Old School Is New Again

It was a big night last night as country music returned to the Grand Ole Opry and Blake Shelton was asked to become a member. After Blake and Trace Adkins performed “Hillbilly Bone,” Trace then took the microphone and teased Blake about his tweets. He then said, “The Grand Ole Opry has decided they’re going to tweet you.” An image then popped up on a screen that said “Blake, you’re invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.” Trace then turned to Blake and said, “I’m officially here and have the authority to ask you to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.” Blake accepted the invitation and gave Trace a big hug. Blake’s fiancé, Miranda Lambert, was in the audience smiling ear to ear with the news. As for the upgrades made during the post-flood renovations, the Grand Ole Opry now has 3 new HD projection screens are stage, 18 newly themed dressing rooms including Friends & Neighbors (dedicated to celebrity guests of the Opry), Into the Circle (showcasing quotes from artists on their debut nights), and The Roy (in honor of Roy Acuff). The only original part that remains of the backstage is the Post Office. The names are in alphabetical order except for Little Jimmy Dickens. His box should be on the top row according to his last name, but in order to reach his box it’s been moved to the middle row.

Family and friends gathered recently at at Loretta Lynn’s museum in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee Friday to celebrate 50 years of making music. It was that long ago that Loretta wrote her breakthrough hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” It’s a rarely mentioned factoid that she had to take out six verses before she recorded it. At the time, she had no idea the impact the song would have on her career. Loretta said, “I just thought it was another song of people talking about their life ya know. I didn’t think about it ever being anything. But it was a smash and I’m real proud. I’m proud to be a coal miner’s daughter, I am.”

Joe Bonsall from The Oak Ridge Boys has released his eighth published book, From My Perspective, which is a collection of commentaries and stories about life, music, faith, and America, all told in Joe’s perspective. Look for it at your favorite book retailer.

Martina McBride’s latest online video gives you a view of Martina’s experience at a Naval Air Station before a recent concert. Check out Martina and her entourage watching a flight demonstration, and experiencing what it feels like to sit in the pilot seat of an aircraft. At the end of the day, Martina was presented with a plaque which featured two command jets.