Here at the Royal Albert Hall, five of country music's brightest stars
are about to be joined on stage by some very special British artists
for a truly historic night
celebrating the centenary of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry.
That's right, Vernon. For the last 100 years,
the Opry has been the home of country music,
as well as the world's longest running live radio show,
and now for the first time ever, the Opry is here in London.
It all began back in 1925 when Nashville radio station WSM
started broadcasting a weekly music show.
RADIO DJ: This is WSM presenting the Grand Ole Opry...
The signal soon stretched across the States and then across decades.
APPLAUSE SINGER EXHALES DEEPLY
# White lightning... #
# Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene! #
# I got friends in low places... #
# Ain't that some... I found a few hits
# Cos country's cool again... #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
KELLY: It's where the biggest stars come to prove they belong.
And this is the world famous stage of the Grand Ole Opry,
complete with this sacred circle of wood.
And what makes this circle so special
is the wood was taken from the original stage floor
of the Ryman Auditorium.
Now, that is the Opry's most famous former home here in Nashville.
Yeah, it's something else.
Which means that everyone performing on this stage
is standing in the footsteps of legendary names like Patsy Cline,
Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
And every Opry show connects generations of today
with our musical heritage,
some of which we trace back to the folk music
that settlers brought with them
from the likes of England, Scotland and Ireland.
And it's all led to this very special night.
Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry...
BOTH: ..live in London!
BAGPIPES BLARE CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
STRINGS BOW
CHEERING STEADY DRUMS KICK IN
CHEERING INTENSIFIES
# 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-hoping for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight
WHOLE BAND: # So rock me, Mama, like a wagon wheel
# Rock me, Mama, any way you feel
# Hey, Mama, rock me
# Rock me, Mama, like the wind and the rain
# Rock me, Mama, like a southbound train
# Hey, Mama, rock me... #
Play it on fiddle!
# Running from the cold up in New England
# I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time string band
# My baby plays the guitar, I pick a banjo now
# Oh, north country winters keep a-getting me down
# Lost my money playing poker so I had to leave town
# But I ain't turning back to living that old life no more
# No more
# 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... #
Who loves country music, huh?
CHEERING
# Walking to the south out of Roanoke
# I caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long toke
# But he's a-headed west from the Cumberland Gap
# To Johnson City, Tennessee
# And I got to get a move on before the sun
# I hear my baby calling my name and 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, hey, Mama, rock me... #
Come on!
# Rock me, Mama, like a wagon wheel
# Rock me, Mama, any way you feel... Oh, I wanna feel
# Hey, hey, yeah! Hey, Mama, rock me
# Mama, rock me Mama, rock me
# Rock me, Mama, like the wind and the rain
# Rock me, Mama, like a southbound train
# Hey, hey, yeah, Mama... Hey, Mama, rock me
# You can rock me You can rock me... #
CHEERING
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE WHISTLING
Hey, everybody, what a way to open the show!
Whoo! Thank you to Scotland's very own Breabach
and the incredible Darius Rucker
for that Celtic country version of Wagon Wheel.
Yeah!
CHEERING
Welcome to the Royal Albert Hall!
CHEERING
We are incredibly lucky,
really lucky to be joined by the Opry's very own Kelly Sutton,
everyone, come on. Thank you. Yes! CHEERING
And ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Vernon Kay.
You know him, you love him.
CHEERING
I am so happy to be here with all y'all -
and that is the plural of y'all, if you didn't know.
So, all y'all, and we have some of our favourites
from the Grand Ole Opry here tonight for everyone.
And we've even brought a little piece of Opry history
with us in the shape of that circle right over there.
It's made from the famous Ryman Auditorium stage floor
where Opry legends once stood.
So the spirit of Nashville is right here with us.
It's going to be a spectacular evening. It really is.
We've got an incredible line-up ahead of us,
and the music just keeps coming.
Next up to help us celebrate is one of the Opry's brightest stars.
She has won three Country Music Association Awards,
four Academy of Country Music Awards, and a Grammy.
Kicking off with a classic song
written and recorded by the Queen of Country,
the one and only Dolly Parton.
She has been an Opry member since 2021.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Carly Pearce!
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Hi, there! How we doing?
# Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen
# Pour myself a cup of ambition
# And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
# I jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin'
# Out on the streets the traffic starts jumpin'
# With folks like me on the job from nine to five
# Workin' nine to five, what a way to make a livin'
# Barely gettin' by
# It's all takin' and no givin'
# They just use your mind and they never give you credit
# It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
# Nine to five
# For service and devotion
# You would think that I would deserve a fair promotion
# Want to move ahead
# But the boss won't seem to let me
# I swear, sometimes that man is out to get me
# They let you dream just to watch 'em shatter
# You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
# But you've got dreams they'll never take away
# And you're in the same boat with a lot of your friends
# Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
# And the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way
# Working nine to five
# Yeah, they got you where they want you
# There's a better life
# And you think about it, don't you?
# It's a rich man's game
# No matter what they call it
# And you spend your life puttin' money in his wallet
# Nine to five
# What a way to make a livin'
# Barely getting by
# It's all takin' and no givin'
# They just use your mind and they never give you credit
# It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
# Nine to five. #
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
This is all I ever wanted to do from the time I was a little girl,
and I'm just so grateful to bring something to you,
because you've been so good to so many of us country artists,
and we're very grateful to bring you,
in my opinion, the greatest thing in country music over in the States.
So, God bless you guys for being here with us tonight.
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
I got one more song,
and this song changed my life - and a lot of people don't know,
but another guy that you're going to see later in this show, Luke Combs...
CHEERING
..he and I co-wrote this song together.
So, London, if you know it, I hope that you will help me
because I'm so happy now!
# It's all on me
# It's my mistake
# I said I don't love you a little too late
# But I guess there ain't ever a right time
# And I don't know why it's called a goodbye
# So go run my name into the ground
# Tell everyone you know just how
# How I slammed the door on our forever
# But I promise you it's for the better
# I hope you find
# What you're lookin' for
# I hope your heart
# Ain't hurtin' any more
# And you get movin' on
# All figured out
# And you don't hate me somehow
# Cos I hope you're happy now... #
London, please welcome to the stage, my friend Luke Combs!
CHEERING
# Who knew this heart could break this hard
# Or a love like ours could fall apart
# Without so much as a warnin'
# I thought that I was what you wanted
# Well, I guess you found what you were lookin' for
# I guess my heart ain't worth it any more
# I'm a wreck, I'm a mess
# And I ain't got nothin' left
# So I hope you're happy now
# Happy now
# Well, I hope you find what you were lookin' for
# I guess my heart ain't worth it any more
# Hope you get movin' on
# All figured out
# And you don't hate me somehow
# I'm a wreck, I'm a mess
# And I ain't got nothin' left
# So I hope you're happy now
# Happy now
# You know, I hope you're happy now
# Mm-mm-mm. #
Y'all give it up for Luke Combs! Give it up...!
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Give it up for Carly, y'all. Come on, man.
The amazing Carly Pearce joined by Luke Combs, everybody.
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Yeah! We're going to be hearing a lot more from Luke
later on in the show.
You know, Vernon, every artist dreams of stepping into that circle,
but being invited to join the Opry as an official member,
well, that is simply the highest honour.
Yeah, and it's tradition that an existing Opry member
will surprise a newbie with the invitation, right?
Yeah, that's right. And these moments are always memorable,
emotional and just magical.
Our newest member... The newest member...
..of the Grand Ole Opry.
When someone said,
"We'd like to welcome you to the Opry," how did it feel?
I had no idea it was happening.
It's a surprise when it happens,
and I collapsed to the stage.
I have the honour of asking you
if you would please accept our invitation
to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
CHEERING
That was such a life-changing moment for me.
And that day was like a fairy tale.
How would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?
When she said that,
I seriously thought my ears were deceiving me.
I just said, "Thank you, Lord."
# You wanna join the Opry? #
How would you like to become the next member
of the Grand Ole Opry? Oh, God!
Oh, my God!
I was asked by the management here at the Grand Ole Opry
to come out and ask you if you would like to be their next member.
I'm taking that as a yes!
It's a yes. Thank you.
Oh, my word! Yes, I would love to.
Holy Moley! You have a home here and you have a place here.
And it's a place that you belong.
Thank you for being here on the biggest night of my life. Whoo!
Welcome to the family. Welcome to the family.
Congratulations, Travis. Great to have you, buddy.
Thank you so much.
That's for you.
This... This is the heart and soul of country music.
Keith Urban, you are now a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Yeehaw! Ha-ha!
Carly, first of all, thank you so much
for that incredible performance this evening. Oh, my gosh. It was so good.
Thank you. So good. Now, you've been an Opry member since 2021,
and at the time, you thought you were doing another performance
at Dollywood, because that's where you started singing as a 16-year-old.
Yes. However, it was completely not what you expected, right?
Oh, no. Much better.
We actually have the video to show everybody. Take a look.
Loving to, um... Nuh-uh...!
Hi, girl! How are you?
CARLY LAUGHS
We set this up so I could kind of walk in on you
because I wanted to surprise you.
They told me that you had been on the Grand Ole Opry,
80 times you've performed? Yes. How do you do that?
Like, 80 times. Oh, my goodness!
I'm just trying to follow in your footsteps.
Well, but you should be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
What's wrong with them?! I agree! Well, I came here today
to tell you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry!
Well, you can't do it sitting down! CARLY LAUGHS
All right, well, you wanna finish your Dollywood commercial?
Dolly! Are you guys serious?!
That is just about as Opry as it gets right there.
So, how long did it take to sink in
that she just asked you to become a member?
I still, like, have to disassociate with it
because it makes me so emotional, because I can't believe it.
It was like too many full-circle things at once.
You mentioned at the start of your performance
that this is a real thrill and an honour for you
to be a part of the Opry coming to London,
but this is part of the Opry's legacy, surely.
If you love country music,
and country music has ever mattered to you,
you understand how important that circle is.
No matter how my ticket sales go
or how many songs I have on the radio,
I will always have a family
and I will always have a stage to play, and I'm grateful for that.
CHEERING
Carly Pearce, everybody!
CHEERING
Now, the Opry has always been about telling stories through song,
and our next guest knows a thing or two about that, Kelly.
Yes, they sure do. They actually made a name for themselves
performing in small London bars... Pubs. Pubs? Pubs. Pubs. Got it. OK.
In small London pubs, and then they went on to global stages,
carrying a little bit of folk tradition with them
every step of the way.
They've headlined festivals,
they've won Grammy Awards... Brit Awards.
Yep, Brit Awards, and Billboard Music Awards
and an Ivor Novello -
and tonight we welcome them to the Opry here at Royal Albert Hall.
We do indeed. Everyone, it's Mumford and Sons!
CHEERING
Hello. We're very excited to be here.
We have never played here as a band, and we love this place,
we love this city, so thank you for having us.
CHEERING
One, two, three.
# Cold is the water
# It freezes your already cold mind
# Already cold, cold mind
# And death is at your doorstep
# And it will steal your innocence
# But it will not steal your substance
# But you are not alone in this
# And you are not alone in this
# As brothers, we will stand and we'll hold your hand
# Hold your hand
# And you are the mother
# The mother of your baby child
# The one to whom you gave life
# And you have your choices
# And these are what make man great
# His ladder to the stars
# But you are not alone in this
# And you are not alone in this
# As brothers, we will stand and we'll hold your hand
# Hold your hand
# But I will tell the night
# And whisper, "Lose your sight"
# But I can't move the mountains
# For you. #
Thank you.
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Thank you, Mumford and Sons, for that incredible performance.
Now, there are some stars who don't just play country music,
they live it - and it's a great honour to introduce
our next performer,
who first graced the stage at the Opry in 1972
at the age of 13, everyone.
13 years old. At that time, he was a member of the road band
of bluegrass legend Lester Flatt,
and not long after,
he was standing on the stage with Johnny Cash himself.
Please welcome Opry legend Marty Stuart!
CHEERING
I love this hall, and the first time I played here was in the 1980s,
and I was in Johnny Cash's band.
And, uh, how about a hand for the Man in Black? It's all right.
CHEERING
He'd appreciate it.
So when we played here with the Cash show,
he played a song called the Orange Blossom Special
on the harmonicas, right? Now, you're supposed to play this on a fiddle,
but if I played it on a fiddle, you guys would leave here screaming,
so I'm going to try it on the mandolin. Mr Rouse's composition.
It is called the Orange Blossom Special.
# Well, look yonder comin'
# Comin' down that railroad track
# Look yonder comin'
# Comin' down that railroad track
# It's that Orange Blossom Special bringin' my baby back
# Well, you talk about your travellin'
# She's the fastest train on the rails
# Talk about your travellin'
# Fastest train on the rails
# Ride that Orange Blossom Special
# Rollin' down that seaboard trail
# Seaboard trail. #
Yeah!
That's all I got!
CHEERING
I'm looking forward to what we're about to do,
because I was asked before I came to think about a song
or a band that, from over here,
that has influenced me and had a good effect on my life.
And I was thinking about... I have a pal named Keith,
who's a part of a pretty good country band
in this town called the Rolling Stones.
CHEERING
With all the Opry band all around us
and the Wandering Hearts, campfire style.
# Childhood living
# Is easy to do
# The things you wanted
# I bought them for you
# Graceless lady
# You know who I am
# You know I can't let you
# Slide right through my hands
# Wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# Wild, wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# I know I've dreamed you
# A sin and a lie
# I have my freedom
# But I don't have much time
# Faith has been broken
# Tears must be cried
# Let's do some livin'
# After we die
# Wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# Wild, wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# Wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# Wild, wild horses
# We'll ride them someday
# Wild horses
# Couldn't drag me away
# Wild, wild horses
# We'll ride them someday. #
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Hi, Kelly! Hello, Vernon!
The incredible Marty Stuart,
joined by the Wandering Hearts, y'all.
One more time for them. Aren't they great? Love them.
Having a good time? I'm having a great time.
Let's talk about playing some of the music that has roots here.
We hear that Celtic influence. You've got the mandolin.
What does it mean to have that come full circle back to London?
I love it. So much of country music was dropped off
in the Appalachian Mountains,
the ballads and the fiddle tunes, and those kind of things, so...
And they took on a life of their own, but it's nice to bring it back
home and give it our version. So, thank you. It sounds so good
played here, doesn't it? Yeah! Oh! Amazing. You're incredible.
We love you so much. Thank you, guys!
Marty Stuart, everybody. Thank you. CHEERING
Now, just like this wonderful venue,
the Opry House in Nashville is both historic and iconic.
It's also very much a home from home,
as I found out when I was lucky enough to host a night at the
Grand Ole Opry with Kelly.
It doesn't matter if it's your first time performing here
or you've performed here dozens of times -
all the artists feel it.
The butterflies, the history, the magic.
It's the energy. It is. You can feel the energy seeping through
the floors and the walls. Let's get inside,
because every single person who has performed at the Opry
has gone through these doors. Are you ready? After you. Let's go.
Once you come in, you get to see our wall of plaques.
So, every one of these represents a member who's been inducted.
We have 239 names on this wall.
239. In a 100-year history,
only 239 have been welcomed to the Opry.
It's a really exclusive club. It really is.
If you are inducted, if you do become a member of the Opry,
you get your own mailbox,
and it means that fans can just put your name on,
courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry, and you'll get your mail.
And guess which one is always full.
Number 163, Dolly Parton. Oh, of course! Of course! Naturally.
OK, Vernon, this is dressing room number four. Mm-hm.
It's our Into The Circle room,
and this is where everyone gets to be,
right before they make their Grand Ole Opry debut. Oh!
Wait. So this is the first-timers' dressing room.
Oh, there's Darius. Taylor, Chris Young -
everybody has been in this room. It's pretty cool.
All right, Family Room. Let's go.
This is making me nervous, being here.
KELLY LAUGHS
This is where all of the artists hang out before they take the stage.
So it's like a green room, as they say? Yeah,
everywhere else they would call it a green room,
but we like to call it a Family Room,
because we feel like if you're performing on the Opry stage
for that night, you're a part of the family.
And we've got so many pieces of history in it.
One thing I want to point out to you, this line,
this is how high the water was in the flood of 2010.
It's pretty deep.
Wow! Here it is, Kelly. Look at this!
Anyone walking into the Opry,
whether they're a legend performing on the stage, or an audience member,
they're a part of history. Here they are.
We gotta go. We got 4,400 people coming in these seats.
OK. You ready? A little bit nervous. Don't be. Let's go.
CHEERING
Ladies and gentlemen, please make him feel welcome -
Vernon Kay!
CHEERING
Thank you, Kelly!
Welcome. We're so happy you're here. Oh, thank you very much.
Good evening, everybody.
CHEERING
That was an amazing experience. Thank you, Kelly.
It's a fun night. And thank you, the Opry. I want to go back! You do?
Yes! OK! I mean, it's pretty special.
It really is. It really is. And the good stuff just keeps coming
because we've got a very cool performance from a group
who embody tradition and innovation all at once.
Their music carries the ancient sounds of Scotland
to stages around the world.
They champion traditional folk,
and in this case, traditional step-dancing.
Please welcome back Breabach!
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
# Theid sinn thar a' chuain
# Theid sinn thar na linne
# A' fagail mar bu dual
# Do gach aite 's cinneadh
# 'S fheudar dhuinn a bhith gun tamh
# 'S fheudar falbh an rathaid
# Beo an dochas glan na faire gus am bris an latha
# 'S fheudar dhuinn a bhith gun tamh
# 'S fheudar falbh an rathaid
# Beo an dochas glan na faire gus am bris an latha
# 'S fheudar dhuinn a bhith gun tamh
# 'S fheudar ceum a ghabhail
# 'S iomadh adhbhar
# Gne 's gradh a' tarraing air an ramh. #
CHEERING
Thank you!
Thank you, everybody. Breabach!
Well, hello, I am Dolly Parton,
and I am a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.
I always thought,
"I want to be on the Grand Ole Opry one of these days,"
and I remember the very night that they made me a member.
To me, that was like being included in the most exclusive club ever,
and I will always treasure that feeling.
It's a great pleasure for me to introduce this little lady to you.
Known all over the world, Miss Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton!
# I was rich as I could be in my coat of many colours
# My momma made for me... #
# And I
# Will always love you, oh... #
# Reach out and lead me
# Oh, guide me and keep me... #
# Workin' nine to five
# What a way to make a livin'
# Barely gettin' by
# It's all takin' and no givin'... #
One of my favourite things is to write songs,
and I love it when I hear how other people interpret my songs
and how they perform it,
and how it comes out of them for what they're feeling.
It's very humbling, and I don't take any of it for granted.
And I am proud to say that my family,
all the folks at the Opry, are very near and dear to me,
and I have been a member of the Opry for 56 years,
way over half of our anniversary, 100 years.
So, anyhow, everybody have a good time while we celebrate
our 100th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry!
CHEERING
She is our Queen. We are so lucky. She is everything the Opry is about.
And now we turn our attention to one of country's most powerful voices.
She made her Opry debut back in 2017,
and later that year she opened for the likes of Willie Nelson
and Chris Stapleton on tour.
Since then, she's taken the country music world by storm.
Her beautiful, honest songwriting has won her countless awards
and millions of fans across the world.
At home at the Opry...
CHEERING
..we love her, and we know she loves us right back.
With an unforgettable classic made famous by Patsy Cline,
please welcome the incredible Ashley McBryde!
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
# Sweet
# Dreams of you
# Every night
# I go through
# Why can't I forget you
# And start my life anew
# Instead of having sweet dreams
# About you?
# You don't love me
# It's plain
# I should know
# I'll never wear your ring
# I should hate you
# The whole night through
# Instead of having sweet dreams
# About you
# Sweet
# Dreams of you
# Things I know
# Can't come true
# Why can't I forget the past
# Start loving someone new
# Instead of having sweet dreams
# About you? #
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
Good evening, Grand Ole Opry.
CHEERING
This song was the little song that could.
I wrote this song with my friend Jeremy Bussey in hopes
that someday I would play at the Grand Ole Opry.
CHEERING
About a year and a half after we wrote it, I played it at my debut.
CHEERING
And then I played it when I was inducted as a member.
CHEERING
This song was my first Grammy nomination.
It landed me a spot in a film, Wild Rose, filmed right here.
My scenes were filmed right here in London.
You bet your pants I'm playing it in Royal Albert Hall!
CHEERING
# Don't waste your life behind that guitar
# You may get gone, but you won't get far
# You're not the first and won't be the last
# And you can tell us all about it when you come crawling back
# That road you're on just winds and winds
# You're spinning your wheels and wasting your time
# But when the lights come up
# And I hear the band and where they said I'd never be
# It's exactly where I am
And I hear the crowd... #
CHEERING
# And I look around
# And I can't find an empty chair
# Not bad for a girl goin' nowhere... #
CHEERING
# Now I get these calls out on the road
# "I heard your song on my radio
# "We always said you'd make it big
# "And I tell all my friends I knew you back when
# "Just don't forget all us little folks
# "And when you crash and burn, remember we told you so"
# And then the lights come up
# And I hear the band
# And where they said I'd never be
# It's exactly where I am
# And I hear the crowd... #
CHEERING
# And I look around
# And I can't find an empty chair
# Not bad for a girl goin' nowhere... #
CHEERING
# And I need to thank my daddy for that first set of strings
# And all those folks who swore that I'd never be anything
# It took a whole lot of Yes I wills and I don't cares
# A whole lot of basement dives and county fairs
# To this show right now, and y'all sure look good... #
CHEERING
You do!
# Not bad for a girl goin' nowhere... #
CHEERING
# Not bad for a girl goin'... #
It was a 50/50 shot if I was going to make it through that song!
# Nowhere. #
CHEERING
One of the things that is important at the Grand Ole Opry,
and is certainly important to me,
is the reminder that we are responsible
for creating the next guitar picker, the next bass player,
the next fiddler, the next vocalist.
So I'm going to stand in this circle with one of my heroes,
a man who made the records that made me want to make records.
Y'all bring him back to the stage,
the true north of country music, Marty Stuart!
CHEERING
# There was a time I could drink my cares away... #
Sing it, girl!
# Drown out all of the heartaches
# That hurt me night and day
# And when the thought of you came crashin' through
# I'd have one more... # Just one!
# But the whisky ain't workin' any more
# I need one good honky-tonk angel
# To turn my life around
# That's reason enough for me to lay this ol' bottle down
# Just someone warm and willin'
# Oh, that's what I'm lookin' for
# But the whisky ain't workin' any more... #
What that guitar sound like?!
# They knew my name
# At every bar in town
# They knew all of the reasons
# I was comin' round, round, round
# Cos in my mind, the peace I'd find
# When they'd start to pour
# But now the whisky ain't workin' any more... #
Sing it, Ashley! Sing it!
# I need one good honky-tonk angel
# To turn my life around
# That's reason enough for me to lay this ol' bottle down
# Just someone warm and willin'
# Lord, that's what I'm lookin' for
# But the whisky ain't workin' any more
# Oh
# The whisky, it ain't working any more. #
CHEERING, APPLAUSE
VERNON: Yes! Come on. London!
We just took the roof right off! Whew!
That was amazing. Look at that.
That is what it's supposed to feel like when you play live music.
That, right there.
KELLY LAUGHS
She's terrified, y'all! But, man, it sounded so good. It felt good.
Is this your first time playing at Royal Albert? It was my first time
even driving past it about a couple days ago.
THEY LAUGH
And then I got all shy, like it saw me.
"There it is!"
In another first for you this week,
you've been rehearsing, along with everyone else,
at the Abbey Road Studios, the iconic Abbey Road Studios.
Yeah. No pressure!
Abbey Road is so special and I know you've got your own guided tour.
I did. Let's take a look.
One, two, three...
DRUM STICKS CLICK
# My daddy was a rattlesnake preacher
# My daddy was a man of God
# My daddy was a rattlesnake preacher
# In South Alabama... #
Is it the first time at Abbey Road?
Yes, and I told Marty that I was nervous and he said,
"As soon as you walk through the door you won't be nervous,
"because it feels like a hug" and it does.
This place is a magic spot on earth, and for country music to be here
and be a part of the legacy, it's a great intersection of cultures.
We are the first purpose-built recording studio in the world.
Oh, my God.
The Beatles recorded most of their catalogue in this room.
I think it's something like 190 songs.
Where we're standing? Where we are standing. That is nuts. Yeah, yeah.
So much musical history is here, but obviously the first thing
that you think of when you think of Abbey Road is The Beatles.
It's very wild. I never thought that I would be here.
I mean, I think there is, you know,
certain kind of holy ground-type places in music
and this is definitely one of them.
It feels a little bit like your first time at the Opry. Yeah.
It feels like it's got its own... Its own gravity.
Abbey Road is my favourite record of all time
and The Beatles are my favourite band of all time.
And to be in here, you know,
singing on that microphone that's been here since the '60s, I mean,
it's amazing to think that this place still holds that much history.
Yeah! Nice job!
CHEERING
Incredible.
Incredible. Something special about that wood too, right? Absolutely.
Yeah. Ashley, thank you so much. One more time, everyone.
Come on, London!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Ashley McBryde!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Our next performer has built a career that crosses genres
but always comes back to crowd-pleasing country classics.
Yeah, he opened the show for us
a little earlier on with his huge hit Wagon Wheel, everyone.
It remains one of country music's biggest selling songs a decade on.
After selling 35 million albums worldwide
as the front man of Hootie & the Blowfish,
he turned to country music
and he immediately topped the Hot Country charts.
Yeah, he was the first black artist to do so since Charlie Pride in 1983,
and he's gone on to release
a string of number one country albums and singles.
Please welcome back Darius Rucker!
CHEERING
Thank you, all, how are you all feeling right now?
How are you all feeling right now?
# All right All right
# All right
# Yeah, it's all right # All right
# Don't need no five-star reservations
# I got spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine
# I don't need no concert in the city
# I got a stereo and the best of Patsy Cline
# Ain't got no caviar, no Dom Perignon
# But as far as I can see, I got everything I want
# Cos I got a roof over my head
# The woman I love laying in my bed
# And it's all right All right
# All right
# I got shoes under my feet
# Forever in her eyes staring back at me
# And it's all right All right
# All right, yeah
# I got all I need
# And it's all right by me
# Maybe later on, we'll walk down to the river
# Lay on a blanket and stare up at the moon
# It may not be no French Riviera
# But it's all the same to me as long as I'm with you
# May be a simple life, but that's OK
# If you ask me, baby, I think I've got it made
# Cos I got a roof over my head
# The woman I love laying in my bed
# And it's all right
# All right All right
# I got shoes under my feet
# Forever in her eyes staring back at me
# And it's all right
# All right All right, yeah
# I've got all I need
# And it's all right by me
# That's all right by me, yeah, yeah
# When I lay down at night I thank the Lord above
# For giving me everything I ever could dream of
# Cos I've got a roof over my head
# The woman I love laying in my bed
# And it's all right, all right, all right, all right
# I got shoes under my feet
# Forever in her eyes staring back at me
# And it's all right, all right, all right, yeah
# I got all I need, yeah
# I got all I need
# And it's all right by me, oh, yeah
# That's all right by me, yeah, yeah, yeah
# La-da-da-da-da
# All. #
CHEERING
Yeah! Thank you, all!
Oh, I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite country songs.
I thought if I was going to come here,
and I was going to play with The Opry Band,
I have to do a Johnny Cash song.
CHEERING
I didn't plug it in.
HE LAUGHS
# I hear the train a comin'
# It's comin' 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 movin' 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
# But when I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry
# I bet there's rich folks eating in a fancy dining car
# I bet they're drinkin' whiskey and smoking big cigars
# Well, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free
# But those people keep a movin'
# And that's what tortures me
# Yeah, if they freed me from this prison
# If that railroad train was mine
# I'd move it on somewhere, somewhere down the line
# Far from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stay
# And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away. #
Thank you!
CHEERING
Darius! Great to have you with us.
Ha-ha! Soak it all in. Thank you, guys.
Soak it all in. Thank you.
But you're no stranger to London, are you?
Oh, no, man. I love it here. I love coming here to play music, man.
The crowds are always awesome.
Now, you've helped country music cross boundaries
and reach new audiences,
and I know that you see that in the people that come out to your shows.
Yeah. I really do.
You know, such a diverse group that comes out to see me play.
And I like that. You know, country music's for everybody.
Music's music, man.
And if you find something you like in it,
you should be listening to it, so, yeah, I love that, I love that.
Two types of music. BOTH: Good music and bad music.
THEY LAUGH
One more time, ladies and gentlemen, Darius Rucker!
Thank you.
CHEERING
And now we turn to one of the biggest names
carrying that torch forward, Kelly.
He is a true global superstar.
And is the first country artist to have three singles
certified diamond. That's incredible.
In 2019, Luke became a member of The Grand Old Opry.
His voice has become one of the defining sounds of modern country.
Let's welcome him back, one of the greatest.
It's Luke Combs!
CHEERING
Yes!
CHEERING
# Sunday morning, man, she woke up fighting mad
# Bitching and moaning on and on 'bout the time I had
# And by Tuesday, you could say that girl was good as gone
# Then when Thursday came around, I was all alone
# So I went for a drive to clear my mind, ended up at a Shell on I-65
# Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch off ticket
# Bought two 12-packs and a tank of gas with it
# She swore they were a waste of time, oh, but she was wrong
# I was caller number five on the radio station
# Won a four-day, three-night beach vacation
# Deep sea, senorita, fishing down in Panama
# And I ain't gotta see my ex future mother-in-law any more
# Oh, Lord, when it rains it pours
# Now she was sure real quick to up and apologise
# When she heard about my new-found luck on that FM dial
# And it's crazy how lately now it just seems to come in waves
# What I thought was gonna be the death of me was my saving grace
# It's got me thinking that her leaving is the only logical reason
# That I got the last spot in the Hooter's parking lot
# And the waitress left her number on my check with a heart
# She picked up on the first ring when I gave her a call
# I only spent five bucks at the Moose Club Raffle
# Won a used four-wheeler and three free passes
# For me and two of my buddies to play a round of golf
# And I ain't gotta see my ex future mother-in-law any more
# Oh, Lord, when it rains it pours
# When it rains it pours
# I've been on one hell of a redneck roll for three weeks now
# It all started on the day that she walked out... #
Sing it!
# Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch off ticket
# Bought two 12-packs and a tank of gas with it
# She swore they were a waste of time, oh, but she was wrong
# And I was caller number five on the radio station
# Won a four-day, three-night beach vacation
# Deep sea, senorita, fishing in the Royal Albert Hall
# And I ain't gotta see my ex future mother-in-law any more
# Oh, Lord, when it rains it pours
# When it rains it pours. #
It sure does, baby, how are we feeling tonight?
CHEERING
Thank you, all. How are we feeling tonight?
Are we feeling good out there?
Oh, man.
It's getting a little...
It's getting a little rowdy in here tonight, man.
I saw some folks standing up.
If the spirit moves you and you feel like getting out of your seat,
this next song is the song for that,
so y'all take it away whenever you're ready.
# I've had a largemouth bass bust my line
# A couple beautiful girls tell me goodbye
# Trucks break down, dogs run off
# Politicians lie, been fired by the boss
# It takes one hand to count the things I can count on
# No, there ain't much, man, that ain't never let me down
# Long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart
# Like diamond rings and football teams have torn this boy apart
# Like a neon dream, it just dawned on me, that bars and this guitar
# And long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart
# She was a Carolina blue jean baby
# Fire in her eyes that drove me crazy
# It was red tail-lights when she left town
# If I didn't know then, I sure know now
# Long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart
# Like diamond rings and football teams have torn this boy apart
# Like a neon dream, it just dawned on me, that bars and this guitar
# And long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart
# I got one hand to count the things I can count on
# But I got one hand that's gripping down on a cold one
# Cos long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart
# Like diamond rings and football teams have torn this boy apart
# Like a neon dream, it just dawned on me, that bars and this guitar
# And long neck ice cold beer never broke my heart, no
# It never broke my heart. #
CHEERING
This next song...
Gosh, you know, we all have that song,
at least I do, I'm sure that you guys do as well,
but, like, almost the first song that you remember
in a lot of ways,
maybe the first favourite song that you ever had.
Well, this next song is that song for me.
Take it away.
# You got a fast car
# I want a ticket to anywhere
# Maybe we make a deal
# Maybe together we can get somewhere
# Any place is better
# Starting from zero got nothing to lose
# Maybe we'll make something
# Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
# You got a fast car
# I got a plan to get us outta here
# I been working at the convenience store
# Managed to save just a little bit of money
# Won't have to drive too far
# Just across the border and into the city
# You and I can both get jobs
# And finally see what it means to be living
# See, my old man's got a problem
# He live with the bottle, that's the way it is
# He says his body's too old for working
# His body's too young to look like his
# My mama went off and left him
# She wanted more from life than he could give
# I said somebody's got to take care of him
# So I quit school and that's what I did
# You got a fast car
# Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
# We gotta make a decision
# Leave tonight or live and die this way
# So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
# Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
# City lights lay out before us
# And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
# And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
# I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
# You got a fast car
# We go cruising, entertain ourselves
# You still ain't got a job
# And I work in the market as a checkout girl
# I know things will get better
# You'll find work and I'll get promoted
# We'll move out of the shelter
# Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs
# So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
# Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
# City lights lay out before us
# And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
# And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
# I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
# You got a fast car
# I got a job that pays all our bills
# You stay out drinking late at the bar
# See more of your friends than you do of your kids
# I'd always hoped for better
# Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
# I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere
# Take your fast car and keep on driving
# So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car
# Speed so fast it felt like I was drunk
# City lights lay out before us
# And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
# And I-I had a feeling that I belonged
# I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
# You got a fast car
# Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
# We gotta make a decision
# Leave tonight or live and die this way. #
Thank you!
CHEERING
Thank you, guys, thank you.
So, listen, when you're playing The Opry, you...
You gotta play a classic country song,
especially for something like this,
and one of my all time favourites is Mr Willie Nelson,
and so I wanted to do a song of his, but I asked my friend Marcus Mumford
if he would come out and sing it with me.
And so here he comes...
Y'all, give it up for Marcus Mumford, come on.
CHEERING
# Maybe I didn't love you
# Quite as often as I could have
# And maybe I didn't treat you
# Quite as good as I should have
# If I made you feel second best
# Girl, I'm sorry I was blind
# You were always on my mind
# And maybe I didn't hold you
# All those lonely, lonely nights
# I guess I never told you
# I'm so happy that you're mine
# Little things I should have said and done
# I just never took the time
# But you were always on my mind
# You were always on my mind
# Tell me
# Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
# And give me
# Give me one more chance to keep you satisfied
# I'll keep you satisfied... #
Y'all give it up for this amazing band playing behind us tonight, man.
These are some of the best musicians in the world
y'all are getting to hear tonight.
Thank you, guys, for being here with us.
# Little things I should have said and done
# I just never took the time
# But you were always on my mind
# You were always on my mind
# You were always on my mind. #
Marcus Mumford, everybody, and give it up for the Opry Band once more.
CHEERING
Thank you.
Luke, Marcus...
What does it mean, Luke,
to be an Opry remember standing on this stage right now in London?
Yeah, I mean, it's, you know,
any time I get to play the Opry has been a dream come true for me.
And, I mean, to get to come all the way to London
and bring it here, bring it outside of the United States
for the first time ever, hoping it's not the last time, you know?
CHEERING
I like that. Oh, listen to the reaction, absolutely. I like that.
Come on!
To get to share the stage with my friend Luke
was a real privilege, so thank you.
Incredible.
Thank you, guys. Congratulations.
We're going to let you get set for the finale right over there.
One more time, everybody, Luke Combs and Marcus Mumford.
CHEERING
Well, as well as a massive thank you to Luke,
Marcus and all of tonight's performers, everybody,
we want to say a huge thank you to the Opry house band
and musical director, Kerry Marx, everyone.
CHEERING
Yeah!
It has been an absolute pleasure
celebrating our 100th birthday with y'all.
And now to bring this home tonight,
the whole cast of The Grand Ole Opry live in London.
Long live country music, everybody!
CHEERING
# Well, I was standing by my window
# On a cold and cloudy day
# When I saw that 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 awaiting
# In the sky, Lord, in the sky
# Well, I said to that undertaker,
# Undertaker, won't you please drive slow
# For this lady you are carryin'
# Lord, I hate to see her go
# Will the circle be unbroken
# By and by Lord, by and by
# There's a better home awaiting
# In the sky, Lord, in the sky. #
# Almost Heaven, West Virginia
# Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
# Life is old there, older than the trees
# Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze
# Country roads, take me home
# To the place I belong
# West Virginia, mountain mama
# Take me home, country roads
# All my memories gather 'round her
# Miner's lady, stranger to blue water
# Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
# Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
# Country roads, take me home
# To the place I belong
# West Virginia, mountain mama
# Take me home, country roads
# I hear the voice in the mornin' hour, she calls me
# The radio reminds me of my home far away
# Drivin' down the road, I get a feelin'
# That I should've been home yesterday, yesterday
# Country roads, take me home
# To the place I belong
# West Virginia, mountain mama
# Take me home, country roads
# Country roads, take me home
# To the place I belong
# West Virginia, mountain mama
# Take me home, country roads
# Take me home, country roads. #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE