.
♪♪♪
Hi, I'm Brad Paisley, and this
is the Artist's Entrance
of the world-famous
Grand Ole Opry --
the home of country music
for almost a century now.
I've been coming here
for most of my life,
but for me,
this place never gets old,
unlike, say, a song
by Blake Shelton.
Now since we're at the Opry,
that means we're gonna hear
some great music.
And that starts
with our kickoff performance.
This group made their Opry debut
back in 1999
and were inducted in 2014,
but right now,
they're going to sing
their latest smash,
"Wine, Beer, Whiskey,"
or as Blake knows it,
The Holy Trilogy.
Okay, that was a good one --
but they're much better
than that --
Little Big Town!
♪♪♪
♪ My friend named Jack,
he's got my back ♪
♪ He always seems to know
right where I'm at ♪
♪ My friend José,
he likes to play ♪
♪ He's always up
for anything I say ♪
♪ Little bit of Red,
lotta bit of Crown ♪
♪ Don't matter what it is ♪
♪ I'm gonna drink it
down, down, down ♪
♪ The wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ Are the only things
that fix me ♪
♪ I'm not sayin' it's a problem,
I can stop it if I wanna ♪
♪ But the wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ They always get me ♪
Yeah!
♪♪♪
♪ My friend named Gin,
she's got some friends ♪
♪ I'm talkin' Brandy, Sherry,
and their brother Jim ♪
♪ My friend the captain,
we call him Morgan ♪
♪ He likes to anchor down
and hang over 'til mornin' ♪
♪ Little bit of Red,
lotta bit of White ♪
♪ Don't matter what it is,
it's gonna make it all alright ♪
♪ The wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ Are the only things
that fix me ♪
♪ I'm not sayin' it's a problem,
I can stop it if I wanna ♪
♪ But the wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ They always get me ♪
♪♪♪
♪ My friend named Tito,
he's my amigo ♪
♪ I'm gonna follow him around
wherever he go ♪
♪ The wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ Yeah, I got all my friends
here with me ♪
♪ I'm not sayin' it's a problem,
I can stop it if I wanna ♪
♪ But who would wanna? ♪
♪ When the wine,
the beer, the whiskey ♪
♪ They always get me ♪
♪♪♪
♪ They always get me ♪
♪ Yeah, I got all my friends
here with me ♪
♪♪♪
♪ They always get me,
they get me, yeah ♪
♪♪♪
Announcer: Tonight
we salute the music and moments
that made this stage
an American landmark.
Welcome to the "Grand Ole Opry:
95 Years of Country Music."
With performances by --
Kelsea Ballerini,
Dierks Bentley,
Garth Brooks,
Lady A,
Little Big Town,
Old Crow Medicine Show,
Dolly Parton,
Darius Rucker,
Marty Stuart,
Carrie Underwood,
Trisha Yearwood,
plus, Kane Brown's Opry debut.
And a look back at some
of the most iconic performances
in Opry history.
Now, here are your hosts,
Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton.
Making it to the stage
of the Grand Ole Opry
means you've arrived.
For me, it was 20 years ago
that I made my Opry debut,
a night I'll never forget.
My God. I'm on the stage
at the Grand Ole Opry.
Whoo!
Of course, Paisley got a head
start on me by a few years.
See, the Opry's like a family,
and Brad, he's like
the brown-nosing cousin
that I never wanted.
The first time I ever
walked down this hallowed hall,
I was a student here
in Nashville applying for a job.
I got lost right about here
and asked a man for directions.
And that man happened to be
one of the greatest Opry legends
of all time, Mr. Porter Wagoner.
I didn't get that job,
but eventually, I did get
inducted into the Opry in 2001.
Thank you guys so much.
God bless you.
Well, Paisley may have
been inducted first,
but I beat him
to the stage tonight.
You can't shut that guy up
unless he's got a guitar
in his hand.
Well, I just wanted to see
where you settled,
so I can keep
at least six feet away.
Contractually, I'm only allowed
get close to my wife
and Peyton Manning.
Brad has been socially
distancing from me
for years now.
Yeah, but that's always been
your cologne.
But we're honored
to stand together tonight --
slightly apart in this big,
beautiful, loving house
where the country music family
comes together.
This circle right here --
that's the legendary circle
that we Opry members do
our very best to keep unbroken.
Everywhere you walk in this
building, you feel the presence
of the country music greats
of the past 95 years.
Over the next two hours,
we're going to bring you
the living history
of the Grand Ole Opry.
Parton: Grand Ole Opry
has a been a part of my life
since I was a tiny little girl.
My daddy loved
the Grand Ole Opry.
It's overwhelming to think about
the history that's come before
and that you get to
be a part of it.
Urban: Everybody knows
the Grand Ole Opry
all over the world.
It's such
a hallowed tradition.
To be asked to come and be
a part of the family,
it's a bit like walking
on the moon, I should imagine.
I hope I get
to do that someday too.
[ Laughs ]
I was hoping
this next Opry member
would take the stage
tonight.
Well, anything to
make you happy, buddy.
Thanks, Blake.
He's been an Opry member
since 2005,
when the great Marty Stuart
inducted him
after he sang his hit
"Come a Little Closer."
Let's all get
a little bit closer
to our buddy
Dierks Bentley.
I've found over the years
that the most personal songs
I've written for me
are the ones that tend to be
the most universal.
And this song, of all my songs,
is up there at the top of them.
It's called "Burning Man."
[ "Burning Man" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Half your life you struggle ♪
♪ Half your life you fly ♪
♪ Half your life
makin' trouble ♪
♪ Half your life
makin' it right ♪
♪ Yeah, one day
I'm the exception ♪
♪ Most days
I'm just like most ♪
♪ Some days I'm headed
in the right direction ♪
♪ And some days
I ain't even close ♪
♪ I'm a little bit steady ♪
♪ But still a little bit
rollin' stone ♪
♪ I'm a little bit heaven ♪
♪ But still a little bit
flesh-and-bone ♪
♪ Little found,
little don't-know-where-I-am ♪
♪ I'm a little bit holy water ♪
♪ But still a little bit
burning man ♪
♪ Burning man ♪
♪ Yeah, I always loved
the highway ♪
♪ I just
don't run it as fast ♪
♪ I still go
wherever the wind blows me ♪
♪ But I always find
my way back ♪
♪ Yeah, I still don't
get it right sometimes ♪
♪ I just don't get it as wrong ♪
♪ Yeah, I still go a little bit
crazy sometimes ♪
♪ Yeah, but now I don't stay
near as long ♪
♪ I'm a little bit steady ♪
♪ But still a little bit
rollin' stone ♪
♪ I'm a little bit heaven ♪
♪ But still a little bit
flesh-and-bone ♪
♪ Little found,
little don't-know-where-I-am ♪
♪ I'm a little bit holy water ♪
♪ But still a little bit
burning man ♪
♪ Burning man ♪
♪ Still just
a burn, burn, burning man ♪
♪ Just a burning man ♪
♪ Whoo ♪
♪♪♪
♪ I'm a little bit steady ♪
♪ But still a little bit
rollin' stone ♪
♪ I'm a little bit heaven ♪
♪ But still a little bit
flesh-and-bone ♪
♪ Little found,
little don't-know-where-I-am ♪
♪ I'm a little bit holy water ♪
♪ But still a little bit
burning man ♪
♪ Burning man ♪
♪ Still just
a burn, burn, burning man ♪
♪ Just a burning man ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
Announcer: Coming up,
Darius Rucker
and Old Crow Medicine Show
perform their smash hit
"Wagon Wheel."
And Carrie Underwood shares
some Opry history.
When "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" continues.
.
♪♪♪
♪ Stand by your man ♪
♪ And show the world
you love him ♪
♪ Keep givin'
all the love you can ♪
♪ Stand by ♪
♪ Your man ♪
♪♪♪
The greatest legends
in country music
have played
their part in Opry history,
from Roy Acuff, Hank Williams,
and Patsy Cline...
Paisley:
To Johnny Cash, Minnie Pearl,
and my giant of a friend,
Little Jimmy Dickens.
Right now,
to educate all of us,
a woman who did much better
in history class
than either of us,
Carrie Underwood.
It began with a lone fiddle
player on a Saturday night
and became the show that made
country music famous.
The Opry was built
on the shoulders of giants.
Today it stands as
the longest-running radio show
in the world.
It debuted
on November 28, 1925,
when WSM radio station manager
and announcer George D. Hay
welcomed 77-year-old
Uncle Jimmy Thompson
to play some
old-time mountain fiddle tunes.
The show that grew from those
first notes on the fiddle
would broadcast right after
a program of classical music
and selections from Grand Opera.
On December 10, 1927,
Hay told his audience,
"For the past hour we've been
listening to music
taken largely from Grand Opera.
From now on, we will present
the 'Grand Ole Opry.'"
And from that moment on,
all of us have.
♪♪♪
From its earliest days,
listeners wanted not just
to hear the Opry
but to see the Opry.
As the crowds grew
larger and larger,
the Opry kept moving
to bigger and bigger venues,
until finally, in 1943,
the Opry found its home
at the Ryman Auditorium.
The performers and performances
that came together there
are legendary.
Music history unfolded on the
stage and through the airwaves,
and the Ryman,
built as a gospel tabernacle,
became the Mother Church
of country music.
In 1974,
the Opry moved from the Ryman
to the new Grand Ole Opry House,
the first theater built
especially for the Opry.
It was designed to create
a performance hall
where the past, present,
and future of country music
could joyfully come together
every week of every year,
and that intention was fulfilled
right here
in this circle of wood
created with boards
from the stage of the Ryman.
This is the stage --
the stage of country music.
Parton: No matter where I travel
in the world,
everybody knows
the Grand Ole Opry.
You just don't get any higher
place in country music
than to get on that stage
at the Grand Ole Opry.
No other genre of music has
anything like the Opry.
And here's my buddy
Darius Rucker
and the wonderful
Old Crow Medicine Show together
for their collaboration
heard 'round the world --
"Wagon Wheel."
I can't begin to tell you
what an honor it is
to be up here
with some real legends
and my -- my Opry brothers,
the Old Crow Medicine Show.
Well, thank you,
brother Darius.
Truly the circle remains
unbroken tonight.
You know, it was the great
Mr. Roy Acuff who said,
"When you get to
the Opry stage,
you got to sing the song
that brung you up there
in the first place."
So let's do the one
that brung us up here.
How about kicking it off,
Mr. Darius?
[ "Wagon Wheel" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Heading down south
to the land of the pines ♪
♪ I'm thumbing my way
into North Caroline ♪
♪ Staring up the road ♪
♪ And pray to God
I see headlights ♪
♪ I made it down the coast
in 17 hours ♪
♪ Picking me a bouquet
of dogwood flowers ♪
♪ And I'm a-hopin' for Raleigh
I can see my baby tonight ♪
♪ So rock me mama
like a wagon wheel ♪
♪ Rock me mama
any way you feel ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
♪ Yeah, rock me mama
like the wind and the rain ♪
♪ Rock me mama
like a southbound train ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
Come on, Ketch!
♪♪♪
♪ Well, I'm running from
the cold up in New England ♪
♪ I was born to be a fiddler
in an old-time string band ♪
♪ My baby plays a guitar,
I pick a banjo now ♪
♪ Oh, them north-country winters
been a-getting me ♪
♪ I lost my money playing poker
so I had to up and leave ♪
♪ But I ain't turning back to
living that old life no more ♪
♪ No, no, no, no, no ♪
♪ So rock me mama
like a wagon wheel ♪
♪ Rock me mama
any way you feel ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
♪ Yeah, rock me mama
like the wind and the rain ♪
♪ Rock me mama
like a southbound train ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
Playing some
country music, boys!
♪♪♪
♪ Walking to the south
out of Roanoke ♪
♪ I caught a trucker
out of Philly ♪
♪ Had a nice long toke ♪
♪ But he's a-heading west
from the Cumberland Gap ♪
♪ To Johnson City, Tennessee ♪
♪ I got to get a move on
before the sun ♪
♪ I hear my baby
calling my name ♪
♪ I know
that she's the only one ♪
♪ And if I die in Raleigh,
at least I will die free ♪
♪ So rock me mama
like a wagon wheel ♪
♪ Rock me mama
any way you feel ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
♪ Yeah, rock me mama
like the wind and the rain ♪
♪ Rock me mama
like a southbound train ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Mama rock me ♪
♪ You can rock me,
you can rock me ♪
♪♪♪
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
♪♪♪
Announcer: Coming up,
Brad and Blake share
their favorite Opry debuts.
So this
is the Grand Ole Opry.
Announcer: And then country
superstar Kane Brown makes his.
When "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" returns.
.
♪♪♪
I know
what you're all wondering --
How exactly did
get Blake get into the Opry?
I know, I know.
So let's take a look.
Nobody's wondering that.
Yeah, they are.
He's famous for doing
the Twitter thing.
You know,
he's always sending tweets.
Well, the Grand Ole Opry sent
Blake a tweet tonight.
Here, look.
You're so shocked.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I'm the one that's been
authorized tonight
to invite Blake Shelton to be
a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
I didn't know
you bought tickets that night.
Yeah, no, I was disappointed.
I didn't know you were on.
Thank you, Grand Ole Opry.
Thank you.
That moment, hands down,
was one of the highlights
of my entire career.
Until this moment
right now with me. Right?
This is...
[ Laughs ]
Ahh.
It's good, it's funny.
Let's just see
how in the heck
you got to be invited
to be an Opry member.
Okay.
36 appearances
that you've made as a guest
on the Grand Ole Opry.
You love live radio.
That's what the Grand Ole Opry
is all about.
And Santa Claus
and Miss Claus...
I should've known
that my mother's like,
"Wear something
nice tonight."
...if you would like to become
a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
[ Cheers and applause ]
You had to have had
some kind of a...
Nothing?
[ Cheers and applause ]
I-I didn't get an answer.
I didn't -- I didn't get a yes.
Okay, I look about 12.
Ha! You do.
That's funny.
Well,
let me ask you this --
How does Saturday night,
February 17th,
at the Ryman Auditorium
sound?
[ Cheers and applause ]
That was back in 2000,
and they're still mopping up
the stage from all those tears.
Let's be honest --
nobody forgets their first time
they actually performed
at the Grand Ole Opry.
If I remember correctly --
and you know that's a big if --
Totally.
...for me
it was this song right here.
♪♪♪
♪ If you're calling 'bout
the car, I sold it ♪
♪ If this is Tuesday night,
I'm bowling ♪
♪ If you've got
something to sell ♪
♪ You're wasting your time ♪
You remember this?
Very well.
♪ I'm not buying ♪
♪ If it's anybody else ♪
♪ Wait for the tone ♪
♪ You know what to do ♪
♪ And P.S.,
if this is Austin ♪
♪ I still love you ♪
You know what?
I'm thinking about --
That song
isn't even relevant now.
It's a song
about an answering machine.
Kids don't even know
what that is.
You think
yours wasn't relevant?
My first song --
listen to this.
♪♪♪
This is what I played
the first time.
[ Chuckles ]
May 28, 1999, I think.
♪ There's an old Kodak camera
in my dresser drawer ♪
Super-old now.
They don't even know
what that is.
The chorus is like
♪ I could take it to the store ♪
♪ To be developed,
but what for? ♪
That's what you used to
have to -- never mind.
♪ I can still see everything
just fine ♪
♪ And who needs pictures ♪
♪ With a memory like mine? ♪
Yeah, kids, you're gonna
have to Google that.
They don't even
have memories anymore.
They have their phone.
I know.
Well, for any country artist,
that first moment entering
this circle right here
is something
that they will remember forever.
And here's a few of our favorite
Opry debuts.
You're gonna be hearing a lot
about this young man.
It's Alan Jackson!
Make him welcome.
Man: Darius Rucker,
ladies and gentlemen!
Come on out, Kelsea.
My debut at the Grand Ole Opry
was on Valentine's Day,
which was special in itself.
Thank you for being a part
of a memory
that I'm never, ever
gonna forget.
I was rehearsing
with the Opry band.
They were like, "Hey, do you
want to step on the stage
while the curtain's down?"
And I remember the stage
was empty,
and I walked out,
and I just started weeping.
I have to say
it's overwhelming.
Like stepping into a picture
I've been looking at
all my life.
I've performed in front of
thousands of people,
and I have never been
more nervous in my entire life.
Is anybody out there
as scared as I am by any chance?
It would help a lot.
Put your hands together.
Make him feel real nervous.
No, make him feel real good.
Mr. Dierks Bentley!
[ Cheers and applause ]
When you finally get a chance to
play the Grand Ole Opry,
it's just -- that was my goal.
I just want add my name
to the list of people who said
this is the biggest night
of their life,
'cause this really is
a dream come true.
I've had this dream
since I was 12 years old.
This is a dream come true,
and I want to thank you
for sharing it with me.
This has been such a dream
of mine and such a long road,
and I'm so thankful to be here.
If I make it through
without crying,
that'll just be a miracle.
I'll tell you that right now.
I was just tore up, you know,
when I went out there.
I kept thinking
back to Hank Williams
and his Opry debut
and Hank being
one of my big heroes
and partly being the inspiration
for my song "Long Black Train"
that I was
standing there singing.
It was a pretty heavy moment.
It was very surreal.
You guys mind if I just
stand here for a minute
and take a picture of this?
This is my first time.
Stand out here
and enjoy this, son.
You'll remember it
the rest of your life.
Garth Brooks.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Country music always needs
new superstars,
and this
next talented guy
has been making
a very big impression
in country music and beyond
over the last few years
in a big way.
Only five years ago or so,
our next performer
was living
in Chattanooga, Tennessee,
posting videos of himself
singing his
favorite country songs,
most of them, I'm sure,
by us.
Yeah.
We're so glad he's taken
his rightful place in our circle
for this special night.
Kane Brown.
Hey, guys. I'm Kane Brown.
I'm so excited.
This is my debut
playing at the Opry,
and I get to sing a song
I wrote for my daughter,
and this is called
"For My Daughter."
[ "For My Daughter" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Someone to play catch with
out in the backyard ♪
♪ To pick up the pieces
of your first broken heart ♪
♪ Someone to say slow down
when you turn 16 ♪
♪ Yeah, I grew up without
a dad ♪
♪ I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪ Someone to scare the monsters
when it's dark in your room ♪
♪ Someone to put their foot down
when you want a tattoo ♪
♪ And not just say I love you,
but show you what it means ♪
♪ Yeah, I grew up
without a dad ♪
♪ I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪ They say dads
are supposed to shape you ♪
♪ In a way I guess mine did ♪
♪ I knew what I wouldn't do
if I ever had a kid ♪
♪ They say
history repeats itself ♪
♪ Well,
I guess that's up to me ♪
♪ Yeah, I grew up
without a dad ♪
♪ I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪ Someone to let you fall down ♪
♪ And teach you
how to get back up ♪
♪ Teach you how to be
sweet like mama ♪
♪ And how to be tough ♪
♪ Yeah, I'll never be perfect ♪
♪ But sure as
those lines are pink ♪
♪ Yeah, I grew up
without a dad ♪
♪ I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪ They say dads
are supposed to shape you ♪
♪ In a way I guess mine did ♪
♪ I knew what I wouldn't do
if I ever had a kid ♪
♪ They say
history repeats itself ♪
♪ Well,
I guess that's up to me ♪
♪ Yeah, I grew up
without a dad ♪
♪ I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪ I said I'm gonna be a dad ♪
♪ And I'm gonna be the best one
I can be ♪
♪♪♪
♪ The best one I can be ♪
Love you, baby girl.
Thank you guys
for letting me play in the Opry.
♪♪♪
Announcer: When we return,
a classic from Blake Shelton.
Kelsea Ballerini
shines the spotlight
on the women of country.
And Carrie Underwood
joins Brad Paisley.
It's "The Grand Ole Opry:
95 Years of Country Music."
.
♪♪♪
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.
♪♪♪
♪ I hear the train a-comin' ♪
♪ It's rolling 'round the bend ♪
♪ And I ain't seen the sunshine
since I don't know when ♪
♪ I'm stuck in Folsom Prison,
and time keeps draggin' on ♪
♪ But that train keeps a-rollin'
on down to San Antone ♪
♪ When I was just a baby,
my mama told me, "Son ♪
♪ Always be a good boy,
don't ever play with guns" ♪
♪ But I shot a man in Reno
just to watch him die ♪
Didn't I, Carl?
♪ When I hear
that whistle blowin' ♪
♪ I hang my head and cry ♪
It's been 20 years now
since I played on this stage
for the very first time,
and back then I was promoting
my very first album,
and I remember one of the songs
that I was promoting back then
was a song called "Ol' Red."
And even though it hadn't been
released as a single,
I did perform it here
on the Grand Ole Opry,
and I could tell by the
audience's reaction that night
that, uh, I was onto something.
Let's play it.
[ "Ol' Red" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Well, I caught my wife
with another man ♪
♪ And it cost me 99 ♪
♪ On a prison farm in Georgia
close to the Florida line ♪
♪ Well, I'd been here
for two long years ♪
♪ I finally made the warden
my friend ♪
♪ And so he sentenced me
to a life of ease ♪
♪ Takin' care of Ol' Red ♪
♪ Now, Ol' Red,
he's the damnedest dog ♪
♪ That I've ever seen ♪
♪ He's got a nose that can smell
a two-day trail ♪
♪ He's a four-legged
trackin' machine ♪
♪ You can consider yourself
mighty lucky ♪
♪ To get past the gators
and the quicksand beds ♪
♪ But all these years
that I've been here ♪
♪ Ain't nobody got past Red ♪
♪ And the warden sang ♪
♪ "Come on, somebody,
why don't you run? ♪
♪ Ol' Red's itchin'
to have a little fun ♪
♪ Get my lantern, get my gun ♪
♪ Red'll have you treed
'fore the mornin' comes" ♪
♪ Well, I paid off the guard
and I slipped out a letter ♪
♪ To my cousin up in Tennessee ♪
♪ Oh, and he brought down
a bluetick hound ♪
♪ She was pretty
as she could be ♪
♪ Well, they penned her up
in the swampland ♪
♪ 'Bout a mile
just south of the gate ♪
♪ And I'd take Ol' Red
for his evening run ♪
♪ I'd just drop him off
and wait ♪
♪ And the warden sang ♪
♪ "Come on, somebody,
why don't you run? ♪
♪ Ol' Red's itchin'
to have a little fun ♪
♪ Get my lantern, get my gun ♪
♪ Red'll have you treed
'fore the mornin' comes" ♪
♪ Now Ol' Red
got real used to seein' ♪
♪ His lady every night ♪
♪ So I kept him away
for three or four days ♪
♪ And waited
till the time got right ♪
♪ Well, I made my run
with the evening sun ♪
♪ And I smiled when I heard 'em
turn Red out ♪
♪ 'Cause I was headed north
to Tennessee ♪
♪ And Ol' Red was headed south ♪
♪ And the warden sang ♪
♪ "Come on, somebody,
why don't you run? ♪
♪ Ol' Red's itchin'
to have a little fun ♪
♪ Get my lantern, get my gun ♪
♪ Red'll have you treed
'fore the mornin' comes" ♪
♪ Now there's red-haired
blueticks all in the South ♪
♪ Love got me in here
and love got me out ♪
♪♪♪
Hello, guys.
It's Kelsea Ballerini,
and I'm here
in the dressing room
where some of the biggest stars
in the history of country music
get themselves ready
to walk onto the Opry stage.
It's official name
is the Women of Country,
and on this wall and this one
are pictures
of the legendary female singers
who inspired me
and so many others.
♪ Crazy ♪
♪ I'm crazy
for feeling so lonely ♪
♪ Jolene, Jolene,
Jolene, Jolene ♪
♪ Please don't take him
just because you can ♪
It's women that have blazed
the trail
and just defined what it means
to be a woman in music.
Having them be on the walls
and surround you
as you're getting ready
to step onto the same stage
that they have,
it's empowering,
and it's important.
This is my sister
Crystal Gayle.
We are two little ol' gals
from Oklahoma
getting to be on the stage
of the Grand Ole Opry together.
It's called the Mother Church,
not the Father Church.
This place has the heart
of a mama.
The Grand Ole Opry is bigger
than any building
that'll ever, ever, ever
house it.
And so many people have come
before us on this stage
that are legends
and the reason why we're here.
I really wouldn't know
what it looks like
to be a woman in country music
without Carrie Underwood.
And if I can be half the artist
you are,
I'd feel like
I'm doing something right.
I'm gonna stay right here
and get myself ready
because later on
I'm heading to the stage
to perform a song from one of
my many female Opry heroes,
Alison Krauss.
We've only done this once.
Yeah.
We rehearsed it
backstage.
I'm sure
we're gonna butcher this.
Probably.
But, Loretta,
if you're watching, we're sorry.
Conway, up in heaven,
if you're watching,
help me.
[ "Louisiana Woman,
Mississippi Man" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Hey, Louisiana woman ♪
♪ Mississippi man ♪
♪ We get together
every time we can ♪
♪ The Mississippi River
can't keep us apart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
Oh!
♪ I see the alligators
all a-waitin' nearby ♪
♪ Sooner or later
they know I'm gonna try ♪
♪ When she waves from the bank,
don't you know I know ♪
♪ It's goodbye fishin' line,
see you while ago ♪
♪ With a Louisiana woman
waitin' on the other side ♪
♪ The Mississippi River
don't look so wide ♪
♪ Hey, Louisiana woman ♪
♪ Mississippi man ♪
♪ We get together
every time we can ♪
♪ The Mississippi River
can't keep us apart ♪
♪ There's too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
♪ Well, I thought I'd been
loved, but I never had ♪
♪ Till I was wrapped in the arms
of a Mississippi man ♪
♪ When he holds me close,
it feels almost ♪
♪ Like another hurricane
just ripped the coast ♪
♪ If he can't come to me
I'm a-gonna go to him ♪
♪ The Mississippi River, Lord,
I'm gonna swim ♪
♪ Hey, Louisiana woman ♪
♪ Mississippi man ♪
♪ We get together
every time we can ♪
♪ The Mississippi River
can't keep us apart ♪
♪ There's too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
♪ Well, Mississippi River,
it's one mile wide ♪
♪ And I gotta get me
to the other side ♪
♪ Mississippi man,
I'm a-losin' my mind ♪
♪ I gotta have your loving
just one more time ♪
♪ I'm gonna jump in the river,
and here I go ♪
♪ Too bad, alligator,
you swim too slow ♪
♪ Hey, Louisiana woman ♪
♪ Mississippi man ♪
♪ We get together
every time we can ♪
♪ The Mississippi River
can't keep us apart ♪
♪ There's too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
♪ There's too much love
in this Mississippi heart ♪
♪ Too much love
in this Louisiana heart ♪
Announcer: Still to come,
a classic Dolly Parton
Opry performance.
And a special collaboration
from Dierks Bentley
and Marty Stuart.
When "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" continues.
.
♪♪♪
Now, my buddy Brad thinks
he's a longtime Opry veteran.
But he's about 32 years short
compared to our next performer.
It was right after
her iconic solo album
"Just Because I'm a Woman"
was released
that she was inducted
into the Mother Church.
She's the Backwoods Barbie
and the Queen of Country.
Here is Dolly Parton.
[ "9 to 5" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Well, I tumble out of bed
and stumble to the kitchen ♪
♪ Pour myself
a cup of ambition ♪
♪ Yawn and stretch
and try to come to life ♪
♪ I jump in the shower,
and the blood starts pumping ♪
♪ Out on the street,
the traffic starts jumping ♪
♪ With folks like me on the job
from 9 to 5, yeah ♪
♪ Working 9 to 5,
what a way to make a living ♪
♪ Barely getting by ♪
♪ It's all taking
and no giving ♪
♪ They just use your mind,
and they never give you credit ♪
♪ It's enough to drive you crazy
if you let it ♪
♪ 9 to 5 ♪
♪ For service and devotion ♪
♪ You would think that I
would deserve a fat promotion ♪
♪ I want to move ahead, but the
boss won't seem to let me ♪
♪ I swear sometimes
that man is out to get me ♪
♪ Ooh ooh ooh ooh ♪
♪ They let you dream
just to watch 'em shatter ♪
♪ You're just a step
on the boss man's ladder ♪
♪ But you got dreams
he'll never take away ♪
♪ You're in the same boat
with a lot of your friends ♪
♪ Waiting for the day
your ship'll come in ♪
♪ Tide's gonna turn, and it's
all gonna roll your way ♪
I just know it!
♪ Working 9 to 5,
what a way to make a living ♪
♪ Barely getting by ♪
♪ It's all taking
and no giving ♪
♪ They just use your mind,
and they never give you credit ♪
♪ It's enough to drive you crazy
if you let it ♪
♪ 9 to 5 ♪
♪ They got you
where they want you ♪
♪ There's a better life ♪
♪ Y'all dream about it,
don't you? ♪
♪ It's a rich man's game ♪
♪ I don't care
what they call it ♪
♪ And you spend your life
putting money in his wallet ♪
♪ 9 to 5 ♪
♪ Just working, working,
working ♪
♪ Working 9 to 5 ♪
♪ They got you working 9 to 5 ♪
♪ Working 9 to 5 ♪
♪ They keep you
working, working, working ♪
♪ Working 9 to 5 ♪
♪ Give me five ♪
Oh!
Give me five!
One of the best things about
being a member of the Opry is,
when you're here,
you can just say to somebody,
"Hey, you want to play?"
And they'll go, "Yeah."
And you just decide
what song you want to play,
and you get up and play it.
Come on, Marty.
I just wanted to share the
microphone with you a minute.
I told everybody
we were good friends.
Oh! [ Laughs ]
[ Laughter ]
♪ And I said, "Hey, pretty lady,
Won't you give me a sign? ♪
♪ I'll do anything to make you
mine, all mine ♪
♪ I'll do your biddin'
and be at your beck and call" ♪
♪ Well, I've never seen anyone
lookin' so fine ♪
♪ Man, I gotta have her,
she's a one of a kind ♪
♪ I'm goin' once, goin' twice ♪
♪ I'm sold to the lady
in the long black dress ♪
♪ She won my heart,
it was no contest ♪
♪ With the ruby-red lips,
blond hair, blue eyes ♪
♪ And I'm about to bid
my heart goodbye ♪
Janson:
You get the opportunity to play
with people like Keith Urban,
I don't care who you are,
that is a big deal.
And it's just a humbling thing
for me.
I'll never forget that time
Vince Gill,
he was out there,
and he was like,
"Y'all gonna come sing
'Go Rest High Rest High
on That Mountain' with me?"
We were like, "Uh, yeah!"
♪ I need love
warm and tender ♪
♪ In a way
I've never known ♪
♪ If you want me,
I'll go with you ♪
♪ But you'll have to
lead me on ♪
♪ Those memories
of you still haunt me ♪
♪ 'Cause a heart won't lie ♪
♪ Sometimes life
gets in the way ♪
♪ But there's one thing
that won't change ♪
♪ I know, I've tried ♪
♪ No, the heart
won't lie ♪
[ Chuckles ]
This next performance
comes from someone
who joined the Opry in 2005
and the member who inducted him,
a legend who's been playing here
for almost 50 years
and was just elected into
the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Here are Dierks Bentley
and Marty Stuart.
This circle has seen
a lot of good songs.
It has.
And this might be
one of the best ever.
It's a great by Willie
and Merle Haggard.
Today,
it's Dierks and Marty.
[ Both laugh ]
You be Pancho, I'll be Lefty.
All right. Here we go.
[ "Pancho and Lefty" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Living on the road,
my friend ♪
♪ Was gonna keep you
free and clean ♪
♪ And now you wear your skin
like iron ♪
♪ Your breath
as hard as kerosene ♪
♪ You weren't your mama's
only boy ♪
♪ But her favorite one,
it seems ♪
♪ She began to cry
when you said goodbye ♪
♪ And sank into your dreams ♪
♪ Pancho was a bandit boy ♪
♪ His horse was fast
as polished steel ♪
♪ He wore his gun
outside his pants ♪
♪ For all the honest world
to feel ♪
♪ Pancho met his match,
you know ♪
♪ On the deserts
down in Mexico ♪
♪ Nobody heard his dying words ♪
♪ Ah, but that's the way
it goes ♪
♪ All the Federales say ♪
♪ They could have had him
any day ♪
♪ They only let him slip away ♪
♪ Out of kindness, I suppose ♪
♪ Lefty,
he can't sing the blues ♪
♪ All night long
like he used to ♪
♪ The dust
that Pancho bit down South ♪
♪ Ended up in Lefty's mouth ♪
♪ The day they laid
poor Pancho low ♪
♪ Lefty split for Ohio ♪
♪ Where he got the bread to go ♪
♪ There ain't nobody knows ♪
♪ All the Federales say ♪
♪ They could have had him
any day ♪
♪ They only let him slip away ♪
♪ Out of kindness, I suppose ♪
♪ The poets tell
how Pancho fell ♪
♪ And Lefty's living
in cheap hotels ♪
♪ The desert's quiet,
Cleveland's cold ♪
♪ And so the story ends
we're told ♪
♪ Pancho needs your prayers,
it's true ♪
♪ And save a few for Lefty too ♪
♪ He only did
what he had to do ♪
♪ And now he's growing old ♪
♪ All the Federales say ♪
♪ They could have had him
any day ♪
♪ They only let him
go so long ♪
♪ Out of kindness, I suppose ♪
Pancho and Lefty.
[ Chuckles ]
Marty Stuart, everybody.
Announcer:
Coming up, Kelsea Ballerini
takes the stage.
Then Brad Paisley performs
"American Saturday Night."
When "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" returns.
.
♪♪♪
Hey, y'all. Welcome back
to the Grand Ole Opry.
Right now, it's time
for a performance
by one of the
newest members of the Opry,
inducted in 2019
by Carrie Underwood.
Here is Kelsea Ballerini.
[ "When You Say Nothing
at All" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ It's amazing how you can speak
right to my heart ♪
♪ Without saying a word,
you light up the dark ♪
♪ Try as I may,
I could never explain ♪
♪ What I hear
when you don't say a thing ♪
♪ The smile on your face lets me
know that you need me ♪
♪ There's a truth in your eyes
saying you'll never leave me ♪
♪ The touch of your hand says
you'll catch me ♪
♪ If ever I fall ♪
♪ Oh, and you say it best ♪
♪ When you say nothing at all ♪
♪♪♪
♪ All day long, I can hear
people talking out loud ♪
♪ But when you hold me near,
you drown out the crowd ♪
♪ Old Mister Webster
could never define ♪
♪ What's being said
between your heart and mine ♪
♪ The smile on your face lets me
know that you need me ♪
♪ There's a truth in your eyes
saying you'll never leave me ♪
♪ The touch of your hand says
you'll catch me ♪
♪ If ever I fall ♪
♪ Oh, and you say it best ♪
♪ When you say nothing at all ♪
♪♪♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪♪♪
♪ The smile on your face lets me
know that you need me ♪
♪ There's a truth in your eyes
saying you'll never leave me ♪
♪ The touch of your hand says
you'll catch me ♪
♪ If ever I fall ♪
♪ Oh, and you say it best ♪
♪ When you say nothing at all ♪
♪♪♪
♪ When you say nothing at all ♪
♪♪♪
It needs to be remembered that
the Opry has seen World Wars.
It has seen a Depression.
They've somehow figured out how
to keep country music on the air
and the story going.
The Opry House
was totally flooded
during
the national flood of 2010.
More than 4 feet of water
covered the Opry stage,
and it was truly devastating.
The Opry found temporary homes
around Nashville, though,
that summer
and didn't miss a single show.
And the show returned
here to the Opry
in the fall of that year.
There's a rail
in the Family Room backstage
marking the 2010 flood line.
A reminder that together we have
survived hard times in the past
and we'll so do again.
Bones: Welcome to a very special
edition of the Opry show.
There's no one in the Opry
with us.
And that's because we're taking
precautions, too.
I decided to write
a song about this.
It's called "Six Feet Apart."
The Opry continued to go on...
Yeah.
...in such
an unprecedented year.
And the music never stopped.
And that is a miracle when
the world felt like it stopped.
♪♪♪
♪ Yeah, there will be
light after dark ♪
♪ Someday when we aren't
6 feet apart ♪
For almost a century now,
the Grand Ole Opry
has been defining
our "American Saturday Night"
here in America
and all around the world.
The spirit of the Opry
is a powerful reminder
that in good times and in
challenging times, too,
the show must go on.
Man: 1. 2. 1, 2.
[ "American Saturday Night"
plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ She's got
Brazilian leather boots ♪
♪ On the pedal
of her German car ♪
♪ Listenin' to the Beatles
singin' "Back in the USSR" ♪
♪ Yeah, she's goin'
around the world tonight ♪
♪ But she ain't leavin' here ♪
♪ She's just going
to meet her boyfriend ♪
♪ Down at the street fair ♪
♪ Now, it's a French kiss,
Italian ice ♪
♪ Margaritas in the moonlight ♪
♪ Just another
American Saturday night ♪
Hey!
♪ There's a big toga party
tonight down at Delta Chi ♪
♪ They've got Canadian bacon
on their pizza pie ♪
♪ They've got a cooler full of
cold Coronas and Amstel Light ♪
♪ It's like we're all livin'
in a big ole cup ♪
♪ Just fire up the blender,
mix it all up ♪
♪ There's a French kiss,
Italian ice ♪
♪ Spanish moss
in the moonlight ♪
♪ Just another
American Saturday night ♪
♪♪♪
♪ Everywhere has
somethin' they're known for ♪
♪ But usually it washes up
on our shores ♪
♪ My
great-great-great-granddaddy ♪
♪ Stepped off of that ship ♪
♪ I bet he never, ever dreamed
I'd ever do anything like this ♪
♪♪♪
♪ Everywhere has
somethin' they're known for ♪
♪ But usually it washes up
on our shores ♪
♪ Little Italy and Chinatown ♪
♪ Sittin' there side by side ♪
Live from the Grand Ole Opry...
♪ It's a French kiss,
Italian ice ♪
♪ Margaritas in the moonlight ♪
♪ Just another American ♪
♪ I'm just another American ♪
♪ And it's just another
American Saturday night ♪
♪♪♪
Announcer: When we return,
Garth & Trisha's Opry
performance of "Two of a Kind."
Then, Darius Rucker gives Lady A
the invitation of a lifetime.
It's the "Grand Ole Opry:
95 Years of Country Music."
.
♪♪♪
It's always great to see a fresh
new talent trying to make it.
Our next performance
features a guy who I think
has a real chance
of making it in the big time.
Here together on the Opry stage,
from 2020,
it's the great Trisha Yearwood
and --
I-I'm trying to remember
his name. It's weird.
Garth Brooks.
♪ Hey, she's my Lady Luck ♪
♪ And I'm her wild-card man ♪
♪ Together we're buildin' up
a real hot hand ♪
♪ We live out in the country ♪
♪ She's my little queen
of the south ♪
♪ Yeah,
we're two of a kind ♪
♪ Workin' on a full house ♪
♪ She wakes me every mornin'
with a smile and a kiss ♪
♪ Her strong country lovin'
is hard to resist ♪
♪ She's my easy-lovin' woman ♪
♪ I'm her hard-workin' man,
no doubt ♪
♪ Yeah, we're two of a kind ♪
♪ Workin' on a full house ♪
♪ Yeah, our pickup truck
is her limousine ♪
♪ And her favorite dress
is her faded blue jeans ♪
♪ She loves me tender
when the goin' get tough ♪
♪ Sometimes we fight just
so we can make up ♪
♪ Lord, I need that little woman
like the crops need the rain ♪
♪ She's my honeycomb,
and I'm her sugarcane ♪
♪ We really fit together ♪
♪ If you know
what I'm talkin' about ♪
♪ Yeah, we're two of a kind ♪
♪ Workin' on a full house ♪
♪ Lordy, mama ♪
♪ We'll be two of a kind ♪
♪ Workin' on a full house ♪
♪♪♪
Whoo!
I'm glad you sang that.
How you would...
like to be the next member
of the Grand Ole Opry?!
[ Cheers and applause ]
'Cause we would like to ask you
if you would love to be
the newest member of the
Grand Ole Opry on June 12th?
[ Cheers and applause ]
How would you like to become
the next member
of the Grand Ole Opry?
Oh!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Oh, my gosh. I grew up
listening to the Grand Ole...
[ Cheers and applause ]
When they asked if I wanted to
become a member in 1969,
that was one of
the biggest nights of my life.
It was sacred to me.
It truly was.
I just remember standing up
there singing "Pontoon," and...
Yeah.
...the next thing I know,
I heard a voice singing
with us.
And I'm like, "Oh, it's Reba.
Oh!
"Wait a minute.
What is she doing here?"
Yeah.
Little Big Town,
would y'all like to be
a member
of the Grand Ole Opry?
[ Cheers and applause ]
I remember how thrilled I was
to get to become a member.
I was very emotional.
I was crying like a baby.
To see that same reaction from
them, it was just so special.
The day I got inducted
was amazing.
The thing I will never forget
about this --
Little Jimmy Dickens grabbed me.
He said, "Don't you ever
let them tell you
you don't belong here."
And that is something
I'll never forget.
♪♪♪
What can you say about
three friends of yours
who together have become
one of the biggest groups
in country music history?
Well, how about this?
This trio
are multi-platinum superstars,
seven-time Grammy Award winners.
Seven-time CMA Award winners,
too.
And I feel so, so honored
right now
to stand here in the Opry House
and hope they accept
the invitation
I'm thrilled to be
offering them right now.
So, Lady A, would you guys
like to be the newest members
of the Grand Ole Opry?
-What?! What?
-What?
Is that really happening?
Rucker: Yes.
Yes.
Are you serious?
Oh, my gosh!
That's amazing.
God!
I never...
That's crazy.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my goodness.
I'm sorry.
[ Laughs ] I'm so happy
for you guys.
I knew it.
[ Crying ]
Couldn't wait
until after we sang.
[ Laughter ]
I love you guys, too.
And now, performing
for the first time
as our newest Grand Ole Opry
members, my family.
They're singing "Forever
and Ever, Amen" -- Lady A!
Well, that was the most
unexpected surprise.
We are so honored.
Speechless, truly.
And, Randy Travis, we hope
we do you justice on this one.
Here we go.
[ Intro plays ]
Man: 1, 2, 3!
♪♪♪
♪ You may think
that I'm talkin' foolish ♪
♪ You've heard
that I'm wild and I'm free ♪
♪ You may wonder
how I can promise you now ♪
♪ This love that I feel for you
always will be ♪
♪ But you're not just time
that I'm killin' ♪
♪ I'm no longer
one of those guys ♪
♪ As sure as I live ♪
♪ This love that I give ♪
♪ Is gonna be yours
until the day that I die ♪
♪ Oh, baby,
I'm gonna love you forever ♪
♪ Forever and ever, amen ♪
♪ As long as old men sit
and talk about the weather ♪
♪ As long as old women
sit and talk about old men ♪
♪ If you wonder how long
I'll be faithful ♪
♪ I'll be happy to tell you
again ♪
♪ Girl, I'm gonna love you
forever and ever ♪
♪ Forever and ever, amen ♪
♪♪♪
♪ They say time can play tricks
on a memory ♪
♪ Make people forget
things they knew ♪
♪ But it's easy to see ♪
♪ It's happenin' to me ♪
♪ I've already forgotten
every woman but you ♪
♪ Oh, darlin',
I'm gonna love you forever ♪
♪ Forever and ever, amen ♪
♪ As long as old men sit
and talk about the weather ♪
♪ As long as old women
sit and talk about old men ♪
♪ If you wonder how long
I'll be faithful ♪
♪ Well, just listen
to how this song ends ♪
♪ Yeah, I'm gonna love you
forever and ever ♪
♪ Forever and ever ♪
♪ Amen ♪
♪♪♪
Announcer:
Still to come,
Kelsea Ballerini
takes the Opry stage
with one of her latest hits
and Darius Rucker pays tribute
to the great Charley Pride.
When "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" continues.
.
♪♪♪
♪ The boy said, "My name's
Johnny, and it might be a sin ♪
♪ I'm gonna take your bet,
you're gonna regret ♪
♪ 'Cause I am the best
that's ever been" ♪
♪ Johnny, rosin up your bow
and play your fiddle hard ♪
♪ 'Cause hell's broke loose
in Georgia ♪
♪ And the devil
deals the cards ♪
♪ And if you win, you get this
shiny fiddle made of gold ♪
♪ But if you lose,
the devil gets your soul ♪
[ Fiddle solo ]
♪♪♪
Here's an Opry fact
people may not know --
We have our own mailboxes here.
Don't we?
Yeah.
I got mine right here.
Let's see
if we have any mail.
I don't have any --
Whoa! Look at all --
Look at all of this!
Oh, it's just spilling out!
I don't even know
what to do with all this.
What the hell
does that say?
Look at it.
This is addressed to Occupant.
Well,
they're big fans still.
I think.
The thing I love about backstage
is, it's an open-door policy.
Like, you can close your door,
but nobody does.
It's, like,
just an unwritten rule.
And I was walking by one day,
and the Del McCoury Band
were in there just jamming.
And I just walked in
and sat down,
and it was really one of those
moments that I was like,
"This is what music's
all about, right here."
Haywood: Our first visit here,
it was our first year.
We just had one song
on the radio.
To be walking past Vince Gill,
have a chance to meet him,
introduce him to my parents...
I mean, there's just
so much history here.
It's such a family.
It's such an incredible group
of historic,
legendary country artists.
My wife walked past
Carrie Underwood's shoes
and freaked out,
so that was pretty cool.
I used to work across the street
at The Nashville Network,
and they had
a little sign-up sheet
to come backstage at the Opry.
So, of course, every Friday,
I was backstage at the Opry.
I'd sneak in on Saturday, too.
And eventually,
yeah, management said,
"You can't come
every single weekend."
So Pete Fisher took away
my backstage pass,
but luckily a few years
down the road,
I was able to get
the ultimate backstage pass,
which was becoming a member
of the Grand Ole Opry.
Newest Grand Ole Opry member,
Mr. Dierks Bentley.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Here to perform
her smash "Hole in the Bottle,"
a woman
with talent overflowing --
Kelsea Ballerini.
As soon as I wrote this song,
all I could think about
was singing it on this stage
here at the Grand Ole Opry.
So this is for anyone that, uh,
has a glass of wine
watching this.
Cheers, y'all.
[ Intro plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Hole in the bottle ♪
♪ That bottle of wine, yeah ♪
♪ Hole in the bottle ♪
♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪
♪ It ain't my fault ♪
♪ So don't blame me ♪
♪ I swear I just came here
to unwind and have one drink ♪
♪ The way it looks ♪
♪ Ain't what you think ♪
♪ This Cabernet has a way
of vanishin' on me ♪
♪ There's a hole in the bottle ♪
♪ Leakin' all this wine ♪
♪ It's already empty,
it ain't even suppertime ♪
♪ Honey, no, I don't miss him ♪
♪ In fact, it slipped my mind ♪
♪ There's a hole
in the bottle of wine ♪
♪ I keep my cool ♪
♪ Keep my cool ♪
♪ I play by all the rules ♪
♪ Play by rules ♪
♪ And I swear 10 minutes ago
that bottle was full ♪
♪ It was full ♪
♪ So I won't cry ♪
♪ About love gone wrong ♪
♪ 'Cause tears would water down
this Ruby Red I'm sippin' on ♪
♪ There's a hole in the bottle ♪
♪ Leakin' all this wine ♪
♪ It's already empty,
it ain't even suppertime ♪
♪ Honey, no, I don't miss him ♪
♪ In fact, it slipped my mind ♪
♪ There's a hole
in the bottle of wine ♪
Let's go!
♪♪♪
♪ Hole in the bottle ♪
♪ That bottle of wine, yeah ♪
♪ Hole in the bottle ♪
♪ I went and got a new one ♪
♪ 'Cause the other one
was broken ♪
♪ Now this one's halfway gone ♪
♪ And it's barely even open ♪
♪ There's a hole in the bottle ♪
♪ Leakin' all this wine ♪
♪ It's already empty,
thank God somewhere it's 5:00 ♪
♪ Honey, no, I don't miss him ♪
♪ In fact, it slipped my mind ♪
♪ There's a hole
in the bottle of wine ♪
♪ You may ask me
where it's goin' ♪
♪ But I can't even find ♪
♪ The hole
in the bottle of wine ♪
Cheers.
Announcer: Coming up,
performances by Blake Shelton
and Darius Rucker.
And Brad Paisley
takes us "Off Road"
when "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" continues.
.
♪♪♪
Us Opry buddies
have a lot of fun together,
but the truth is,
we love and respect each other.
I especially love this man.
Here to sing "God's Country,"
Blake Shelton.
[ Intro plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Right outside
of this one-church town ♪
♪ There's a gold dirt road
to a whole lot of nothin' ♪
♪ Got a deed to the land,
but it ain't my ground ♪
♪ This is God's country ♪
♪ We pray for rain,
and thank him when it's fallen ♪
♪ 'Cause it brings a grain
and a little bit of money ♪
♪ We put it back in the plate ♪
♪ I guess that's why
they call it God's country ♪
♪ I saw the light
in the sunrise ♪
♪ Sittin' back in the 40
on the muddy riverside ♪
♪ Gettin' baptized
in holy water and 'shine ♪
♪ With the dogs runnin' ♪
♪ Saved by the sound
of the been found ♪
♪ Dixie whistle in the wind,
that'll get you heaven-bound ♪
♪ The devil
went down to Georgia ♪
♪ But he didn't stick around ♪
♪ This is God's country ♪
♪ We turn the dirt and work
until the week's done ♪
♪ We take a break
and break bread on Sunday ♪
♪ Then do it all again ♪
♪ 'Cause we're proud to be
from God's country ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ I saw the light
in the sunrise ♪
♪ Sittin' back in the 40
on the muddy riverside ♪
♪ Gettin' baptized
in holy water and shine ♪
♪ With the dogs runnin' ♪
♪ Saved by the sound
of the been found ♪
♪ Dixie whistle in the wind,
that'll get you heaven-bound ♪
♪ The devil
went down to Georgia ♪
♪ But he didn't stick around ♪
♪ This is God's country ♪
♪♪♪
♪ I don't care
what my headstone reads ♪
♪ Or what kind of pinewood box
I end up in ♪
♪ When it's my time,
lay me 6 feet deep ♪
♪ In God's country ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ I saw the light
in the sunrise ♪
♪ Sittin' back in the 40
on the muddy riverside ♪
♪ Gettin' baptized
in holy water and shine ♪
♪ With the dogs runnin' ♪
♪ Saved by the sound
of the been found ♪
♪ Dixie whistle in the wind,
that'll get you heaven-bound ♪
♪ The devil
went down to Georgia ♪
♪ But he didn't stick around ♪
♪ This is God's country ♪
♪♪♪
I was a kid performing
at "The Wheeling Jamboree,"
which was sort of
our local version of the Opry
in West Virginia, when one of
the greatest artists and men
that I ever met came to play
and took the time to talk to me
and encourage me to come to
Nashville to make my own name.
I was proud to call him
my hero and friend
until the end --
the great Charley Pride.
♪♪♪
Man: Hall of Fame member,
a man with
over 25 million albums sold --
Charley Pride!
[ Cheers and applause ]
The first time I ever appeared
on the Opry --
when Ernest Tubb introduced me
at the old Ryman,
and I want to tell you, I'm not
quite as scared and nervous
as I was then,
but I am close to that.
I couldn't imagine him being
where he was at that time
and age, in front
of all those people at the Opry.
Bentley: Pretty brave guy to
step into a lot of the places
he stepped into, but I know
playing the Opry
always felt like home to him.
Oh, you all are wonderful.
You're having a good time, huh?
Look like you are.
He was truly
an American original.
There will never be another one
like Charley.
[ Cheers and applause ]
You know, uh,
one of the main reasons
I get to stand on this stage
and sing
is because of the courage and
tenacity and talent of somebody
that I got to call my mentor.
I got to call him a friend,
and I get to call him
my Opry brother.
And I love him, and I miss him,
and here's our tribute
to the great Charley Pride.
3, 4. 1.
[ "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'
plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Whenever I chance to meet ♪
♪ Some old friends
on the street ♪
♪ They wonder, "How does
a man get to be this way?" ♪
♪ I've always got
a smilin' face ♪
♪ Anytime, anyplace ♪
♪ And every time they ask me
why, I just smile and say ♪
♪ That you've got to ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And let her know you think
about her when you're gone ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And love her like the devil
when you get back home ♪
♪ Well, people
may try to guess ♪
♪ The secret of our happiness ♪
♪ But some of them never learn ♪
♪ It's a simple thing ♪
♪ The secret
that I'm speaking of ♪
♪ Is a woman and a man in love ♪
♪ And the answer
is in this song ♪
♪ That I always sing ♪
♪ 'Cause you've got to ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And let her know you think
about her when you're gone ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And love her like the devil
when you get back home ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And let her know you think
about her when you're gone ♪
♪ Kiss an angel good mornin' ♪
♪ And love her like the devil
when you get back home ♪
♪♪♪
Announcer: Up next,
Brad Paisley debuts a new song
to honor
the amazing ground-breaking
women of the Opry
when "Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years
of Country Music" returns.
.
♪♪♪
♪ Well, I was born
a coal miner's daughter ♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪ In a cabin
on a hill in Butcher Holler ♪
♪ We were poor,
but we had love ♪
♪ That's the one thing
that Daddy made sure of ♪
♪ He shoveled coal to make
a poor man's dollar ♪
♪ My daddy worked all night
in the Van Lear coal mines ♪
♪ All day long in the field
a-hoein' corn ♪
♪ Mommy rocked the babies
at night ♪
♪ And read the Bible
by the coal oil light ♪
♪ And everything would start
all over come break of dawn ♪
A lot of Opry history
has been made
by amazing and brave
female artists
who refused to stay
in their lane.
I wanted to sing this tonight
for all of the women
of the Opry past and present
who have made this and the world
such an interesting place.
Road blocks never stopped
a country girl, I'd say.
[ "Off Road" plays ]
♪♪♪
♪ Here she is,
meet the star of this song ♪
♪ Hair up and high heels on ♪
♪ Hitting traffic in Malibu ♪
♪ With Tennessee
in the rear-view ♪
♪ She didn't move out here
to fail ♪
♪ She's gonna blaze
a brand-new trail ♪
♪ Where anybody else
might stop ♪
♪ When they run out
of blacktop ♪
♪ She's a little off-road ♪
♪ Gravel dust on her halo ♪
♪ I think you oughta know ♪
♪ If you wanna ride along ♪
♪ Where she's goin'
ain't paved ♪
♪ She ain't lookin'
for a highway ♪
♪ And she ain't gonna stay
in her lane ♪
♪ 'Cause she's
a little off-road ♪
And you have made me proud.
Thank you.
Because you are real.
You're the real deal, girl.
♪ She ain't the 5 or the 101 ♪
♪ She's a little more wild
and a lot more fun ♪
♪ If you wanna love her,
well, I tell you what ♪
♪ Trust me, boy,
you better buckle up ♪
♪ She's a little off-road ♪
♪ Gravel dust on her halo ♪
♪ I think you oughta know ♪
♪ If you wanna ride along ♪
We've come a long way.
♪ That where she's goin'
ain't paved ♪
♪ And her way
ain't the highway ♪
♪ And she ain't gonna stay
in her lane ♪
♪ 'Cause she's
a little off-road ♪
Woman: Jeannie Seely,
Jean Shepard,
Connie Smith, Barbara Mandrell,
they'd all have the electricity.
♪ You see that mountain
over there ♪
♪ You see those tracks
on the beach ♪
♪ Yeah, she can go anywhere ♪
♪ Ain't nothing out of reach ♪
♪ Where she's going
ain't paved ♪
♪ To hell with the highway ♪
♪ She ain't gonna stay
in her lane ♪
♪ 'Cause she's
a little off-road ♪
♪ She ain't gonna stay
in her lane ♪
♪ 'Cause she's
a little off-road ♪
♪♪♪
Announcer: Coming up,
more with Brad and Blake
and Lady A with a finale
you won't wanna miss.
Here on the "Grand Ole Opry:
95 Years of Country Music."
.
♪♪♪
Tonight we've been celebrating
95 years of Opry history.
But this evening
would feel incomplete
without hearing
this enduring song
in our beautiful Opry House.
Back to raise
their stunning voices
and sing "Will The Circle
Be Unbroken?" for us,
the new members
of the Grand Ole Opry, Lady A.
♪♪♪
♪ Will the circle ♪
♪ Be unbroken ♪
♪ By and by, Lord ♪
♪ By and by? ♪
♪ There's a better home
a-waiting ♪
♪ In the sky, Lord ♪
♪ In the sky ♪
♪♪♪
♪ I was standing ♪
♪ By my window ♪
♪ On a cold and cloudy day ♪
♪ When I saw the ♪
♪ Hearse come rolling ♪
♪ For to carry my mother away ♪
♪ Will the circle ♪
♪ Be unbroken ♪
♪ By and by, Lord ♪
♪ By and by? ♪
♪ There's a better home
a-waiting ♪
♪ In the sky, Lord ♪
♪ In the sky ♪
♪ Well, I went back home ♪
♪ Home was lonely ♪
♪ For my mother, she was gone ♪
♪ And all my family ♪
♪ There was crying ♪
♪ For our home
felt sad and alone ♪
♪ Will the circle ♪
♪ Be unbroken ♪
♪ By and by, Lord ♪
♪ By and by? ♪
♪ There's a better home
a-waiting ♪
♪ In the sky, Lord ♪
♪ In the sky ♪
♪♪♪
♪ Undertaker ♪
♪ Oh, undertaker,
won't you please drive slow? ♪
♪ For that lady ♪
♪ You are hauling ♪
♪ Lord, I hate to see her go ♪
♪ There's a better home
a-waiting ♪
♪ In the sky, Lord ♪
♪ In the ♪
♪ Sky ♪
♪♪♪
Rucker:
I've toured with Lady A twice.
I'm so close with those guys.
To be the person
that got to ask,
that was a great day for me.
I was like,
"Why is Darius here?"
I remember thinking, "Why did
he just say 'an invitation'?"
Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
And then I just kind of
blacked out
after that, I feel like.
It's a lot to take in,
but we are so happy.
I want to call my mom.
[ Both laugh ]
Yeah.
We want to thank everybody
who's joined in
to celebrate the first
95 years of our Grand Ole Opry.
That long list includes all
of the legendary Opry greats
who came before us.
May we all keep
this circle unbroken
for another 95 years.
We'll see you then.