Popular country-folk band Old Crow Medicine Show was formally invited to join the Grand Ole Opry by Marty Stuart on the August 16 Friday Night Opry performance. The group's official Opry induction will take place Saturday, September 17.
Among the award-winning group’s first performances in Nashville were on the sidewalks outside the Opry House in the summer of 2000, during which the group played for Opry-goers entering and exiting shows. The band made its official Opry debut on January 13, 2001, and has since become a fan favorite in the years since.
Near the end of Old Crow Medicine Show's Opry set, Marty Stuart walked onstage and said, “In 1925, there was a show started in Nashville called the Grand Ole Opry. It was founded on a traditional fiddle tune. It was founded on hard-hitting old-time music. It was founded on being a good-natured riot. And it’s been going on for 88 years. It’s a great American story. Would you all consider becoming a part of this great American story and becoming Grand Ole Opry members?”
The group answered with an enthusiastic yes, and the crown responding by giving them a standing ovation. Stuart and the band then joined together for a performance of “We Don’t Grow Tobacco," after which Old Crow Medicine Show treated the crowd to their signature tune and crowd favorite, "Wagon Wheel."
"From our humble beginnings on street corners to finding acclaim on stages worldwide, our eyes have always been on one prize in particular. More than anything else Old Crow Medicine Show has wanted to be a part of the Grand Ole Opry, “ said OCMS fiddler Ketch Secor. “To join the company of those brilliant, bright stars who first shot across Country Music's most celestial stage--- Roy Acuff, Deford Bailey, Uncle Dave Macon, Maybelle Carter, Sarah Cannon--- is the finest company that any picker could ever hope to keep.”
“Inviting Old Crow to become our next member is truly exciting for us,” said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. “For one, Old Crow has grown before our eyes from entertaining Opry-goers for free in the Opry Plaza a dozen years ago to rank today among the most respected and popular acts in music. The band leaves the audience wanting more every time it takes the Opry stage, or any stage.
“It’s also exciting that in many ways Old Crow looks and sounds a lot like some of the string bands of the 1920s which helped first propel the Opry to national prominence,” Fisher continued. “While recent Opry inductees and contemporary hit-makers such as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley, will help shape the Opry in coming years, our future is also in excellent hands with this group which happens to be quite reminiscent of our musical past. It’s an awesome full circle.”
What are your thoughts on Old Crow Medicine Show being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry?
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