It's the mid-point of the year and time to take a quick look back at the first half of 2026 at the Grand Ole Opry.
2026 has started out as a busy year for the Opry with Suzy Bogguss and Jelly Roll being added as new members, with Rhett Akins accepting an invitation to join last month. Sadly, Don Schlitz passed away earlier this year, followed by Bob Whittaker and Bill Cody. That currently leaves us with 77 Opry members.
As you would expect, it is the veteran Opry members that are leading the pack in appearances. Riders In The Sky, Dailey & Vincent and T. Graham Brown have appeared 27 times each, followed by Rhonda Vincent with 26, John Conlee 21, Connie Smith and Mandy Barnett 20, The Whites 17 and The Oak Ridge Boys with 15. It has been nice to see The Oaks up their appearances in 2026, and they have many more on the upcoming schedules.
On the opposite end, we have these "active" Opry members who have yet to appear thus far in 2026: Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Martina McBride, Diamond Rio, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner, Rascal Flatts, and Little Big Town. (I did not include Lady A who is on an upcoming schedule, nor Alan Jackson). There are many more who have appeared only once or twice. That includes Jelly Roll whose only appearance has been the night of his induction. In looking at the list, there really are no surprises.
What is nice to see is that the latest group of Opry members have been making appearances and are well on their way to making at least 10 this year. Steven Curtis Chapman, Steve Earle, Kathy Mattea and Suzy Bogguss have all been good choices.
The only Opry 100 Honors this year has been for Hank Williams and Don Williams. I am sure there will be others coming up on the schedule.
Summing up the first half of the year, it has been a pretty typical year. Lots of shows, lots of non-members and lots of Opry debuts. I am sure we will see more of that in the second half.
Now taking a look at the Grand Ole Opry schedule for this weekend, the Friday Night Opry has four members on the schedule: T. Graham Brown, Dailey & Vincent, Connie Smith and Steve Wariner. Saturday night features three members: Mandy Barnett, John Conlee and The Whites.
Guesting on Friday night is award singing/songwriter Erin Enderlin, comedian Alex Velluto, Andrew Farriss and Madeline Merlo.
Elizabeth Cook is on the short list of non-members who have appeared on the Opry the most times and she is back on the schedule on Saturday night. Joining Elizabeth are Sister Sadie, Kylie Morgan and comedian Karen Mills.
Friday July 10
7:00: T. Graham Brown, Erin Enderlin, Connie Smith, Steve Wariner
Intermission
8:20: Madeline Merlo, Alex Velluto, Andrew Farriss, Dailey & Vincent
Saturday July 11
7:00: Opry Square Dancers, Mandy Barnett, John Conlee, Kylie Morgan, Josiah & The Bonnevilles
Intermission
8:20: The Whites, Karen Mills, Elizabeth Cook, Sister Sadie
If you woke up in Nashville on Sunday morning July 11, 1965, you were greeted with this headline across the front page of the Nashville Tennessean:
Badly Injured Roy Acuff, Friend Rushed to Nashville
Country music star Roy Acuff and Harold B. (Shot) Jackson, injured in an automobile accident at Sparta, Tenn., were on their way to a Nashville hospital late yesterday. The two were returning by ambulance, after medical authorities revised an earlier decision that the two stars could not be moved. The Tennessee Highway Patrol Helicopters prepared to fly to Sparta and return the injured stars to Nashville, were taken off a standby basis about 4 p.m. The decision to return the men to Nashville by ambulance was made shortly after this.
Acuff, 58, "The Granddaddy of the Grand Ole Opry" and Jackson, 44, a guitarist in Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys, were injured when Acuff's gray Imperial skidded into the path of another car on U.S. 70, six miles west of Sparta, about 9:30 yesterday morning. Earlier attempts to move the country music star to Nashville were called off when his blood pressure reportedly dropped. At attending physician, Dr. Donald Bradley at White County Hospital, Sparta, said Acuff was in serious condition with broken ribs, pelvis and collarbone.
Jackson was listed by Bradley in critical condition with fractures of the skull, broken ribs and a possible punctured lung. A third victim in the Acuff party was Mrs. Agnus June Burdette, 26, who sings under the name June Stearns, she suffered a broken ankle. There were no other persons in the Acuff car.
Mrs., Burdette said the Acuff troupe was en route to Terrell, N.C. for a performance last night. State Trooper Eddie Cantrell said Acuff's car was headed east on the rain-swept highway when his car skidded into the path of the other lane. Eddie Blish, 34 of Smithville hit the gray Imperial near the right front door, where Jackson was sitting. Arnold Smith, the Hunter Funeral ambulance driver, who helped take the injured to the hospital, said he arrived at the scene "right at the height of the rain downpour. Acuff could talk and he asked us to notify his wife. Jackson's right foot was pinned in the door, and he was moaning and saying he couldn't breathe.
The article when on to state that Roy, who was driving, tried to avoid a head-on collision. Upon the return to Nashville, Roy and Shot Jackson were taken to the Miller Clinic for their recovery.
During that period, numerous country music stars were involved in highway accidents. The list includes Bill Monroe, Hank Snow, Ira Louvin, Ernest Tubb, Jean Shepard, George Jones, Jack Anglin and the Carter Family, who were involved in their own separate accident the same weekend in Ohio. Travel was difficult on those two lane roads before the interstates.
Roy would not return to the Opry until August 28, seven weeks after the accident. After the accident, Roy said he would be cutting down on his traveling.
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