing, his last scheduled Opry appearance was when he celebrated his 80th birthday three years ago. While his 80th birthday was his last performing appearance, he did appear in March 2025 on the NBC 100th Opry special. He spent the majority of the show seated in the audience but did participate in the group number at the end. 

Joining Ronnie on Tuesday night will be a couple of Opry members who rarely appear on the show: Blake Shelton and Keith Urban. Outside of their appearance on the NBC 100th Opry special, neither of these Opry members appeared on the Opry in 2025. Keith last appeared in 2024 while Blake hasn't made a scheduled Opry appearance since 2022. Also on the schedule are members Trace Adkins, Mark Wills and Vince Gill. Ella Langley, currently the #1 female artist in country music, will be making a guest appearance, and I am sure many of those who bought tickets will be excited to see her, and might be there specifically for Ella. Rounding out the lineup is the Tennessee School for the Blind Jazz Band. 

In addition to honoring Ronnie Milsap, the Opry is also scheduled to announce the 2026 Opry NextStage class, which always creates a lot of excitement. 

Tuesday February 24
7:00: Mark Wills, Trace Adkins, Ella Langley, Keith Urban
Intermission
8:20: Vince Gill, Blake Shelton, Tennessee School for the Blind Jazz Band, Ronnie Milsap

Ronnie is scheduled currently to do 2 songs on Tuesday night. Reports are that he has been rehearsing. Hopefully he can pull it off. I know when I was there for his last show in 2023, it was a challenge. No matter, I am happy that he is well enough to appear and celebrate his 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He joins a very short and selective list. 

(Rhonda Vincent posted on her Facebook page that she will be at the Opry on Tuesday night. She did not specify if she will be there performing or just to help honor Ronnie. As I post this on Sunday evening, I have not seen any cancellations in the lineup that I received). 

The weekend Ronnie joined the Opry, he appeared on the Friday Night Opry, where he officially became a member, welcomed by Roy Acuff. Ronnie also appeared the following night. Here is the running order from Saturday February 7, 1976, Ronnie's first appearance as an official member of the Opry's cast:

1st show
6:30: Mrs. Grissoms
Billy Grammer (host): Gotta Travel On
Del Wood: Keep on the Firing Line/(?)
Billy Grammer: That's Life/God Will Take Care of You

6:45: Rudy's
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper (host): Curly-Headed Baby
Skeeter Davis: Love Will Keep Us Together
Willis Brothers: Truck Stop
Wilma Lee Cooper: The Tramp on the Street

7:00: Shoney's
Porter Wagoner (host): On A Highway Headed South
Barbara Mandrell: Standing Room Only
Roy Drusky: Sunrise
Ernie Ashworth: Wichita Woman
Barbara Mandrell: Steel Guitar Rag
Roy Drusky: One Day at A Time
Porter Wagoner: Cold Hard Facts of Life/The Carroll County Accident/Green, Green Grass of Home

7:30: Standard Candy
Roy Acuff (host): Wabash Cannonball
Don Gibson: Sweet Dreams
Marion Worth: You Win Again
Justin Tubb: Looking Back to See
Roy Acuff: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Crook Brothers/Stoney Mountain Cloggers: Gray Eagle
Don Gibson: Oh, Lonesome Me

8:00: Martha White
Osborne Brothers (host): Smokey Mountain Smoke
Grandpa Jones: Ball Headed End of the Broom
Connie Smith: 'Til I Kissed Ya
Charlie Louvin & Pam Dickinson: Don't It Seem to Rain A Lot In Our Lives
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Osborne Brothers: Rocky Top

8:30: Stephens
Hank Snow (host): I Don't Hurt Anymore
Jeanne Pruett: Satin Sheets
Ronnie Milsap: Daydreams About Night Things
Bill Carlisle: I'm Moving
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Bill Cheatham
Brush Arbor: White Line
Hank Snow: The Next Voice You Hear

2nd show
9:30: Kellogg's
Roy Drusky (host): Alone With You
Willis Brothers: Bob
Don Gibson: I Can't Stop Loving You
Skeeter Davis: One Tin Soldier
Justin Tubb: As Long As There's A Sunday
Don Gibson: Blue, Blue Day
Roy Drusky: Bouquet of Roses

10:00: Fender
Porter Wagoner (host): Tennessee Sunshine
Barbara Mandrell: Satisfied
Del Wood: The Entertainer
Porter Wagoner: The Last One to Touch Me

10:15: Union 76
Roy Acuff (host): Traveling the Highway Alone
Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper: Heartbreak Street
Roy Acuff: The Great Speckled Bird/I Saw the Light

10:30: Trailblazer
Grandpa Jones (host): Nashville On My Mind
Osborne Brothers: Smokey Mountain Smoke
Billy Grammer: That's Life
Grandpa Jones: Make Me A Pallet Down on the Floor

10:45: Beech-Nut
Hank Locklin (host): The Sweetest Mistake I Ever Made
Connie Smith: 'Til I Kissed Ya
Crook Brothers/Smokey Mountain Cloggers: Cotton Eyed Joe
Hank Locklin: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On

11:00: Coca-Cola
Hank Snow (host): Tangled Mind
Stu Phillips: Only You Can Hush the Wind
Marion Worth: Delta Dawn
Fruit Jar Drinkers: Hickory Leaf
Ernie Ashworth: Wichita Woman
Kirk McGee: My Darling Rose Malone
Hank Snow: Mary Ann Regrets

11:30: Elm Hill
Charlie Louvin (host): I Just Want Out
Jeanne Pruett: Break My Mind/Satin Sheets
Ronnie Milsap: Lovesick Blues/Just in Case/Daydreams About Night Things
Bill Carlisle: Little Liza Jane
Charlie Louvin & Pam Dickinson: If I Could Only Win Your Love

Congratulations again to Ronnie Milsap and while I am unable to be there on Tuesday night, I will be listening from my home base in Canton.