Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary Special was Worth the 100-Year Wait

Reviews 98 Comments

Ashley McBryde and Terri Clark (via the Opry)


We didn’t really know what to expect from the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary celebration on NBC Wednesday night (3-19). We hoped it would be a cavalcade of actual country stars singing actual country music. We feared it could become a pop country/major label symposium like so many of country music’s awards shows are these days. Lucky for us, it’s the former that transpired, not the latter.

The presentation started with Reba McEntire singing Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” and then Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire lighting into “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia.” This was a good omen, and the presentation would only get better from there.

Ketch Secor, Jamey Johnson, and Dierks Bentley paid tribute to Charlie Daniels with a rendition “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye,” before Ketch launched into the iconic “Devil Went Down to Georgia” reel, with Jamey coming in with his barrel-chested voice doing a great Daniel’s impression. Ketch spent a bit too much effort on his Vaudeville faces as opposed to staying in time, but for a live performance, it was more than passable. It was really cool to see Jamey Johnson with so much network TV face time.

Marty Stuart and Lainey Wilson feted Hank Williams from the Mother Church of Country Music, with Marty handing Lainey one of Hank’s guitars to perform with. Then in her thick Louisiana accent, Lainey lit into “Lost Highway” before trading verses with Marty. Lainey Wilson later performed “Things a Man Oughta Know” with Marty on mandolin. The performance concluded with Wilson hitting a massive note resonating off the historic Ryman walls.

To pay tribute to the Opry’s Gospel roots, The War and Treaty introduced new Grand Ole Opry member Stephen Curtis Chapman, backed by The McCrary Sisters before Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty took her opportunity in the circle with Amy Grant, and them Michael Trotter sang “How Great Thou Art” with Yolanda Adams. It was a vocalist clinic, and definitely did country’s Gospel roots justice.

The reason the Opry is so important, and why it’s lasted so long is memorable moments. A memorable moment is what happened in 2008 when Randy Travis asked Carrie Underwood to be the next Grand Ole Opry member.

Underwood is one of the few major mainstream stars that’s always honored her obligations to the Opry, and Wednesday night, she honored Randy by singing “Three Wooden Crosses” and “Forever and Ever, Amen” while Randy watched from the audience. The performance concluded with Randy singing the final “Amen,” and receiving a massive standing ovation. It was one of many goosebump moments on the evening.

Barbara Mandrell made a very rare appearance on the presentation. She’s one of the few music stars who retired and stuck to it. She was paid tribute by Kelsea Ballerini, who somewhat ironically sang, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” It was probably the most country thing Kelsea has ever done, though the vocal delivery sounded much more pop.

This was chased by Alan Jackson taking center stage at the Opry House singing “Chattahoochee” to a national television audience, backed by fiddle and steel guitar, setting everything right with the world. Due to his neurological order, Jackson needed some help on and off stage. But his voice was as strong as ever, and his smile was broad when he received a standing ovation.



Post Malone and Travis Tritt singing “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” started off a little shaky, but found it’s legs as it got going. One of the many cool things about the presentation is that just like the weekly Opry shows, it was totally live, save for the pre-recorded segments from the Ryman.

Ashley McBryde came out and made the first performance that was not in tribute to anyone. Her original composition “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” is so inexorably tied to the majesty of the Opry, it was the perfect thing for her to perform with Teri Clark. Jenee Fleenor provided the fiddle for the performance, and once again, Ashley McBryde made a memory for herself and the rest of us.

Aloe Blacc came out with the McCrary sister to sing Charley Pride’s “Kiss An Angel Good Morning.” But the performance begged the question, was there not a Black COUNTRY artist that could have sang in Aloe Blacc’s stead? What about Tony Jackson or Aaron Vance?

Eric Church came out and recalled playing the Opry days after peforming at America’s worst mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. “It was the Opry .. that put one piece of my heart back together,” Church said, explaining in stark detail why The Opry is so special before performing the same song he did in 2017, reflecting on survivor’s guilt.

Keith Urban came out onto the Ryman with the tiniest guitar possible to sing “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” to Crystal Gayle who was out in the Ryman gallery. It was a fine performance, but you did wonder if a full band treatment with the iconic piano part would have been better. It felt a little like an afterthought. Then Urban sang one of his forgettable radio tracks that few remember the name of, if they ever knew it.

Similar to The War and Treaty +others digging into country’s Gospel roots, the recently reunited Alison Krauss and Union Station did the same from the bluegrass influence in country. Though “Let Me Touch You For a While” isn’t exactly “Uncle Pen,” it did give the audience an opportunity to see a bluegrass arrangement on national television, and for moms and dads to explain to kids that the sideways guitar Jerry Douglas was playing is called a dobro.

As a tribute to country music’s hottest era, Clint Black came out singing “Nothin’ But the Taillights” with some noticeable shake in his voice, but still a solid performance, chased by Trace Adkins and the pretty mild “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing.” Then host Blake Shelton sang Joe Diffie’s “Pick Up Man.”

Sticking with the 90s theme, Garth Brooks came out, but he wouldn’t sing one of his own. After proclaiming George Jones the greatest country singer of all time, he started into “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” And as the internet feeds filled up with “Where are the bodies?” jokes, Garth brought the house down.

Then Trisha Yearwood came out for the second time to pay tribute to George’s long-time singing partner and short-term wife, Tammy Wynette. As Yearwood sang “Good Girl’s Gonna Go Band,” the camera panned to real country music couple Kaitlin Butts and Cleto Cordero in the crowd singing along. Garth and Trisha then sang “Golden Ring.”

Back at the Ryman, Bill Anderson got situated on a stool to introduce Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss to sing “Whiskey Lullaby,” written by Anderson and Jon Randall. It was a big hit for Paisley in 2003, and still holds up over 20 years later.

Carly Pearce was invited to become an Opry member by Dolly Parton. And as Parton mourns the loss of her husband Carl Dean, Pearce sang “Jolene” that Dolly wrote about a bank teller she was worried was going to take Carl Dean away. These kind of interwoven moments are one of the things that make country music so great, and what the Opry 100 presentation smartly tapped into.

Only a few performers got multiple appearances. Post Malone was one of them. So was Ashley McBryde. They both came out to pay tribute to June Carter and Johnny Cash who met backstage at the Opry by singing “Jackson.” In a night full of stars, Ashley McBryde shined bright.

The contribution of Luke Combs came in the form of “The Grand Tour,” originally performed by George Jones. His acoustic rendition sounded great in the acoustics of the Mother Church of Country Music. Combs also performed his own song “Hurricane.”

When Vince Gill came out on stage with Ricky Skaggs, Sonya Isaacs of Opry members The Isaacs, and started talking about making sure we remember all the Opry members who’ve passed on, you had a sense you needed to steel yourself for a performance of “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” Gill did not disappoint as pictures of Opry greats flashed on the display screens. Nobody does a eulogy like Vince.

The grand finale found all the performers from the evening all on stage together singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

photo: Chris Hollo


It’s fair to wonder where The Oak Ridge Boys were (though they did appear in the finale), where Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, Jeanne Pruett, Riders In The Sky, T. Graham Brown, Gene Watson, and other Opry members were. And all we got from Scotty McCreery is him doing an announcement from backstage. Jeannie Seely had a nice segment explaining the important to the Opry stage circle that got moved from the Ryman, but never appeared on stage.

But not everybody could be featured, and some people might have not been available or able to perform. Some complained George Strait was left off, but he’s never been an Opry member, and rarely performed there. Jelly Roll was scheduled to perform, and many though he might get a membership invitation on the night. But strangely, he didn’t even appear at all.

Pound for pound, as a country music fan, you couldn’t afford to complain about the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary presentation. Compared to what we’re used to from three-hour primetime country music presentations, it was nothing short of incredible.

Not only did the Grand Ole Opry do 100 years of country music history proper, it made a strong case that it deserves 100 more.

– – – – – – – –

If you enjoyed this article, consider leaving Saving Country Music A TIP.

© 2025 Saving Country Music

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,