Columbia Nashville duo Montgomery Gentry became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry tonight, inducted by Opry members Little Jimmy Dickens and Marty Stuart before an Opry House audience including family, friends, and fans.
After the two had performed hits including “My Town” and “Something To Be Proud Of,” Stuart officially inducted the duo into the Opry, saying, “You guys have worked so hard for so many years. Your legacy stands right here. … It is my pleasure to welcome Montgomery Gentry to the Grand Ole Opry family.”
After having been presented their Opry member awards by Dickens and Stuart, the duo hugged before sharing their thoughts with the Opry audience. “All day I’ve been trying to conjure up the words to say what this means,” Gentry said. “But there aren’t enough words to describe what this night means to us. Thank you all so much.”
His voice cracking, Eddie Montgomery added, “I remember sittin’ in an old junky station wagon listening to the Grand Ole Opry with my dad. He’d say, ‘It don’t matter what you do in country music; if you don’t become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, you ain’t got there yet.’”
“I promise you me and T. won’t let you down,” Montgomery continued before lifting his member award, looking up, and concluding, “Dad, we made it!”
The duo, which made their Grand Ole Opry debut on March 3, 2000, concluded the show along with Dickens and Stuart by singing the song that got their career started, “Hillbilly Shoes.”
The Opry Member Award presented to Montgomery Gentry during the induction is a 14-inch bronze and oak wood replica of the Opry’s vintage microphone stand designed by renowned sculptor Bill Rains. Fans can visit Youtube.com/OpryLive to see the induction moment as well as highlights of past Montgomery Gentry Opry Live performances. The duo’s first “official” role as Opry members is to host the Star-Spangled America’s Opry Weekend Special airing on country radio stations across the country Independence Day Weekend.
Montgomery Gentry’s new single, “Long Line Of Losers” is just now hitting the airwaves and follows in the footsteps of their recent Top 5 hit “One In Every Crowd.” The duo’s current album, Back When I Knew It All, has also yielded the No. 1 hit single “Back When I Knew It All” and the multi-week No. 1, “Roll With Me.” An exclusive Cracker Barrel album project, For Our Heroes, released May 25, broke all of the company’s previous sales records, setting records for best selling opening day, best selling opening week, and best selling week of all of the CDs for Cracker Barrel.
The duo recently received two 2009 Academy of Country Music Award nominations including Album of the Year for Back When I Knew It All and Top Duo or Group. The Kentucky natives have joined Kenny Chesney on tour this summer, performing as part of an all-star lineup at stadium shows on Chesney’s Sun City Carnival Tour, as well as headlining dates of their own across the country.
Fans can check out www.montgomerygentry.com for the latest information on the fan favorites.
The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®. Opry performances are held every weekend of the year and on Tuesdays through Dec. 15. To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com.
About the Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. A uniquely American experience for more than 80 years, the Opry can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, and opry.com. The syndicated weekly program, America’s Opry Weekend, airs on country radio stations across America and on the Armed Forces Radio Network. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that also owns and operates Gaylord Hotels.
For more information, visit www.opry.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com
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