Every time we’re at the Grand Ole Opry it’s a special event. This past weekend we had two shows on Friday and Saturday and both felt like a family reunion. It really is a homecoming when we get to visit with friends at the Opry, some I’ve known for as long as I’ve been working in the music business and some I’ve just recently met – but we all like to get together, talk and just see how everyone’s doing. To hear some of the very best artists in the world, in that special theater, not some enormous arena, is like a gift. With incredibly talented artists like Vince Gill, The Isaacs, Jake Hoot, Bill Anderson and Jeannie Seely – just to name a few performing this weekend – it made me proud of our country music traditions and the depth of talent that performs weekly on the Opry and so very proud to be a member of the Opry family.
Here are a few of the “family” photos taken this weekend at the Opry:
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- Here’s your trouble right here.You can see by my face I know they’re up to something! On my left, it’s the one and only, Ms. Jeannie Seely. Jeannie is one of my favorite people in this world. She’s just got a sense of humor that won’t quit and of course she’s an incredible singer, songwriter and entertainer. She told me she was writing with Bill Anderson these days so be looking for some of their new songs to top the charts. On my right is our good friend, the super nice and talented, Ms. Marcia Campbell who is not only one of the Opry’s famous Square Dancers but also a radio announcer (she’s worked for WSM-AM and SiriusXM) and she is the voice behind my Podcast that you can hear on Spotify!
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- It was my first time hearing and meeting this new artist, Mae Estes, but all of us were blown away by this young lady and I know you will be too. She sings REAL country music and I hope you’ll get out to see her if she’s in your town.
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- In a songwriter town like Nashville, it’s a pretty big deal to have the most recorded songs but here’s a bit of what else he has done. “One of the most awarded songwriters in the history of country music, a million-selling recording artist many times over, television game show host, network soap opera star, author of four books, and a consummate onstage performer.” Is this man an over – achiever or what?! We all love Bill Anderson. Legend that he is, he’s still as down to earth as anyone you’ll ever meet.
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- Charles Esten is a big Hollywood star from his roles in The Office, Outerbanks and Nashville but he’s also a great singer and I enjoyed meeting him on this visit to the Opry.
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- There is just no one more talented or kinder in this world than Vince Gill. A world-class musician, singer, songwriter and entertainer, he’s now a member of the The Eagles but when not on tour with them, he loves to perform at the Opry and at this Friday night Opry show, he even stepped in to play mandolin for The Issacs on a song.
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- We all love it when we’re on an Opry show with The Isaacs because we know we’re going to hear some of the finest voices God ever made. Their perfect family harmonies is like nothing else. You just have to go to one of their shows and be amazed. We love each of these wonderful people and are glad we’re able to say we’re Opry Family now.
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- It was good to see Jake Hoot again at the Opry. Jake is the Season 17 winner of The Voice singing competition and you need to get to one of his shows if you haven’t already. He’s one talented young man. He sang one of my songs a few months back when the Opry was doing a tribute to me and he blew me away. As you can see, he’s a tall guy- I believe he may be one of the few that Vince Gill has to look up to!