List of Grand Ole Opry members
The Grand Ole Opry is a country music concert and radio show, held between twice and five times per week, in Nashville, Tennessee. The show began as a radio barn dance on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay and has since become one of the genre's most enduring and revered stages. Each performance consists of multiple guest artists as well as Opry members, sometimes called "Opry stars". Members are selected by Opry management (with input from existing members) based on several factors including critical and commercial success, respect for the history of country music and commitment to appearing on the program. Opry members have permission to perform at any Opry show they wish. A typical Opry performance will feature seven to nine artists, including (but not limited to) at least three members.
Publicly, once a new member is chosen, an existing member will ask the new member to join the Opry live on-air during the broadcast, usually when the new member is performing as a guest. In recent years, invitations have been delivered in other public settings. Prior to 1999, membership was effective immediately upon invitation. Currently, artists who accept the invitation will return on a later date for a scheduled performance and induction ceremony. Being invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry is considered one of country music's crowning achievements.[1]
Over its history, the Opry has featured a large, rotating ensemble of members ranging from all-time greats and neotraditionalists to contemporary stars. As the Opry is a running series, membership requires that the performer appear regularly on the program to remain a member of the show. As late as the 1960s, an artist was required to perform on at least 26 shows per year, though this requirement has been significantly relaxed in the years since. If a performer ceases appearing at the Opry altogether or runs afoul of management, they can be stripped of their membership; if the exiled performer reconciles and renews their commitment to the show, they can be reinstated. Membership expires when the performer dies; if a single member of a duo or group retires or dies, the surviving members may continue to maintain Opry membership on the group's behalf. The Opry, in general, allows performers who retire, or are no longer physically able to perform on a regular basis to stay as members. The Grand Ole Opry House maintains a member gallery backstage that contains an engraved brass nameplate for every act who has ever been a member of the Grand Ole Opry (including those whose membership has lapsed or have been asked to leave).
Excluding the Opry Square Dancers, who have sui generis membership status, there are currently 74 Grand Ole Opry members. Solo music artists make up 60 of the members, seven of whom have mostly retired from performing (Stu Phillips, Barbara Mandrell, Jeanne Pruett, Randy Travis, Ricky Van Shelton, Patty Loveless and Ronnie Milsap), but may make occasional appearances. Two of the members are stand-up comedians (Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer). Twelve duos and groups hold membership. Among them, one (Rascal Flatts) has disbanded, and one (Montgomery Gentry) has a deceased member. Three groups (Old Crow Medicine Show, Diamond Rio and The Oak Ridge Boys) have each replaced group members since being inducted, but maintain their Opry membership; of these, the Oak Ridge Boys have been inducted twice, under two completely different lineups. One artist (Steven Curtis Chapman) has been invited and is awaiting an official induction.
In addition to several family acts who've held membership over the years, two sets of siblings have been invited to join the Opry separately: Loretta Lynn and her younger sister, Crystal Gayle; as well as Darrin Vincent (half of Dailey & Vincent) and his older sister, Rhonda. Likewise, there have been three instances of parents and their children being inducted separately: Ernest Tubb and his son Justin, George Morgan and his daughter Lorrie, as well as Pam Tillis and her father Mel. Among the current members are four married couples: Marty Stuart and Connie Smith, Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White (of The Whites), Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, as well as Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild (both of Little Big Town).
Over the course of the program's history, 227 acts have held Opry membership. The oldest living member is Buck White of The Whites, born in 1930; the youngest is Lauren Alaina, born in 1994. Bill Anderson is the longest-serving active member, as well as the longest-serving member in the show's history, as his membership has not lapsed since his induction in 1961. Jeannie Seely is the Opry's most frequent performer, having appeared on over 5,300 Opry shows since her 1967 induction.
Acts with a † are deceased; ‡ indicates a member of the group is deceased.
1920s
No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Uncle Jimmy Thompson† | November 28, 1925 | |
2 | Humphrey Bate† | January 2, 1926 | |
3 | Henry Bandy† | March 13, 1926 | |
4 | The McGee Brothers† | 1926 | |
5 | Mazy Todd† | April 3, 1926 | |
6 | Uncle Dave Macon† | April 17, 1926 | |
7 | The Pikard Family† | May 8, 1926 | |
8 | Deford Bailey† | June 19, 1926 | |
9 | The Crook Brothers† | July 24, 1926 | Herman Crook, one of the Crook Brothers, was the last survivor of the 1920s era Opry members, maintaining his membership uninterrupted until his 1988 death—a record that would stand until Bill Anderson surpassed him in 2023. |
10 | Sid Harkreader† | July 24, 1926 | |
11 | Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers† | October 30, 1926 | |
12 | Theron Hale and his Daughters† | November 13, 1926 | |
13 | Arthur Smith† | July 16, 1927 | |
14 | The Fruit Jar Drinkers† | December 17, 1927 | |
15 | The Gully Jumpers† | December 24, 1927 | |
16 | Kitty Cora Cline† | March 24, 1928 | |
17 | Ed Poplin and his Barn Dance Orchestra† | April 21, 1928 | |
18 | Uncle Joe Mangrum and Fred Schriver† | July 30, 1928 |
1930s
No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
19 | Ford Rush† | ||
20 | Hilltop Harmonizers† | ||
21 | Nap and Dee† | ||
22 | The Vagabonds† | September 5, 1931 | |
23 | Asher and Little Jimmy Sizemore† | September 24, 1932 | |
24 | Curly Fox† | September 24, 1932 | |
25 | Zeke Clements† | September 24, 1932 | |
26 | The Delmore Brothers† | April 29, 1933 | |
27 | Robert Lunn† | March 31, 1934 | |
28 | Lee White† | April 21, 1934 | |
29 | Sarie and Sally† | January 26, 1935 | |
30 | Jack Shook and his Missouri Mountaineers† | February 2, 1935 | |
31 | The Lakeland Sisters† | January 23, 1937 | |
32 | Bob Wills† | May 22, 1937 | |
33 | Pee Wee King† | June 27, 1937 | |
34 | Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys† | February 9, 1938 | Left the Opry in 1946 and returned in the early 1960s. Bashful Brother Oswald represented the Smoky Mountain Boys after Acuff's 1992 death until his own death in 2002.[2] |
35 | Cousin Jody† | ||
36 | Jamup and Honey† | January 7, 1939 | |
37 | Bill Monroe† | October 28, 1939 |
1940s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Little_Jimmy_Dickens.jpg/220px-Little_Jimmy_Dickens.jpg)
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No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
38 | Danny Dill† | ||
39 | Johnnie and Jack† | ||
40 | Milton Estes and his Musical Millers† | ||
41 | Old Hickory Singers † | ||
42 | Minnie Pearl† | November 30, 1940 | |
43 | The Duke of Paducah† | 1942 | |
44 | John Daniel Quartet† | 1942 | Included among its members Wally Fowler, who was inducted with his own group in 1945 (see below). |
45 | Eddy Arnold† | 1943 | |
46 | Cowboy Copas† | 1943 | |
47 | Ernest Tubb† | February 13, 1943 | |
48 | Curley Williams† | September 4, 1943 | |
49 | The Bailes Brothers† | 1944 | |
50 | The DeZurik Sisters† | 1944 | |
51 | The Poe Sisters† | June 17, 1944 | |
52 | Rod Brasfield† | July 15, 1944 | |
53 | David "Stringbean" Akeman† | 1945 | |
54 | Lew Childre Sr.† | 1945 | |
55 | Bradley Kincaid† | 1945 | |
56 | Wally Fowler† and The Oak Ridge Quintet† | January 27, 1945 | Fowler was already a de facto member by way of his membership in the John Daniel Quartet. The Oak Ridge Quintet was a direct predecessor to the group now known as The Oak Ridge Boys. The quintet became a quartet as it evolved and all of its personnel were replaced by the time Fowler sold the rights to the name to Smitty Gatlin in 1957. In 1966, Gatlin turned the group over to Duane Allen, who along with William Lee Golden transitioned to a new lineup that solidified in October 1973; other than a period between 1988 and 1995 in which Golden temporarily left the group, this lineup has served as "The Oak Ridge Boys" ever since. The Allen-era lineup of the quartet was invited and then inducted into the Opry as its own group by Little Jimmy Dickens on August 6, 2011.[3] |
57 | Jimmy Wakely† | September 29, 1945 | |
58 | The Willis Brothers† | 1946 | |
59 | Grandpa Jones† | March 16, 1946 | |
60 | Red Foley† | April 13, 1946 | |
61 | Lonzo and Oscar† | 1947 | |
62 | Paul Howard and the Arkansas Cotton Pickers† | 1947 | |
63 | George Morgan† | September 25, 1948 | |
64 | Little Jimmy Dickens† | November 6, 1948 | Membership lapsed from 1957 to 1975 |
65 | Jordanaires† | 1949 | Membership lapsed prior to 1998. The group formally disbanded with the death of its last founding member in 2013,[4] but reunited in 2023.[5] One member from its period of flourishing, bass vocalist Ray Walker, survives. |
66 | Hank Williams and The Drifting Cowboys† | June 11, 1949 | Dismissed and membership revoked August 11, 1952, for habitual drunkenness and missing shows. |
1950s
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No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
67 | Chet Atkins† | 1950 | |
68 | Kitty Wells† | 1952 | |
69 | Hawkshaw Hawkins† | June 1955 | |
70 | Goldie Hill† | August 22, 1953 | |
71 | The Ladells† | 1955 | |
72 | Red Sovine† | 1955 | |
73 | Ray Price† | 1951 | |
74 | Hank Snow† | January 7, 1950 | Inducted by Ernest Tubb |
75 | Carl Smith† | April 29, 1950 | Relinquished membership in 1956 following his divorce from June Carter. |
76 | The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle† | May 13, 1950 | Billed as the Carter Family after 1960. June Carter Cash represented the family following the death of the other members; her children John and Carlene have made occasional appearances but did not maintain membership for the group. |
77 | Moon Mullican† | 1951 | |
78 | Lefty Frizzell† | July 21, 1951 | |
79 | Martha Carson† | April 26, 1952 | |
80 | Opry Square Dancers (sui generis) | July 5, 1952 | Originally inducted as Ralph Sloan and his Tennessee Travelers. The Opry's square-dance troupe has gone through several incarnations through its history and is a regular fixture on shows. Ralph's younger brother Melvin Sloan ran the troupe from Ralph's death in 1980 until his 2002 retirement. It merged with the other square-dance troupe, Ben Smathers and his Stoney Mountain Cloggers, when Smathers died in 1990.[6] Originally included as full standing members,[2] the Opry took over the troupe after Melvin's retirement and granted it a sui generis status separate from the other members. The last dancer from the Ralph Sloan era, Eddie Oliver, retired in 2016.[7] |
81 | Webb Pierce† | September 13, 1952 | |
82 | Marty Robbins† | January 19, 1953 | |
83 | Carl Butler† | October 17, 1953 | |
84 | Del Wood† | November 13, 1953 | |
85 | The Carlisles† | November 14, 1953 | |
86 | Ferlin Husky† | June 12, 1954 | |
87 | Faron Young† | November 19, 1954 | |
88 | Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs† | January 1, 1955 | |
89 | The Louvin Brothers† | February 26, 1955 | Ira Louvin left in 1963 (and died in 1965); Charlie Louvin represented the duo until his own death. |
90 | Justin Tubb† | September 10, 1955 | |
91 | Jim Reeves† | October 22, 1955 | |
92 | Slim Whitman† | October 29, 1955 | |
93 | Jean Shepard† | November 21, 1955 | |
94 | Johnny Cash† | July 7, 1956 | Expelled in 1965 for breaking the stage lights with his microphone stand during an Opry performance.[8] Reconciled in 1968 and remained a member the rest of his life.[9] |
95 | Jimmy C. Newman† | August 4, 1956 | |
96 | George Jones† | August 25, 1956 | |
97 | Rose Maddox† | September 29, 1956 | |
98 | Stonewall Jackson† | November 3, 1956 | Filed age discrimination case in 2006 and membership was temporarily revoked. His case was settled and he returned from 2008 until his 2012 retirement due to vascular dementia; he remained a standing member until his death.[10] |
99 | The Wilburn Brothers† | November 10, 1956 | Briefly members in 1940, the child stars could not legally work in Tennessee and had to wait until adulthood to officially rejoin. |
100 | Wilma Lee Cooper† | January 12, 1957 | |
101 | Porter Wagoner† | February 23, 1957 | |
102 | Rusty† & Doug | May 18, 1957 | Departed prior to the duo's breakup in 1963. |
103 | The Everly Brothers† | 1957 | Disowned the Opry and dissolved their membership in 1960. |
104 | Margie Bowes† | 1958 | |
105 | Archie Campbell† | 1958 | |
106 | Don Gibson† | May 20, 1958 | |
107 | Ben Smathers and the Stoney Mountain Cloggers† | September 13, 1958 | Merged with the Melvin Sloan Dancers in 1990 (now the Opry Square Dancers - see No. 80, above). |
108 | Billy Grammer† | February 27, 1959 | |
109 | Roy Drusky† | June 13, 1959 | |
110 | Skeeter Davis† | August 4, 1959 |
1960s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Bobby_Osborne_%26_The_Rocky_Top_X-Press.jpg/170px-Bobby_Osborne_%26_The_Rocky_Top_X-Press.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Connie_Smith_Opry_2.jpg/170px-Connie_Smith_Opry_2.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Jeannie_Seely_%283469996552%29.jpg/170px-Jeannie_Seely_%283469996552%29.jpg)
No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
111 | Jimmy Driftwood† | ||
112 | Tompall and the Glaser Brothers† | Last performance was in 1990. | |
113 | Bobby Lord† | 1960 | |
114 | Billy Walker† | January 1, 1960 | |
115 | Patsy Cline† | January 9, 1960 | |
116 | George Hamilton IV† | February 6, 1960 | |
117 | Hank Locklin† | November 12, 1960 | |
118 | Bill Anderson | July 15, 1961 | With 62 years of continuous service as of July 2023, Anderson is the longest-serving member in the Opry's history.[11] |
119 | Loretta Lynn† | September 25, 1962 | |
120 | Leroy Van Dyke | October 20, 1962 | Membership lapsed prior to 1998; still makes occasional appearances. |
121 | Sonny James† | October 27, 1962 | |
122 | Marion Worth† | 1963 | |
123 | The Browns† | August 17, 1963 | Jim Ed Brown continued to hold Opry membership from the group's breakup in 1967 until his 2015 death. |
124 | Jim & Jesse† | March 2, 1964 | Represented by Jesse McReynolds from Jim's death in 2002 until his own death in 2023. |
125 | Ernie Ashworth† | March 7, 1964 | |
126 | The Osborne Brothers† | August 8, 1964 | Represented by Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press from Sonny Osborne's retirement in 2005 until Bobby Osborne's death in 2023. |
127 | Dottie West† | August 8, 1964 | |
128 | Willie Nelson | November 28, 1964 | Resigned his membership in 1972 after relocating to Texas.[12] |
129 | Norma Jean | January 9, 1965 | Mostly retired from the music industry after 1973. |
130 | Tex Ritter† | June 12, 1965 | |
131 | Connie Smith | August 21, 1965 | |
132 | Bob Luman† | September 18, 1965 | |
133 | Ray Pillow† | April 30, 1966 | Did not perform in the later years of his life, but remained a standing member until his 2023 death. |
134 | Del Reeves† | October 14, 1966 | |
135 | The Four Guys | April 22, 1967 | Disbanded in 1999. An attempt to continue the group's membership with a new lineup was rejected by Opry management, and the group was formally expelled in 2000.[13] |
136 | Stu Phillips | June 1, 1967 | Hasn't performed in recent years; still a standing member. |
137 | Charlie Walker† | August 19, 1967 | |
138 | Jeannie Seely | September 16, 1967 | As of 2022, Seely has performed more than 5,000 times on the Opry–more than anyone else in the show's history.[14] |
139 | Jack Greene† | December 27, 1967 | Greene had already been a de facto member as part of Ernest Tubb's band since 1962. |
140 | Dolly Parton | January 4, 1969 | |
141 | Tammy Wynette† | January 4, 1969 |
1970s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Jan_Howard.jpg/170px-Jan_Howard.jpg)
No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
142 | Tom T. Hall† | January 1, 1971 | Retired since 1996 but remained a standing member until his death. |
143 | Jan Howard† | March 27, 1971 | |
144 | Freddie Hart† | October 16, 1971 | |
145 | Barbara Mandrell | July 29, 1972 | Retired since 1997, but still listed as a standing member.[15] Mandrell made a one-off, non-singing appearance in 2022.[16] |
146 | David Houston† | August 12, 1972 | |
147 | Jeanne Pruett | July 21, 1973 | Retired since 2006, but still listed as a standing member. |
148 | Jerry Clower† | October 27, 1973 | |
149 | Ronnie Milsap | February 6, 1976 | Retired in October 2023;[17] still a standing member. |
150 | Don Williams† | April 23, 1976 | |
151 | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | December 25, 1976 |
1980s
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No. | Name | Induction date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
152 | John Conlee[18] | February 7, 1981 | |
153 | Boxcar Willie† | February 21, 1981 | |
154 | B. J. Thomas†[19] | August 7, 1981 | Full-time membership lapsed prior to 1998; continued to make occasional appearances until his death. |
155 | Ricky Skaggs[20] | May 15, 1982 | |
156 | Riders in the Sky[21] | June 19, 1982 | |
157 | The Whites[22] | March 2, 1984 | |
158 | Lorrie Morgan[23] | June 9, 1984 | |
159 | Johnny Russell†[24] | July 6, 1985 | |
160 | Mel McDaniel†[2] | January 11, 1986 | |
161 | Reba McEntire[25] | January 17, 1986 | |
162 | Randy Travis[26] | December 20, 1986 | Retired from singing due to a 2013 stroke; still a standing member, he makes occasional appearances. |
163 | Roy Clark†[27] | August 22, 1987 | |
164 | Ricky Van Shelton[28] | June 10, 1988 | Retired in 2006; still officially a standing member. |
165 | Patty Loveless[29] | June 11, 1988 | Retired in 2009; makes occasional appearances |
Keith Whitley† | May 1989 (scheduled) | Whitley is the only person to be posthumously recognized as a former member, without ever having been an active member. Whitley died on May 9, 1989, three weeks before a scheduled Opry appearance where he was due to be invited to join the cast. As the Opry has a policy only inducting living artists as members, the plan was scrapped. During a Keith Whitley tribute show at the Opry on October 14, 2023, Garth Brooks presented Whitley's widow, Opry member Lorrie Morgan, with a replica Opry member plaque engraved with Whitley's name, identical to those hanging in the Opry's member gallery backstage.[30] | |
166 | Holly Dunn†[2] | October 14, 1989 | Retired in 2003 and died in 2016. |
1990s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Mike_Snider_crop.jpg)
No. | Name | Induction date | Invited by | Inducted by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
167 | Mike Snider[31] | June 2, 1990 | Minnie Pearl | ||
168 | Garth Brooks[32] | October 6, 1990 | Johnny Russell | ||
169 | Clint Black[33] | January 10, 1991 | Garth Brooks | ||
170 | Alan Jackson[34] | June 7, 1991 | Roy Acuff and Randy Travis | ||
171 | Vince Gill[35] | August 10, 1991 | Roy Acuff | ||
172 | Emmylou Harris[36] | January 25, 1992 | |||
173 | Travis Tritt[37] | February 29, 1992 | |||
174 | Marty Stuart[38] | November 28, 1992 | |||
175 | Charley Pride†[39] | May 1, 1993 | Jimmy C. Newman | ||
176 | Alison Krauss[40] | July 3, 1993 | Garth Brooks | ||
177 | Joe Diffie† | November 27, 1993 | |||
178 | Hal Ketchum† | January 22, 1994 | Little Jimmy Dickens | ||
179 | Martina McBride[41] | November 30, 1995 | Loretta Lynn | ||
180 | Steve Wariner | May 11, 1996 | Bob Whittaker | ||
181 | Johnny Paycheck†[2] | 1997 | Bob Whittaker | Porter Wagoner and Johnny Russell | |
182 | Diamond Rio | April 18, 1998 | Bob Whittaker | Little Jimmy Dickens | Gene Johnson & Brian Prout retired in 2022, and were replaced by Micah Schweinsberg and Carson McKee |
183 | Trisha Yearwood[42] | March 13, 1999 | Ricky Skaggs | Porter Wagoner |
2000s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Carrie_Underwood%2C_Grand_Ole_Opry_House%2C_Nashville%2C_TN%2C_June_2018.jpg/220px-Carrie_Underwood%2C_Grand_Ole_Opry_House%2C_Nashville%2C_TN%2C_June_2018.jpg)
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No. | Name | Induction date | Invited by | Inducted by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
184 | Pam Tillis[43] | August 26, 2000 | Little Jimmy Dickens | Marty Stuart | |
185 | Brad Paisley[44] | February 17, 2001 | Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely and Little Jimmy Dickens | Steve Wariner | |
186 | Trace Adkins[45] | August 23, 2003 | Little Jimmy Dickens | Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan | |
187 | Del McCoury[46] | October 25, 2003 | Patty Loveless | ||
188 | Terri Clark[47] | June 12, 2004 | Steve Wariner | Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, and Patty Loveless | |
189 | Dierks Bentley[48] | October 1, 2005 | Marty Stuart | Bentley had previously been banned from the Opry for trespassing during his days as an employee for TNN. The ban was lifted in 2003.[49] | |
190 | Mel Tillis†[50] | June 9, 2007 | Bill Anderson | Pam Tillis | |
191 | Josh Turner[51] | October 27, 2007 | Roy Clark | Vince Gill | |
192 | Charlie Daniels†[52] | January 19, 2008 | Martina McBride | Marty Stuart and Connie Smith | |
193 | Carrie Underwood[53] | May 10, 2008 | Randy Travis | Garth Brooks | |
194 | Craig Morgan[54] | October 25, 2008 | John Conlee | ||
195 | Montgomery Gentry‡[55] | June 23, 2009 | Charlie Daniels | Marty Stuart and Little Jimmy Dickens | Eddie Montgomery has represented the duo as a solo performer since Troy Gentry's 2017 death. |
2010s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Bobby_Bare_at_the_Grand_Ole_Opry_%282%29.jpg/220px-Bobby_Bare_at_the_Grand_Ole_Opry_%282%29.jpg)
No. | Name | Induction date | Invited by | Inducted by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
196 | Blake Shelton[56] | October 23, 2010 | Trace Adkins | Shelton was invited to join the cast during the Opry's first show at the Grand Ole Opry House following nearly five months of flood remediation. | |
197 | The Oak Ridge Boys‡[3] | August 6, 2011 | Little Jimmy Dickens | Three of the four inducted members remain, after Joe Bonsall retired from the group due to mobility issues at the end of 2023 and later died in 2024.[57] | |
198 | Rascal Flatts[58] | October 8, 2011 | Vince Gill | Little Jimmy Dickens | Officially disbanded in 2021, but still listed as active members. Lead singer Gary LeVox has regularly appeared on behalf of the group since then; Jay DeMarcus has appeared with his new band, Generation Radio.[59] |
199 | Keith Urban[60] | April 21, 2012 | Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, and The Oak Ridge Boys | Trace Adkins and Josh Turner | |
200 | Darius Rucker[61] | October 16, 2012 | Brad Paisley | Vince Gill and Keith Urban | |
201 | Old Crow Medicine Show[62] | September 17, 2013 | Marty Stuart | Marty Stuart and Dierks Bentley | Only Ketch Secor, Morgan Jahnig, and Cory Younts remain from the band's roster on its induction date |
202 | Little Big Town[63] | October 17, 2014 | Reba McEntire | Vince Gill and Little Jimmy Dickens | |
203 | Crystal Gayle[64] | January 21, 2017 | Carrie Underwood | Loretta Lynn | |
204 | Dailey & Vincent[65] | March 11, 2017 | Marty Stuart | Old Crow Medicine Show and Jeannie Seely | |
205 | Chris Young[66] | October 17, 2017 | Vince Gill | Brad Paisley | |
206 | Chris Janson[67] | March 20, 2018 | Keith Urban | Garth Brooks | |
207 | Bobby Bare[68] | April 7, 2018 | Garth Brooks | Original induction date was August 14, 1964. Membership lapsed 1974. Inducted again by Brooks in 2018. | |
208 | Dustin Lynch[69] | September 18, 2018 | Trace Adkins | Reba McEntire | |
209 | Mark Wills[70] | January 11, 2019 | Vince Gill | Craig Morgan | |
210 | Kelsea Ballerini[71] | April 16, 2019 | Little Big Town | Carrie Underwood | |
211 | Luke Combs[72] | July 16, 2019 | Craig Morgan, Chris Janson, and John Conlee | Joe Diffie and Vince Gill |
2020s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Gene_Watson_2007.jpg/220px-Gene_Watson_2007.jpg)
No. | Name | Induction date | Invited by | Inducted by | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
212 | Gene Watson[73] | February 7, 2020 | Vince Gill | Steve Wariner | |
213 | Lady A | January 21, 2021 | Darius Rucker | Inducted immediately upon invitation, as part of a filming of NBC’s 2021 special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music[74] | |
214 | Rhonda Vincent[75] | February 6, 2021[76] | Jeannie Seely | Dierks Bentley | Delayed from her originally scheduled March 24, 2020 induction date due to the Coronavirus pandemic |
215 | Carly Pearce | August 3, 2021 | Dolly Parton | Trisha Yearwood | Pearce was recording a fake advertisement for Dollywood when Parton appeared and surprised her with the invitation.[77] |
216 | The Isaacs | September 14, 2021 | Ricky Skaggs | The Whites and Ricky Skaggs | |
217 | Mandy Barnett | November 2, 2021 | Connie Smith | Marty Stuart and Connie Smith | |
218 | Lauren Alaina | February 12, 2022 | Trisha Yearwood | Dolly Parton delivered a recorded video message as part of the induction ceremony | |
219 | Jamey Johnson[78] | May 14, 2022[79] | Bill Anderson | ||
220 | Charlie McCoy[80] | July 13, 2022[81] | Vince Gill | Larry Gatlin | In a first for the Opry, Vince Gill extended two separate invitations during the same show when, on June 11, 2022, he first invited McCoy and then returned to invite Schlitz. |
221 | Don Schlitz[82] | August 30, 2022[83] | Vince Gill and Randy Travis | ||
222 | Ashley McBryde[84] | December 10, 2022[85] | Garth Brooks | Terri Clark | McBryde was appearing on CBS Mornings in its New York studio when she received the invitation via a live video feed from Brooks on the Opry stage in Nashville.[86] |
223 | Henry Cho | February 11, 2023 | Marty Stuart | Vince Gill, Don Schlitz, John Conlee, Ben Isaacs and Steve Wariner | Stuart was discussing comedy's role in the Opry's history with Cho and Mule Deer backstage before the January 6, 2023 show on a Facebook Live video when he extended the invitation to them simultaneously.[87] |
224 | Gary Mule Deer | March 10, 2023 | Vince Gill, Henry Cho, Jeannie Seely, Rudy Gatlin and John Conlee | ||
225 | Sara Evans | October 7, 2023 | Bill Anderson, Carly Pearce and Lady A | Crystal Gayle | Anderson invited Evans during her "Still Restless - The 20-Year Celebration" concert and livestream at Ryman Auditorium. Pearce & Lady A joined him on stage for the invitation.[88] |
226 | Jon Pardi | October 24, 2023 [89] | Alan Jackson | Garth Brooks | Jackson delivered the invitation via video during Pardi's performance at the 2023 Stagecoach Festival with on-stage help from Guy Fieri.[90] |
227 | Scotty McCreery | April 20, 2024 [91] | Garth Brooks | Josh Turner and Randy Travis | |
228 | T. Graham Brown | May 3, 2024[92] | Vince Gill | Vince Gill, Jeannie Seely, Mark Wills, The Isaacs, and John Conlee | Gill extended the invitation during a guest appearance on Brown's SiriusXM radio show.
|
229 | Lainey Wilson | June 7, 2024 | McEntire invited Wilson during the Season 25 finale of The Voice.[93] | ||
Post Malone |
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- ^ @opry (October 6, 2022). "BREAKING: @garthbrooks has just invited @AshleyMcBryde to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on @CBSMornings live from the circle!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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- ^ @opry (April 29, 2023). "BREAKING: @OfficialJackson has just invited @JonPardi to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry via video at @Stagecoach!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @Opry (February 15, 2024). "You don't have to wait 5 more minutes..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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- v
- t
- e
- Dailey & Vincent (2017)
- Diamond Rio (1998)
- Gatlin Brothers (1976)
- The Isaacs (2021)
- Jim and Jesse McReynolds (1964)
- Lady A (2021)
- Little Big Town (2014)
- Montgomery Gentry (2009)
- Oak Ridge Boys (1947, 2011)
- Old Crow Medicine Show (2013)
- Opry Square Dancers (1952)
- Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press (1964)
- Rascal Flatts (2011)
- Riders in the Sky (1982)
- The Whites (1984)
- The French Family Band (2023)
- Lauren Alaina (2022)
- Kelsea Ballerini (2019)
- Mandy Barnett (2021)
- Terri Clark (2004)
- Crystal Gayle (2017)
- Emmylou Harris (1992)
- Alison Krauss (1993)
- Patty Loveless (1988)
- Loretta Lynn (1962)
- Barbara Mandrell (1972)
- Martina McBride (1995)
- Reba McEntire (1986)
- Lorrie Morgan (1984)
- Dolly Parton (1969)
- Carly Pearce (2021)
- Jeanne Pruett (1973)
- Jeannie Seely (1967)
- Connie Smith (1965)
- Pam Tillis (2000)
- Carrie Underwood (2008)
- Rhonda Vincent (2021)
- Trisha Yearwood (1999)
- Trace Adkins (2003)
- Bill Anderson (1961)
- Bobby Bare (1964, 2018)
- Clint Black (1991)
- Garth Brooks (1990)
- John Conlee (1981)
- Luke Combs (2019)
- Vince Gill (1991)
- Alan Jackson (1991)
- Stonewall Jackson (1956)
- Chris Janson (2018)
- Jamey Johnson (2022)
- Dustin Lynch (2018)
- Del McCoury (2003)
- Ronnie Milsap (1976)
- Craig Morgan (2008)
- Brad Paisley (2001)
- Stu Phillips (1967)
- Ray Pillow (1966)
- Darius Rucker (2012)
- Blake Shelton (2010)
- Ricky Van Shelton (1988)
- Ricky Skaggs (1982)
- Mike Snider (1990)
- Marty Stuart (1992)
- Randy Travis (1986)
- Travis Tritt (1992)
- Josh Turner (2007)
- Keith Urban (2012)
- Steve Wariner (1996)
- Gene Watson (2020)
- Mark Wills (2019)
- Chris Young (2017)
- WSM Studios (1925-34)
- Hillsboro Theater (1934-36)
- Dixie Tabernacle (1936-39)
- War Memorial Auditorium (1939-43, 2010)
- Ryman Auditorium (1943-74, 1999-present)
- (New) Grand Ole Opry House (1974-present)
- WSM (AM)
- Circle
- Ryman Hospitality Properties
- National Life and Accident Insurance Company
- Complete list of past and present Opry members
- Barn dance
- Black Opry